Concrete Mixer

If you are working on any kind of construction you probably will have to do something with cement. If so you will have to do some sort of clean up. It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. If you are interested in doing it correctly, to take care of the possible pollutants that can be added to the environment. You probably need to have a concrete washout available to your construction workers.

A concrete washout is used to contain the mixture and the liquids. These are used when the mixer and hoppers are cleaned out and makes it easier to prevent runoff and contamination of the groundwater. Should you not use one of these containers you can risk contamination and increase the pH of the waters. Not only will you end up hurting the plants and fauna in the area you can harm the aquatic life as well.

If you don’t use a concrete washout you also run the risk of cause flooding. By not properly disposing the solid matter that is used you can clog up storm drains. This can cause flooding in the area. By having one of these facilities at your site you can keep it nice and tidy. Good housekeeping can keep the area uncontaminated and the storm drains unclogged.

If you don’t know how to make one of these containers don’t fear. You can get one premade. There are several companies out there that have prefabricated concrete washout for you to find. If you are interested in getting one of these containers then do your research. You want to make sure that you can get one that is guaranteed to not leak and can help you protect against unplanned spills.

Prefabricated concrete washouts can make things simpler for you. If you create your own there is always the risk that you will have leaks or spills. They are much less reliable than the prefabricated containers. While you might have a certain design for your site but you might find something prefabricated that will fit your site.

Doing your research can get you a good container to keep things clean at your site. You will find that it’s easier and possibly less expensive for you to run. Without a proper container you could run the risk of polluting the environment and the risk of fines for doing so. You might even have to pay for clean-up. It’s important to take care of the container while you are doing your construction.

Mixing concrete or mortar, often popularly referred to as ‘cement mixing’ has many applications around the garden: save money by laying a new path; build a stunning brick barbeque for the summer season; or lay a new shed base yourself. Just like cooking, the secret of how to mix cement comes down to methodically following a simple recipe. For smaller jobs you can probably do your cement mixing by hand – but you can’t beat a cement mixer for sheer ease-of-use, convenience and the most efficient mixing.

How to mix cement

Mixing cement for garden applications typically consists of combining sand (and perhaps aggregate in the form of small stones/gravel) cement and water in pre-determined proportions. There is an almost infinite range of mixing ratios for different applications. For many garden purposes a mixing ratio of 1:2:3 (one part cement, two parts sand and three parts aggregate) is used.

You can do cement mixing by hand…

To mix cement by hand, a shovel is used to combine the ingredients on a large board or a sheet of plastic until they have a firm, but manageable consistency. It’s not hard to learn how to mix cement by hand, but it’s hard, physical work and care is needed to avoid lots of mess and clearing up. Using a small cement mixer (concrete mixer) is often easier and tidier and gives a more consistent mix too!

But it’s easier with a cement mixer…

You know how to mix cement but you want the easy life – and that means buying a mixer. So what should you look for? Here are a few things to consider when choosing a mini-cement mixer for use in your garden:

Size – a range of capacities are available

Reinforced drum

Ease of loading/unloading – flip-up mixers help

Power source – petrol or electric

Weight and manoeuvrability – some mixers have wheels

Ease of storage – for when the job is finished

Appearance – why shouldn’t your mixer look good too?

How to use a cement mixer

Once you’ve set your mixer up, all you do is load the constituents of your required cement mix and switch the machine on – just like a large kitchen food mixer! Within a few minutes the mix is ready to be tipped onto the ground or into barrows. It’s simple, and at the end of the day, it’s easy to wash the mixer drum out before storing the mixer ready for the next job.