How to Mix Concrete

This guide on how to mix concrete places emphasis on finding the proper consistency for your mixture.

By Phil Schmidt
Published on June 11, 2014
article image
by Flickr/Kevin Standlee

Guide to Concrete (Creative Publishing International, 2008) takes readers through some of the most popular home concrete and masonry projects. Endorsed by Quikrete, this book includes tips and expert advice that can help readers save hundreds or thousands of dollars in their DIY home projects. Excerpted from “Tools and Techniques,” this guide on how to mix concrete includes tips on using a power mixer.


person mixing concrete that has too much water with the words

person mixing concrete with not enough water in it with the words

A good mixture is crucial to any successful concrete project. Properly mixed concrete is damp enough to form in your hand when you squeeze, and dry enough to hold its shape. If the mixture is too dry, the aggregate will be difficult to work with, and will not smooth out easily to produce an even, finished appearance. A wet mixture will slide off the trowel and may cause cracking and other defects in the finished surface.

person mixing concrete with the word

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