Mixing concrete is a daily activity for many in the construction industry and holds very little mystery. But many DIY enthusiasts are not so confident about working with cement and concrete.

It can be confusing to calculate how many bags of cement to buy, the correct ratio of cement, sand and gravel to mix, or how much water to use. There are many people who would like to undertake small scale concrete projects, like patios and garden paths, but do not know where to start.

Earlier this year to help address this need the clever people at Irish Cement launched a dedicated website which provides guidance on cement and mixing concrete. The website, which is primarily aimed at the domestic market, includes three short animated ‘how to’ videos and a handy ‘concrete calculator’.

The featured videos provide simple to follow step by step guidance and useful tips for general purpose concrete. Click to view now 

Video no. 1, deals with planning a concrete project. Taking a little time to properly plan the project will save time and help make it a success.

Depending on the size of the project the video provides guidance on the best way to mix the concrete: by shovel, mixer or when to order ready-mix concrete.

 

Video no. 2, details all you need to know about mixing concrete by shovel. It provides a simple ‘rule of thumb’ to help with the mix ratios, stresses the importance of measuring all the ingredients and adding the right amount of water.

It also shows the viewer what to do if they have added too much water.

 

Video no. 3, for slightly bigger concrete jobs, shows how to mix concrete in a tumble mixer; the correct sequence to add the ingredients and what to watch out for to ensure perfect concrete.

The website also has a handy ‘concrete calculator’ that estimates the materials needed for general purpose concrete projects once the user enters the dimensions of the project. Developing the calculator for the website was seen as essential by Irish Cement due to the regularity of enquiries about mix ratios and the number of bags of cement needed for particular projects.

Since the launch of the website the calculator has proven to be the most popular page with over half of all the visitors to the website using the concrete calculator.

Based on the success of the site and feedback they have received so far Irish Cement are planning to develop additional content and include other ‘how to’ videos that customers have said they would find useful.

Irish Cement, a CRH company, is Ireland’s leading manufacturer and supplier of cement in both bags and bulk. Making cement in Ireland for over 80 years their high quality cement has been trusted by professionals for generations. For more information visit www.irishcement.ie