If you are currently planning on having a concrete driveway or patio installed, you might be deciding between premix concrete or concrete mixed right on your property. Ready-mix concrete is mixed in a factory, then brought to your home in a concrete mixing truck, as opposed to pre-mix concrete that you mix on your own. Here are some pros and cons of choosing this option.
Pro: The mixing remains consistent
A good benefit to using ready-mix concrete is that the concrete remains consistent throughout the entire installation process. If you are hand-mixing the concrete on your property, you might have difficulty with each separate batch or layer not being the exact same consistency. For example, one batch might be a little watery than the next, while the next is a bit dryer. This is even more of a problem in the driveway where you need a load-bearing surface with as much concrete consistency as possible. This affects the time it takes for the concrete to dry, further affecting the stability of the structure.
Con: Working fast is essential
While it is helpful having concrete that is already mixed, you also need to make sure you are working fast enough as soon as the concrete is delivered. Since the mixing begins when it is in the truck prior to being delivered to your home, it is ready to go once it has arrived on your property. There is only so much time it will remain in this consistency before it starts to harden inside the truck. Make sure you are ready to go immediately when the truck arrives so you can install the driveway or patio immediately. If you were mixing it on your property, it would give you a little more time.
Pro: You pay less in labour costs
It is often less expensive to have this type of concrete installed since special tools and equipment are not required for mixing it on your property. It also takes less time to install the concrete surface, which means less labour hours are required if you are having it installed professionally. You will also not have to pay extra for supervision during the mixing process, nor do you need to worry about multi-transportation of the materials if you were mixing it at home.
Con: You need enough room for the truck
With ready-mix concrete, it is going to be mixed in a large mixing truck, which needs to arrive at your home. You need to have room for this large truck outside of the main installation area. If you are installing a driveway, this means parking the truck on the street in front of your home. While installation goes fairly quickly, you will need to arrange to have the truck taking up space in front of your home and possibly being a burden to your neighbours.
Share11 April 2016
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