When you are planning to use concrete in your next project, you want your concrete to be mixed appropriately so it can cure well to gain its maximum strength and not fail. There are several concrete options you can choose from, depending on the size and type of job and your experience with concrete. Here are two types of concrete options you can choose from and some information about each:

Use Dry Bagged Mix

When you are planning to complete a smaller concrete job around your yard or home, dry mix concrete is available by the bag and is pretty simple to mix up. This type of concrete contains the right proportions of cement, sand, and gravel, so you don't have to measure and mix each component. And it is also great for small individual-use jobs, such as setting fence posts in your yard.

Some dry bagged concrete users recommend simplifying the preparation and usage process: Once you open the dry bag of the concrete mixture, scoop it into your dug hole around the aligned fence post, then add water with a slow-running hose. When the water has fully saturated the mixture, you can leave it to set and cure for the appropriate time indicated on the concrete's package.

You can also mix this type of dry mix concrete in a wheelbarrow one to two bags at a time, depending on the size of your wheelbarrow and the size of your concrete job. Or use a portable concrete mixer to combine several bags of dry mixture with water to get the desired consistency. Be sure to follow the measuring instructions to add the right amount of water so your concrete is not too watery and not too dry and crumbly. The mixed concrete should be the consistency of thick oatmeal.

Order Ready Mix Concrete

For larger concrete jobs or jobs which require you to pour concrete in temperatures or weather that are not ideal, you can order ready-mixed concrete from a concrete supplier. Depending on the time of year, the concrete company will prepare the concrete with any necessary additives to help it to fully cure to a maximum strength. They can also heat the concrete mixture or add more water to help prevent the concrete from freezing or drying out too quickly in extreme temperatures.

A professional concrete company will also mix up the proper amount of concrete you will need for the entire job. This prevents you having to mix and pour a large concrete job in several batches and having the concrete cure and set in varying times. Pouring a large concrete job in several mixes can cause each of the mixtures to have slight variations in their quality and water content and can cause the concrete to set up in separate layers instead of one full slab.

Use this information to help you choose concrete on your new concrete project. Contact a company like Southport Concrete Corp for more information and assistance.