# Concrete stakes



## ASidhu (Dec 5, 2016)

Hi, I want to buy some metal concrete stakes for my company.

Any good place to buy them in BC Canada?

What is your opinion on square vs round stakes? I am leaning towards the square stakes but they are hard to find.

What size/length/thickness would you buy and how many of each?
For house footings (2x6,2x8) 
For slabs (2x4, 2x6)
For braces 
For layout with strings

Been using wood stakes and they are fine but break easily and do not hold as well.

Thank you.


----------



## asevereid (Jan 30, 2012)

We get all of ours from NCA (National Concrete Accessories). I've only ever used the round ones. How large a project are you averaging? We can get away with using anywhere from 40 to 80 depending on the footing run and layout. 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

round ones you can at least put a pipe wrench on and spin them around to help loosen.

not sure i have ever seen sq ones.

ancient guys have some flat steel one still floating around....


----------



## ASidhu (Dec 5, 2016)

griz said:


> round ones you can at least put a pipe wrench on and spin them around to help loosen.
> 
> not sure i have ever seen sq ones.
> 
> ancient guys have some flat steel one still floating around....


you can use a crescent wrench on square one to help loosen Square ones are more advantages in general.


----------



## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

ASidhu said:


> you can use a crescent wrench on square one to help loosen Square ones are more advantages in general.




We've only ever used flat square stakes. I come from fairly large concrete jobs. Lots of tilts-ups and miles of slab on grade.


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> We've only ever used flat square stakes. I come from fairly large concrete jobs. Lots of tilts-ups and miles of slab on grade.


probably haven't done quite as much of that as you, but it was always round stakes with a few flats thrown in.

may be a regional thing....


----------



## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

griz said:


> probably haven't done quite as much of that as you, but it was always round stakes with a few flats thrown in.
> 
> 
> 
> may be a regional thing....




May have a lot to do with the soil as well. We are mostly clay out here.


----------



## ASidhu (Dec 5, 2016)

What would you say is a good length to buy? For driveways I would usually just cut off the wooden stakes flush with the forms to make life easier for the concrete finishers.


----------



## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

It can depend on what type of soil you're driving them in. I once did a slab on grade on Fiesta Island in San Diego. Mostly sand. It took 6' stakes. I realize that's not normal, but 18 or 24 inch for most stuff. Sometimes I like a longer stake for kickers.


----------



## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

We only have a handful of 24". Just for the softer soils. 18" is the length of the others. I've never seen them shorter, but you never know.

We have a combination of round and flat. The round ones are mostly used for the steel forms. 
When we are forming with 2x4 we will use the flat ones. Not really sure why. The only thing with the flat ones is fastener length. Before cordless drill were common, we would bend over the double headed nail. Now we use screws, but you can only use short screws. Works fine for us.

I almost always try to drive them down. As soon as you start pouring, you'll be cussing the ones that stick up. Then if you are brooming it, your broom will hit ones that stick up.

Getting them out will occasionally give us a small challenge. They make a stake puller for the flat ones. Probably one for the round also. A pair of channel locks will make it easier.

I've never been to Canada, so I can't answer that part of it. Here, they are available at most places that sell anything to do with concrete. Lowes, Home Depot, smaller supply houses for commercial construction, online. 

If you order the round ones, make sure they have holes. They sell them without holes also. Fine for steel forms, but that's it.


----------



## UTR (Mar 3, 2017)

We have done lots of concrete curb and gutter as well as foundations and footings. All of our concrete forming pins are round.

Brock White Canada has lots of forming tools and they also carry the concrete forming pins (stakes)

https://ca.brockwhite.com/catalog/materials-and-accessories/concrete-construction/concrete-forming/stakes

Hope this helps


----------

