Cement conversion

[hb2474]

OK,

I'm planning on pouring the hearth myself. Renting a mixer from home depot. Put the mixer on a few cinder blocks with plywood underneath for a base. Now the conversion. How many 60 lbs bags would I need of cement would I need to do a hearth of 5x6' four inches thick? I'm going to be using the cement bags already mixed up so I only need to add water.


Thanks

[GianniFocaccia]

The Quikrete site has a calculator here:

QUIKRETE® - Quantity Calculator

[hb2474]

Thanks,

Great tool!

[hb2474]

OK,

It looks like it's not even feasible for me to do this in the timeframe required. I called quickrete and they said I have 1 to 1.5 hour to work with. At 26 bags (60#) with a 3 minute mix time(That's what they suggested) that comes out to 1 hour and 18 minutes. Then there's the time to load the mixer and put water in it. It looks unfeasible. Anyone know any better? I know people are doing it but how are they beating the setting time before it gets hard?

[fxpose]

Best to work with another helper, whether you use the mixer or wheel barrow. One person mixes the concrete while the other spades and tamps the freshly poured concrete. It's also best to do this on a 'cooler' day or at least wait til later afternoon to start mixing and pouring.

[Millstone Man]

If you have a couple of good friends it is not too bad. Put a little water in the mixer first then put the bag across the opening and split it in the middle with a utilitily knife and it dumps in pretty easy and quick. Add water while it mixes and it will be ready to pour in 60 to 90 seconds.

Fill half a 5 gallon bucket at a time and with two people lifting and pouring in the forms and it goes pretty quick. This is one place you need a helper or two to save your back.