For Homeowners

Concrete is a specific mixture of sand, stone, Portland cement and water. The cement and water form a paste that binds the sand and stone into a rock-like, solid material when it “cures” or hardens. The hardening of concrete is a chemical process that takes 28 days to reach its final strength.

“Admixtures” are chemicals that are added to the concrete, as it is mixed, to enhance the strength of the concrete or change its consistency while it is placed. The strength of concrete is measured by the pounds per square inch (psi) it takes to crack a test cylinder of cured concrete in a special lab.

Concrete is caustic and should not come in contact with your skin. It can cause serious chemical burns. If you do have contact with wet concrete, wash affected areas with fresh water for 15 minutes.

Adding extra water to concrete at the job site weakens the strength and increases the possibility of cracking, peeling, or surface scaling. Adding as little extra water as possible creates denser concrete that has added resistance to weather and reducing the amount of extra water allows for a higher quality finish to the concrete.

Weather affects pouring concrete. Temperature and humidity affect working with concrete and how the concrete cures. Certain admixtures [see the “Products” page] compensate for weather conditions. Be sure to ask, when you order.

Ice melting products can damage freshly poured and even existing concrete. We have worksheets on the do’s and don’ts of ice melting products. Please ask.

Steel reinforcement (rebar or wire mesh, etc.) in concrete affects what cold weather admixtures can be used. Some products will corrode steel reinforcement. Be sure to tell us if you have steel reinforcement in your project.

The minimum delivery is 1 yard of concrete. Unused concrete can be returned to our yard but customers pay for the amount of concrete they order.

Washing out the concrete mixer is very important.

All the residue of concrete in the chutes must be washed off before the truck leaves the site. There must be an environmentally safe place to washout where none of the washout waste water will be able to flow to streams, lakes, rivers, or drainage systems. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to assure an adequate washout location is available. NEVER LET WASHOUT WASTE GO IN A STORM SEWER.

Be careful where you ask us to drive. The minimum side to side clearance for the truck is 10’ wide. The truck needs 12’ 6” of clearance from overhead obstacles, like wires, branches, and building eaves. The truck weighs 70,000 pounds, so it cannot go over septics or soft ground. Ground must be solid.

The customer is responsible for property damage or damage to our trucks, once the truck leaves the public road. If our truck gets stuck on your property, the customer is responsible for all towing charges.

The concrete truck carries chutes that reach about 12’. If you need to pour farther away from the truck than that, you may need to hire a contractor who pumps concrete. We can provide names of pump operators.

Notice for delivery is important. Please give 2-3 days notice for delivery so we can get the concrete to you at the time you need. Delivery is scheduled in a 1-2 hour window.

How much do you need? If you have a mason contractor working for you, it might be best to let them order the concrete. If not, please ask for help figuring your job, when you call. Make sure your measurements are accurate. A one inch difference in the depth of a sidewalk uses a lot more concrete. (A 20’ X 20’ patio 5” thick uses nearly 1.5 (25%) more yards than if the patio were 4” thick.) Use a calculator for your job. Always allow for a 5-7% overage.

What strength do I need? If you don’t have a mason contractor working for you, tell us what kind of pour you have, when you call, and we will advise you as to what strength is best and most economical.

How long do you have the truck? Each truck can hold 10 yards. You have a full hour for a full truck, and about a 1/2 hour for 5 yards or less. There is an overtime charge if you keep the truck beyond a reasonable length of time.

Do you need a mason contractor or a pump company? Please ask for a list of choices.

Open Saturday until noon, which means you must get your concrete by 10:00-10:30 A.M. There is an additional Saturday charge.