How to Build a Form for Pouring a Concrete Driveway
Working with concrete may seem intimidating if you've never done it before, but building a form to pour a concrete driveway is actually a simple operation. If you've ever built a bookcase or assembled a bed frame, you already have the basic skills. After you've gotten the proper permits, excavated the driveway pad and found the best concrete mix for your climate, you're ready to build your form. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Two-by-six beams, 4
- One-by-two stakes, 4
- Framing nails
- Hammer
- Level
- Paint brush
- Motor oil
- Circular saw
Instructions
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Prepare
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1
Measure the length, width and depth of your driveway excavation. Compare the depth of your excavation to the width of your beams. If the beams aren't wide enough, stack two beams on top of each other or use larger beams.
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2
Lay the beams end to end around the length of your driveway and cut the last one to size.
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3
Cut beams to match the width of your driveway, laying them out as you did for the length and cutting the last one.
Assemble
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4
Set your beams in place at the outer edge of the driveway excavation. Lay the beams on their sides so their inside edges form the sides of the driveway.
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5
Drive two stakes in at each corner, one flush with the end of each beam.
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6
Check that your beams are level. Adjust the height of either end if necessary.
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7
Attach the beams to the stakes using two nails per stake. Leave about 1/4 inch of nail protruding so it's easy to disassemble later.
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8
Insert additional stakes at the outside edge of your frames, wherever two beams abut each other. Drive in one stake at each seam, so that it lies across the seam. Nail the stakes to the beams, driving each nail at an angle, so that one nail goes into each of the abutting beams.
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9
Coat the inside face of the beams with motor oil, new or used, to make removing the frame easier once your concrete dries.
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