Concrete has been a building material staple for centuries, and for good reason as it is strong, efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly. It’s quite telling that nothing has yet been invented to completely take its place.

Luckily for you, concrete is also great for use around the home and garden in your latest DIY project. In particular, we’re going to show you how the ready mix variety can make your life even easier.

What is Concrete?

Concrete comprises of the base raw ingredients; water, gravel, and Portland cement. When mixed together in the right ratios, these ingredients combine to create what is known as concrete, which can then be poured into most shapes imaginable. Once set, concrete takes its final form – a solid structure as hard as rock.

What is Ready Mixed Concrete?

Ready mix refers to any concrete product that is premixed and then delivered to site for use. You will have often seen what are referred to as cement mixers travelling along the road. These wagons contain and transport wet concrete to be delivered and used as required.

The rotating barrel containing the concrete does so to prevent it from setting prematurely as well as keeping it at the right consistency.

Home Extensions and Refurbishments

When extending your property, you’re often going to need to pour concrete, either as an additional foundation or as a ground floor slab. Some domestic buildings are even constructed from concrete walls.

As you can imagine, the quantity of concrete required to pour an entire ground floor slab measuring 100mm in depth is going to be substantial. Some builder’s might have a go at mixing the concrete on site using an electric concrete mixer but this process is both time consuming and messy, especially when pouring large amounts of concrete.

Instead, ordering the exact amount of concrete required and having it turn up in a wagon at a specific time is far more efficient. The concrete will still be fresh and in the required consistency, ready to pour. It also alleviates the need for guessing how much gravel should be added per kg of cement.

A Concrete Driveway

Not all driveways have to be paved or tarmacked. Larger areas are much more suitable to concrete surfaces, especially when they’ll see the frequent turning of vehicles.

Concrete is durable and can be installed with the presence of slot drains, making the draining of surface water far easier than traditional block paving.

Source Your Concrete

Concrete suppliers who supply the construction industry are also able to cater to domestic projects too. They’ll be able to produce suitable concrete using a ratio you specify if you have one in mind, or can suggest the best mix for the job. Abee Hire are one of several ready mixed concrete suppliers in the South-East and London area. You will have several to choose from so seek word of mouth recommendations or look for reviews online.

Purchasing 20kg bags of cement and mixing concrete with a garden hose are a thing of the past with delivered concrete available for domestic use.