Does anybody know of any ways to buy dry concrete cheaper than by the bag. I'm filling up every fourth cell in my dry stack concrete block walls and am using quite a lot of bags of Quikrete in doing so. I'm figuring it's costing me about $130 a yard doing it this way.
I suppose I could buy a couple of yards of sand and gravel and buy the portland cement by the bag, but I don't know if it would save me any money (not to mention how much more difficult it would be to move the ingredients to my mixer and then on to where I'm gonna pour them in the wall).
Anybody got any ideas.
I think you answered your own question ;D
The only other idea I have and it takes a few / lot of things to make it happen , like a pickup truck , a 50 gal barrel / drum , a ready mix plant close by and a strong back and bucket to get the wet mix out of the drum.
Our batch plant here in town has a few drums , you have to be able to transport and pour, via bucket, the mud in short order as they sell, or some times give it to you, but the mud is hot , coming out of a returning mixer truck that had excess mud left over, Oh ya , you have to be able to come quick when they call ya , or hang around for a truck to come back with a barrel load left in the truck.
So a lot of [highlight]IF'S [/highlight]
G/L PEG
I've used both quikrete and the make it yourself variety. I must agree that quikrete is handy, but expensive. Around here I can buy a sand/gravel mix and just add portland cement and water. Mix it up in my (so far) faithful Harbor Freight mixer. Is transit mix out of the question? Also around here there's an outfit that sells redimix that you haul in a smallish tandem axle gas/hydraulic powered rotary mixer.
I am kind of with Don here. I can get sand & gravel out of a wash, put it in a mixer dry, shovel in some Portland cement and make my own dry mix. It can be carried in 5 gallon Homer buckets or whatever, add water at the site just like you do with the material that is prepackaged. If you have a source for sand & gravel you can make your own and all you have to buy is the Portland. If you don't have a source for sand & gravel get a truckload delivered.
I just did an estimate on how much concrete I will need to finish filling all the cells and the bond beam on top; almost 3 yards. That looks like 162 bags of Quikcrete (roughly 2 bags per cubic foot).
Now, I've got to find a cheaper alternative. I'm wondering if any of the redimix companies would or could fill a 55 gallon drum with premixed dry components. I could put the barrel in the back of my pickup and drive under the mixer just like a concrete truck, but I'm afraid the components would have to fall too far and everything would get all screwed up.
I'm still open to ideas.
A pallet of bags of plain concrete is what people I know use.
That way, even if some of the bags get damp and unusable (pretty frequent, in my experience), the rest will probably still be OK.
Then a couple of pickup (somebody's small dump truck would be much much much easier) truck loads of sand and gravel.
And something to mix it in, and one of those hoes with holes in them.
If I can do it--don't like to, but I have--you can too. So many shovels of this, so many of that.
In fact I expect I'm going to have to, to finish my earth oven--thinking that dry stack block sounds like a good idea for the outside.
You don't want to get your mix from the batch plant - it's not mixed there - the components come out separately and mix in the truck. I get concrete mix sand and gravel sometimes - they mix it with their loader and put it in the truck - or you could get a load of rock and a load of sand and shovel the proper ratio into your mixer. That would be more accurate.
Did any of you READ MY POST???? ::) :(
Here Ill C&P it for you : :)
QuoteI think you answered your own question ;D
The only other idea I have and it takes a few / lot of things to make it happen , like a pickup truck , a 50 gal barrel / drum , a ready mix plant close by and a strong back and bucket to get the wet mix out of the drum.
Our batch plant here in town has a few drums , you have to be able to transport and pour, via bucket, the mud in short order as they sell, or some times give it to you, but the mud is hot , coming out of a returning mixer truck that had excess mud left over, Oh ya , you have to be able to come quick when they call ya , or hang around for a truck to come back with a barrel load left in the truck.
So a lot of [highlight]IF'S [/highlight]
Here's another idea call around and see if anyone has a batch plant on wheels , short load trucks that carry up to 6 yards , the drive in with concrete and the agrate (stone of choice) , you provide the water, they mix onsite .
(http://www.midcitymobilemix.com/nss-folder/pictures/1900.jpg)
Goggle / DEX your yellow pages for , pre mix concrete, ::
http://www.usarchitecture.com/Building_Supplies/Concrete/pre_mix.htm
or check the above list maybe your area is included on it all ready.
G/L PEG
We have those trucks here, PEG. They are great because they can mix any amount you want and stop at that point. The rest stays dry. I'm using 2 of them next week - steep hills is not a problem because the concrete won't run out.
Get a couple of cuties like these and make buddies with a local driver (course it helps that this is their grandfather :P ). They usually come back to the plant with some mix left in their trucks that is already paid for. If they are your buddy, they might swing in and dump the extra for free. That way you can get the small amounts you need at many different times like you need.
You can buy portland cement in bulk. We had bags of it in our materials lab in college, 50# I think...looked like bags of flour bakeries use. Perhaps one of those pickup truck cement guys will resell you a bag. They get them by the pallet around here. If you can't get the aggregate yourself, they may sell it to you as well. I'm guessing you need small amounts at several different times. If the amount is within the load of those trucks it may be economical to have one come in a couple times when needed.
The old cement in the trucks will set pretty quick once the truck stops mixing it so unless the plants are near by (or th load they dropped was close), you may end up with solid barrels of concrete or a thick slurry that will hard to work into the blocks if you try that route.
Sounds like the way to do it!
Especially if he's their grandfather.
I seem to remember 90 pound bags of concrete. They're so much fun to throw about.
You have the cutest kids, Daddymem.
94 lbs is a standard bag of concrete.
I don't think I want to arm wrestle with you, Amanda if you throw these things around. :-/
At one stage in my life I could almost throw them around.
Not this year.
I use small (6 & 9cuft) mixers. One gas, one electric. I have settled on the electric as being most convenient.
I have gravel and sand delivered separately to job site. Always lay a tarp on ground for truck to unload materials on. Then have tarps ready for covers for each material pile. This keeps materials clean. Grass and weeds will grow into a sand pile if alllowed. (And dogs LOVE to play in a fresh sand pile!) If left uncovered, gravel will soon be full of small windborne organic rubbish.
I find it easier to keep mixer drums clean if internal blades are removed. A couple of large stones can be added and will roll around in drum and do the job of the blades ... a great deal easier for clean-up.
Portland cement is also available in smaller bags ... 60lbs I think. I buy Portland cement only as needed to keep it fresh.
Sounds like the right way to do it.
He might need enough to make it worth buying a mixer.
I've mostly used a tray on the ground. Or even an odd-job.