No, terms “concrete” and “cement” refer to very different things. The main point that should be recognized here is the relation of concrete and cement. To clear things out, cement is one of the many components of concrete. Aside from cement, you will also need some sand and crushed rock plus some water to complete the mix. Many people even in the concrete companies make the mistake of interchanging these two terms. Concrete in the wet form is the one we see being poured in construction projects. This wet mass is formed when cement reacts with water as they are being mixed.

A lot of different kinds of concrete can be easily made available to you depending on your needs. There may be some situations where you need to adjust the levels of the different components of concrete to achieve a certain kind of hardness, consistency, strength, and durability. Adding a little more of sand or rock can easily produce another kind of concrete. This may be necessary if you want a harder concrete or a more workable one. Other new kinds of concrete that are known to be environment friendly are also now popular. Many of these are porous that lets water through easily.

Yes, you will probably benefit more from a concrete contractor compared to choosing to do everything on your own. Working with concrete requires skills, experience, and equipment that not everybody have. While hiring people may mean some expenses, the benefits are often commensurate, if not, beyond the value for your money. Having a concrete contractor to manage your concrete projects means that you have saved yourself from a lot of possible mistakes and inconveniences that you may not be able to avoid if you try to handle all parts of the project. Most people need a concrete contractor, and you might, too.

No, it cannot set in the rain. This is a very big mistake that many people who try to DIY their concrete can make. Since concrete already contains water, they think that added water will do no harm to the concrete. On the contrary, this can be very detrimental. Concrete that gets extra water from the rain may nor set properly nor harden at all. Therefore, we try our best to make sure that our scheduled pouring does not coincide with these weather events. Just in case, we also make sure that we bring enough waterproof tarps that can serve as covering.

Yes, among the many possible and practical ways to add color to concrete is to have it painted. The other ones are staining and dyeing. For concrete painting, it will be very crucial that you choose the right kind of paint. Ask about masonry paints or masonry paints. These are the appropriate kinds of paints that can be used for concrete. They contain the special additives that help the colorant to stick with the concrete even as it shrinks, expands, or contracts. Remember to use texture rollers instead of paint sprayers since the additives will clog the nozzles of sprayers.

Most people think that concrete cracks because of heavy or constant mechanical trauma on the surface of the concrete. However, on the contrary, there are usually more than one reason why concrete cracks. This is across all settings. While mechanical damage truly contributes to cracking, one of the heaviest contributors to this is the improper techniques used in the preparation phases. For example, adding too much water can be a bad thing. Some workers add extra water since it becomes easier to mix, however, this is wrong because this will result in greater shrinkage which will exert a great force on the concrete.

The length of time at which you should let your concrete cure before you can drive on it is no less than seven to ten days. It is good to know that by this time, most concrete would have already reached at least 90% of their strength. However, this is not the time to be uncareful and complacent since the concrete can remain very susceptible to acute and heavy damages within the period of the first month after it was poured. So do not think about parking a vehicle on it until at least thirty days has passed since pouring.

Sealing concrete is one of the simplest maintenance methods that you can do for your concrete. This does not cost much time and effort, and yet it can protect the surface of the concrete from mechanical damage and spills, even with just seldom application of about every two to five years. These sealers can contain a lot of different active ingredients, including acrylic, epoxy, or polyurethane. These are available in many brands and the application process will not be labor intensive, but it can really provide good quality of protection. So do no think twice about having your concrete sealed.

There are many circumstances in which the weather can affect concrete. For example, on days when the rains are heavy, it may not be advisable to push through with concrete pouring activities since the concrete can be irreversibly damaged by the added water. Another situation is when the temperature is too low. When the concrete is being poured, it can lose a significant amount of heat such that the wet concrete freezes on the surface before it can cure, dry, and harden. Competent concrete companies know how to deal with the complexities of weather and how they may affect the concrete.