2torial #0675:
Learn2 Mix Cement (continued)

Understand the basics

Wondering what the difference between concrete and cement is, and where mortar falls into the equation? Mystery solved:

Cement is actually an ingredient, although most people interchange the word with concrete or mortar. It's the bonding agent that, when combined with water, sand, and aggregate (crushed, washed stone), creates concrete or mortar.

Concrete is usually a 3:2:1 mix of aggregate, sand, and cement, plus water. It's used for a variety of jobs, from house foundations to footings to driveways and sidewalks. This is what's being made in those giant mixing trucks. It's also poured into forms to create blocks that are used as building material.

Mortar is used as a kind of glue, for bonding brick or stone together, patching old, cracked mortar, or for plastering walls. It doesn't contain aggregate, so it's not as strong as concrete, but it does contain more lime than the concrete mix, which gives it a sticky elasticity.