Does your house need some improvements? Well, then grab yourself some concrete.
While you may associate concrete with heavy-duty road work, it can actually be great for home DIY projects. As a material, it’s moldable, sustainable, and very affordable. And it still looks great aesthetically.
Keep reading to learn 4 of the best concrete projects that will better your home.
1. Mailbox
If you have a wobbly mailbox, this home improvement project is for you.
Start by digging an appropriate-sized hole for your mailbox, which should be about 3x the width of your post. Put 4 to 6 inches of gravel in the hole to hold the post in place.
Leaving 3 inches of room at the top, fill the hole with regular, quick-setting concrete. No need to worry about more advanced icf construction, as that’s mostly for pools and walls!
Pour about a gallon of water into the hole and wait for the concrete to set. It should finish setting after 40 minutes.
2. Stool
If you need an extra seat for when guests come around, try making this stool.
Cut a dowel rod into 3, 16-inch pieces. Put 3 inches of quick setting concrete into a large bucket. Add water and mix the concrete around.
Shake out the air bubbles and then let the concrete mix settle. Stick your 3 dowel rods 1 inch into the concrete, evenly spaced apart in a triangle formation. Let sit for 24 hours before removing the stool from the bucket.
After removing it from the bucket, sand for a smooth finish.
3. Walkway
Surprisingly, concrete can give you a walkway that looks like brick.
To do this, remove any grass from the area you’re putting the walkway. Mix your bag of quick setting concrete with the appropriate amount of water. Add coloring if you’d like.
Place your concrete brick mold on the first section and shovel wet concrete in each rectangle. Smooth over the surfaces with a trowel to make them flat. Repeat this with the other sections of the walkway.
Let the concrete sit for 1 week before using.
4. Vase
Using concrete to accentuate flowers may seem odd, but the finished product looks super sleek.
Take a large, empty plastic water bottle and cut the top off. Repeat this with a smaller, empty plastic water bottle. Make your quick setting concrete mixture and fill the larger bottle halfway.
Push the smaller bottle into the bigger bottle until the concrete reaches the top. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
Remove the larger plastic bottle. Cut the smaller plastic bottle to the same height as the concrete. Add water and your favorite flowers!
Ready To Try Some Concrete Projects?
These concrete projects will have your home looking even better than before. So whether you’re fixing an unstable mailbox or making a beautiful vase, concrete is your friend. Now go give one of these DIY projects a try!
If you enjoyed this article, check out our interior design content.
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