Is There a Big Difference Between Professional and DIY Concrete?

Are you planning a new project for the home that involves concrete? Perhaps you are planning on creating a new sidewalk or patio area. While this is something you can do yourself, it may be best to go with a professional concrete company for your home plans. The main difference between a DIY concrete project and a professional job is experience. If you do not have any experience with concrete projects, you may have trouble knowing the right steps to complete the project and may find you spend more money than you like to make your concrete plans come to life.

How Much Concrete Will You Need?

A professional concrete installer will be able to know just how much concrete you need based on your project. The depth, width and length of the slab must be considered. A calculation is needed to determine the number of cubic yards for the project which will determine the number of bags needed. You can find concrete calculators online for slabs, footings and columns which can help you determine how much you need. This is something that concrete experts already know to help you stay on budget and complete your project with ease.

Getting Started

Do you know how to start your project? With a patio, you would need to have a form in place to hold the concrete in while it sets. Each project type will require a certain number of steps as well as an order of steps. If you have never worked with concrete before, you may have no idea where to begin or what steps to take to ensure the concrete is poured correctly as well as set correctly. If you have never worked with concrete before, you will soon find you must work quickly and efficiently to get the job done right the first time. A concrete company will have the knowledge and experience to start the job quickly and provide you with exactly what you are looking for.

Time Spent

You must also consider the time spent on the project. A professional team of concrete experts will be able to take care of a project in a few hours. Depending on how much experience you have and the project, you may spend days on it. When you are inexperienced, you will take more time to complete the work. You may also not have as much time to be able to spend on the project, having to work in sections. Consider if it is worth the time you would have to spend or if you would rather have someone do the work for you.

Overall, making the decision to do a concrete project yourself or work with a company comes down to the time you have plus experience. If you are not comfortable with the project, have a company come in and do the work for you. It takes away any stress or time needed to complete the project and you are able to enjoy the new area in no time.