 | Justin Crain is VP / Treasurer of American Concrete Co., Inc., which is owned by his parents, Dennis and Jane Crain. American Concrete is celebrating its forty-first anniversary and Justin is the third generation to be involved with the family company. American Concrete was awarded the 2011 Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the year award. Justin is currently the President of the Kansas Ready Mix Concrete Association and is currently on the board of directors for the Mount Carmel Foundation as well as the Pittsburg Public Library Foundation. Please visit our website, www.americanconcreteco.net, or call 620.231.1520. |
Concrete
2011-07-01 08:19:00
Difference between cement and concrete
Question: What is the difference between cement and concrete?
Answer: One of the most interchanged words in the construction industry is concrete and cement. There is no such thing as a cement driveway or a cement curb; the correct terms are concrete drive way and concrete curb. So what is concrete? Concrete is a mixture of cementitious materials, water, rock and sand. Cement is a powdered ingredient that provides the glue that binds the rock and sand together in a mass called concrete.
A concrete mix design is accurately weighed by a computer at the plant, and then the concrete is delivered to the customer in a freshly mixed and unhardened state. The concrete normally sets or hardens within two to twelve hours after it is placed. Concrete needs to cure, and will achieve its maximum strength twenty-eight days after it has been placed.
Below are some tips to maintain your concrete surface:
• New concrete must be given at
least seven (7) days of curing time
(at temperatures above 32
degrees) before vehicular traffic is
allowed on it. Concrete takes 28
days of curing time to achieve its
maximum strength.
• Concrete surfaces must be kept as
clean as possible. Remove snow
and ice as soon as possible. Use
sand for traction instead of salt.
• Keep lawn fertilizers cleaned off of
concrete surfaces.
• Apply a quality sealer annually or
according to the manufactures
directions. Sealer is easy to apply
and the most important step to
caring for your concrete.
• Annual maintenance is important!
As you care for your lawn, trees,
shrubbery and house, please
take the time to care for your
concrete pavements.
It is a SMALL INVESTMENT for such a GREAT
RETURN!
• Homeowner warranties covering
exterior concrete are extremely
rare. Proper care and maintenance
is your responsibility.
Your concrete surface is like your wood deck or the siding on your house, in that they all must be protected from the environment to reach their expected service life.
