Considerations When Buying Ready-Mix Concrete

A pre-made concrete mix is your best bet when building a commercial or residential property. A challenge you could experience when making concrete at the site is that the mix might not be consistent. Besides, given that you make small volumes of the material, some of the concrete could cure before you finish the concreting works. In this case, you risk cracks and wraps on the surface. In contrast, pre-mixed concrete can be poured at once to ensure even curing. If you intend to purchase a concrete mix, read the blog below for some valuable tips. 

Establish the Required Quality and Quantities

Consult with your site engineer or contractor to determine the required volume of concrete. You also need to establish the required quality of concrete. For example, normal strength concrete suits applications that do not need a lot of tensile strength, such as pavements, patio or gazebo flooring. You could opt for a design mix when building slabs, pillars and foundations that need to support significant structural loads. In this case, the contractor adjusts the sand, cement and gravel ratios to suit the specified application. 

Find a Reliable Supplier

Your next step is finding a reliable concrete mix supplier. You need to examine the following; 

• Check building blogs and online reviews to identify reputable and reliable concrete mix suppliers. Typically, you need a company that can deliver the mix on time to prevent project delays.
• If you need a substantial volume of concrete, check whether or not the company has the resources to deliver large quantities of concrete at once.
• What extra services does the company offer? For instance, you might need concrete screeding and vibration services.
• Ensure the company provides a guarantee of the concrete delivered at the site. For example, the company should remove and dispose of the concrete if it does not meet the required standard.
• Review and negotiate the company's quote. The secret is to pit one quote against the other and ask for complimentary services. 

Prepare the Site  

Is the site ready for concrete pouring? Ensure you have a stable base to lay the concrete. If you need to reinforce the mix, you must lay reinforcing bars and meshes before the truck arrives at the site. Is the site accessible? In some cases, you might need to pull down a fence to ensure easy access to the concrete mix truck. Besides, look out for risks such as unstable soils or low-lying cables that could cause accidents as you pour the concrete. 

For more information about ready-mixed concrete, reach out to a local supplier.