How to choose cement

For the construction of houses and carrying out many repairs requires high-quality cement. But today it is quite easy to face fraud. It is not uncommon to purchase building materials of far from better quality.

When buying cement, it is important to understand for what purpose you are purchasing it. For example, to perform plastering work requires cement of the same brand, and for screed completely different. There are many types of cement: sandy, slag, carbonate, straining, quick-hardening, etc. In any case, its binding properties will be basic. In this abundance of brands and variety of manufacturers you just need to learn how to choose cement, so that it meets all the requirements for it.

Step-by-step instruction

• First, check the reputation of the manufacturer and, preferably, the seller.
• The country of origin plays an important role. By purchasing Russian cement, in case of any claims to its quality, you will be able to make all claims directly to the manufacturer, since its location will be located nearby. It will be much more difficult to do with imported cement, while imported products entering the Russian market are not always fresh (the stale mixture is able to quickly lose its properties and its consumption increases as a result).
• Take a close look at the packaging and weight. Usually, cement according to GOST 2226 is packed in glued or stitched paper bags (three or four layers) weighing 25 kg or 50 kg.

On the packaging must be indicated the characteristics of building materials, as well as information about the manufacturer or about the organization engaged in packaging (contact information). Check with the seller for a quality certificate and see if there is a label on the packaging.

• Известно, что brand цемента – обозначенandе прочностand. Чем выше brand, тем будут прочнее конструкцandand, созданные andз бетона на основе прandобретаемого цемента.
• Cement certified according to GOST 31108-2003 marking - CEM I 42,5; for additional - CEM II / AS-32.5. According to the Soviet GOST 10178-85 cement marking, respectively, PC500 D0 and PC400 D20. For quick-hardening cement the letter “B” is put down, for normally hardening - “H”.
• Pay attention to the price. Here the rule applies: low price - low quality. Unscrupulous suppliers reduce the price by adding various impurities to the mixture (ashes, granite dust, etc.) There are manufacturers who save on transportation and storage of products, which also entails a reduction in quality. The price of cement is influenced by: brand, special additives and sales form (bulk is always cheaper than cement packed in bags).

The cement inside the bag should be soft, without fossils, lumps and other formations. This can be checked by touch.

• Finally, look at the packaging date. If a bag of cement has been stored in the warehouse for a long time, then you can be sure that its quality characteristics are reduced. According to GOST, its shelf life is 60 days, but according to GOST, putting the date on the packaging is not mandatory, and therefore no one indicates the date of production on the bag. As a rule, information on the number and characteristics of the purchased batch is indicated in the accompanying documents. It is advisable to check literally every package with cement for its shelf life.
• Be sure to check with the seller about the storage conditions of the cement mixture, because if it was stored in a damp room, the quality can suffer greatly.
• Finally, remember that you do not need to buy cement in questionable places, make a purchase directly from the manufacturer or from a trade organization that works directly with him.

Video

The following video will tell how to distinguish low-quality cement from a good product: