Exposed Aggregate Front Porch Part 1

Last week we decided as a company to change gears due to COVID-19. Here at Pioneer Builders Inc, we self perform framing, siding, foundation and some flatwork (as needed). Instead of waiting on a subcontractor to fit us into their schedule, we decided to form and pour the front porch so we could finish the siding. We have experience in this, so we were able to pivot. I called and ordered concrete and the next day we set up the porch.

Since we are framers first we tend to be a little unorthodox in our forming. This porch is 38’ long, so we used 2 20’ 2x10’s (straight) to form across the front and picked up an I Joist from the lumberyard’s “boneyard”. We often use I Joists to help straighten things. They are lightweight, dead straight and very easy to use. I would have preferred to use a longer joist, but this was all last minute.

One point to note is that this front porch was back filled and compacted July 2019, and we formed this March 2020. There are 4 3’diameter x 48” deep sonotubes for the porch roof supports, but that is way over kill. Since our frost line is 12” here, the engineer doesn’t require steel reinforcement for a concrete pad, though I did run a row around the perimeter and dowel it into the foundation. This detail has worked well for us for 40+ years.

We’ve learned from expert concrete contractors like Gaetano at NE Construction Ltd that bracing is extremely important so we used ripped 2x6 stakes and kickers to brace the porch. Everything is fastened with screws so we can easily disassemble the forms and reuse the fasteners.

This is going to be an exposed aggregate porch, so that means ordering a mix with pea gravel. We pour/place the concrete as normal. We bull float it but not too much just enough to flatten the top and then edge it and strip the forms. Once we are happy with the finish we spray the top with Coke. This is a cheap and consistent way to get sugar on the top of the concrete to retard the curing process.

We poured at 11 am about 50° and finished about 12:30 because I was a little short on mud. It was stripped and sprayed by about 2:30.

You can see the whole process on YouTube.