How to make concrete with your own hands

Concrete is a unique product used not only in the construction industry for the construction of buildings, but also simply for the production of various products. Which ones? For example, balusters, paving slabs, vases, countertops and so on. At the moment, modern technology allows the production of concrete, which can safely compete with natural materials such as marble or granite. Yes, concrete is not so aesthetic, but it does not have a radiation background, which is undoubtedly good!

To buy or not?

Yes, now it’s easy and simple to go to a hardware store and purchase this material, but if you decide to abandon this idea, then what? You will most likely be interested in the question of how to make concrete yourself. You should immediately understand that when creating the material you will need to adhere to certain rules and norms, otherwise the quality of the product will not please you at all. Interested in how to make concrete yourself? This is not easy, but first you need to understand the definition and characteristics of this material.

What is concrete?

This is a cement mixture, which includes fillers and the main ingredients are water, sand, cement and filler (crushed stone, gravel, pebbles, etc.). As an additive, plasticizers can be used that add various unique qualities to the finished product.

Product Features

Not everyone can correctly make concrete, especially if you have not previously familiarized yourself with the characteristics of this material. The main characteristic of raw materials is compressive strength. This indicator is measured in megapascals. Products are distributed by brand depending on strength values. According to GOST, classes are designated in this way - B7.5-B80. The main differences in them depend on the type of cement used, sand, fraction, type of crushed stone. The number in the class name indicates the pressure that is able to withstand the material in many cases. It is not easy to get a durable product, because you need to know in advance how to make concrete with the properties you need and what proportions you need to observe.

Simplest option

There are many different ways to prepare this material. It is possible to make concrete at home from a mixture of coarse sand and ordinary cement mortar. This product is ideal for laying the foundation foundation, and it also protects the base of the building from subsidence and excessive moisture. If you need a more durable type, then you need to add crushed stone with various fractions, for example, 2-3 millimeters and 30-35 millimeters. In addition, the quality of the material directly depends on the purity of the starting products.

What materials and tools will be required in the work?

Dealing with how to properly make concrete with your own hands, you will need to worry in advance about the tools and raw materials base. You will not be able to create a good mixture without crushed stone, cement and sand. For comfortable work you will also need to cook:

• Shovel.
• Building level.
• Concrete mixer.
• Container.
• Metal buckets for every ingredient.

More about choosing cement

How to make concrete, you roughly understand, now we will delve into the topic. The first required ingredient is cement. It is he who binds all the components into a single whole. Typically, cement of grade 500 is used in practice, in some cases - grade 400, but if you take the second type, the strength of the object will be reduced.

A little advice: buy cement immediately before its use, since during prolonged storage the product begins to lose its useful qualities. How much are properties lost?

The ratio is approximately the following:

• Storage for more than a month - take away ten percent of the strength.
• Storage for more than two months - take away twenty percent of the strength.
• Storage for more than six months - take up to fifty percent of the strength.
• Storage for more than a year - the material is not suitable for use.

Cement must be dry, loose. Do not save when buying a damp product, discounted or even unmarked goods - this may adversely affect your safety in the future.

Choose sand

The next required product is sand. To prepare good concrete, you will need to take sand with a fraction of from 1.5 to 5 millimeters, without impurities and with a uniform size and take-off no more than two millimeters. Impurities will adversely affect the strength of the material in the future, so pay special attention to the cleanliness of the sand. According to GOST, the purchased sand must comply with the first class. What does this mean? The fact that the product contains impurities and particles of not more than a percent, and the filtration rate is 5-7 m / day. The first class includes river and sea sand. In its composition, unlike the quarry, it has a small fraction and is pure. Is it possible to check the quality of the sand? Yes, it is simple and even possible to do at home. Take a handful of sand and put it in a jar of water, shake and wait a day. If the product is good, then the water above the settled sand will be clean or slightly cloudy. If so, feel free to use the material to make a solution of concrete.

What can be said about the rubble?

It is also an important component in concrete production and should not be replaced with pebbles. Why? Pebbles are characterized by a slippery surface that will not become how the concrete solution should be bonded. Crushed stone is distinguished by roughness and notches, and this contributes to good adhesion. To put into practice is a product with a particle size of 5 to 35 millimeters. Larger types are rarely used in production. The material should contain a small percentage of dust or clay components.

What kind of water should I take?

Water is an important element of concrete. It is necessary to apply only pure, without bleach, silt and oils water. The amount of liquid should not be more than twenty percent of the mass of cement. This indicator is considered the best for binding. If you pour more water, then cavities will form inside the concrete, which means its strength will fall.

A little advice: if the water is suitable for drinking, then it is allowed to use it for the preparation of concrete.

Add additives or not?

It is allowed to add to the composition of various plasticizers, reinforcing mixtures, lime. Lime, for example, is added to better level the surface, but there is a downside - lime can harm a normal bond of cement and filler, which means the strength of the product will be weak. Plasticizers are added to the composition to give the solution fluidity or, conversely, viscosity. When adding a plasticizer, remember that, depending on the type of additive, more or less water will be required.

Flowing concrete is used to form foundations of complex shape; it quickly and reliably fills all openings, recesses. To give the solution other properties, various auxiliary elements are used.

If you are preparing concrete for thin screed, then it is necessary to add reinforcing components to the composition: polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride fiber. Such a component will not allow concrete to spread.

What should be the ratio of materials for making concrete at home?

To make concrete correctly, the proportions of the components must be taken into account without fail. Let us first consider the ratio using the example of cement grade 400 (see table).

If we take cement of grade 500, then the table will look as follows.

Now you know how to make concrete with your own hands and avoid unpleasant consequences. The tables show the optimum proportions guaranteeing good density and normal bonding qualities.

How is the product kneaded?

In total, there is a way to make concrete at home:

• Water is poured into the apparatus, then cement is added, and then crushed stone and sand are added to the resulting solution. At the same time, the concrete mixer should be located close to the pouring place so that the concrete does not have time to seize or delaminate before it is poured.
• The second option involves the addition of all components at once in the right proportions, in addition to water. All mixtures are mixed and only then water is poured, its amount is regulated depending on the required fluidity of the material.

The second is considered the most rational way of cooking, because there you are guaranteed to get a uniformly mixed product. In all cases, a concrete mixer is required.

Is it possible to make a solution by hand?

Mixing concrete with a shovel and hands is not recommended. This process is very laborious, you will get tired and take breaks, and they are undesirable during kneading. Why? All this leads to a drop in the strength characteristics of the product itself. In addition, manually kneading concrete to standard indicators is unrealistic.

How is concrete mixed with a concrete mixer?

An aggregate is suitable for you, in which the motor power is from 0.5 to 1 kW, and the tank volume is 200 liters. This is enough for work. Standard mixing is carried out as follows:

1. The required amount of water is poured into the concrete mixer, leave about 15% of the liquid in reserve.
2. Start laying cement inside and do not add 15% again.
3. Add sand, the composition should be mixed for a couple of minutes, so that the components are distributed evenly.
4. Now add the additives that you need to obtain certain properties of concrete.
5. Pour rubble or other aggregate inside.
6. Now fill in the remaining water and cement.

In fact, the process is simple and takes about ten minutes in time. Do not stir the product for too long, otherwise the cement will start to set. How to make concrete with your own hands, you figured out, now it is worth mentioning separately the pouring of the product.

Concrete Pouring

This process also plays an important role. For example, you want to make floors, concrete is already mixed, but you need to pour it correctly, otherwise you will not get positive results.

To do everything correctly, you need to distribute, compact the mixture and make sure that there are no bubbles in the solution. Vibration copes with these tasks perfectly, you only need to use special tools in your work. They allow you to level the surface, compact the concrete, which means your floor will be perfect! No special tools? It doesn’t matter, you can try to do everything manually. For vibration, you can use a sledgehammer, with which you will be struck on the formwork, beams. In the process of pouring, it will be required to release air from the mixture without fail. This is done with the help of a pointed rod of reinforcement, with which the solution is pierced to the full depth.

Everything is done simply: pour one layer of concrete, level, pierce and only then fill the next layer. As a result, you will get a tightly compacted even concrete layer. The top layer will need to be leveled, this is done in several runs for a couple of hours. In order for the concrete to completely harden, dry, you need to cover it with a film. This will protect the product from external influences, drying will be uniform.

By the way, you will need to wait 36 ​​hours for it to be able to walk on it. Full drying takes place over a couple of weeks, it all depends on the thickness of the layer. Once the concrete is completely dry, you can continue to work further with it. Maximum strength characteristics are achieved after 1-1.5 years.

Now you know how to make concrete at the cottage, in the house, at the construction site, and so on. Follow the recommendations, strictly calculate the proportions of the products. And then you will succeed, even if before that there was no experience!