Cost Effective Concrete

StalkingIbis on 03/07/2019 - 13:05

Hi,

I'm planning on putting up a 3x3m garden shed. I need a slab for it and just looking for the most cost effective method in the Sunshine coast, Queensland.

Googling shows the price is about $80 per square metre, I would need 9… $720

This doesn't sound too unreasonable, but I have no vehicle access to the back and so I'm concerned it will cost more.

Bunnings sells the bags of concrete mix which I could transport in series of short trips in my car, but that works out more expensive already and seems like a terrible option.

Considerations:

  • I don't have a ute
  • No side access for vehicles
  • I can borrow an electric cement mixer and I'm capable of a hard day's work
  • I can do the levelling and form work myself

What do you guys recommend?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Stewardo on 03/07/2019 - 13:12
    +3

    You could do it yourself for sure
    Or could get it delivered and wheel barrow it in
    http://www.micromixconcrete.com.au/

    • jm48 on 04/07/2019 - 14:18

      Interesting setup, the prices are reasonable too.

  • StalkingIbis on 03/07/2019 - 13:21

    That looks perfect! I'm glad a business like that exists. Clever of them too!

    I'll call them now and I'm expecting this to be the best option.

    Thanks again!

  • 87percent on 03/07/2019 - 13:31

    you can rent a ute from bunnings

  • MoonlapseVertigo on 03/07/2019 - 13:42

    i built a retaining wall from bags of concrete from bunnings in my hatchback.

    the high strength mix is $8.50 per 20kg bag per 1.5m2 so you need 6 bgs x $8.50 = $51. All you need is a wheelbarrow and a hose for water and mix it up. Mix with shovel. Level out after pouring. Done for under $100

    Cheers

    • MoonlapseVertigo on 03/07/2019 - 13:45
      +1

      https://www.bunnings.com.au/dingo-20kg-hi-strength-concrete_…

      6 of these bad boys, one trip in ur car. done!

      • onetwothreefour on 03/07/2019 - 13:59
        +2

        6 bags if the slab is about 5mm thick! Slabs should be no less than 50-75mm thick so going off the calculator on the cement Australia website you'd need at least 50 bags.

        • k-rokfm on 03/07/2019 - 14:52
          +1

          I think Moonlapse misread the info - it says 8 of those bags would make 1.5m^2 50mm thick. so it would need to be 8 x 6 bags x $8.50 = $408.

          easy miss, took me a couple of reads

          • MoonlapseVertigo on 03/07/2019 - 14:58

            @k-rokfm: just had another read. thanks for the correction - $408 for the concrete: The DIY approach would be $45 per m2 which is reasonable. Bear in mind this is high strength too…..put some steel in the formwork and you've got a solid slab (5cm thick)

    • fantombloo on 03/07/2019 - 14:08

      20kg bag per 1.5m2

      Would be thin slab at that, more like a screed.

      (edit: just saw onetwothree's comment above)

  • Freitag on 03/07/2019 - 14:01
    +1

    It's cheaper to buy cement, sand and aggregate separately if you're going to be mixing it all yourself, is there an area where these could be dumped then you move them down the back?
    If not, you could look into the price of pumping the concrete. I'm not sure what you'd pay but it could easily be over $200/hour for a concrete pump.

  • Cluster on 03/07/2019 - 14:19
    +6

    Don't use concrete mix from Bunnings. That is an expensive way to make concrete. If you have the space, get a local landscaping supplier to bring you sand/metal mix. About $55 per tonne, plus delivery. Compare that to $4.50 for 20kg, or $225. The cement part is the cheap part of the whole deal.

    I have mixed plenty of concrete in a wheelbarrow and it came out great. Since you have access to a machine that's even better. I would DIY.

  • fantombloo on 03/07/2019 - 14:38
    +1

    I'd forget the hand mixing. Form up yourself, order a concrete truck to come by and wheelbarrow with a mate from the truck to the site. You can get timber for the formwork from your local kitchen maker whose probably always throwing pieces out. You can have all this done in one morning.

  • StalkingIbis on 03/07/2019 - 14:47

    Thanks for all the replies guys. I knew there had to be multiple options I just didn't know what they were.

    Another point. My driveway is way steep and narrow. Im sure a truck couldn't reverse up it. If I go the landscape option id have to drop it on the grass near footpath and narrow it all up.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/07/2019 - 14:54
    +1

    I typically pay $250/cbm. May be a bit more if only buying a couple of cbm.

    I like 100mm if foot traffic only. More if base isn't well prepare or soft.

    1cbm makes up 10sqm at 100mm. I'd order 1.5cbm for redundancy.

  • StalkingIbis on 03/07/2019 - 14:56

    Sounds good!

    This looks like a winner!

    https://theyard.com.au/project/10mm-concrete-blend-74-m/

    I'll happily push it up the hill for that price haha

  • voiletmay on 03/07/2019 - 15:30
    +1

    There is another option too. Stractco sells concrete tiles (for lack of right term). They are basically concentre slabs (that you can move yourself) to put under sheds. Good to renters as they are movable.

  • elgrande on 03/07/2019 - 22:24
    +2

    I did my own.

    • Formwork with blue gravel
    • pile of sand
    • bags of cement
    • cement mixer hire

    I must say, I did mine on a 40 degree day and almost died. But other then that it was good. Worked out a heap cheaper.

    • [Deactivated] on 04/07/2019 - 17:00

      Hopefully you hosed it down every few hours. Concrete needs water to cure. If it dries out too quickly, it's not a good thing.

  • HeWhoKnows on 04/07/2019 - 09:39

    Get one of those mini-cement trucks to deliver and be ready for the pour

  • whooah1979 on 04/07/2019 - 10:07

    Have a look at recycled rail sleepers, builders film and yellow tongue.

  • jm48 on 04/07/2019 - 12:22

    Like others said cheapest way is to mix your own for anything less than 1m3.
    I have a mixer and do lots.
    1 tonne of aggregate + 1 tonne of sand + 14 bags of cement will make around 1m3.
    For difficult access the good thing is you can move the ingredients right next to the shed over several days.
    Lately I having been pouring directly from the mixer into the formwork.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/07/2019 - 13:09

    You could pave it also.

  • Tigercjn on 04/07/2019 - 19:07
    +1

    The cheapest way is to do it your self, get the premixed sand and screenings delivered and move it directly into the required location that has been boxed up. When this is done buy the required bags of cement and a pair of gumboots. On the day mix all together dry in place then add water and mix in situ. If you wanted you could fill it 10mm lower and then use the cement mixer to mix the final top layer so the quality is slightly better. Its a shed so it does not have to be that great, I put a bit of old carpet on top of mine, warmer underfoot, easy to vacuum and clean.

    Cheers
    Chris

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