Invaluable advice. Used your method to concrete in a gate post. The first method ended up cracking using a ready mix. The second attempt also failed using postcrete and the water and mix went straight into nextdoors'! The materials you recommended, the measuring and the visual clues that the mix is ready means I have now have a gate again!!
Only thing I would add is gauging, best to use a container to measure you ballast and cement to get exact ratio. The Victorians discovered when building the sewers, you had some parts failing because the variation in strength depending on who was mixing the concrete for footings or mortar for brickwork. So they introduce gauging, everybody used the same mix x buckets of sand to x buckets of cement human error removed.
👍 Yup, I was working with an 80yr old that had been building all his working life. He mocked me for measuring with buckets, but also told the boss that he'd never seen anyone so consistent! Go figure eh?
Thanks, helped a lot on my second attempt to concrete in my pergola/ fence posts. Can't believe how easier it was using garden hoe. One tip from me, if it belongs to the wife, make sure shes busy elsewhere before borrowing it !
Good advice and I repeat what others have said. Use a bucket, box or other item to gauge the mis proportions. Also, as you said, keep mixing a while before adding more water as I the mix will often become more workable without more water. Best thing I have found for small quantities is use a drill powered paddle or garden auger for mixing. At 72, My back and shoulders are not up to heavy shovel or Larry (mortar hoe) action any more.
Too few concrete finishers know the relationship between hydration and strength of concrete. For posts and unreinforced walkways, I stop adding water when the concrete is just workable. It's harder to screed and tamp, but it's worth the work. The Romans figured this out millennia ago.
Great video, could you please do a video on how to lay a basic patio ,I have a patch of soil in my garden with rocks in it where the previous owner ripped out a conservatory but it's been left like a mess and want to lay slabs so it looks normal
Another good way is if you have one of those Screwfix Titan drills or similar 'cheap workhorses' and a decent mixing paddle. Put all your stuff in a garden rubber bucket and use the drill and mixing paddle to mix it up. It is a lot easier on you and you get a really good mix. I do this method for plaster as well. Though you need one of the more robust mixing paddles, but should only cost £10-£20.
@@tonyl1984 I have never had an issue mixing ballast with cement in a rubber bucket using a paddle mixer attachment in my Titan drill, though as I stated in my original comment you do need one of the more robust mixing paddles.
With mastercrete being enhanced, if using other brands often useful to add some plasticiser. For doing concrete bases/slabs easier to trowel up as less water comes to surface. Generally makes shovelling concrete easier too and gets air out quicker when tamping.
Thank you for this channel (not sounding sexist) but as a woman who is willing to have a go at any DIY i need to learn how to mix sand and cement (ratio) and other advice in DIY.
No, definitely not down the drain but cement waste is inert so just dump on a convenient piece of soil and once dry then you can do what you want with it without an issue
Great video - thanks. As a beginner, I’m about to do a small retaining wall footing and this is a brilliant help. Still not sure about how much water to usenough From other sites it appears about 2 litres per 25 kg of ballast and cement. ( an equivalent of a bag)? Are there any rules of thumb?
For small batches of concrete it is much easier and less mess to mix it in a plastic bag by massaging the outside of the bag and turn it over till it is mixed.
I want to raise a broken concrete path by an inch, do l use blue circle ready mix or do l use blue circle regular cement and add ballast ? The path is 4 meters long, uneven and pools in the winter rains
For some reason my brain has always thought of concrete as something that is really expensive, and inaccessible to anyone except builders. And I kind of expected a small bag of cement to be about €90-100. Maybe I thought this because you get such a lot of "stuff" for the price, compared to buying a small tube of sealant or Polyfill and that kind of stuff. And maybe because of the fact that you can do so much with a bag of cement, because it's so permanent, and so useful, I expected it to be more expensive. But when I checked I was kind of surprised that you can buy a bag of cement for about the price of a pint..
Wish I'd seen this before laying my concrete pad for shed! Mix was a bit too dry and I was a bit slow. Consequently I have a poor surface. I'm just going to run a strong (but loose) sand and cement 'screed' over the top and hope for the best 😂😂
Oh well - it's all experience! Give the screed plenty of cement (as you say) and I'm sure it will be ok. You a bit in front of me - my shed build and videos will be over the summer.
Amazing videos!! Where should I be dumping the residual concrete that I rinse out of the wheel barrow? Just in the yard? Should I be worried about environmental concerns or is so little an amount it's negligible
This is very helpful for a newbie like me. Do I just water down whatever is left of the concrete till it resembles slurry and just add into the garden. Would it damage my plants or grass?
Looking for advice . For 500mm wide copings is a mix of 1 cement , 2 sand and 4 of 10mm stone aggregate a little on the overkill side . Should I use pva or sbr in mix . Thought you might have an opinion . Thanks for all the DIY videos , your channel is my go to for a number of DIY projects . Keep them coming .
I made a mistake and added sharp sand to the ballast , it’s a small batch for a fireplace and 5” think. Do you think it will crack? Going to be covered by a slate heart slab
Need help as i build my first shed base. 214cm width 128cm length 15cm depth 7ft by 4ft shed going on top. Looking to use the same cement / ballast but unsure how many bags of each I need. Online calculator suggests 6x 25kg bags of cement 1x 25kg bag of ballast Makes no sense for a 1 / 5 mix.
I was going to use Postcrete for my concrete godfathers, but after seeing the vid on Concrete vs Postcrete, I've decided to mix my own concrete. So from the 3 bags of ballast and 1 bag of cement, how many post holes can that typically fill?
Hi guys, I am laying a pathway just in front garden. It's all mud atm so needs to be concreted. Length is 3m and the width is 1m. Once I have done the shuttering can you please tell me how deep my concrete needs to be? I have a tonne bag of ballast just need to get some cement bags. Also what do I put on the bottom above the mud, shall I out gravel down and then compress it/flatten it etc. Thank you Amy advice be appreciated
Hmmm proper diy. Use plasticiser to help your mix. Also, when you fill in post hole, finish at ground level with slight slope for water run off. Yours will pool water and rot post, even treated ones. This comes from 30 years in Lanscaping business. Also measure measure measure with container for perfect strength mix.
Sorry to be "picky" but I found the countdown clock distracting, at first. And then irritating... ;-) I expected the "Countdown" music at the end, and wasn't listening to you...
Invaluable advice. Used your method to concrete in a gate post. The first method ended up cracking using a ready mix. The second attempt also failed using postcrete and the water and mix went straight into nextdoors'! The materials you recommended, the measuring and the visual clues that the mix is ready means I have now have a gate again!!
Only thing I would add is gauging, best to use a container to measure you ballast and cement to get exact ratio. The Victorians discovered when building the sewers, you had some parts failing because the variation in strength depending on who was mixing the concrete for footings or mortar for brickwork. So they introduce gauging, everybody used the same mix x buckets of sand to x buckets of cement human error removed.
👍 Yup, I was working with an 80yr old that had been building all his working life.
He mocked me for measuring with buckets, but also told the boss that he'd never seen anyone so consistent!
Go figure eh?
Can I use this mix for 30cm depths into soil as a bed up to the level of the ground and then place 30cm timbers on as supports for a decking frame?
Thanks, helped a lot on my second attempt to concrete in my pergola/ fence posts. Can't believe how easier it was using garden hoe.
One tip from me, if it belongs to the wife, make sure shes busy elsewhere before borrowing it !
Glad it helped! For some reason standing up using the hoe I find easier. Make sure it's well cleaned afterwards so she doesn't spot it!
Good advice and I repeat what others have said. Use a bucket, box or other item to gauge the mis proportions. Also, as you said, keep mixing a while before adding more water as I the mix will often become more workable without more water. Best thing I have found for small quantities is use a drill powered paddle or garden auger for mixing. At 72, My back and shoulders are not up to heavy shovel or Larry (mortar hoe) action any more.
Brilliant video mate, concise and informative! Keep it going, thanks
Too few concrete finishers know the relationship between hydration and strength of concrete. For posts and unreinforced walkways, I stop adding water when the concrete is just workable. It's harder to screed and tamp, but it's worth the work. The Romans figured this out millennia ago.
Glad that at long last someone mentioned that concrete does not dry - but it cures! Few people seem to know that?
Great to find someone with common sense tips . Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Excellent, never used concrete before, but a bit more confident now.
Great video, could you please do a video on how to lay a basic patio ,I have a patch of soil in my garden with rocks in it where the previous owner ripped out a conservatory but it's been left like a mess and want to lay slabs so it looks normal
Great vid. Straight to the point - helped me out massively 👌🏽
Another good way is if you have one of those Screwfix Titan drills or similar 'cheap workhorses' and a decent mixing paddle. Put all your stuff in a garden rubber bucket and use the drill and mixing paddle to mix it up. It is a lot easier on you and you get a really good mix. I do this method for plaster as well. Though you need one of the more robust mixing paddles, but should only cost £10-£20.
What's it like with cement & mixing the ballast the the stones with the paddle mixer?
@@tonyl1984 I have never had an issue mixing ballast with cement in a rubber bucket using a paddle mixer attachment in my Titan drill, though as I stated in my original comment you do need one of the more robust mixing paddles.
With mastercrete being enhanced, if using other brands often useful to add some plasticiser. For doing concrete bases/slabs easier to trowel up as less water comes to surface. Generally makes shovelling concrete easier too and gets air out quicker when tamping.
thanks man, I'm doing a concrete slab for my garden office. This was useful information
Thank you for this channel (not sounding sexist) but as a woman who is willing to have a go at any DIY i need to learn how to mix sand and cement (ratio) and other advice in DIY.
Perfect! Just the job! What's the best way to dispose of the washings from the barrow/spade/tools etc? Guessing not just down the drain?
No, definitely not down the drain but cement waste is inert so just dump on a convenient piece of soil and once dry then you can do what you want with it without an issue
Hey thanks for these vids. Really helpful for us useless ones! Appreciate them.
No problem!
Great video - thanks. As a beginner, I’m about to do a small retaining wall footing and this is a brilliant help. Still not sure about how much water to usenough From other sites it appears about 2 litres per 25 kg of ballast and cement. ( an equivalent of a bag)? Are there any rules of thumb?
For small batches of concrete it is much easier and less mess to mix it in a plastic bag by massaging the outside of the bag and turn it over till it is mixed.
Could you put a liner onthe wheel barrow ,,plastic sheet,,cut open rubble bag etc ...to save on clean up
I want to raise a broken concrete path by an inch, do l use blue circle ready mix or do l use blue circle regular cement and add ballast ? The path is 4 meters long, uneven and pools in the winter rains
For some reason my brain has always thought of concrete as something that is really expensive, and inaccessible to anyone except builders. And I kind of expected a small bag of cement to be about €90-100.
Maybe I thought this because you get such a lot of "stuff" for the price, compared to buying a small tube of sealant or Polyfill and that kind of stuff. And maybe because of the fact that you can do so much with a bag of cement, because it's so permanent, and so useful, I expected it to be more expensive.
But when I checked I was kind of surprised that you can buy a bag of cement for about the price of a pint..
You are funny and your videos are good. I watched all of them and found some useful tips.
Glad you like them!
Can I ask I'm doing a 4×4 fence post. Would I need what's in the video. So 1 bag cent and 2 bags ballast? Luv your videos they are helping so much
Wish I'd seen this before laying my concrete pad for shed! Mix was a bit too dry and I was a bit slow. Consequently I have a poor surface. I'm just going to run a strong (but loose) sand and cement 'screed' over the top and hope for the best 😂😂
Oh well - it's all experience! Give the screed plenty of cement (as you say) and I'm sure it will be ok. You a bit in front of me - my shed build and videos will be over the summer.
@@ProperDIY looking forward to them. These videos are invaluable and you've got a great way of explaining. Thanks!
@@ProperDIY is this happening?
Amazing videos!!
Where should I be dumping the residual concrete that I rinse out of the wheel barrow? Just in the yard? Should I be worried about environmental concerns or is so little an amount it's negligible
Thank you. If you tip any excess concrete onto a piece of polythene, once hard it is inert and harmless.
Whay is the ratio ballast:cement for concrete slab? Also in the aftermath, during curing how many days does the concrete need to be 'watered' ? Thanks
I have a bad back so can’t be using a spade to mix it so could you tell me what tool that is you’re using? Cheers.
This is very helpful for a newbie like me. Do I just water down whatever is left of the concrete till it resembles slurry and just add into the garden. Would it damage my plants or grass?
Really helpful absolutely brilliant
Looking for advice . For 500mm wide copings is a mix of 1 cement , 2 sand and 4 of 10mm stone aggregate a little on the overkill side . Should I use pva or sbr in mix . Thought you might have an opinion . Thanks for all the DIY videos , your channel is my go to for a number of DIY projects . Keep them coming .
Would this ratio/mix of concrete be strong enough to drive over once fully cured if the area was large enough
Can you get a fairly smooth patio finish with that kind of ballast mix, or do you need to finish with something else?
I made a mistake and added sharp sand to the ballast , it’s a small batch for a fireplace and 5” think. Do you think it will crack? Going to be covered by a slate heart slab
Need help as i build my first shed base.
214cm width
128cm length
15cm depth
7ft by 4ft shed going on top.
Looking to use the same cement / ballast but unsure how many bags of each I need.
Online calculator suggests
6x 25kg bags of cement
1x 25kg bag of ballast
Makes no sense for a 1 / 5 mix.
Thank you. Quick and useful.
I was going to use Postcrete for my concrete godfathers, but after seeing the vid on Concrete vs Postcrete, I've decided to mix my own concrete. So from the 3 bags of ballast and 1 bag of cement, how many post holes can that typically fill?
Great vid thanks for showing us how its done 👍
No problem
Hi guys, I am laying a pathway just in front garden. It's all mud atm so needs to be concreted. Length is 3m and the width is 1m.
Once I have done the shuttering can you please tell me how deep my concrete needs to be? I have a tonne bag of ballast just need to get some cement bags. Also what do I put on the bottom above the mud, shall I out gravel down and then compress it/flatten it etc. Thank you Amy advice be appreciated
did it work out in the end or are you still waiting for advice?
Can you use concrete to repair holes in a road? If so how do you do it?
Would this be suitable for filling in gaps on a concrete wall where mice have entered the house?
Where's the washing up liqud? ;-)
Great video, very very useful Thanks
Thank you
Hmmm proper diy.
Use plasticiser to help your mix.
Also, when you fill in post hole, finish at ground level with slight slope for water run off.
Yours will pool water and rot post, even treated ones.
This comes from 30 years in Lanscaping business.
Also measure measure measure with container for perfect strength mix.
Mike Graham needs to watch this.
Brilliant stuff
Thanks
Would this ratio be good for a large shed floor ?
What grade is the concrete mix? would it be suitable for C35?
Excellent
Thank you for sharing
How many bags for 10metre free stand wall foundation ?
how much water you add for 25kg cement and 125kg ballast?????
Only problem I didn't see the complete mixture before the area was filled
A good video can you tell me where to buy the tool you was mixing up with
It came from B&Q just a couple of weeks ago in their garden dept. I used to use a spade but something smaller like a hoe is a lot easier!
that's what I thought and come in handy for other jobs
2 helpful minutes indeed
Great Video
So would you recommend a wet mix for post other than dry mix..
If its posts I'd use post crete much easier & less time consuming
Good job
what is the tool called that used to mix the concrete. Enjoyed the videos.
Thanks. I think the shop called it a 2 pronged hoe.
thks as tomorrow im mixing concrete for my patio
Thanks mate 👍
Fantastic. Thanks 🤍
thank you for the video
Thanks
What is the result of 1 cement and 3 ballast please! My neighbour is insisting it's the best mix for a deep slab?
1:3 is a strong concrete mix so yes, good to have. The only reason builders etc will use a 1:5 or 1:6 mix is to save money on cement.
@@ProperDIY thank you for the speedy reply, much appreciated. Loving the videos 🙂
aye very useful tips here thanks
Thanks
What's the name of the tool you are using to mix in the barrow?
looks like a rake
You never mentioned the ratios?
Anyone know what that double ended tool he was using to mix the concrete is called?
No idea, but I think a garden rake will be just as effective because if the gaps in between the teeth for easy mixing
Apparently it's a "2 pronged hoe" 😮
Thank u!
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NOOICE!
Sorry to be "picky" but I found the countdown clock distracting, at first. And then irritating... ;-) I expected the "Countdown" music at the end, and wasn't listening to you...