Spring is finally upon us, which means that it's time to do some DIY work inside and outside of your home. A few popular home renovation projects this year are DIY backyard home additions and landscaping projects. Whether you want to build a foundation for a new shed or xeriscape your backyard to save water, you'll likely need to calculate how much concrete you'll use for the job.
If you're new to DIY landscape work and left scratching your head in your backyard, continue reading for helpful tips and tricks to estimate your concrete order.
Measure the Space
First thing's first — you must measure the space where you plan to pour concrete to find its total surface area in square feet. If you plan on laying the foundation for a driveway that is 25 feet long and 10 feet wide, you will multiply the length by the width to determine the square footage. In that case, the square footage of your driveway will be 250 sq. ft.
If you want to lay a foundation for a 25 ft. by 25 ft. outdoor space, the square footage will be 625 sq. ft.
Plan the Depth
Once you know the square footage of your landscaping project, you need to determine how thick you'll make the foundation for your project. Typical concrete slabs are usually four to six inches thick, unless your local building codes say otherwise.
For more intense structures like decks and accessory dwelling units, you'll need to have a concrete slab with more thickness. However, for more tame landscaping projects like backyard patios, relaxation areas, and concrete edging, you wont need concrete to be as thick.
Determine the number of inches and divide that number by 12 to get the depth in feet. If you're settling on a 4-inch foundation, your depth will be about .333 ft thick.
Consider the Premix Bags
Premix cement bags come in several sizes and prices, so making approximate estimations will help to figure out how many you'll need. Once you know your square footage and depth, you can determine the number of premix cement bags you'll need to complete the project, which are measured in cubic yards.
Do this by converting your square feet measurement into cubic feet by multiplying the area by the thickness: 625x.333 = 208.13 cubic feet.
To convert the cubic feet into cubic yards, divide the cubic footage by 27: 208.13 ÷ 27 = 7.71 cubic yards.
An even easier (and more accurate) way is to use a concrete slab calculator. It will provide an approximate number of the premix cement bags you'll need based on your square footage and depth alone.
We hope these tips helped you prepare for your DIY home project. For more home improvement tips and ideas, check out the rest of our blog!
