This summer, I dry poured a basketball court in the backyard. It’s 15′ by 19′. I followed the process according to Cajun Country Living. I’m really glad I did it. First of all, I saved over $2,000 by doing it myself. Second, I learned a lot about laying concrete and about myself. Third, there is a lot of satisfaction in doing it yourself and having it turn out pretty good. Not perfect but pretty good. Here’s what I learned:
Advice is Cheap; Wisdom is Priceless
Before taking on this project, I watched a number of YouTube videos. Then I started talking about the project with different people. Most people seemed interested, and a lot of them had advice to give. Some of the advice was really helpful. It was wisdom. For example, T Degen Trucking delivered my 5 tons of concrete and gave me the advice of soaking the ground before adding the concrete. With the drier climate, this made a big difference. The one that I didn’t soak first was crumbly and powdery on the bottom when I removed the forms. The challenge…knowing what advice to dismiss and what advice is actual wisdom.
Relationship between Permanence and Patience
The longer something is going to last, the more care you need to take. The first two sections I rushed. I was rushed in leveling the ground. I was rushed on smoothing the concrete. I was rushed on watering. All of that rushing shows up in the end product, and I’m going to have to look at those flaws for as long as I live in this house. The other four sections, I took my time. I would level in the evening. I would pour the concrete in the morning on days when I didn’t have morning meeting. I get to look at those sections too for as long as I live in this house.
Being Comfortable with Imperfection
Even when you do take your time, stuff happens. One time, a squirrel walked across the wet concrete. Another time, I soaked it a little too much and air bubbles started coming up leaving marks on the concrete. There’s always something. For me, I’m aiming to be grateful that the concrete turned out as well as it did. I will have to do a little patching, but that’s not a bad thing to learn how to do either.
In the video, you’ll see a slide show of the project. If you want some dirt, I know where you can get some for free. 😉
Useful Links
- Concrete Calculator: https://jctaccounting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/concrete.xlsx
- Cajun Country How to Dry Pour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC0j2Ey5NNk
- How to fix concrete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0o17y-rTdQ&list=WL&index=3