Dry Pour Slab / Outdoor Kitchen

I’ve got a fun project in the works. I recently teamed up with RTA Outdoor Living to put together a video showing how to install one of their outdoor kitchens. This should be a great addition to our patio, and I’m looking forward to sharing the process.

Since our patio isn’t all that big, I needed to build a small platform for the kitchen to sit on. I decided to try out one of those dry-pour concrete slabs that have been popping up all over the internet lately. After doing some research, I got started, and here’s how it went:

Step-by-Step: Dry Pour Slab

• First, I prepped the area and built a form to shape the slab.
• I added a layer of gravel at the bottom for drainage.
• I’m making the slab 3½ inches thick, so I started by adding about 1¾ inches of dry concrete mix and leveling it out.
• Then I laid in some wire mesh to help prevent cracks and add strength.
• After that, I filled the rest of the form with more dry mix and leveled it off with a long board.
• To help it cure evenly, I lightly misted the top with the hose (set to “mist”), being careful not to disturb the surface.
• I repeated this a few times: misted it again after 45 minutes, then soaked it once an hour for the next seven hours using the “shower” setting on the hose.

After letting it cure for two full days, I removed the form and used a sanding brick to smooth out and round over the edges a bit.

Thoughts on the Process

I’m happy with how it turned out, but honestly, it was just as much work, if not more, than a traditional concrete pour. If I had to do it again, I’d probably stick to the old-school method.

The slab ended up being about 32” x 9’ and took 11 bags of 80 lb concrete.

Up Next

This weekend, I’ll be installing the kitchen with my sons, and I’ll be sharing updates and behind-the-scenes stuff over on Instagram. If you’re curious how it all comes together, feel free to follow along.

Talk soon,

Jon