I wanted to thank you all for all your support
Basically the area in my previous post needs to be concreted (LOL as it even exists as a word) and either I find a quote that I can afford, or as usual I'll do it myself, lol. Back home they used to call me Leonardo, as I learned many different things by doing them, sometimes I messed up but not that much, I don't know in England, but back home calling somebody and paying him does not mean that it'll do much bettter than you would yourself
I have a few questions about concrete in general:
To do my area, which I'll do 100mm reinforced, I would to the following:
1. install the form, two sides have an existing structure as restraint, the other two long sides (8mt x side) are in need of the form. I would use 2 by 6 board staked every 3 feet as described in the guide (One stake down and another diagonal to reinforce the horizontal one)
2. Install the geotextile
3. Install the reinforcing, either mesh or rebars.
Check that everything is level. In my case as I need to put an outbuilding on it, I'd prefer to have a flat base, than to have an annoying slope that over 4 mt of my outbuilding would annoy the door and aligment, at the conditions that I'll gutter said structure.
My questions are:
Materials
1. Rebar: for my application ( no veichles traffic) I'm puzzled if used a A142 mesh on the whole area with a cost about 75£, or instead is it better to put crossed rebars creating 60cm squares, which is best, if the latter, how big the squares should be?
2. What kind of concrete should I order? C20 or C30?
Work itself:
1. OK, I admit that youtube videos make it look easy but also all the things that I didn't know how to do in the past looked easy, but in reality they weren't THAT, easy, lol. So basically assuming that I have the people to basically wheelbarrow the material from the truck to area, and I rent the bull float, once we've carried the cement in place, would be THAT difficult to get it smooth? I don't care MUCH for it to be PERFECT. I feel that the answer would lie in what my skills are, well I'm good at plastering in general.
2. one thing I did not understand properly is the well, timeline so to speak. Once the concrete is laid down and screeded, how long til we can bullfloat it and how long til it become "available" to finish it smooth?
3. Another rebar question. Basically what puzzles me is that if I have to start lay the concrete 8mt away from the nearest edge, and the rebar (either mesh or rebars) are well., in the middle (as it needs to be right in the centre of the future slab) how to wheelbarrow the cement over there?
AHAH, ! Sorry for the many questions, hope some of you will take the time to at least answer some
Thanks in advance very very very much!
Marco!