Fun Facts About How to Build with Concrete
Posted by Rob A on May 14th, 2019
Concrete has long been used in many different types of construction projects. For everything including walls, floors, ceilings and everything in between, concrete is a popular choice for many projects because of its diversity and affordable cost. There are wide variety of different types of concrete as well as different costs for the concrete used and project with which it is involved. This article will cover some fun facts about concrete including how to build with it, common uses and their costs.
Concrete is drive from three simple ingredients. These include water, aggregates like sand, gravel or rock and Portland cement. Usually appearing as a powder, cement binds together when the water and aggregates are mixed together. A powder made from limestone and clay that is made to hold together small pieces of rock mixes with a paste made of the water and Portland cement. The one drawback with this, however, is that it can deteriorate rather quickly. Another type of concrete is Roman concrete. This substitutes Portland cement for a mix that includes lime and volcanic ash that combines together to allow the binding of rock fragments. The last variety of concrete we will discuss is referred to as ready mix concrete. This uses a paste that is made from cement and water and aggregates like sand and rock to coat surfaces and more coarse aggregates to bind them into a substance that is referred to as concrete.
Concrete walls are just one of the many different ways that concrete is used in construction projects. A concrete wall can be used in a number of ways. They can be used as dams to hold back water, outline property, serve as part of a hardscape and build a house. Typically, you can use blocks that are made of concrete or poured concrete. For these you will be looking at costs in the neighborhood of 0 to ,000 including any additional materials you may need. For labor, you can usually expect to pay around for every square foot unless the contractor is charging you hourly rates.
Concrete is often used in flooring to lay foundations and to use an affordable material to cut down on construction costs. When using concrete on a floor, a floor seal is compacted with a wacker plate. If necessary, some construction projects using concrete floors may require the use of sand blinding. After this, damp proof membrane are laid down, then the concrete is poured. The curing process, which involves the drying of the concrete, usually requires a minimum of three days. At this point, additional installations and anything else is put in place that may be necessary. These floors will also see the use of things like concrete floor sealer and its associated products as well. These products, when used on things like concrete driveways, can help avoid water damage and extend the life of the concrete. Some concrete floors need to be sealed while others actually do not require the use of concrete floor sealers. The use of them depends upon exposure to the elements and what purpose they are going to serve. The cost of concrete flooring can be around ,000 for a 200 square-foot room. With concrete cost around for every square foot and labor costs included, these prices can add up. For sealing a concrete floor, it can be anywhere from --content--.95 to .10 for every square foot. These costs vary depending on size of job, options and specific conditions.
Concrete is and incredibly diverse material with many applications and useful purposes. From everything to the walls of your home and the floors in your garage, concrete is everywhere around us. Whether you are using this fantastic material to construct walls for your garden or a path for your driveway using a concrete floor sealer you will no doubt be astonished by how efficient and cost-effective using concrete can be.
