Rebar for small slab ?

[Andy]

I am going to build a 4' X 4' X 4" slab next to an existing walkway that leads to the front doorway.

It's in Texas, so frost isn't a concern.

Will I need rebar for that ?

It will only be walked on and possible have 2 chairs.

Andy

[Oren]

Wire mesh. Hardware store, lumber yard, etc.

<http://www.lulusoso.com/upload/20120311/Woven_Wire_Mesh_screens.jpg>

[Paul Drahn]

On 6/12/2013 5:46 PM, gfre...@aol.com wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:57:33 -0700 (PDT), Andy
> <andrew_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>

> I would not bother for that small a pad.
Agree. Be sure to really compact the crushed rock you use for base under
the concrete.

Paul

[nestork]

You wouldn't need rebar for such a small pad, but you CAN buy bagged
cement with fiberglass or graphene fibers in it which hold the concrete
together to prevent it from cracking, and that's what I would use.




--
nestork

[ChairMan]

You don't "need" it, but all you would need is 2 8' pieces
cut in less than half.
The mimimal cost is worth it and depending where you are in
Texas, frost isn't a problem, but it drying out and
shrinking is definitely a concern.

[micky]

On Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:57:33 -0700 (PDT), Andy
<andrew_...@yahoo.com> wrote:

You seem to have gotten good answers. I'm never sure where the
boundary is between hijacking a thread and posting a related question,
so everyone can read them together. I apologize if I shouldn't post
this. Here goes.

I was at a 14th floor apartment being remodeled. 18" square, ~1/2"
thick, marble-like tile being put down in the living room. They ran
out of tile so we could see the edge of what had been done. About 1"
of cement beneath the tile.

AIUI, underneath everything is a concrete floor. Building is 40
years old.

Someone commented that there should have been steel reinforcing in the
cement under the tile? Is that true?

[John Grabowski]

*No rebar, but maybe some 6" x 6" reinforcing mesh.

[Jim Elbrecht]

+1

[Jim Elbrecht]

On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:28:43 -0500, "ChairMan" <nos...@thanks.com>
wrote:

Personally I think it is asking for trouble. Keeping rebar 2" from
an outside edge in a 4" slab is impossible-- and it will rust and
cause spalling in a few years. Use fiberglass- or air entrained
concrete.

Jim

[hrho...@sbcglobal.net]

I have doubts about the effectiveness of the fiberglass addition to
the concrete. We had that reinforced concrete installed on a walkway
at my condo buuilding in Colorado, when some older concrete was
replaced, and it has cracked in numerous places within a couple of
years.

[HeyBub]

Concrete cracks. Get used to the concept.

Rebar, or a substitute, has, as its main purpose, preventing displacement of
the cracked slab. If not for the rebar, you'd have hunks of concrete
sticking up whose only purpose is to trip you.

[Vic Smith]

On Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:57:33 -0700 (PDT), Andy
<andrew_...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Don't know. But why a slab and not pavers or flagstones?
Wouldn't bother mixing/pouring/finishing concrete for a 4x4 slab.
There's a lot of advantages to pavers/flagstones.
Won't cost much for 4x4.

[Andy]

Thanks for all the ideas.

Never thought about using pavers.

Andy

[Jim Elbrecht]

Andy <andrew_...@yahoo.com> wrote:

-snip-

>
>Never thought about using pavers.
>

I don't know why I didn't suggest them earlier.<g> For a space that
size, they are a better choice on a lot of counts--
Variety of styles- ease of install- ability to change the size- shape
or style if the spirit moves you.

check Craigslist for free/cheap ones.
Spend a lot of time on prepping the base and you won't need to touch
them again for decades. [I spray mine with a weed killer in the
spring]

Jim

[Jim Elbrecht]

On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:00:10 -0400, gfre...@aol.com wrote:

>On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:32:53 -0400, Jim Elbrecht <elbr...@email.com>
>wrote:

>Pavers are OK if that is what you want.
>My wife built over 100 houses with paver lanais, pool decks and
>driveways but growing stuff in the cracks can be a problem. I had all
>I wanted in small batches for free.

My growing season is short enough that I spray once in May or June
with a 120day weed killer/preventer and I'm good for the season.

>
>I use pavers like tile
>
>http://gfretwell.com/electrical/brick%20shed%20house.jpg

That's an interesting application-
>
>and use flagging over concrete for walking around surfaces.,
>
>http://gfretwell.com/electrical/addition/Mudding%20them%20in.jpg

Don't care for that- though. All the downsides of flags *and*
concrete.

I do like that your wife is the mason, though.<g> Mine, God bless
her, was the idea and inspirational guide.

Jim

[Stormin Mormon]

I'd suggest yes. Easier than redoing the job later. I'd put rebar metal mesh in.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.

[Jon Danniken]

I used some reinforced concrete mix (bought at home despot) a number of
years ago to fix a sidewalk crack. Despite feathering it out on the
edges, and numerous expansive clay cycles it has held up like the day I
installed it.

It ain't cheap, but I continue to be impressed with it's longevity.

Jon

[Robert]

On Jun 13, 9:05 am, Lonesome Dove <lonesomed...@texnet.org> wrote:

> Down here in south Texas where we are we just use doubled over
> chicken wire on anything less that 100 square feet. Pour the
> stuff a little on the watery side and raise the wire up with a
> rake. As you Texans probably know we have the opportunity to have
> a lot of cracks in sidewalks and driveways and home slabs but
> we've never had a crack with chicken wire on small stuff. By the
> way, my late father in law was the contractor that poured
> Greenway Plaza in Houston with NO cold joints. He kinda knew his
> business and the chicken wire was his idea.
>
> Lonesome Dove

In North Texas, we also have a cracking problem, mostly due to
really wet springs and really dry summers....

For something that small, I try to use any sort of wire mesh
laying around. Old chain link fence seems to do a great job.
Embedded as your suggest. If all you have is chicken wire,
it's OK, but personally, I'd like something a little heavier....
Maybe a couple rusty old BBQ grills, or even a bunch of
coat hangers that the wife was throwing out, distributed
evenly......

[john foo]

replying to micky, john foo wrote:

> Someone commented that there should have been steel reinforc

the TCA handbook can answer that for you (Tile Council of America). 2004 is
45 pg, 2016 is 450 pg ! there are forums that specialize in tile Q&A. the
answer is tile gets installed wrong but what is right is not intuitive - it's
definitely a trade

--
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