Advise on coloring concrete

[Egon]

As per Dummy:

Think I would check at a local concrete mixing plant that produdes paver blocks etx. They should have the dye, don't even think of green, get some mortar sand, some motor cement and also some portland cement. The portland cement will help add strength. Mix at 3/1 sand to mortar and add a little extra portland and just enough water to make it workable. For the small amouts used economics is not really a factor so heavy on mortar and cement will not hurt. Just get it to a nice sticky stage so that if you slap it on a vertical wall it sticks.

If you want portland cement and lime properly mixed will also give the right consitency.

A good paint mixer and electric drill work well for mixing small quanities.

Sand blasting the exterior of the product may help for desired look.

The bagged mixes have never appealed to me.

Egon

 

[Soundguy]

Egon's got good info. Lime mixed in with the portland will make a nice creamy sticky mix.. sticks to verticle surface nicely.

Soundguy

 

[EddieWalker]

I’m on the edge of Ivan right now and the rain is keeping me from buying my materials. Open bed pickup wont work for hauling cement sacks. Hahaha Looks like a morning of surfing the internet and doing laundry.

Dummy and Egon,

Thanks for the advice. I never considered anything but concrete and didn’t think about an alternative material. It makes sense to use mortar and now that I think about it, that’s what the pros use also. The light bulb just turned on!!!

I’ve got a bunch of Type N mortar for other projects already. Will there be that big a difference from that compared to making my own? Could I just add a coffee can worth of Portland Cement to the sack when I mix it and get the added strength?

What about using the wire? Do you recommend it, or is it a waste?


So far the advice I’ve received has totally changed my plan of building these things. Thank you to everyone for sharing your information and knowledge!

Eddie

 

[Egon]

Use the wire and added portland and go for it.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dummy]

I didn't use anything other than mortar, sand and water for the initial pour. This a general pic. is of the posts

. Thanks in advance for reminding me I need to cut my grass /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[dummy]

And a closer view of the poured caps.

 

[Egon]

That's really nice work Dummy.

Say, should you not cut the grass to make a lovely yard even more lovely. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[EddieWalker]

Dummy,

Thanks for posting those photo's. It exactly what I want to do except I want a flat top where I can mount a light and I want to stain the color on the mortor.

I bought the quickrete liquid color. They suggest one bottle for two sacks of 80 pound morter. So I figure half a bottle for a 60 pound sack of morter with a coffee can worth of Portland Cement mixed in.

I bought some 19 guage, half inch squares, galvainzed mesh to reinforce it. I probably wont need it, but for $11, I figure it wont hurt.

Tommorow is the BBQ at Harve's, so I wont get started until Sunday.


I'll add pictures to my other post about my entrance.

Thanks again,
Eddie

 

[dummy]

Thanks. This was my first real brick laying experience. Was supposed to have integral lighting also, but some "Dummy" forgot to place conduit inside the columns /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Couldn't fire the contractor (me), I tried, but wife kept hiring me back because my hourly rate was too low !