DIY Guide to Concrete and Mortar
Also see:Chances are when doing repairs around the house you will have to deal with masonry materials like concrete and mortar. Concrete can be found in walkways, floors and poured foundation walls. Mortar is used to bond masonry building materials like brick and cinder block.
Both concrete and mortar are made using portland cement, a powder produced by super heating limestone and clay. When portland cement is mixed with water it becomes a thick paste that will set rock hard in a few hours. Mortar is made by mixing fine sand and water with the portland cement. Concrete is made by adding coarser sand, gravel and sand.
The usual proportions for a concrete mixture are: 1:3:4, where one part is portland cement, 3 parts sand and 4 parts gravel. Mortar mixture ratios should be 1 part cement to 3 parts sand. You can buy both mortar and concrete pre–mixed in 60 and 80 pound bags in your local home store. These work well for most masonry projects but for repairs of cracks and repointing brick joints it's best to mix your own mortar using a finer sand than the pre–mixed products use.
