Things You'll Need:
- 2x4 that is a foot or so wider than walkway you are screeding.
- See my article on Concrete Forms before mixing any concrete or trying to screed anything.
- http://www.ehow.com/how_4871538_forms-concrete-slab.html
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Step 1
The process of Screeding is an easy way to make your surface flat from one side to the other. Notice that I did NOT say level. You can make it level or you can make it sloped... That is your choice. But the screed will make it flat between the two guides.
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Step 2
The most important parts of screeding are: The guides wich the screed slides on top of, and the length of the screed. It needs to be longer than the maximum width between the guides.
Guides need to be put down tight to the ground and secured in place that they do not move around on you while you are working with it. -
Step 3
Your guides can be made out of a variety of materials... Metal pipes work very well but are not very flexible. They also need to be secured but that is mor difficult to do without interfering with your top line that the screed slides on. 2x4's or 2x6's work well and can be side screwed to the stakes so as not to interfere with the screed.
See my article on making Concrete forms at http://www.ehow.com/how_4871538_forms-concrete-slab.html
For a curving walkway you can even use slices of "Masonite" that you have cut on your own table saw.
(Just remember to attach it to the stakes with flat head (drywall type) screws going from the inside of the form to the stake on the outside.) -
Step 4
Your screed should be something very ridgid but light enough to work with. It will be layed accross the top of the guides and "shaken" back and forth from side to side. This is why it is important to make sure your screed is wider than the width of your guides at the widest point of the project.
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Step 5
Whether you are screeding cement or sand... Overfill the area starting at the uphill end and pull the excess material into the low spots... shaking the screed from side to side as you go. If you need more material, stop and add it before continuing.
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Step 6
When you have screeded the surface it should be fairly flat and with no holes or major bumps in it. IT will probably look a little wavy on top but dont worry about that just yet.
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Step 7
Getting rid of the wavy affect will be done in the next step/Article: Floating the concrete. (That article (How to float concrete) is currently under construction and its URL will be added shortly)
