Starting This Messy Project

Alright, so the old patio was basically crumbling under my feet. Time for concrete, right? I figured, "How hard can it be? Dig, pour, done." Famous last words.

First screw-up: Thinking thickness didn't matter much. I eyeballed it, planned for about 3 inches thick. Good enough, yeah? Nope. Went digging down, feeling all proud.

• Cleared the area with a shovel, sweating buckets.
• Hammered wooden boards around the edges for the mold.
• Tamped the dirt down flat, thought it looked perfect.

Learning About PSI the Hard Way

Went to get the concrete mix. Guy at the yard asks, "What PSI you need?" I just stared. "Uh, for walking on?" He sighs. "Slab thickness? Foot traffic?" Apparently, PSI is the concrete's "muscle." Thicker needs stronger muscle, especially if you want to, y'know, park a car or have a BBQ without cracks.

Epiphany moment: My lousy 3-inch plan? Needed way stronger stuff than I thought. He recommended 3000 PSI minimum just for walking, but with thickness – forget it. Since I was being stubborn and cheap, I stuck to 3 inches but bumped it to 3500 PSI mix. Felt like I won a small victory. Got the bags loaded.

• Bought like a million 60lb bags of Quikrete 3500.
• Rented a mixer because my arms said "heck no."

Mixing, Pouring, and Regretting Life

Mixed the concrete one batch at a time. Water ratio is a nightmare – too much water and your strong concrete turns weak like pudding. Measured carefully. Mostly. Shoveled that thick, gray gunk into the frame. Started pushing it around with a screed board.

Oh, the thickness headache: Keeping it a steady 3 inches across the whole mess was harder than wrestling a bear. My stupid frame dipped a bit in the middle. Some spots were barely 2.5 inches, others almost 4. Poured sweat trying to level it with a trowel. My back still complains.

• Mixed bags forever.
• Screeded back and forth till my arms were jelly.
• Used a float to smooth the top, kept spraying it with water to slow drying.

The Reality Check

Left it covered and wet for days. Peeked under the plastic like a kid on Christmas morning. It looked… solid. Cool. Now, a year later? The thicker spots? Like rock. Those slightly thinner areas? Got some hairline cracks showing up. Annoying little spiderwebs.

The brutal truth? Thickness IS strength. Period. Wish I'd dug deeper for 4 inches. Even standard 3000 PSI would've been strong enough if it was thicker all over. My cheapness and laziness bit me. Next time? Making it 4 inches thick all the way. And maybe paying someone to pour it. That cement truck ain't coming back.