[Clough]

Hi, All!

There wasn't enough room for my whole title, so I had to shorten it a bit.

Okay. I'd like to start making some things that I'll manufacture out of cement. These things might include floors, sidewalks, stairs, paving bricks as well as maybe seats, and lawn ornaments. I'm looking for the type(s) of cement that will have a very smooth texture on the surface, but hold together well.

I know that small stones and rocks in a mix will sink to the bottom so that the top coat can be smoothed out. Making stairs and porches for apartment houses was some of the kind of work that I did with my dad decades ago, but I really don't recall the type of mix that we used.

What kind of cement would normally be used for the main things that I've listed, please?

Depending on what the answers are, I'll also start another thread about how to make a homemade mix, since that would be another subject.

Thanks!

[manhattan42]

Portland Cement.

[Clough]

Hi, manhattan42!

Is that the only kind that's usually used, please?

Thanks!

[manhattan42]

Concrete Technology | Cement Types | Portland Cement Association (PCA)

http://www.concretenetwork.com/cement.html

http://www.cement.org/basics/concretebasics_history.asp

http://www.concrete.org/general/home.asp

[ballengerb1]

Go with portland but different aggregate for different projects. You would not make the same mix for a walk as you would for a lawn ornament

[Clough]

Okay.

Thanks for the help, all!

[smearcase]

Small stones and rocks that sink to the bottom is the last thing that you want. The concrete gets its strength from the bond between cement and the aggregates. Concrete that is overworked during the finishing process will force the coarse aggregate down resulting in a very weak mortar on top.
Some finishers prefer concrete made with natural gravel which has rounded surfaces and is troweled more easily. Natural gravel is not normally as strong as crushed rock which is angular and bonds better than rounded surfaces.
If you plan to make one mix for all of those different purposes, I don't think that is possible.
Transportation agencies make most of those items, and use at least ten different mixes.
Consider use of air entrainment in items subjected to freeze thaw cycles. The increase in durability is remarkable.
This association (PCA) is widely relied upon in the concrete industry:http://www.cement.org/

[Clough]

Hi, smearcase!

Thank you for all of the helpful information! I knew that there were different mixes. Just didn't know all the ins and outs of it concerning that.