Keep these things in your mind before you get started with a home construction project
If you are a homeowner, who is about to go ahead with a construction project, it is important to have a basic understanding about the construction work in your mind. This will help you to make an informed decision when you are hiring a contractor. On the other hand, you will also be provided with an excellent assistance when you are monitoring and supervising the work that is being done by a contractor. That’s because you know what is being offered to you by the contractor and what results you can expect at the end of it.
From this article, we will share some of the important and essential facts, which you must keep in your mind. They will definitely help you to stay away from frustration in the long run.
Understand the differences between concrete and cement
Concrete and cement will be used for almost all the types of construction activities. However, most of the property owners don’t have an idea about it. Therefore, you are encouraged to keep those facts in your mind. It has been identified that many people use the terms concrete and cement interchangeably. However, cement and concrete are not the same. Concrete can be defined as a mixture of several items, where cement is an essential constituent. On the other hand, cement would act as the binding agent, which can keep all the elements together in concrete.
More facts about cement
Cement is widely known as a binding material. It is made through grinding clay and limestone to very fine powder. The key elements that can be found in cement are silicon and calcium. As mentioned earlier, cement is being used as the binding agent for concrete. It can also be used when making mortar.
More facts about concrete
Concrete is defined as a heterogeneous mixture that contains water, crushed stone, sand and cement. Some of the aggregates that can be found in concrete, such as stone and sand are inert whereas water and cement go through a variety of chemical changes. It has been identified that around 7.5 gallons of water need to be used for bag of cement. You can find many different types of concrete. For example, steel is being added to concrete in order to enhance its strength and it is known as reinforced concrete.
Differences between concrete and cement
The key elements of concrete include rocks, cement, sand and water, whereas the key elements of cement include clay and limestone. Cement and concrete are being used for two different purposes as well. In other words, cement is being used as glue or a binding agent, whereas concrete is used as a construction material. Another key difference that you can find in between concrete and cement is that cement can only be mixed in small batches whereas concrete can be mixed in large quantities.
People don’t tend to use cement for walls and sidewalks because they are not strong. Instead, they prefer to use concrete because of its strength and durability. The drying time and color of concrete can be changed slightly by altering the chemical compounds. But it is not possible with concrete and if you want to change the color of concrete, you would need to use a tint.
Different types of cement can also be found out there in the world. For example, you will be able to find freezing and thawing resistant Portland cements, which are ideal for use under adverse weather or climatic conditions. If people are planning to use concrete under such environmental conditions, they need to be careful enough to select appropriate cement. Otherwise, they will have to go through the hassle of adding entrain mixtures.
It has been identified that cement contains about 15% of total volume of concrete. When it comes to a concrete mixture, aggregates contain about 75% and water is about 15%. The remaining amount is cement.
Getting your foundation constructed
At the beginning of construction activities, the contractor will start working on the foundation. You need to pay a lot of attention towards this. That’s because the foundation of your home can contribute towards its stability in the long run. If there is a weak foundation, you will not be able to ensure the longevity of your property. This will not just make you end up with a wasted investment. You will also be risking the lives of you and your loved ones.
You need to handover the property construction to a reliable service provider, whom you can depend on. They must have proven the quality of work that they offer. That’s why you are strongly encouraged to take your time and go through the profiles of the contractors and the previous work that they have done. This will help you to understand if they have worked on similar projects in the past and if they have left their clients satisfied. If you can see a lot of negative reviews about a contractor on the internet, you are not encouraged to go ahead with it. If you do, you will be taking a big risk.
Never ignore the sidewalks and driveway
The contractor you select for the construction of your property should be in a position to provide a comprehensive assistance to you with the activities. In other words, you need to make sure that you are getting the project completed fully, so that you don’t have to look for any other service provider. Usually, the construction of driveway and sidewalks is done at the end. You need to make sure that it is being offered to you by the same contractor. Then you will be able to get a hassle free service. Otherwise, you will have to spend a lot of time again to look for a new contractor. On the other hand, this method can help you to save a lot of money as well.
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