The Advantages of Ready-Mix Concrete over DIY Concrete

You might feel that, for a small domestic project such as a garden shed or garage base, you don’t need to call in the experts, and you can mix the concrete yourself. However, this is usually a false economy. Here Madmix, a leading ready mix concrete company based in Cambridgeshire, explain why.

The Quality

You really need to make sure that you get all the various ingredients right and in their correct proportions for the concrete to be durable and long-lasting. This means you have to have your own cement, sand and aggregates, and the right proportions of each – it is very easy to get it wrong.

This is particularly true when it comes to allowing air into the mix, known as air entrainment. This creates areas for water in the admixture to expand into when the concrete freezes in cold weather, something that is almost impossible to achieve with DIY concrete.

At Madmix, we have been mixing concrete for many years, and all our concrete is accredited, which means that it is of a high quality and subject to ongoing testing.

The Consistency

Some areas will inevitably be slightly wetter or drier than others, however much care you take. Not only will this affect the physical properties of the concrete, it will also affect the look (for example, being slightly lighter or darker in colour).

This is an issue where the concrete will be readily visible such as on paths and drives rather than floors and sub-bases, because everyone will know that the work has not been done by a professional.

The Cost

You may think you are saving money by doing it yourself. This could be true when talking purely about the cost of the concrete, but there are a lot of other factors that come into play as well.

You may need to hire a cement mixer (for larger domestic projects) as well as some tools, all of which will cost money. If you do it yourself, the concrete surface may need replacing more quickly or more often because of the quality issues. There is also a time factor, particularly if you have to take days off work to complete the job. You may also need to buy individual bags and have some left over at the end of the job.

At Madmix, not only do we have a concrete calculator on our website that will help you to order the amount you need, but we also will take back any excess at no additional cost.

The Delivery

There’s also the physical problem of getting your mix where you want it.

At Madmix, we have a fleet of 8 cu metre and 6 cu metre barrel truck mixers, so we should be able to deliver all your concrete in one go if it’s a small project. (Note – our mixers will need to go on hard-standing ground.)

You have the choice of Monday to Friday early morning, next day or sometimes a same-day delivery service, subject to the availability of mixers or Saturday morning deliveries (at a small premium). We also offer a pumpable admixture, so there isn’t a problem even if you need it pouring into an inaccessible area.

Although we are a ready mix concrete company based in Cambridgeshire, we also deliver further afield as well. We offer regular domestic concrete deliveries to Newmarket in Suffolk, and Royston in Hertfordshire, and many other towns and villages. For a fuller list, click here.

Kinder to Your Neighbours and the Environment

If you are having your concrete delivered, then your neighbours won’t have to worry about noisy cement mixers, particularly if they are off work or at home at the same time as you are. Yes there will be a delivery lorry, but it won’t be there for long.

Not only is noise pollution reduced, but professionally produced concrete means less waste and less damage to the environment. It also means less dust pollution too, as ready mixed concrete uses bulk rather than bagged cement.

Madmix – A Ready Mix Concrete Company from Cambridgeshire

If you would like to know more about our ready mix concrete, follow this link or call Kay on 01954 212212.