WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH CEMENT

The terms cement, concrete, and mortar can be confusing to beginning builders because they are often used interchangeably, which is inaccurate. Cement, concrete, and mortar are three different materials. The basic difference is that cement is a fine binding powder (which is never used alone), mortar is composed of cement and sand, and concrete is composed of cement, sand, and gravel.

Cement

In short, cement is a fine binding powder which holds together other materials. It is a binding element which you can find in both concrete and mortar. It can be used to make concrete, mortar, screeds and render. Cement is generally made from limestone, clay and sand. It’s important to realise that you cannot use cement alone and it will need to be mixed with other materials to make a concrete or mortar mix.

We stock a wide range of ready-made cements which can be used to make various concrete and mortar mixes. This depends on the type of project you’re working on and strength required. You may also need to add extra materials to improve the working properties of the concrete and mortar you’re making. These materials can include lime, plasticiser and other chemicals.

Mortar

When referring to the term mortar, it is a mixture of cement and fine sand (add water to activate the cement). Mortar is commonly used to stick bricks and blocks together in a wall. You will find pre-mixed mortar mixes ready to purchase and you just need to add water.

It is important to use the correct type of mortar for the masonry, as some mortars can be too hard for some types of masonry and can crack if used incorrectly.

Concrete

Concrete is a strong building material, which is composed of cement, sand, gravel and similar aggregates. It is generally used for buildings, foundations, patio, slabs, securing fence posts and masonry.

In different proportions, these materials produce concrete of different strengths for different uses. It’s important to get the proportions accurate. If there is too much aggregate, you will struggle to produce a satisfactory finish. Too much sand will mean that the mix will be weak, and the elements could damage the finished surface.

To improve the working properties and durability of the concrete and mortar, you can add extra materials. These materials could be lime, plasticiser or other building chemicals.

We sell a range a wide range of concrete options such as Post Fix concrete mix which is ideal for setting timber or concrete fence posts, gate posts and line posts.

Our Postfix is simple to use and requires no pre-mixing before use. To use, follow the below steps and have your fence post fixed in no time:

• Position post in hole
• Add two litres of water
• Empty complete bag into hole
• Check and adjust post as necessary
• Tamp to remove any air bubbles
• If necessary, sprinkle more water to mix any remaining powder