how do i make a small quantity of concrete?

Question

what is the ration of sand/cement and water for making concrete.i am only going to make a very small amout by hand.

Answer 1

Hi

It is best if you go to a DIY store and buy a small bag of 'ready mix concrete' powder.

I think the smallest bag is 10Kg and codts about £5.

Dont mix it with your hands though, use gloves.

Answer 2

There are several different kinds of cement. For you here are the basic Heavy, Medium, and Sand. Heavy has bigger gravel in it, Medium has the medium size and Sand has no gravel it uses very fine sand. Buy premixed from 3.50 to 7.50 small bag at HD or Lowes. If you need a smooth finish use the sand mix if it doesn't matter use a medium (usually least expensive). Also, throw away the left over, concrete is toxic if you breathe it in so just get rid of the rest don't keep it around cause it will give off dust every time you move it or touch it and Always wear gloves. If you don't you may lose feeling in your fingertips but don't worry it will return in about 3 days.

Answer 3

Buy the smallest bag of cement that you can, you will need some sand and aggregate ( stone chips ) about a 1/4" in size. Mix as follows 1,2,3. ie. one of cement, two of aggregate, three of sand, mix them all dry and add water a LITTLE at a time to get it like thick porridge, don't over water as this will cause the concrete to crack when dry.
When laying it down make sure you tamp it down well cover it with a wet cloth and leave for about three days, keep the cloth damp, concrete cures by a chemical action not by evaporation. Don't take the suggestion to make it sloppy or it will crack, keep in out of hot sunshine.

Answer 4

3-2-1 is a good idea (3 gravel, 2 sand and 1 cement) on the other hand, if you are laying slabs, you won't want all the gravel.

Tommy Walsh (Ground Force) always use 4 parts sharp sand to 1 part cement as far as I can remember!

Answer 5

If you want it for posts, or similar the 1:3:6 mixture is adequate, If for paths or similar, you need a 1:2:4 mix. That is 1 measure of cement, 2 measures of sand, and 4 measures of aggregate.

Answer 6

What does it say on the package? For instance if it says 1 gallon of water for what comes in the bag just divide the water and mix by the same number. Half the gallon to half the bag. To use 25% divide the gallon by 4 and the mix by 4. To use 12.5% divide by 8 etc. Really all you need is just enough water to make it all wet and pourable. The water causes the chemical reaction. It is better to have a little more water than too little, because you don't want dry pockets, it will just make it take longer to set. Too much water will make it harder to work with.

Answer 7

1 part Cement.
2 part Sand.
Mix thouroughly with water so you have a sloppy consistancy.
3 parts Stone can be added to the mixture to get the correct balance.
Now use this ratio with any measurement.
For instance, if you use a garden trowel, use the same ratio.
If you use a spoon, use the same ratio. 1-2-3.
Whatever it is for, always make sure you make enough!.
Dont worry about how much you waste. Obviously not a skip full though.

Answer 8

1- 60 pound sack of ready mix can be mixed easily by hand and produces a volume equal to about 2/3 of a cubic foot(12"x12"x12" = 1cubic ft) for a cost of about $3.50 it would cost you 3 to 4 times that amount to buy the materials seperately and then mix, plus you would have a lot of sand gravel and cement left over to store somewhere. Make it easy on yorself and buy the ready mix.

Answer 9

Mix small quantities of sand cement and water

Answer 10

Depends what you intend to do with it. Sand & cement makes mortar; gravel, sand & cement makes concrete. If you're sinking posts you'll want concrete for strength, if you're filling in cracks or rendering you'll want mortar.

TJB gives you ratios if you want to mix it yourself, for a small amount I'd buy a bag of ready-mixed.

Answer 11

Pretty certain it's a ratio of 4:2:1, that's four gravel, 2 sand and 1 cement.