Wow, much respect! In 2009 I retired at age 60 and set forth building a new house. Except for help framing and roofing I did it all myself. I sheetrocked a 3600sq ft house with 9' ceilings myself. People ridiculed me, what's taking you so long, bla bla bla. It took me 2+ yrs to complete, cost approx 280 k . Appraised last year at approximately 800k. Be proud of what you accomplished. No one can take that sense of pride and accomplishment , GREAT JOB!!

What a beautifully done ukposts.infoUgkxYGamVaHfdHiPlAQaLa7zkwR02OKpGYDU ! The instructions and the photographs are brilliant. It is thorough and genuinely informative. Ryan got another winner! No one does it better!

I worked commercial construction for 40 years and I know that was a ton of work. Congratulations on a job well done. Not only saving money but the satisfaction of doing something like this yourself can’t be beat. Your the man!

Wow. Respect! I did build my house in Germany all myself. Watching your video, it reminded me when it was on the time to poor my floor in the second level with concrete. Without any knowledge of how much work it would be to “flatten” 23 cubic meters of ready-concrete, I ordered a concrete pump truck with it. 5 concrete trucks showed up on that morning. The pump truck driver looked at me and said: Looks like your crew is late today. I answered: You looking at it! 😮 The guys looked at me and said: Are you crazy! - In the end, I got it done. From 6am to 7pm I flatten the whole thing. It was an adventure for me to get off the second level. I couldn’t move my arms. I had no power in my fingers. It was a kinda sliding, falling down to the ground. Took me at least 30 minutes to get each boot of my feet. And I was crying because I was soooo tired. I promised that evening myself: No more than 5 cubic meters of concrete each day….. 😂 I was 28 at that time. - Now I am 60. And I have to make a slab inside the house. 5-6 cubic meter to do it. I think this time, I hire 2-3 extra guys. 😅

That is one of the most insane thing I ever seen. I been in the trade a minute. The average person doesn't know how much work this is. Much respect

I cannot imagine mixing 830 bags of concrete LOL. Well done 👏

Almost unbelievable. Your physical ability to do this and staying consistent to the task speaks volumes. I admire your fortitude . Congratulations

Very nice, my son and myself did our 36' x 26' pole shed using bag concrete. We were unable to get concrete truck to the location of the building. I poured 13' x 6' sections that seemed to go well. Mine was a little more of a challenge with the building already up. It was nice doing the job together with my son , he mixed and i did the pouring and leveling. That was a couple years ago, he was 16 at the time and i was 57. My son is in the Air Force now and I miss him not being around to help with my projects. Anyways, nice job. Take care.

I'm a cheapskate and a hard head. This brought joy to my heart. Very well done. Very inspiring.

Me reading through the comments thinking what the heck I'm getting myself into, planning to build a double story house when I haven't done any construction in my life... Thanks for the motivation and knowledge

UKposts recommended this video 2 years late. Hats off to you.

I am a professional concrete finisher and I have never done that even once in my life, much respect that is a TON of work! Never used a mixer for more than a small side walk, mostly for very small pours. That is just huge.

You can literally watch the sun drift across the sky. This guy was out there working hard non stop for HOURS. It looks awesome and I just hope when the time comes to do mine that I manage to do even half as good a job as this!

My attitude is, if they can do it, I can do it. The key to a job like this is planning and setup. If you're running around hauling bags 100 feet away, you've already lost. Have everything ready, get into a nice rhythm and make corrections as you go. You'll find that the first block segment is the most difficult and each one after gets progressively easier. One tip is, have your bags at waist height. bending over a picking up a 80 lb bag is not going to do your back any good. You want to lift the bags while keeping your back and straight as possible, Having them in a truck or set up sawhorses and line up the bags on boards or something. Huge respect to you.

Having that plastic down was the best idea... Gave you lots more working time for mixing. Great work! Thx for sharing....

I love the line “I don’t make 10 grand a week” lol. So awesome man. That’s a really big project. I have the same cement mixer and plan on doing a back patio this summer at our house in sections. Seeing people take on something this big makes me feel good about taking it on.

When I was a kid on a dairy farm we all worked with our dad pouring large slabs for cattle lots. We used 2x4 form boards and poured broom finish redi-mix without a vapor barrier, no wire or rod, no control joints and no experience. This was over Michigan clay where frost goes deep and hard. The slabs were run over daily by tractors, feed wagons, loaded manure spreaders, and heavy livestock. Were there cracks here and there over the years? Probably, but none of the damage was bad enough that slabs needed to be replaced. There's such a thing as good enough, which is almost perfection when the savings are huge.

When it takes 10 min on time-lapse you know this was one heck of a job. Watching you do this by yourself has no doubt inspired a lot of guys out there to step up and take on the tasks that seem huge. Great job and congrats on saving all that money.

I know what it took for you to start & complete that project both mentally & physically. I also take on and tackle every project by myself. It’s tough at times and wears me down but the knowing that you alone did it is the most satisfying part of it. Great stamina. I salute you sir.

I have seen very few things in my life as impressive as what you did by yourself! I’m 63, own a ranch and do all of my own work. But taking on what you did, bag after bag...lol...I could have never done it...CONGRADULATIONS!!!

You are a machine!! As a construction manager, I appreciate what you did. Assuming your base was adequately compacted, I would have put some #4 rebar sections in as 'dowels' to tie the different panels together since they were all cold joints. That would preclude any future differential movement.

I love seeing this kind of video. Just some suggestions for anyone watching this. (a) this is A LOT OF WORK - lifting and dumping 80lb bags will work you out - be ready for it (b) if your breaking up the pads like he is (and I did the same) make sure you include some rebar dowels so the pad shifts uniformly, otherwise each of those pads will shift individually (c) use welded wire mesh to reinforce the pads (d) use an apron - lifting those bags and breaking them into the mixer ALWAYS produces dust and it gets on everything AND lifting that many bags you get sweaty - cement and sweat = chemical burn (dont ask me why I know this - burned chest is not fun) (e) make sure whatever shoes your wearing, the "lips" are covered - you dont want cement power in those either. Love the video - seeing someone doing this (almost all alone) shows everyone that no task is impossible.

The real life terminator, just getting it done. Awesome job man. My father and I did an add on to our shop probably in the 2010 range and it was about half that size and was alot of work. I can't imagine doing twice all that by myself. Very impressed.

I'm so inspired by your hardwork. Watching the weather change on the timelapse, illustrates how long it took you to accomplish this. Congratulations! This is what I needed to see, in order to be inspired for my building work! Kudoz man!

Wow , so much respect to you. That was a huge undertaking with bagged cement. I just got done today mixing 20 bags of 60 pound concrete mix for a walkway and hand mixing them by myself , i'm 63 lol. My back is very angry at me tonight lol.

Props to you man. I respect your never ending tenacity in getting that job done.

Dude...you are my hero! I take my hat off to your resourcefulness, thriftiness, determination, and plain good sense. So many people who just don't want to deal with the hassle would have just taken out a loan and gone into debt. You made up your mind and just got this thing done. Bravo, sir. I've got a 2400 sf barn floor that I need to raise 4" and I have the same concern about money. Your example makes me more confident about doing it myself. Thanks!

Thanks for posting this. Seeing a timelapse of one guy busting his butt and getting a big job accomplished is incredibly encouraging for someone aspiring to do the same.

Yeah, respect.!! It’s the most brutal, sustaining, grueling body burn to mix bagged concrete on large slabs. Once you commit, it’s looking at that pallet and knowing you can’t stop. Well done, man…. We’ll done.

Last year I thoroughly gutted and remodeled both our hall & master baths for a grand total of $7,400 and it all turned out great! If I hired a contractor it would have easily been $25-30,000. This remodel added about $50-60,000 in value to our home! I am 55 years old and have NEVER done this before. What's my secret? Watching lots of UKposts videos like this guy pouring his concrete pad. There is so much good and free information out there you just gotta apply yourself and go for it! Great job on that pad bro! 👍

Hats off to ya, I was thinking about doing a similar project. In the planning phase still yet. You definitely inspired me.

I just watched your 1 year review video and had to come find this one. I really appreciate these videos and your channel. I'm glad your wife talked you into making a video on this.

You’ve given us cheap diy’ers something we can appreciate! Great work and thank you for documenting your project.👍🏻👍🏻

Man I did 40 bags one summer in south Louisiana. Same mixer you are using and I was in really good shape then, when I was done came in the house, laid on the floor for 30 minutes, got up and vomited. Damn heat liked to have killed me. Good job, takes a lot of energy to do this.

This is the kind of stuff I did as a younger man. You are one hard worker! Good job, that is a huge mixer pour!

Dang dude, I just did my first concrete work by myself, just over 100 sqft, in 4 sections over 2 days... I was completely beat by the end of day two. Props to you and it looks good!

Bud...I know you worked your jazz off doing that. Kudos to you....most don't appreciate someone going for it on their own. I hope all those around you and the ones that will benefit from the shop realize the effort you put in to this project . Not perfect is sometimes absolute perfect! Cheers!

wow, very inspiring. just lifting a few 80lb bags of cement mix and i'm basically done. i can't imagine mixing, pouring and finishing alone. much respect.

I'm impressed. Great job, gives me the motivation to do a 30x35 foundation. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, I didn’t realize this was even possible... now I’m going to pour my own floor for a garage.. thank you for the inspiration

I'm with you brother. I just redid my whole yard with new 43 foot driveway, sidewalks, stairs, sewer and water lines and about 500 paver blocks for retaining walls. Still have grass to do and plants but probably saved myself 30k or more. This how they did things years ago but now if your well off you pay someone else to do it all. Like you, I don't make 10k a week but I won't be in debt to my house either. Thanks for sharing 👍

VERY impressive. Not only do you save money, but you made something that you can say YOU did the work yourself. Not many people can say that nowadays.

Great time lapses. Watching the shadow of the camera move 6:09 and the clouds passing in fast motion 7:19 was awesome. You did it all by yourself! Well done. I bought a homestead in southern Italy and doing all the work myself. Good times!

You sir are an inspiration! The effort that you put into that slab is truly admirable! The next time that I’m trying to convince myself that something is too big of a job, I’m going to reflect back on your video and get it done. Thank you!

I always have tons of respect for people that will put forth the effort of learning a new skill, saving money, and doing it right. That's what it's all about. Keep up the awesome work.

I have always used a mixer and done it myself….thousands and thousands of pounds of concrete over the years. This is a huge undertaking. Respect.

Great job bro. Lots of hard work put into the slab. Something to be proud of!!!

When I was a teenager in the 90s my dad and I sided and roofed my folks' house, and added on a 30x36 garage to the back. That garage floor pour (even truck-delivered and with 2 of his friends helping who had concrete experience) was by far the hardest part of the whole project. Hats off to you man, doing that all by hand!!

Wow! Your a beast. Tremendous achievement brother. Beautiful job. Been wanting to do something like this on my home and thanks to you I have a better understanding of what the process is. Big props to you man. Great work.

There’s nothing like doing something yourself. The feeling of accomplishment is amazing. Great job.

Awesome. That is a huge accomplishment and I'm sure very satisfying every time you walk on it! Great job.

My back hurts just thinking about doing this but mad respect and love a great DIY’er!!

Great Job! I was planning to add a 20' x 7' extension to my pool deck for lounge chairs, but it ended up being 60' x 7' when I was done. I went with 60 Lb bags as it was a little lighter weight, which was about 285 bags. Unfortunaly, they couldn't deliver the pallets near where I was working so I had to move each bag (5-6 bags at a time in wheel barrel) to my work area and then lift them again when time to mix. I did it in sections and stayed true to the existing expansion joints of the pool deck. Like you, I had a batch mixing while I was dumping and working the concrete. My advice to anyone attempting to do this, plan ahead. Get your area formed and leveled. If it is a large area, section it off. Set up the mixer, concrete, water supply and trash receptacle in a way that it flows with minimal steps and is accessible to your work area. Be prepared to work continuously for each section.

Pouring my own concrete pads soon and this gives me inspiration. Thank you!

those clouds look insane lol. glad to see the whole family got involved there to help u. great work buddy.

I've saved a lot of money over the years from doing everything myself, so I can really appreciate and respect what you did. Hard work is always good for the body and mind.

Very cool. For future pours just have them dump a truck load of 7/8th washed rock and a load of washed sand and mix 1,2,3. That's one of cement, two of sand and three of gravel. You'll save even more money. Doesn't seem that long ago me and some buddies were pouring the roof trusses to the Seattle King Dome. 6 am to 6 pm. Then they blew it up. Now I'm 72 and have to baby my old aching back. Good job. Build it yourself. Keep pouring.

A lot of work, but a great feeling when you're done. We've done our porch, mixed mortar for stone wall, etc. It's a great way to save money if you want to do the work yourself. I'm now looking at mixing my soil nutrients for the gardens in our mixer. A great way to be sure the nutrients are mixed well when added to the beds

I'm proud of you man! I poured 150 bags for a shed (bought the mixer for that and future projects lol), and that was 2 days. But for my pour it would have been way too dynamic to allow for someone else to pour (access and timing). I applaud you for valuing a dollar (or 10k!) and chancing it yourself with confidence. Well done, wish I could have been there to lend a hand, I love people who give it all they have.

You’ve given me just the idea, that I need for my backyard concrete platform. Thank you!

Great 👍. I've been putting off pouring a floor for my garage due to cost. Definitely have to look into this

I think the most important thing about taking on a DIY project like this, aside from safety, is being able to break the project up into manageable parts, especially when working alone. It takes a lot of extra planning and preparation, especially when working with a time crunch like concrete forming. Once that first batch is mixed, it's a race against the clock. Well done.

Really thoughtful way to break that pour up into manageable sections so there's no cold joints. Fantastic

Thanks for the video. I have the same mixer and it was cool to see such a big project done using it. I can't imagine lifting that many bags. I just finished a 14 bag pour for my fire pit seat and I was tired.

I did a footing back in the day. Took me 16 hours to mix about 200 bags if I recall correctly. Not for the weak of heart! You better be a real man if you undertake a project like this. Once you start your can't stop.

Great work bruttah. Much respect! What one man can do, another can do.

Nice Job! For someone not doing this professionally, and using bagged concrete, you did a really excellent job. You thought out your process really well.

Great job! I have been a professional contractor for 40 years. I got into part ownership of a home that was sliding down a hill. Tough access. I was able to build out of 8" sdr 35 sewer pipes that I cut in 1/2, the long way some chutes so when I did the front new foundation I could gravity feed from a truck mixer. Then I had the basement floor issue. No access I had to hand/shoulder carry about 30 feet all the bags. Good work out for sure. Between cost of concrete and pumping, hammering out the old and removing I decided to do it piece meal by bags. Took me about 1 year approximate 30x40 area. I would pic away at it. I did 3ft x 3ft sections sometimes 5 or more per pour skipping every other form. I used, rather than rebars because of the way I was doing sections at a time, for reinforcement, (crete in bag 5k psi after 30 days) a product called Diamond Dowel. You nail the plastic pocket onto the form then when the form is removed you insert a sq 1/4 inch steel plate. So the plate when in supports the next pour pad. I bought a throw away Harbor freight mixer like you and can not believe it did the entire floor and still runs. My system for mixing was 3 ft high benches I would stack the bags on, I had a wheelbarrow with high sides I would open and dump the dry crete into and have it position so I could bail the crete into the mixing drum while on. I hung my hose from the ceiling. The edges of the crete is edged with a 1/4 round so it is a control joint if i look closely there are some normal cracks but not through the pads they are under the control joints.

I think this is one thing that can be overlooked when it comes to projects like this for a person's property... the more work you are willing to put in the more money you will be able to save... perhaps people get a bit intimidated with how much work it takes, but sir, you sure proved that it is well worth the effort doing it yourself.

An absolutely mind-blowing amount of physical labor. The results speak for themselves and nothing beats that sense of accomplishment. Fantastic.

Incredible determination and will. Great job staying motivated on a back breaking project like that.

I admire your persistence and grit!! I also have the same. Slow and steady wins the race. You have my respect!! I hope your slab survives temp changes without rebar. Concrete contracts and expands so having that rebar really helps it from falling apart. Good luck!

Awesome job and solid graft, thank you for giving me the inspiration to have a go myself.

Wow, thank you very much, you just convinced me to do my own patio slab. I had in mind to do it in 3 sections and your video just confirmed my choice. Since I live in Canada I'm going to add the reinforcing steel but big thumbs up to you.

Total respect! This is a hurculean task. I know your back had to be killing you doing this, each section had to go and be done. Totally amazing, the video capture was awesome!

Well done! It's amazing what one can accomplish by sheer drive and need. I do a lot of things myself so I appreciate and respect your work ethic.

I bought a HF concrete mixer yesterday for an addition (ramp) to my shop driveway. I was on the fence about if the mixer could take the job...now I know it can. Thanks for the video.

I love it. Prices for work have gone through the roof. I’m all about doing it yourself. Congratulations on taking on a big project and getting it done.

Well done. Your video clip gives me more confidence to do concrete patio in my back yard😍

I did a 12x8 pad, 4 inch thick in my shop, bag, shovel, and wheel barrow, about 7 months ago. And here I thought I was crazy 🤪

Just watched your follow up video so I had to watch this, frickin awesome job bro!

Absolutely great job!! I’ve poured quite a few with my little mixer and know a job that is. I live in the mountains west of Denver, so I did put in steel grates in mine but 15 years later, no cracks. Congrats on a beautiful pad and building

Thank you ! ! ! You just showed me how I can get my pad built by myself and in sections. My little project is 21' 5" X 32' Which I can break into 9 different pours and by doing it the way you showed I can get the walk-in cooler built before this hunting season starts. It will be a slaughter house / class room and farm office with an apartment above so I have a rew extra chalanges but nothing that can't be done in sections.

Sooo much work, nothing but admiration for the effort. End result looks amazing as well.

I always have much respect for someone who is willing to do the hard work to save a few bucks. Exactly how I operate. Spend the money you saved on your family vacation. Great video, great job.

Wow, that's amazing. You gave me a lot of confidence for my building plans

Having that cloud cover was essentiall !not to diminish your shear determination . Great job

I mixed up 160 80# bags for piers for my 16x24 shed/workshop. I dug the holes by hand, did rebar, and mixed the premix concrete like you, in that same type of mixer. I could get two bags in at once. It took me 4 or 5 days to mix the 15 piers. Definitely more work, definitely less cost. People thought I was crazy too. I don't mind the work.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. Good job

Man this is like a DIY record. I would have never even considered this until I saw your video. Great work.

Wow that's alot of work for one man. As a finisher I give you the up most respect!!!!!! Great job!!!!!!

I've poured a lot of concrete in my time.. never a 1200sqft pad by myself. Bag by bag. Hats off to you sir! That's is very hard and intensive labor.

You are a better man than me. I have a small pad in my back yard I need to pour, only .5 yard, and I am searching everywhere for some small pre mixed provider. But after seeing you do this, looks I need to just man up and mix my measly 25 bags!

I think you killed it dude! Mad props to you

Wow that's quite impressive to do that with bagged concrete. That's a ton of work, and you can't exactly take a break once you get going either. Was smart to do it in sections. Worth it in the end to save 10 grand though!

Thanks so much for posting this video! I think I have the same concrete mixer you have; mine's a Harbor Freight unit that I bought for mixing soil and compost for raised beds. Before I saw this video I always assumed this mixer is too small to do a big job like yours. Now that I know it's possible, I'm excited because my wife and I are planning to buy land and build a house on it. We believe in living debt free, and we're not rich, so we've had to study ways to build in economical ways. This video is a Godsend.

really professional-looking job, honestly. I was happy to watch you work from the comfort of my recliner LOL

I think you did a tremendous job! Kudos to you for saving a ton of money by doing yourself!

Wow!!! Talking about getting it done!! Much respect.

Thanks for sharing, this is awesome. Would love to hear about some of the things you learned along the way, even small specific technique things, or things you would do differently. Thanks again!