[jsbeckton]

I just poured 13 footers for a deck this weekend and have about ten 80lb bags of quickcrete left over. At $3.50/bag I'd rather not haul it back to HD so i was thinking of keeping it in my shed. Will it cure in the bag out there from the humidity and be useless? What if i put it in a garbage bag?

Thanks

 

[Daniel Holzman]

Unfortunately cement will definitely cure from humidity. I have several "rocks" in my backyard that used to be cement bags. You can wrap them in plastic, but it is really tough to keep them long term. I tried to give mine away before they cured, no luck. Maybe you can find a taker?

 

[Ron6519]

If you're not going to use it within 6 months, return it or give it away.

 

[jimmy21]

i had this problem as well. It was portland cement, rather than concrete, but same concept. I went to use a bag that was 6 months old, and had been stored in my dry garage and half the back was a rock

 

[concretemasonry]

Portland Cement is usually in a better moisture resistant package than the pre-blended mix. Despite the volume used, the price of the bag might almost be equal to the cost of the materials in a good bag. Pre-mixed is made for the U.S. price sensitive market and retailers that may have a quck inventory turn-over.

Portland could have what appear to be lumps in the corners due to the storage conditions and weight above and they are not as bad as they look and it may be usable. The contents are 100% dry and the bags ar filled more more valuable materials, so there are more precautions. Pre-mixed may contain some moisture in the aggregate that can cause hydration and "hardening" of the contents, it is wise not to store too long and always toss an opened bag.

The bottom line is that if you you buy ready-mix from a truck, it is controlled, uniform and can be cheaper in the end even with a short term surcharge if you consider cost, time, wear and tear to buy too much and then have to get rid of the excess.

Dick

 

[jimmy21]

The bottom line is that if you you buy ready-mix from a truck, it is controlled, uniform and can be cheaper in the end even with a short term surcharge if you consider cost, time, wear and tear to buy too much and then have to get rid of the excess.

Everytime i had poured concrete i had gotten sand/gravel and used portland cement. Recently i had some small pours to do and didn't want to mess with getting a pile of sand gravel in my way. i had always been under the impression that premix was cheaper than getting a truck. I didn't care, i would have paid for the truck, but i only had small pours to do and they wouldn't deliver for the small amounts. I got premix for it, and it worked out to $190 a yard. Ridiculous. I then formed up 5 different pads, and got got 5.5 yards delivered. It worked out to $115 a yard. 35% discount and i didn't have to make a ton of trips getting 230 bags of premix and most importantly i didn't have to mix it. Premix is a waste!

sand gravel mix + portland cement - 80 a yard
getting a truck delivered - 115 a yard
premix - $190 a yard

 

[concretemasonry]

Getting rid of the 800# of bags that you bought, paid for hauled to wherever is not cheap. that was your choice and estimate. The IRS allows $0.50 per mile for driving a car (trucks may be more) since it is well documented.

The DIY rule is not always right since often the end cost for a material is not as important as other costs and installation process, especially since you can get a higher quality product in other ways.

Dick

 

[kwikfishron]

Give it away on Craigslist.