To become a real master of construction, it is necessary to be able to conduct the most simple manipulations related to building materials. Many specialists are confident that after training, a person will be able to easily solve complex tasks related to the construction of a whole building, as well as repair work.

In this material, we will consider the main aspects associated with the preparation of cement mortar. First of all, it should be noted that this is probably the most basic process that is carried out during the majority of construction work. Cement preparation occurs when creating a foundation, walls, roofs, as well as most of the other components of any dwelling. It should be remembered that the cement is the basis of any structure, therefore it is necessary to approach the issue of creating a solution.

Many people prefer to save on the cement brand, and ultimately it turns out that the construction of low quality. In some cases, this factor may affect the integrity of the structure.

In addition, cement preparation technology must also be observed.

It is obvious that there are a lot of decisive factors in this matter, so if any scenaries should always be attentive and know about many intricacies of the process.

Brand cement

Often, when choosing cement, buyers pay attention to the product brand. And it is correct, because it depends on how simple and reliable design will be created.

Simply put, the cement brand corresponds to the strength of the already frozen mixture. Thus, when creating certain construction elements, you need to take into account the grade of raw materials. For example, the high grades are needed to build a durable foundation. It can be a 400 or 500 brand.

At the same time, some manufacturers create their classifications of cement strength, but it is not worth paying particular attention to this, since ultimately the result depends only on our actions.

It is also worth understanding that for the preparation of a high-end cement, much less water is needed than for the rest of the mixtures. Accordingly, fewer water means the increased strength of the design being created.

Very often in construction, cement brand 200 is used. This is a fairly low-cost solution that is used in most of the construction activities. For the preparation of the mixture, we need one bucket of cement and two sand buckets. The volume of water is chosen depending on the situation. If the cement is needed for some monumental works, water should be used smaller.

In any case, on bags with cement, it is indicated how much it is necessary to use water and sand to prepare the perfect solution.

When using cement of brand 500, one bucket of biscuiting material and 5 sand buckets will be required.

Also need to control the humidity of the sand. If this indicator is too high, it can seriously affect the quality of the solution. It is advisable to use dry sand, and its humidity can be enhanced in the course of work.

It is also interesting that choosing a suitable cement brand is very simple. For example, if the brick laying is made, the brand of which is 100, it is necessary to use the same classification and to select cement. Indeed, grade 100 for cement in this case will suit the best way. A similar situation with many other construction materials.

It should be understood that with a too high brand of building material, cement does not have to correspond to the presented value. Cement of the lower brand can be used, but it must be advised to consult with experts.

However, sometimes different grades of cement and bricks may lead to serious consequences. Many builders faced the situation when cement simply begins to crack. And the whole margin of the incorrectly selected brand of construction resource. The most interesting thing is that in most such situations the hosts make a choice in favor of high marks of the binder. Thus, expensive cement is not the most important quality indicator. The first consequences can know about themselves after 3 weeks after masonry. Then the cement is already fully free, and cracking can begin in the seams area.

Additives for cement

To date, in building stores, you can find a lot of various additives for cement. This is actually useful ingredients that can not only improve the quality of the mixture, but also make it original outwardly.

A hydrophobic additive for cement was greatly popular. Already from the very name it is clear that this ingredient repels all moisture, which can be contained in the air. In addition, this additive increases the frost resistance of the cement mixture. In our realities, this is actually important aspects that all experienced builders pay attention to.

Also used additives that are significantly expanding the mixture. As you know, when the concrete is frozen, it gradually loses its volumes, and this supplement is easily opposed until recently the irreversible process. In some types of construction, this ingredient may actually be useful, and sometimes necessary.

Also often use various dyes for cement. This is an exclusively decorative moment that has nothing to do with the change in the main characteristics of cement. However, color cement is a far from the best option for those who want to build an attractive object, since in most cases without additional plaster it is not necessary.

Surely the very bad side of the cement is its long period of frozen. Separate material grades are gaining strength weekly. Of course, this problem did not give rest to many builders, but only before the moment, useful additives did not appear on sale. We are talking about the ingredients accelerating the hardening of concrete. In some cases, when using such additives, the concrete can dial full strength in just a couple of days.

Preparation of cement mortar

The process of creating a full-fledged solution that will be used for construction work includes several stages.

First of all, we need water if we prepare cement mortar in the concrete mixer. It should be noted in advance that there is no accurate volume of water, so you need to add to the solution. In this case, in the process of creating a cement solution, you can gradually dilute the building material with water to be confident in its high quality.

Also, experts advise pouring water volume, which is slightly less than the norm. This will make sure that we are all doing right. If the mixture is obtained too water, it is better to add a liquid.

Many people use various ratio formulas to get a truly high-quality mixture, but most of the conditions are not the best option. Indeed, the required volume of water depends on a number of factors, including from the quality of cement, and even from air humidity.

In the event that the mixture was too liquid, it is worth paying attention to the fact that it is not a hopeless situation. In such a situation, it will only be necessary to add a little cement and sand to the solution to balance the composition. Of course, it is also worth considering the cement brand.

Next, for the preparation of the cement mortar, we will need to add detergent. It may seem funny, but in most construction such an additive significantly improves the quality of concrete. Moreover, it is often used either means for washing dishes or liquid soaps. The solution itself needs to add up to 100 g of detergent, after which the quality of the mixture increases significantly. Experts themselves note that this step allows you to make cement more elastic, and this is very important if we are dealing with the construction of massive structures. This ingredient should not be too foaming. In the concrete mixer, the detergent should scroll at least 10 minutes, and then then you can begin to the next phase of preparation of cement.

Next, sand is added to the concrete mixer. Immediately you need to warn that at this stage not all of its volume is added, but only half. For example, if you need to add 4 sand buckets for the preparation of the solution, then you will need to use only 2 tanks.

After that, the required amount of cement is added. Next, the concrete mixture is activated, after which the active mixing of the ingredients occurs. This process should continue within a few minutes. It is necessary to make sure that the solution has become homogeneous.

At the very end, you will need to add the remaining sand. After stirring, it becomes clear which is a consistency solution. If the mixture is too dense, you need to add more water. Further, if the consistency of the solution complies with the requirements, squeezing is carried out for 5 minutes. Now the solution can be safely used in construction.

Difficulties during the preparation of the solution

Surprisingly, very often builders face numerous problems that are based on the specifics of the preparation of concrete. In this case, we will look at all parts of the preparation of the cement mortar, if the air temperature is too low. Indeed, frost is a serious obstacle for many construction activities, but some advice will allow you to forget about all difficulties.

Often, the main problem in such a situation is sand, which at low temperatures becomes very solid. If on the street frost, then this is not a catastrophe. However, there is always a way out. Specialists advise to keep sand in heated premises, and use it only when the sharp necessity appears. If you quickly add sand into the solution, everything will be fine, it turns out a mixture of high quality.

In addition, the big problem is both water that can easily turn into ice in winter. Specialists advise using heated water. In addition, in this case, the water itself will not begin to turn into the iceplace, so also the detergent in such conditions is dissolved very quickly. Also, warm water will have a positive effect on the condition of the sand used. Many builders for the preparation of the solution use non-freezing fluids that support the mixture in one state. Of course, there is no need for such a step if water has a sufficiently high temperature.

Quality ingredients

Many people who are far from advanced in construction business are seriously related to the quality of all materials. This actually makes sense, since we strive to create a truly reliable construction structure, which should be served many dozen years.

First you need to pay attention to the quality of the water used. Obviously, it should not be dirty. It is often in construction to use rain or river water, but in certain situations it may be a serious mistake. In such cases, the construction of residential and strategic facilities can be attributed. In other cases, water quality is not as important as an important factor, but it is best to use conventional tap water.

Sand used to create a cement solution must be homogeneous. In addition, it should be one color. Very often in the sand you can detect clay, which is very bad if the construction is responsible. If there is clay in the sand, then you can try to get rid of this ingredient, but often to separate the clay is very difficult. It is better to find a good sand supplier that offers excellent quality products.

There are also requirements for the quality of cement. Very often, manufacturers do not indicate the brand of cement (the quality of the quality is somewhat), but in fact we get the cheapest binding material. If you have already purchased poor-quality cement, it will be necessary to increase its share in relation to the rest of the components, which will allow a little to improve the quality of the solution. You can also find reviews of other buyers who may also have become victims of low-quality products.