Fall Project Planning With Concrete: To DIY or Not to DIY?

With autumn months bringing cool, consistent temperatures, it’s the perfect time to consider your next backyard improvement project. Whether it’s a new patio, landing pad for a raised deck, step-stone walkway or a retaining wall for the garden, concrete as a building material is a no-brainer when it comes to creating a strong and durable home addition. 

Consider the Weather for Curing Your Concrete

Fall’s cooler weather is generally the most idyllic time for pouring concrete in Northern California. First of all, who doesn’t want to soak up those lovely autumn days with the sun shining in a perfect blue sky? Second (and even more importantly), when you wait for those consistent 50℉ days, you can avoid freezing through the winter months and the threat of your concrete drying too fast and cracking right away in the summer. 

Read more about optimal temperature ranges for your concrete pouring escapades, especially if you’re ready to get going on your next DIY project. 

Once you’ve got a timeline for your project in mind, the next step is to determine how to fit the budget: DIY or hire it out? 

Let’s Weigh the Pros and Cons of DIY

The first things to ask yourself:

How big is my project going to be? 

How much spare time do I have on my hands? We put together this table to help with your calculations:

If you landed clearly on “DIY!” or “Hire ‘Em Out”:

You’re ready to get your project started. Figure out how much concrete you’ll need to get it done on your own terms with our handy concrete calculator, or give us a call to discuss the when’s and where’s. 

If further calculations are required:

But, if you still need to run the numbers or figure out how much you want to spend, head on back to the drawing board. 

Let’s say you do have the time, but you’ve never done concrete before. Not to fear; there are plenty of resources to walk you through the process. It’ll just take the commitment of saying: “Yes I’m up for the challenge, and I’m ready to learn something new!”Just remember, taking the time to pour your own concrete could save you 20 to 40% on the overall cost.

Now if you only have a little bit of time, but the project is pretty small, there are strategies to be had! Break your project into phases and allocate each one to a time slot. Pencil in your game plan for each: write a shopping list, make a run to the hardware store, dig a little hole, build a form out of 2x4s, mix-pour-and-voila! Find the chunks of time that work best for each individual task. When you make a great plan, you can achieve any goal you set to task.

Are you dreaming up ideas for how to start your backyard improvements now? Whether you want to find a contractor or get going with DIY, you can contact Mathews ReadyMix to set your plan in motion. Give us a call to start the conversation.