Why use Mixamate instead of ready mixed concrete?
If you need a vast amount, ready-mixed concrete is perfectly suitable, but the large-scale ready-mixed suppliers can't always cater for the smaller quantities.
Mixamate specialises in the small amounts, so we're the ideal delivery service for small and medium sized jobs like driveways, garage bases, garden paths, footings and oversites.
Mixamate can be far more cost efficient than mixing it yourself. Mixamate saves you the expense and inconvenience of hiring equipment and allocating valuable labour to mix concrete - and of wasting time waiting for another delivery if you've underestimated the amount of materials required.
Concreting with Mixamate
Concrete is easy to use and versatile. Its strength, durability and relative cheapness make it the ideal material for drives, paths, garage and shed bases.
This website, brought to you by Mixamate Concrete gives useful tips and advice on how to lay concrete. It is not intended to cover large jobs that need expensive equipment and detailed knowledge but is aimed at the handyman who wants to lay a drive, path, garage base or foundation at home.
If you are considering a large job, such as building your own house, Mixamate will be pleased to give further information and advice.
When you are ready to order
When you are ready to order, contact your nearest Mixamate and specify the mix that you want and the quantity in cubic metres that you require. Agree a delivery time, giving at least 24 hours notice.
The delivery driver will be as helpful as possible in manoeuvring his truck and dropping the concrete as near to your work area as he can. However, it is possible that you will have to move some concrete, either to your work area, or from one part of the project to another.
Remember that 1 cubic metre of concrete weighs about 2.5 tonnes which means approximately 20 barrow loads, and that you will only have an hour or so before the concrete starts to go off. So ensure you have adequate manpower for the job.
Laying the Concrete
Spread the concrete between the formwork using a rake to distribute it evenly so that the top is about half an inch (15mm) higher that the required finish level.
Ensuring that all corners and edges are completely filled by treading the concrete in with the soles of your Wellington boots or by pushing it down with a piece of wood. Starting at one end use a heavy wooden tamping beam to compact the concrete, and move slowly along the slab removing any excess concrete. If necessary repeat this operation until the concrete is fully compacted and the surface is level with the top of the framework.
Finishing the Surface
Concrete can be left as tamped in which case the finish will depend on how carefully you tamp. Alternatively, there are a number of different surface finishes which can be produced after tamping.
A fine or coarse non-skid surface can be made by drawing a soft or hard sweeping brush across the surface of the concrete. Working a wooden float across the surface will give a textured surface which can be straight or circular design depending on how you move the float. A steel or plastic float will give a smooth finish.
As soon as the concrete has hardened enough not to be marked. it should be covered with polythene, weighted down at the edges, to stop it drying out too fast. The polythene can be removed after two or three days. Fresh concrete should not be allowed to freeze, so don't lay when frost is likely unless you are prepared to insulate it with a 4 inch (100mm) layer of straw between two layers of polythene.
Curing
It is a common misconception that concrete should be left to dry out. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Especially on hot, dry, or windy days, it is important that the concrete be protected from drying too quickly, as this can cause cracking of the fresh concrete to occur.
A weighted down polythene sheet or tarpaulin stops the concrete drying too rapidly, and helps the material develop maximum strength. Sprinkle with sand or weight around the edges to stop the sheet ballooning. We wish you every success with your project, and look forward to being your supplier of quality concrete.
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