Hand mixing cement for a walkway ??

NIXON · Jul 19, 2004

Okay . I know I can by ready mix . But if I wanted to mix my own , What would be the proper ratios of portland ,aggregate,and sand ? Thanks , John

GRUMPA · Jul 19, 2004

Just remember this simple rule 3-2-1. 3 Scoops rock, 2 scoops sand, 1 scoop portland cement. If you want to make it stronger mix in more cement.

Zoomie · Jul 19, 2004

From a forgotten website:

( Choosing a mix
Different applications require different strengths of concrete. Concrete strength is adjusted by varying the proportions of cement, sand and coarse aggregate.

Water-retaining structures, heavy-duty floors and precast items: a mix of 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 3 parts coarse aggregate or gravel (1:2:3)

Paths, driveways and patios, and garage and shed floors: a mix of 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 4 parts coarse aggregate /gravel (1:2:4)

Fence post installation and for filling large holes: a 1:3:6 mix

Everyday tasks you only really need to remember the 1:2:4 mix. This mix can be substituted for the 1:3:6 mix. It is slightly stronger but is not quite as economical.

NOTES
All mixes are measured by volume.

Add only just enough water to give the mix adequate workability; adding excessive amounts of water reduces the strength. The amount of water required will vary to an extent, depending on the moisture content of the sand. Sand that has recently been in the rain holds a large amount of water, so the total amount of added water may need to be reduced.)

NIXON · Jul 20, 2004

Thanks for the responses ! I do have one additional question .
I'd like to do an exposed aggregate walk . Any ideas on how to do it ?? John

Bird · Jul 20, 2004

( I'd like to do an exposed aggregate walk . Any ideas on how to do it ?? )

I've never done that, but this site is just one of several you can find at google.com with instructions.

Inspector507 · Jul 20, 2004

I've seen it done one time, and Man, was I impressed with how it looked when it was done. It was done around the pool I was working on. I'm not sure it's something I'd attempt. I will however, pour walks and such myself.

NIXON · Jul 20, 2004

Bird , Thanks for the site info !
Inspector , I'll do it on a small scale to see how it goes , before I attempt a full scale walkway . John

Yankee · Jul 21, 2004

"I'd like to do an exposed aggregate walk . Any ideas on how to do it ?? "

I haven't done it myself, but I watched them put in my front walk and garage apron. They used an aggregate mix rather than seeding the surface, and for a retarder, sprayed on a sugar solution! Yep, a 5 lb. bag of sugar in an ordinary 2-3 gallon, pump-type garden sprayer with wand. To expose the aggregate, one guy stayed behind, waited until the right time, and pressure-washed off the top skin. Looked easy, but I imagine that if you pressure wash too early you'll dig and if too late, you don't expose the aggregate very well or consistently.

DavidJ · Jul 21, 2004

I've done it a few times and all I did was wait till the concrete had set a bit then washed the top off with a water hose and a push broom. The first time I did it wasn't intentional, we were placing concrete for a walk and it started raining. The rain kept washing off the surface, so we just let it, and went back a few hours later and finished the job. The people liked it so much they wanted us to do it again. The best looking one I ever saw was done using Mexican beach pebbles (black flat shiny stone). They poured the walk then made up some cement without aggregate, placed a layer of the stone on top of the freshly placed concrete then filled between the stones with the sand/cement mixture and let it set.