Author Topic: Patio help (molds)  (Read 4673 times)

tennisray

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Patio help (molds)
« on: December 19, 2014, 11:45:06 AM »
Has anyone used the plastic molds to make a walkway or patio?

I have a 20x10 area under my deck that is just dirt and I'd like to find an inexpensive way to put a patio there.  I got this:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1296049&KPID=984740&kpid=984740&pla=pla_984740

Supposedly, it is just hard work lifting bags of concrete and mixing.  But, I don't want to get into something that I can't finish, or that I will have problems with in the future.  I live in Atlanta...we have red clay here.  The product states that you can put it directly onto the dirt, but I was thinking of placing some gravel down as a base.


LokiMom

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2014, 08:33:34 PM »
My neighbor made herself a sidewalk using that same form.  Just please be sure to rotate it a quarter turn every time to keep the random stone look. Otherwise you wind up with a pattern that screams "Did it myself and didn't read the instructions". We have black clay here and after eight years her walkway is still doing great.  All she did was remove the grass and level and tamp the path.

If I remember rightly it takes one bag of Quikrete per form.  That's a lot of heavy sacks. If you buy them all at once the store will probably deliver them but they have to be kept absolutely dry or you'll get a lot of bag shaped concrete blocks. Even high humidity will do it over time.

You could also buy a few every weekend and within a few months have it all done. 

About the only thing that I don't like about my neighbor's walkway is that the stones are a little too rounded on the edges.  That makes the lines between the stones too wide.  It isn't the most pleasant thing to walk on as I'm always worried about tripping even though it's level.  You could fill in the gaps with sand or just set the form a little deeper and allow the gaps to fill in.

There is a mixing barrel that is supposed to be for this.  http://www.hsn.com/products/odjob-concrete-mixing-barrel/5457884
Reviews are mixed.  My neighbor just used a low sided tub for mixing hers.  It worked great. 

Good luck with your project.   

jordanread

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2014, 07:47:31 AM »
So long as you press the forms down long enough, and get the consistency of the concrete right (quick video that shows you), you should be just fine. Make sure that you either put down gravel, sand, or tamp (fancy way of saying smoosh) the crap out of the dirt. You can also put concrete dye in the mix to change up the colors. Also, a steel brush or old paint brush can add some really cool texture.

Spork

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2014, 07:53:42 AM »
I've seen a few that used those molds and looked terrible.  I've never considered it, but probably like said upstream: inability to listen and follow directions.

I have done small patches of a large patio using stamped concrete -- where I made my own stamp off of the existing patio and transferred it to the patch.  If you can find the stamp, the color and the release -- I would bet you will get better results with this method.  If you're doing a large area, you need to have a few people to work fast enough.  You'll need someone to mix, someone to wheel it from the mixer and someone to get it all in the forms and level.  It isn't impossible... but if you get behind you get stuck. 

dragoncar

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2014, 12:57:53 PM »
How does the price of this compare to, say, pavers?

tennisray

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2014, 01:09:35 PM »
Thanks for the input so far.  This method would be cheaper than pavers (plus I like the look of these molds better than the pavers that would be close in price).

I've seen videos where people put some texture on the top.  I'm not sure how they do it with the brushes, but I do think it looks more like real stone if you put some texture on it.

I actually like the color without the color additive.  I would plan on putting sand in between the joints.


dragoncar

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2014, 04:25:00 PM »
This method would be cheaper than pavers (plus I like the look of these molds better than the pavers that would be close in price).

Nice, let me know how it goes and maybe I'll steal the idea.  Or buy your used molds.

tennisray

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2014, 01:33:47 PM »

[/quote]

Nice, let me know how it goes and maybe I'll steal the idea.  Or buy your used molds.
[/quote]

Will do...just give me a while.  I will start in Feb or march.  I'm hoping one of my friends will have a cement mixer I can borrow.  I've read that mixing the concrete (especially using the ones for DIY'ers) is what limits you on time/energy.

dragoncar

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2014, 02:48:53 PM »



Will do...just give me a while.  I will start in Feb or march.  I'm hoping one of my friends will have a cement mixer I can borrow.  I've read that mixing the concrete (especially using the ones for DIY'ers) is what limits you on time/energy.

Ha!  I'm in no hurry.  It's rainy season and I'm lazy.  80 pounds per 4 sqft = 20 pounds per sqft.  hefty
« Last Edit: December 23, 2014, 05:02:48 PM by dragoncar »

couponvan

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2014, 03:31:44 PM »
My dad did these for a pathway around our old house. He planted ground cover between the stones and it looked awesome as the ground cover kind of his the repetitive pattern pretty quickly. He did have a small cement mixer he used which made the job way faster.  Wish he was still alive, as there is much I need to learn about construction I should have paid more attention to growing up!

dragoncar

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Re: Patio help (molds)
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2014, 05:03:32 PM »
My dad did these for a pathway around our old house. He planted ground cover between the stones and it looked awesome as the ground cover kind of his the repetitive pattern pretty quickly. He did have a small cement mixer he used which made the job way faster.  Wish he was still alive, as there is much I need to learn about construction I should have paid more attention to growing up!

Are they pretty slippery?

 

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