Frequent Asked Questions
Home » Frequent Asked Questions
Nope. Concrete is different from cement and making this differentiation can be very crucial in the management of the project. If you use them interchangeably, a lot of miscommunication can happen with the transactions. To give you an overview, concrete is composed of many parts and cement is only one of them. Cement is the gray powder added to crushed rock and sand to produce cement. So, if you say that you need more concrete when you mean to say that you need more cement, there can be mix-ups in the logistics and product delivery, so you should keep these in mind.
Yes, concrete of many kinds is available. The way of producing unique kinds of concrete can be achieved simply by modifying the mix proportions of the different components that the mixture carries. In this manner, you can modify the characteristics of concrete in terms of hardness, strength, durability and on the flipside, workability and flexibility. For example, increasing the proportion or rock in the mix can make the resulting concrete hard, while increasing sand may make it more flexible. Careful consideration should be taken in modifying the contents of the mix proportions to get the right kind of concrete for you.
If you do not know a lot about concrete or if you are not very experienced with it, then you probably need a concrete contractor. Take note here that knowing a lot about concrete means really knowing A LOT. Having some experience of helping a neighbor pour concrete might not be enough experience to say that you can handle a concrete project by yourself. To be safe, hire a concrete contractor. They are professionals who have the right materials and know exactly the workings of all the various concrete projects. They also know how to handle the proper preparation of the site they will work on.
No, it cannot, and it should not. As much as possible companies like us try to avoid rainy weather when we are scheduling concrete pouring for all kinds of project. Wet concrete mix does contain some water. However, this is added in fixed amounts and mixed in a certain way to it to blend well with all the other materials. Any water in excess and not mixed properly can interrupt the balance of the concrete mix and this can cause irreversible damage to your structure. Our team makes sure to bring enough waterproof tarps as covering just in case it rains.
Concrete can be painted. This is a very nice way to make the concrete structure blend well with the rest of your property. It can make your pathways, driveways, walkways, patios, retaining walls and other structures more modern and more sophisticated. One thing to remember when painting concrete is that you cannot use just any paint to do this. It must be what we call masonry paint or elastomeric paint. This kind of paint has the right kind of ingredients that will make sure that the colorant sticks well to the concrete even as it shrinks or expands with temperature.
In many cases, there is usually more than one reason why the concrete in our property cracked. While the first thing we might be thinking is the exposure to mechanical damages like wear and tear, this is only a minor cause, and should only damage the concrete if repeated for over many years. The detrimental causes of cracking can be attributed to errors that happen in the concrete mixing process. For instance, adding too much water can increase the volume of the concrete more than expected. This will result in a greater amount of shrinkage which produced destructible pulling forces.
Curing is a crucial step that will make a lot of difference in the outcome of your structure. This process allows the chemical reactions in the concrete to be completed so that it can reach its ideal level of hardness. Hence, before driving on your driveway, you must wait first for at least 10 days. Even at this time, you should not park on it yet. Parking on the driveway may be done at about one month later after pouring. Generally, the wet concrete should also not be disturbed at all for the first 24 hours since it was poured.
The surface of your concrete is not resistant to damages and wear. Good thing, there is a quick and easy way to protect this surface. This is by applying concrete sealers. These substances are available in many formulations and the main active ingredient may vary from polyurethane, acrylic, epoxy, or any penetrating resin. They are cheap and widely available, and not difficult to apply. Moreover, they can offer sufficient surface protection even if you are only going to apply them every 2 years or every 5 years. Hence, concrete sealers provide an easy and inexpensive way of making sure that your concrete is at its best.
Concrete is not resistant to effects that the changing weather may bring about. For example, temperature changes can be harsh on concrete especially during the winter. When concrete is being prepared, some heat is needed to combine all the ingredients. Heat loss is greater during the winter since there is low ambient temperature. Here can be a lot of heat lost in between mixing concrete and pouring it. As such, this can result in the premature freezing of concrete. If concrete freezes before it has set and cured, it will never reach the strength that it is supposed to have.
Concrete will always be the superior choice as a material for concrete pathways. Paying more with a concrete driveway means that you are paying for long-term benefits, conveniences, and savings. At the start, having an asphalt driveway may be cheaper. However, maintaining asphalt can take a lot more of time, money and effort when compared to concrete that you can just leave as is for decades. To illustrate, you should know that a few months after asphalt was installed, it already must be sealed. Further on, a lot of maintenance must be periodically just so you can use it properly.
Following the mix proportions is one way of ensuring that the concrete you will be using is stable and durable. An example is by using the tried and tested 4-2-1 mix. This is composed of 4/7 parts crushed rock, 2/7 of sand, and one part for cement. In most settings, this mix is ideal and is highly recommended. However, certain situations may need a modified type of concrete. In this case, minor modifications in the mix may be done. A five-two-one-and-a-half mix can produce harder concrete with greater compressive strength which may be needed for certain settings like in heavy access driveways.
Yes! It is. This is one of the great benefits of using concrete. You can make a lot of things without costing much to mother nature, especially is you are using recycled concrete. If you will have your concrete demolition and removal activities handled by professionals, the scrap concrete from your site can be brought to the appropriate facilities. This is usually part of the protocol in concrete demolition and removal. After processing, the concrete should be ready to use as additional aggregate material to be mixed with cement for new concrete projects like new buildings, pavements, and even as gravel.
You should test concrete because this is a simple yet valuable way of making sure that you get the best quality concrete that you can get. In essence, testing tries to detect problems early so that they can be nipped in the bud and solutions can be directed. Important information about the concrete can be obtained by simple tests like measurement of the air content and slump test. Experts can interpret these results and they will know exactly how to intervene to make sure that the concrete can still be strong despite problems that have been detected by the testing process.
Stains can be removed from concrete even just using simple materials and without the help of professionals. The common and surely annoying stains on most of our concrete are those caused by grease and motor oil. To take these out, you can buy sodium triphosphate from your nearest hardware store. If not, a regular laundry detergent can also be used as an alternative. Make sure that you have let the stained area soaked for an ample amount of time, about 30 minutes, with either sodium triphosphate or detergent before attempting to scrub off the stain using a stiff brush. Repeat if needed.
Albeit concrete is known to be low maintenance, there are still some simple maintenance interventions that you can do to make sure that it remains to be at its best for longer. A simple and reliable maintenance activity is cleaning. For grossly muddy or soiled concrete, you can use your regular garden hose or a powerwasher if you have one. To protect some surfaces, especially the floors, you can apply concrete sealer on it every 2 years. If you see some structural compromise on the surface like cracks or chips, it will be best to have a professional from a concrete company near you inspect the site.
The gray of concrete comes from one of its main components, cement. Cement, on the other hand, gets it gray color from the dulled black of iron ore. Iron ore is one of the main ingredients of cement, but it is not the only ingredient. When iron ore is mixed with other substances to make cement, the black of the iron ore is muted so it becomes gray. This is also because the materials mixed with iron ore are lighter in hue compared to it. Gray may not really an ideal color in many settings, so you have the option to stain or paint it.
Concrete does not become harder or stronger by drying out. On the other, it is the presence of water that drives the process that makes concrete stronger. The strengthening of concrete relies on the chemical reaction that happens between the water and the cement. Hence, the process continues when drying is not yet complete. The process that happens between cement and water produces lattices and crystal structures that entrap and embed the aggregate rock and sand into a steady, solid, structure. It may take months to years before concrete completely dries, so the process can go on also for months to years.