DRY POUR CONCRETE For Our Chicken Coop in Northern Minnesota!

It seems like summer is finally here, so Ted and I (and the kids!) took a break from being stuck inside at the project house to turn our attention to something that we've been needing to tackle at home.
Let me tell you, it felt SOO GOOD to get outside, breathe that fresh air, turn our faces to the sun, and fully soak up some gorgeous Minnesota weather.
So what is it we got to doing? DRY POURING a concrete slab in front of our chicken coop! Ever heard of it? Us either..... until we met Jim and Lydia from ‪@CajunCountryLivin‬. They have perfected the dry pour concrete method, so we reached out to ask if this method would hold up to the relentless Minnesota winter with its sub zero temps, and frost heaving. We put our heads together, made a plan and got to work.
We have done several wet pour concrete projects in the past and they've all cracked. We were so excited to try this and show you all that it CAN be done, ANYONE can do it, and it WILL stand the test of time!
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[@CajunCountryLivin]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC JOB Y’ALL!!! Knocked this OUT OF THE PARK! 🤘 Paint Roller Hootis is an absolute MUST!😂

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We had THE BEST teachers!!!! and YES on the roller hootis!! Crucial for that perfect finish!

[@BarlowBrigade]

CCL are my neighbors...I live in South Mississippi...I believe that they would just say..."them chicken's are just the best hootis to add some country flair to that chicken house"...I have added y'alls channel and cannot wait for the co-lab vid with CCL & LITP!!!

[@gwenienelson2535]

@@TheLiFeInPinesou sure did!!!

[@TheCrockers]

Let's Gooo! Absolutely love seeing Cajun Country getting recognized for changing the way everyone does concrete now 😂

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Ah! How fun! LOL yes to the Chicken Hootis!!! Welcome to our channel, we're so glad you're here, and we also CANNOT wait for Jim and Lydia to come to Minnesota! We're so excited!

[@timgloeckner9260]

Great job guys... I had to lol when the chicken walk across 😅😅😅🐓🐓🐓

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Right!!! 🫣😂😆

[@1shoedog1]

A row of chikken footprints would have been a cool artistic element

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We thought so too! We were just worried they were going to scratch around in it before the surface had hardened enough! Maybe round two they’ll end up walking through!

[@BottledUpFunk]

Subscribed!! I live in Minnesota too and have been contemplating doing this for a year now! Thank you!!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We say go for it! We have a few more dry pout projects we want to get done next summer, too! Let us know how yours turns out!

[@marysenatore8856]

Roller hootis 😂😂😂 I LOVE IT. My favorite word from Captain Crock!!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

ABSOLUTELY! Our kids even use the word hootis now! 🤣

[@Cuz789]

I've been waiting for a video on how this work for areas with freezing and thawing. This gives me the confidence to go ahead and try this now because im in the northeast and wasn't sure it would work for me

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We're so glad! We will do an update once we've gone through a full freeze/thaw cycle!

[@Cuz789]

Perfect! Can't wait. I especially like that you used rebar.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes that is one of the main differences for cold vs. warm climate! Must have that reinforcement in there!

[@dr.swaster8763]

“You’re so smart!” You got that on camera. Can’t be denied now.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha, you’re right!!

[@1550arenteria]

Perfect, chicken prints on the chicken pad.😂😂❤

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Lol Wasn't that hilarious!? We kinda tried to prevent it, but we weren't mad at all when it happened! That same chicken just couldn't stay off that slab!

[@tonyp35]

The best part about this video is you guys worked together as a family. Love it! Very informative video. Thank you!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Glad you enjoyed it! It was such a fun project to tackle together! Thank you for your comment! 🌲

[@DMB088]

A bubble of angle... that's the sort of technical talk I like 😉

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes!! 😆 😂

[@katieallen3927]

I have always hired my concrete done. If i ever need another pad I know I could do it myself with this technique. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes, you absolutely could! I love that the pouring and finishing is so stress free (if you don't have a crazy storm blast though!) lol

[@mrbill8542]

Jim and Lydia have taught you well--nice job !!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

You’re absolutely right! They are they best over there at CCL!

[@dondominguez]

You guys awesome. I love your work project. Keep it up guys. I will support you you guys. Looking forward to see more wonderful projects and video.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Awe thank you! 😊 We really do appreciate your support! We hope you are having a great week Don! 🌲

[@anothertime2023]

Great Job! I'm getting ready for project 2, entrance to our storm shelter.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

That’s so awesome! Isn’t it amazing the possibilities this unconventional method opens us up to? We already have many other concrete projects we feel confident enough to tackle, too!

[@janicemcclary-smith7441]

Thanks, my husband and I will try this.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Good luck! Always be prepared for rain! 😅

[@ilonakatalindako-tolman5545]

Very nice meeting you through your friends from Louisiana....very nice ...beautiful nature and work done so far ❤

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hello and nice to meet you as well! Thank you so much, Ted and I appreciate that so much!

[@Tomhohenadel]

You guys always have too much fun in everything you do. Please stop, I can’t stop laughing.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

That makes us so happy! We are so glad we can bring a smile to your face! We were definitely having a BLAST that day! Such a fun day as a family working together.

[@laruedouglas7972]

Cajun Country sent me over to your channel. You are nocking it out of the park with your dry poor. That is so awesome that they are coming to see you 🥰.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thank you so much! You are so right! Talk about a lemonade out of lemons type situation! We are very blessed to call them friends! 🥰

[@gdunton1]

Enjoyed the show. CCL fan here. So, glad they referred us to you. Great teamwork, great on camera collaboration, and good lord y’all look way too young to have those kids lol. We are just into our 50’s with a 15 and 18 year old. Thanks for having us over. Your new friends from Virginia.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hey there and welcome! Ted and I are so glad you're here! Thank you so much for all the sweet words. It really means so much to both Ted and me! LOL we had our kiddos when we were in our early 20's, and had them close together! We've never been to Virginia, but I know how beautiful it is! Someday we'll get there!

[@dangeroustoman]

Will be watching for a spring update after winter.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh, absolutely! We can’t wait to update everyone!

[@user-yx9bs8zo5q]

One winter? Try again. That's no test.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We’ll keep you updated on this dry pour, and every other one we do, after every winter we’re in this house. And we intend on dying here so we’ve got lots of freeze/thaw cycles to keep you updated on.

[@naubaucat]

I have been watching the couple in Louisiana do the dry pour, and I wanted to try it. I live in Michigan, and I thought it might crack with the extreme temperature swings. I am so glad I clicked on your video, and I think I will try it. Thanks, and good directions.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh that’s awesome! We’re excited for you to give it a go! Let us know how it all turns out! We’ll give an update in the spring as well!

[@watavuemountain481]

Looks about like ours except we didn’t have the crazy rain storm. Great job will be awesome to see that it holds up trough the winter and put the naysayers to rest. Thanx for sharing. Be Safe!!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

I saw you did a dry pour sidewalk! Awesome!! Slab is still solid.. just have to give her a little facelift to get the top to look perfect again after the storm!

[@watavuemountain481]

@@TheLiFeInPines nothing wrong with a little facelift. Lol

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Lol we agree! It'll be fun to do it with Jim and Lydia fro Cajun Country Livin'!

[@angelaprovencher7150]

Cajun Country Livin' recommend your Channel , so here I am checking y'all out from Sweet home Alabama. I will be binge watching your videos so I can catch up to current time. subscribed and liked.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Awe that’s so awesome! Jim and Lydia are the sweetest! I’m originally from GA, so love when we get viewers from down south! Ted and I appreciate your support and we hope you enjoy our channel!

[@paperchaser9565]

Great job. What a beautiful family

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Awe, thank you! That's so sweet and we appreciate it!

[@Unclejojo330]

Great job, hope Mother Nature did not ruin your hard work. Jenna make sure you rinse your feet dry concrete is very caustic stay safe. You much have had your rooster locked up so no chasing today. It will be cool to have your friends fly in from Louisiana to visit 👍

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thank you! Good Ole Mother Nature just postponed the finished product is all! We are going to make it right and make it beautiful! Still a rock solid slab with some beauty marks right now. And yes... I didn't want to be dodging that mean ole boy all day! lol Although Ted said it would've been funny having me running away from him every time he came close! lol. We are SO excited to have Jim and Lydia come up for this! They totally surprised us when they said they were coming up! So fun!

[@moniquevelasco20]

Hey guys, new subscriber from Cajun Country Living. I think you guys were doing a great job until it poured down. I’m sure you all will get it fixed soon. Love and be safe!😘🤗🌼🇻🇪

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hello and welcome to our channel! We're so glad you're here! Thank you so much! We were SO excited because the slab was absolutely PERFECT! But, we're confident we can fix it with a little help from our Cajun Country Friends!

[@bradhendrickson7067]

I'm an avid DIYer and i can't WAIT TO TRY THIS... Been watching for a couple days now... Cajun , you's and other.. FYI I'm a YOOPER! Gotta love the winters :)... Great video..

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi Brad! We cannot wait for you to try this for yourself! We had a ton of fun doing it with our kids! Haha yes.. as a Yooper- you know all about the winters! What’s your first dry pour project going to be? Make sure to come back and let us know how it turns out! We can’t wait to hear!

[@bradhendrickson7067]

i’m just gonna pour a small pad in front of front deck steps to start. If that goes well the. i might try a 50-60 foot sidewalk i’ll keep you posted thanks.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Perfect! We have plans for a sidewalk as well! Best of luck! Lots of screeding and the Roller hootis are MUSTS!

[@bradhendrickson7067]

Yes! and… i had to google HOOTIS. lmao. Thingamajig :). added a new word to my vocab.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

lol that is hilarious! Thingamajig works too!!!

[@gdunton1]

Ok we are gonna need an update on the slab as winter comes. Also, definitely need video of @CajunCountryLivin ice fishing lol. Be well.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes! Stay tuned! We will keep updating on it though all the freeze/thaw cycles. YES! How awesome would that be to get them out on the lake and ice fishing! Lydia is going to have to convince Jim to come up here in the winter!

[@joqlady888]

Cajun Country Livin' sent me all the way from South Alabama.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

South Alabama to Northern Minnesota! Welcome to the Northwoods! Ted and I are so glad you're here!

[@peanutgallery5245]

Yeah, i think i overwatered my slab, because it got water bubbles beneath the top layer. So when it was curing, i noticed these bubbles protruding that when touched, they jiggled like jello.. Ended up popping them and have a few divots in my slab. Not the end of the world, but i figured maybe i can dig em out a little and add more powder to cure inside the divot perhaps. I can only assume i watered too much for the water accumulation.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh no! We feel like overwatering is a very common problem when it comes to dry pour! It’s so hard to not want to water it more. But, less really is more in this process! Let us know if you’re able to fix those issues! We hope you have a wonderful weekend and hopefully see you soon!❤️😊🌲

[@peanutgallery5245]

@TheLiFeInPines I ain't scared none. I've got another big project on the yard of multiple slabs I'll be dry pouring. So hopefully I get it right this time!

[@aletmeyer8514]

Been recommended by Cajun Country. Watching from South Africa. Been binge watching from the beginning. Really enjoying your channel

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Wow South Africa! That is just wild! Well, welcome to The LiFe In Pines! Ted and I are so glad you decided to check us out! It makes us so happy that you’re enjoying our channel. Jim and Lydia are the best, and have sent over the best viewers!

[@cedricbroussard8738]

Awesome video

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thanks so much! We appreciate it!

[@BlackMarriageChronicle]

I'm in Michigan so I'm definitely doing this .....Great job!!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

That’s awesome! Let us know how it turns out! We will be doing update videos as we go through our MN freeze and thaw cycles too. Thanks for your kind words. We home you have a great day! 🌲

[@lisabrown7669]

New subscriber from Cajun Country Living. 😊 excited to start watching

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yay!!! Welcome to our channel! We hope you love what you see!

[@DoubleMFarmHomestead]

Well done!!! Found out about your channel from Cajun Country Livin' . New subscribers here.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Awesome! Jim and Lydia are the best! Thanks for subscribing! Ted and I appreciate your support! Welcome, and we hope you enjoy our channel!

[@MississippiPrepper]

New subscriber from Cajun Country Livin! Glad I found yall!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thank you for subscribing! We are so glad you found us, too! Welcome to our channel! Aren't Jim and Lydia just the best!?

[@itsfiitz4110]

Keep up the awesome videos guy!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Aw thanks so much! We appreciate it!

[@mgtechnics1854]

Subscribed - because Cap'n Crocs told me to (or rather Mrs. Cap'n Crocs). Nice video. looking forward to more.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We love Mr and Mrs Cap’n Crocs! Welcome to our channel! We’re glad you’re here! 💚🐊

[@changingworldllc1157]

Thanks for the awesome video!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We had fun!! Thanks for watching!

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

Well with those pesky hens walking on the concrete you got the right friends for a good chicken and sausage gumbo recipe lol.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha SO true!! If it wasn't for the chicken coop, we'd be a little more diligent about blocking it off from them, but you can honestly barely even see them now. Plus, we will be repairing all the cosmetic issues next month, so stay tuned!

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

@@TheLiFeInPines looking forward to it. And if you can't get a good recipe let me know I live in the heart of cajun country. Most of the swamp people guys are just down the road from me. Lol

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We've honestly never had authentic cajun cuisine before! I love to cook so if you have a good recipe, send it our way! Email us at [e-mail]!

[@claudiageldenhuys8375]

Hi we are watching from South Africa 🌍😊sent over to your channel by Lydia and Jim 😅

[@TheLiFeInPines]

How Amazing! Welcome to our channel, Ted and I are so glad you're here! We hope you enjoy our content!

[@claudiageldenhuys8375]

@@TheLiFeInPines I sure do enjoy your channel 💞🥳

[@TheLiFeInPines]

YAY! We are so happy you're enjoying it!

[@MikeWhorley]

Just subscribed after hearing about you guys from CCL.. Interested in seeing how your dry pour turns out after going through a freeze/thaw cycle since I live in northern Michigan and am thinking about doing one. I also am a Rad/CT tech so That's something else we have in common. I'm binge watching every episode since I have time while working midnite shift. Keep up the great content and stay safe!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

They are so great over there at CCL! 🤍 we will most definitely do an update next spring! That’s awesome! Ted absolutely loves his job as a CT tech! But oh those midnights! Haha give us grace on our first dozen or more videos! Lol. We’re learning! Thanks so much, and have a great week!

[@RBHMMX]

I would love to see this after the winter

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Stay tuned! We’ll keep you updated come spring!!

[@troydvorak4011]

Thank you for the screed tips! As cool as you guys are with your video tutorial, the show was stolen at 14:22. That face!! 😍

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha I knew instantly you were talking about our sweet Wilho girl! She can steal the snow anytime!

[@rebeccaanderson8365]

I love your tattoo of Minnesota! I live here to in Rice Mn.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh that’s so awesome! I had to Google where Rice was! We are far north! An hour north of Duluth!

[@BoSS-dw1on]

The latest dry pour technique is to just put the unopened bags on the ground side by side and then you are done. No ground to smooth out. No forms to cut and screw together. No breaking your back smoothing out the dry concrete. No misting on a bothersome schedule. The rain will get them wet just the right amount and harden the concrete properly. Work smarter, not harder.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

If that’s the look you’re going for, then more power to ya. 😉

[@agentx250]

lol It wouldn't surprise me at this point.

[@bobcorio5145]

Please take a pic of pad after the first winter in MN. I live in South Dakota and want to try a dry pour method of concrete, but I am concerned about winter survival of pad.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi! We absolutely will keep everyone updated in future videos on how the slab holds up through the winter(s)!

[@bigd756]

My Cajun Friends sent me here, New Sub. Good Luck 👍🏼

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yay! We’re so happy you’re here! Welcome to the Pines!

[@gilbertanthony7016]

Hi I just found out about your channel god bless you and your family 😊

[@TheLiFeInPines]

🌲❤️😊 May God bless you and yours as well! We hope you are having a great week!😊

[@gilbertanthony7016]

@@TheLiFeInPines thank you 😇😇

[@gilbertanthony7016]

@@TheLiFeInPines hope to see more amazing videos from y’all😇 🙏🙏

[@stevecarney6750]

A bit of bad luck on the weather but you definitely hit the jackpot with Jim and Lydia coming to help you out my wife and I are just finishing a 300 sq ft dry pour it's coming out great thanks great instructions from Cajun country. By the way we are old 68 and 67 retired so didn't have to hurry we did 12 5 x5 slabs. Started May 5 finish June 5. Ground prep was done with pick ax shovel and wheelbarrow. Great video.😊

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi Steve! WOW! That is SO incredible that you and your wife are doing that big dry pour! So cool that you are doing it in sections, too! A pick ax, shovel and wheel barrow!! 💪🏼 love it! That’ll keep ya young!!It’s amazing that this method allows people to take on concrete projects that may not have been able to otherwise! The possibilities are endless! And you’re absolutely right! We totally hit the jackpot with Jim and Lydia! Their friendship has been one of the best things to come out of our KZbin journey. We are so fortunate to call them friends and that they’re willing to come all the way to MN to help us fix it!

[@stevecarney6750]

The reason are ground prep was so hard was that this is in front of shop,, in order to get the right fall away from the building we had to takeout about a foot of parked gravel almost as hard as concrete I needed to loose a few pounds anyway be happy to send pictures of you would like.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh my goodness yes- that would be such a huge job to move all that gravel! 😬 We’d love to see it! Please email us at [e-mail]!

[@heyricksander]

Very nice. Ive watched so many of these videos that were disasters.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Did you watch to the end? Lol. Ours kind of ended in disaster but it was totally our fault.

[@keifwoki]

Came over from Cajun and ill be back 😉👍

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thank you, we appreciate that! Aren’t Jim and Lydia the best! Welcome to our channel, we’re so glad you’re here!

[@robertevans6481]

New here thanks to CCL....have a great week

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh yay! Welcome to the LiFe in Pines! We’re so glad you’re here! CCL is the best! We hope you have a great week, too!

[@Polo-Swag]

Thank you!!!

[@danruggles81]

Thank you guys for doing this! I live in MN too and was wondering how it would work in this climate! Looking to do it myself!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha heck yes! We say go for it! And we will absolutely keep everyone updated once it’s been through a full freeze/thaw cycle! Keep us updated on how yours turns out!

[@att2976]

enjoyed to watch this video. Look great.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thanks so much for your feedback! Ted and I are glad you enjoyed it! Any dry pour projects in your future?

[@att2976]

@@TheLiFeInPines yes plan to do this weekend. Hope will come out ok.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

I’m sure it will be great!! Have fun with it, and let us know how it turns out!

[@att2976]

@@TheLiFeInPines will do. Thanks

[@wildcloverhomestead8456]

I sooooo miss Menards. We moved to alaska from Minnesota and I miss menards😢..

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Oh bummer! Yeah I’m not sure what we’d do without a Menards nearby!! Where in MN were you from?

[@wildcloverhomestead8456]

I am from MN but moved to alaska. And all we have is home depo and lowes 87 miles north of me

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yikes! We would likely never get a project finished with the store being that far away!

[@That1ufo]

Cold climates need drainage rock the freeze/thaw cycle will heave it up eventually.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Time will tell! We’ll keep you updated!

[@dchall8]

Notes for next time: Emergency equipment 1) tarp. 2) bricks to hold tarp down. 3) chicken fencing

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha for sure. Live and learn! It will all work out! We didn’t mind about the chicken prints, though! We just didn’t want them scratching around in there. We were outside pretty much the whole time for the first 3 waterings to make sure nothing happened.

[@Michael-D452]

New subscriber here, I think your slab looks good, the foot prints by your little feathered dinosaur adds character. My only experience with concrete/ mortar is with rapidset cement all, I use it for almost everything that I can mix and use in about 10 minutes. I used it to rebuild a corner of my fairly new poured driveway apron where the snow plow wiped out. I'm from western New York and no stranger to freeze / thaw and I'm interested on the longevity of your dry pour. Wet or dry pour, concrete don't last nearly as long in our neck of the woods anyway.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi Michael! Welcome to our channel. Ted and I are glad you're here! We also love the chicken prints... although you can barely see them haha. What a bummer about the snowplow, but that's great you were able to repair it! That was one thing about traditional wet pour that we didn't like was how fast you had to work with it. Yes being from NY you know how winters/springs are. Even the concrete in our basement which has never seen the outdoor elements is cracked. Sidewalks are cracked, garage floor and apron are cracked. You're absolutely right, concrete just doesn't last as long up here, but that's why we are excited to try this out and see how it does!

[@Michael-D452]

Thank you for the warm welcome to your you tube page. Concrete Roller Hootis, lol that is hillarious. I heard that on cajun country and I was choking on my ice tea laughing so hard. They are a wealth of information and they clearly state what works for them in their neck of the woods may not work in other more severe weather locations and you may have to do some minor adjustments to get it to work for you , that is also conveniently overlooked by the concrete commandos who have nothing better to do than take a big steaming crap on a different technique used in limited ways, again clearly stated by cajun country. Lol ok rant over. I have been extremely lucky with my basement floor and walls, all formed poured with no block. Knock on wood, no structural cracks. My garage floor is a different story. I nicknamed it the Clint Eastwood garage floor. It has more lines and cracks than Clint Eastwoods face. When I had my driveway and porch poured the contractor asked if I wanted the garage poured as well. Lol but after forking 9 grand over the starch in my shorts wore off. That was 7 years ago. I can't imagine how more expensive it is now. As an observer , if joe DYI palooka wants to save some money and wants learn to work with concrete wet or dry, start on a smaller scale and if your not designing it to support a battleship pour it dry and see what happens. Worse case if it doesn't work out the way you planned then you learn the art of concrete repair or replacement. If people didn't think outside the box once in while we would still be drawing on cave walls

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha this had both Ted and I laughing!! We could not agree with you more!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@oneshiftmaui3606]

You could left a sheet of plywood or a tarp over it so the rain didnt soak it to much. 😂😂

[@TheLiFeInPines]

The radar indicated that the rain was supposed to miss us. Also, the top wasn't "cured" enough to lay a tarp or plywood over without damaging the finish. We learned a lot doing our first dry pour and have a plan in place for the repair.

[@VenturaIT]

Pretty sure that after the first two mistings to get it to set, you can't put too much water on it... "wet curing" concrete actually makes it a lot stronger... so you want just a little bit of water to get it to set, then you want as much water as you can get, but with so much force that it deforms the concrete or takes the top off it...

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes, we followed Cajun country livin’s instructions. We’re not concrete experts so we don’t know the science behind it, but what we can tell you now, is that 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes with high winds and debris falling… that is too much for a slab that’s only a few waterings and 5 hours into it’s cure.

[@stanglidewell8915]

What about a large fan to keep the dust Blown Away

[@TheLiFeInPines]

The dust really wasn’t an issue! We could’ve worn masks (recommended) but there was a slight breeze and once the concrete was poured, there was no dust.

[@Joeak74]

Right at 1:25, I thought a snake was coming out the door.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Bahaha! Nope, not a snake... but a croc!

[@CalmTurtle2023]

It's 2024!! So did your dry pour stand up to the weather? I'm in Collingwood, Ontario Canada and I'm thinking of doing this for a small walkway.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

It sure did! We did an update video on it. We actually did another one a couple weeks ago too. 👍🏼 😊🌲

[@brensimmerman2004]

At what point can my small dogs walk on the pad? And long before people can walk on it? We framed today. Tomorrow we will pour. Started to rain lightly and decided to wait a day…

[@TheLiFeInPines]

I would say the slab would hold a small dog after the first day if not sooner. We walked on ours after two days. Good luck with your project! Have fun! ❤️🌲😊

[@tedk9144]

I've watched a few CajunCountryLivin dry pours but is the only difference that you added a channel "footer" trench around the outside perimeter, before you added the concrete?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi Ted! Cajun country livin also does the footer, but I think they call it a “chain wall.” I believe the only difference is that we added the remesh for extra support and durability during the freeze/thaw to help prevent cracking from frost heaving. I hope that helps!

[@ronnorris1504]

Living in Ky i've always wondered about doing a dry pour. Would love to know the outcome of yours since the climate in your area is so much different especially with the cold winters you have. Thanks

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes! Just stay tuned because we will definitely post updates! We’re getting ready to seal it before winter!

[@VintageIronArt]

Great job! Another MN resident here who CANT WAIT to see an update after this slab has a chance to winter. Will it crack, or will it be fine? Updates please!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We will be keeping everyone updated in the spring for sure! Thanks for the comment! 🌲

[@tre9563]

1/4 per 4ft. Is typical fall

[@nymack66]

The Pros are in trouble now, the DIY's figuring it out one job at a time.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Love it! This method truly does make jobs like this a breeze.

[@nymack66]

@@TheLiFeInPines I have a 10 x 20 patio that I need to up 4 inches, this will be my way for sure. No heavy traffic on it.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Perfect! Would you mind sharing your results with us when you’re finished? We’d love to know how it turns out. I bet it would be just fine even with heavy traffic on it! Lots of others who have done this have driven on it with no issues!

[@waderue]

ya when you dry fit concert you don't water weight on the forms

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yep! the backfilling worked perfectly!

[@strykeback1]

Awesome video guys. You are definitely living the dream. I’m curious did you soak the ground before or why not give it a soak half way through once the rebar is down? And continue with adding more bags so that you ensure that the moisture gets completely through?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Thank so much! Yes, we are totally living the dream. Our life isn’t perfect but we make the best of everything we have! There was no need to soak the ground (though I had the same exact question when we were consulting with Jim and Lydia from Cajun country livin!) If you saw when we first started pouring the concrete in, it immediately started wicking the moisture up from the ground! Not saying you couldn’t do that, or even dampen it half way through, but I don’t think you need to. The concrete will always pull the moisture it needs. Through the ground, humidity, and of course the waterings. I hope that helps! If you try something new, let us know how it works out!

[@ShawnHogendorn]

Do you have a transcript of this video? Or a printable step by step

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We do not…..Your best bet would be to go to @cajuncountrylivin and watch their content. Jim and Lydia have a dry pour video with over 9 million views on it! They explain the process way better than we ever could! We hope this helps!!!!

[@timgloeckner9260]

Should have covered it with a tarp...😊😊😊

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Yes! 😝 Lessons were learned…. Lessons were learned 😂 We appreciate you commenting, Tim! We all hope you are having a wonderful week! 🌲❤️😊

[@keithprinn720]

wow even wear crocs to copy their method. they are supreme couple to follow and copy.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Lol, crocs are the best summer footwear for our kids. They live in them in the summer. And yes, Jim and Lydia are the pioneers of this method so we want to make sure we’re doing it right!

[@JIMK-xw3qw]

just your luck with that freak storm, well done tho

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Haha we are no stranger to Murphys Law! And thank you!!

[@ryancherwinski948]

Would it be better if I did the edge tool after I do the misting step to get a cleaner edge

[@TheLiFeInPines]

If it weren't for the torrential downpour, our edge would have been perfect! One thing to think about is that once you mist it, that's it, there's no going back. With the concrete still dry, you are able to make it look exactly the way you want. Even if you mess up, you can re-edge and roller. Once you get it perfect when it's dry, that is how I will be once it's cured.

[@Joeak74]

How big was this pad? How thick? How many bags?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi! Great questions! It was a 4x8 slab, thickness of a 2x4--so 3.5" thick, and it took 23.5 bags, totaling just under 100$.. CANNOT beat that price!

[@mleachx1]

What stain or finish did you do to your chicken coop door? It looks great

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Hi! Thank you! Believe it or not, the door is made out rough cut tamarack, and we were actually super embarrassed because we've been meaning to seal it! We do love the natural color but NEED to get to sealing it up!

[@mommaoinnh2674]

Why not water the ground before dumping bags on top?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

It didn't need it. The concrete immediately started to wick the water up from the ground when we began pouring it in the forms!

[@paperchaser9565]

Sent over from can't contain us

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Love them! Welcome to The LiFe In Pines! We’re glad you’re here!

[@TheBlackSheep66]

I have 40 acres in Northern Arizona, way off the grid, so I'm thinking of the dry pour thing due to the fact that I'm usually alone out there. Only thing holding me up is that it gets down to 0° quite often in the winter and upper 90's in the summer. Curious how this will hold up in the extremes of mother nature.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We definitely see extreme temperatures on both ends here as well. Totally normal for temps to get down to -20/-30 for sometimes weeks in the winter and sometimes reaching triple digits in the summer. We are confident this dry pour will hold up just as well if not better than your typical wet pour. We will post an update once we’ve gone through a full freeze/thaw cycle to keep everyone who has these same questions in the loop!

[@devachapman6315]

I'll give a thumbs up for the dogs. :) curious what is your reasoning with the "mini footer"? I am thinking about doing the dry pour for a barrel sauna. we also live in extreme climate here in the mountain of wyoming/Idaho boarder.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We see the mini footer as a little added support around the edges and a way to try prevent water from getting under the slab. We also plan on sealing the slab after it’s done with the 28 day cure.

[@devachapman6315]

@@TheLiFeInPines makes sense. What is your preferred sealer of choice?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We have to ask Jim and Lydia from Cajun Country Livin what they recommend. We’re not quite ready to seal it yet but we’ll be sure to update you!

[@lp5273]

What would happen if it rained for 2 days after the dry pour? Our weather changed and it’s going to rain, plan to leave the forms in place. Any other suggestions?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

How long has it cured for??? Less than 48 hrs I’m assuming? You could definitely leave the forms on (ours are still on!) Or if your surface is solid but you’re worried about *too much* rain- you could tarp it. The tricky thing is when it hasn’t had enough time to cure so the surface hasn’t hardened enough to handle a hard downpour/hail/debris. If it were us, we would probably rig up a tarp to protect it. I wouldn’t let the tarp lay on it though just to be safe. Let us know if you have any more questions!

[@ryanmoore7127]

i have been doing concrete work daily for 18 years and never seen a dry pour done. cant say ill ever do it dry seems like more work and i would be concerned with the slump. but good job lol btw i love minnesota

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We had never seen it before either! Cajun Country Living is where we saw it first. Check out their KZbin channel for more dry pour vids. We have done wet pours in the past (with great failures) and felt that dry pour was not more work. It was actually a lot less work and less stress (for us being DIYers) too. We plan to keep everyone posted on how it handles the freeze thaw heaves of Northern MN. We also have some more projects come spring and summer involving this method. Thanks for your kind words! Not everyone is receptive to this dry method 😆 We ❤️ MN too 😆 🌲

[@ryanmoore7127]

i will always pour wet to test the slump and get a perfect finish but im happy it works for you. i enjoy your channel you guys rock!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We appreciate your support! 😊

[@MrCueball1000]

Your mini footer is called a grade beam.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Good to know! Thanks for your comment! 🌲

[@wildbumbylee6731]

you guys close to kyle cabin & cierra,wandering wiley or tre runs wild(terry)? they're fellow minnesotan.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We just checked out these channels… we’ll have to watch to see where they’re all from! All off-grid channels! 🤍 We’ll definitely be watching as we will be building an off grid tree house once our renovation house is complete! We live on the iron range- 60 miles north of Duluth, 90 miles south of the Canadian border!

[@jerrimclaughlin8432]

I have a small space and will try this come spring. I live in Ma. and it's like 26 out , so spring time will be my choice. What do you think wait or go for it?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We would definitely wait until the temps are warmer. But, that’s not to say it wouldn’t work? 🤷🏽‍♂️ We have just never tried it….. Let us know how it goes when you do decide to do it! 🌲

[@mikecurran4044]

How did you calculate the amount of concrete to buy? I'm going to do the same thing.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We used the concrete calculator. It is actually in the description of the video if you want to check it out! It’s super easy to do! Let us know how your dry pour turns out! Most common issue people experience is over watering in the beginning! So less is more! We hope you have a great weekend! 🌲

[@mikecurran4044]

@@TheLiFeInPines thank you!

[@dawndonly1489]

Great job!!! What do you think is the thickest you could dry pour.? I live in Saskatchewan Canada. It gets to -40? Any suggestions?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We live in northern MN, and can also see -40° here! We felt comfortable with reinforced 3.5". Once our slab is fully cured (28 days) we will be sealing it which we think will be an important step! That’s not to say you *couldn’t* do it thicker, but we just didn’t think it was necessary in our situation. It all depends on what you’re doing with it though. Hope that helps!

[@lwebber123]

I'm goint to attempting to do a 11x11 pad.

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Awesome! We’d love to hear how it turns out!!!! Are you also in a cold climate?

[@lwebber123]

@@TheLiFeInPines yes..Western NY will be done by October

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Perfect! You’ve got this!!

[@jameshoffman9160]

How is the dry pour holding up?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

It’s got a lot of chicken poop all over it, but so far so good! 😊

[@jameshoffman9160]

@@TheLiFeInPines being in Minnesota would you still recommend dry pour after doing it?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

So far, yes! We have plans to do more in the future as well!

[@tcm2911]

Is there some particular reason you can't add any more water than what their instructions say? I mean, if you add a bit too much water, surely it just means the slab will dry slower? It's quite rainy around here so expecting I might have a similar situation like you did!

[@TheLiFeInPines]

I believe it’s so that your top finish has time to harden without hitting it with too much water. It’s only the first two waterings that have to be misted. After that it’s the shower setting. I have no doubt ours would’ve been totally fine had we had a few more hours of cure time before we had that storm. However, you could always somehow rig a tarp up (we will have this standing by when we repair it in a few weeks!) we plan on tarping it but not letting the tarp touch the concrete to ensure a perfect finish in the event it pours like it did before. Something to think about!

[@sincity313]

Step 1 check the weather 😂

[@TheLiFeInPines]

If you saw in the video, we were watching the radar closely - which showed that cell missing us by 5-6 miles to the north. Live and learn! Next time put a tarp up- no matter what the weather channel says. 🙂

[@rjung6309]

No need to put in a gravel base prior to adding concrete?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

No, for this method we did not. We plan on sealing the top to prevent excess water from getting under the slab.

[@Canadian-Lightning]

Good video, turn down the ad amount tho. Every 3 mins being forced to watch 2 adds is annoying

[@TheLiFeInPines]

lol I wish we could! We dislike ads as much as anyone else, but KZbin does what it wants with ad placement. We watch through them as a free and easy way to help support other channels. It helps to make them seem a little less annoying. ☺️

[@gwenienelson2535]

I am living in Fargo ND they told me I should put foam board on bottom then grid and then dry pour because of freezing what do you think?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

Being that this is our first one, and we haven't been through the winter yet, it's hard to know. We are confident the way we did it will withstand the winter, but if you do try it with the foam, be sure to let us know how it turns out!

[@troydvorak4011]

Can I add mortar mix on top when I do the screed? No matter how hard I try, I cannot get the powdery smooth top like you and @CajunCountryLivin seem to get. I've been out there working on this for hours and am feeling like a total tool! 😭💩😡

[@TheLiFeInPines]

How long did you screed for? It took us 30 minutes to screed making sure we were filling any little dips or wells with more mix. Then screed back over it again. The more you screed, the better and smoother your finish will be! Make sure to use a dry roller (we used 1/4 inch nap roller) and just let the weight of the roller do the work until you get it to be just perfect! We haven’t tried to do just the mortar mix on top, so we can’t say one way or another if it’ll work. I hope that helps! Keep us posted! Everyone’s trial and errors helps to absolutely perfect this method. ☺️

[@yukoncornelius8669]

So you didn't mix the concrete with water because you thought it was going to be too hard? Is that right?

[@TheLiFeInPines]

We have done several “wet pour” concrete projects in the past and they’ve all cracked, we always feel rushed and stressed, we never seemed to have enough, and we could never get the finish to be what we wanted it. The dry pour method eliminates every one of those issues we’ve had in the past. Not only was it easy, we had fun doing it! Never thought we’d say we had fun pouring a concrete slab!