Whether you are needing a place to set the grill, building a walkway to the garden or setting a post, bagged and premixed concrete is a great tool. If the project is done right, you will have completed a project that will last for years with no upkeep except to trim the grass around it.
Here are a few basic tips for getting it right.
1) USE THE RIGHT PRODUCT. Quikrete brand concrete has more than 200 products with the homeowner in mind, for tons of different applications. Basic concrete is great for walkways and patios, while fast-setting concrete is better for filling holes around various kinds of posts.
For laying block or brick, choose mortar mix, which has no gravel. There are also several products for resurfacing floors and driveways.
2) PROPER MIXING. The great thing about pre-mixed concrete is that all you need is water. The trick is to get the proper consistency of finished product and eliminate dry spots. This is very important, as dry spots are weak spots in the finished project.
If you are using the whole bag, mix it in a wheelbarrow. Dump the dry mix in and add water. The sloping sides allow you to move the product around with a hoe or shovel, ensuring that the product is saturated and you can easily move and dump the concrete when it’s ready to pour.
For small amounts of concrete, a bucket will do fine. It may be easier to mix the product if you put water in the bucket first and add the dry concrete mix a little at a time.
Using a sturdy, plastic cup, cut off the bottom and fill it with wet concrete. Remove the cup, and the cone should settle down to about half its size. If the slump is less than it should be, mix a little more water into the batch; a larger slump is too wet and requires additional dry mix.
Wash your wheelbarrow and tools before the concrete has a chance to harden, and spray all unpainted surfaces with silicone to avoid rust. (Or give it a quick spray with rust-preventative paint.)
Remember, help is just around the corner at your local hardware store.
