155401 581 House & Garden Home Exterior General Home Exterior true Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:46:55 -0800 /system/videos/1/01/54/15/155401.flv house, home, exterior, pave, paving, concrete, cement, mix, mixing, hand How To Mix Concrete By Hand http://www.howcast.com/videos/155401-How-To-Mix-Concrete-By-Hand http://www.howcast.com/videos/155401-How-To-Mix-Concrete-By-Hand/edit approved 145 1280 720 <object width="425" height="273" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="howcastplayer"><param name="movie" value="http://www.howcast.com/flash/howcast_player.swf?file=155401"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.howcast.com/flash/howcast_player.swf?file=155401" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="273" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" ></embed></object> 5 heroicarts http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/155401/Picture_3_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png 9610 false false false 60779 0 32 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/155401/32.jpg Make the dry mixture Basic concrete is made by adding water to a mixture of gravel, sand, and a kind of cement called portland cement. To make the dry mix, combine one part portland cement, two parts sand, and four parts gravel (also called coarse aggregate) in a wheelbarrow or trough. For smaller jobs, you can purchase bags of premixed dry ingredients.

]]> 60780 1 53 Tip Start with a moderate amount of dry mix; it becomes difficult to mix large quantities when water is added.

]]> 60781 2 59 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/155401/59.jpg Add water Take a hose and slowly add water to the mix. If using premixed concrete, consult the directions on the bag for the amount of water needed — then measure it into a bucket, and add it to the mix.

]]> 60782 3 71 Tip Too much water will result in weak concrete, while too little water will make the concrete unworkable. It’s better to start with less water. You can always add more if needed.

]]> 60783 4 81 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/155401/81.jpg Begin mixing the concrete With a hoe or a shovel, begin mixing the concrete. Make sure all the ingredients are uniformly mixed.

]]> 60784 5 87 Tip For large projects, use a gasoline or electric power mixer. Concrete mixed by machine will typically be more consistent — and require a lot less elbow grease!

]]> 60785 6 97 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/155401/97.jpg Check the consistency After mixing thoroughly, check the consistency. Punch the bottom out of a Styrofoam or paper cup and fill it with your concrete, as if you were making a sand castle. Remove the cup and watch the pile slump down — ideally it should sink to about half the height of the cup. Add water to the mix to adjust the consistency as needed.

]]> 60786 7 115 Step http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/155401/115.jpg Pour concrete Now pour your perfectly mixed concrete quickly, as it will begin to dry within 15 minutes.

]]> 60787 8 121 Tip To increase the setting time of concrete, add a small amount of sugar (0.01% to 0.05% the weight of the cement). Sugar acts as a retarder and increases the setting time one to four hours.

]]> 60788 9 134 Fact The Pantheon in Rome, built around 125 A.D., still holds the record for the largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world.

]]> 581 197136 How To Get Grease Off a Concrete Driveway AssignmentGuide 2002 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:17:20 -0700 3 MaX5 ]]> 107 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/2/36/71/19/197136.flv driveway, cleaning, yard work, cleansers House & Garden Home Exterior General Home Exterior 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/197136/Picture_4_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/197136-How-To-Get-Grease-Off-a-Concrete-Driveway 561 166007 How To Hang a Door AssignmentGuide 3370 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:17:15 -0700 5 heroicarts ]]> 155 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/2/07/60/16/166007.flv house, home, hanging, new, frame, doorframe, improvement, room, bedroom House & Garden General House & Home General Home 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/166007/hang_a_door_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.jpg http://www.howcast.com/videos/166007-How-To-Hang-a-Door 561 166033 How To Fix a Door That Sticks AssignmentGuide 2599 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:04:41 -0700 4 heroicarts ]]> 152 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http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/5/91/46/22/224691.flv thermostat, install, heat, heating, system, heating system, temperature, warm, cold House & Garden General House & Home General Home 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/218249/Picture_7_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/218249-How-To-Install-a-Thermostat 561 239663 How To Measure Your Home’s Square Footage AssignmentGuide 239 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:48:19 -0700 0 rik1348 ]]> 88 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/0/94/76/26/267694.flv measuring,calculating,home,house,apartment,square,footage,size,selling House & Garden General House & Home General Home 0 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/239663/MeasureSquareFootage_2_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/239663-How-To-Measure-Your-Homes-Square-Footage 562 81052 How To Furnish an Apartment With Practically No Money AssignmentGuide 4268 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:30:44 -0800 12 BatSquid_Studios ]]> 121 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/52/10/08/81052.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, house, home, apartment House & Garden General House & Home Apartment Living 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/81052/Picture_10_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/81052-How-To-Furnish-an-Apartment-With-Practically-No-Money 566 150555 How To Repair a Garage Door Opener AssignmentGuide 6135 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:48:03 -0800 6 heroicarts ]]> 130 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/6/55/05/15/150555.flv house, home, garages, garage, repair, repairing, fix, fixing, door, opener House & Garden General House & Home Garages 1 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/150555/Picture_3_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/150555-How-To-Repair-a-Garage-Door-Opener 569 154659 How To Deal With Yellow Jackets AssignmentGuide 4519 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:32:25 -0800 13 contrey ]]> 119 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/1/59/46/15/154659.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, house, home, back House & Garden General House & Home Household Pests 5 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/154659/Picture_4_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/154659-How-To-Deal-With-Yellow-Jackets 569 160214 How To Get Rid Of Mice AssignmentGuide 15576 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:17:25 -0700 7 NelsonN ]]> 145 http://media.howcast.com/system/videos/5/14/02/16/160214.flv DIY, Instructional, tutorial, Do It Yourself, Tips, Essential Skills, Learn to, house, home, household House & Garden General House & Home Household Pests 3 http://img.howcast.com/system/thumbnails/160214/Picture_3_xxlarge_maintained_aspect.png http://www.howcast.com/videos/160214-How-To-Get-Rid-Of-Mice 569 176020 How To Get Rid Of Ants AssignmentGuide 11909 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:02:48 -0700 6 silence ]]> 172 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