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Let’s Lay Down Some Concrete Facts

by | Mar 14, 2022 | Hardscaping | 0 comments

Are concrete, cement, and mortar the same stuff? NO! While they all have some ingredients in common, they are distinct mixtures made for specific purposes. So let’s take a look.

Cement

Cement, or Portland cement, is a fine powder. It hardens when mixed with water but is seldom used by itself. For instance, it’s usually mixed with other ingredients to make cement or mortar. You can think of it as the glue that holds the ingredients for mortar or concrete together.

Mortar

Mortar is a mix of cement, lime, and sand. It’s usually used with bricks or other stones. Once the mortar cures, it is softer than concrete. It flexes somewhat, which allows some movement in things like garden walls without cracking.

Concrete

Concrete is a mix of cement, sand, gravel, or coarse stone. The dry concrete mixture is mixed with water and then poured or dumped to make foundations, piers, slab floors, driveways, and sidewalks. Concrete can support significant structural loads once cured, a necessary and effective tool in the construction industry. All three of these, concrete, mortar, and cement, are available in various strengths and mixtures. In addition, different mixtures are suitable for different jobs, so if you’re doing a DIY project that means using one of these, make sure it’s the right one for your job. Your Year Round Services team handles many jobs that include the use of concrete, mortar, and cement. If you are ready and excited to start building or adding to your outdoor living area, they can help you get it right on the money the first time and spare you expense and time. If you’re unsure about doing it yourself, your Year Round gurus can help you plan, build, and finish your outdoor living area and make it just as you have always wanted.

Making Concrete

You’ll need tools and equipment to make concrete if you mix your own. Remember, Year Round has the equipment needed to work with the tools and items that go into building a garden wall, fire pit, or even a whole outdoor living room. Here’s are the ingredients and tools you’ll need to get started:
  • Bag of cement
  • Coarse gravel or crushed stone
  • Sand
  • A wheelbarrow
  • A 1 or 2-gallon bucket
  • A 5-gallon bucket
  • Shovel
  • A small cup or container.

Mix!

To mix the concrete, we will start with the dry ingredients. After that, you can make as little or as much as you need, using the 3:2:1 ratio introduced here: Using your wheelbarrow as your mixing bowl, use the small bucket as your measuring cup. You will start with three buckets of sand, two buckets of gravel, and one bucket of portland cement in your wheelbarrow. Mix these dry ingredients with the shovel thoroughly. If you cook or bake, you start the same way: dry ingredients into the mixer bowl first, mix them, and add the liquid ingredients. After mixing the dry ingredients with the shovel:
  1. Check various mix areas for consistency.
  2. If some things seem to be clumping together, mix these into your dry mix, breaking it up with the shovel as necessary.
  3. Once this is done, create a “volcano” kind of mound in the center of the wheelbarrow: a mound of the mixture, with a round “crater” hollowed out at the top.
Start adding water into the crater. If you use the large bucket, you can mix in a bit of water at a time and mix after each addition. Next, use the shovel, add water and mix until the mixture is about the same consistency as cookie dough. Make sure you mix thoroughly, scooping from the bottom and scraping the bottom and sides of the wheelbarrow to get any dry bits mixed in. If you don’t have any experience mixing concrete, getting it the right consistency can be a challenge. If it ends up too wet, you’ll need to mix a small batch of the three dry ingredients to add into the mixture a little at a time. If it’s still too dry, adding water a little at a time will get to the right consistency.

The great pour!

A wheelbarrow full of concrete won’t cover many areas, but it is enough to refinish a cracked concrete step or make a hard surface for a chair or table base. If you’re thinking of adding that perfect fire pit or benches, or even a complete outdoor kitchen, you know by this experience what kind of hard work it is to prepare and work with concrete. There is no consequence to asking for help, and your Year Round team has the experience, enthusiasm, and training to get the job done. They know where to find the power lines, pipes, and gas lines so they won’t accidentally be damaged while leveling an area or digging a trench. They have experience with safety and first aid if it comes to that need. They, and their work, are fully insured for any project they undertake. What are your thoughts on your outdoor living area? A fire pit with seating to enjoy making gooey s’mores and telling spooky stories after dark? All of the ideas you have for your outdoor living area start with the great pour – perfectly mixed concrete, perfectly poured and leveled, and set up for building the outdoor area of your dreams. Lighting for your outside paths is always a good idea; it enhances the nighttime scenery and increases safety. In addition, a built-in kitchen with a table and seating can make a barbeque comfortable and pleasant. Each addition you make to your home to increase the comfort and beauty of your landscape will increase the value of your home. Each addition will make your home more welcoming and show the amount of thought and planning you have done to make it perfect. All that’s left is the execution, and you have help with that – your Year Round Services team.