How to Lay a Form for a Porch
A concrete porch is a valuable addition to your home. A porch provides a pleasant area to enjoy nice summer nights. If you are considering adding a concrete porch to your house, you must first lay the forms for the concrete. The forms outline the shape of the porch. Most people build their porch in a square or rectangular shape. You can lay the forms for the porch yourself without the help of a professional mason or carpenter. Doing the work yourself will save you money as well as provide valuable experience for future concrete projects. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Rake
- 4-foot level
- 2-by-4 boards
- Wood saw
- Hammer
- 16d nails
- Framing square
- Stakes
Instructions
-
-
1
Level the ground in the area where you will place the forms. Use a rake to smooth and grade the area. Check the grade with a 4-foot level.
-
2
Lay out the 2-by-4 boards around the perimeter of the area for the porch. Use a saw to cut the 2-by-4 boards to the desired lengths. You will need two boards for sides and one board for the end. The foundation of the house will serve as the back part of the form.
-
-
3
Connect the end board to the side boards by using the hammer to drive two 16-d nails through both ends of the end board into the side boards. The outside edge of the side boards must be flush with the outside edge of the end board.
-
4
Slide the form into place. You want to place the end of the side boards flush against the foundation of the house.
-
5
Square the forms. Use the framing square to check all four inside corners. Gently tap the form with a hammer to make the necessary adjustments.
-
6
Secure the forms with the concrete stakes. Place the stakes along the outside edges of the form boards. Use the hammer to drive the stakes into the ground. The stake should penetrate at least 8 inches into the ground. You want to put a stake approximately 4 to 6 inches away from each corner and about every 3 feet along the outside of the form.
-
7
Level the end board. Use a hammer to drive a nail through each of the stakes into the end board to hold it securely in place. Repeat this for each of the side boards.
-
8
Check the form again to ensure that it is level and square. Tap the stakes with the hammer to make any necessary adjustments.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You will need to place a piece of expansion paper between the inside of the forms along the foundation of the house. Do not pour the new concrete directly next to the foundation.
If you are not going to enclose the porch, you need to slope the forms away from the house so that water will run off. The general rule is that concrete should drop 1/8 inch per foot to allow for water drainage.
