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Portland Cement? Which one?
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Posted by glocat NV (My Page) on Wed, May 10, 06 at 23:07
| Hello all!
I have been getting ready to try a few planters. I have never done anything like this before, and I am reading as much as possible, and locating the ingredients. Here is my question.
When I went to Home depot, there are 2 types of "portland cement", one was called "plastic cement" on the bottom, and the other said nothing. Could you guys let me know what is up with that? Is there a difference in the two, and also what makes portland cement diffrent from just regular cement. This has been bothering me for a while and I would LOVE to know the answer!
The other question I have for you pro's out there is where in the world do you guys get huge bags of vermiculite and pearlite?
Here all I can get is a very tiny bag of pearlite for approx 4 bucks. I would love to get some in bulk, cut the costs and be able to use it in the garden as well.
One more thing!! Have any of you ever tried adding styrofoam peanuts into your mix to lighten it up? I would love to hear what you have to say!
Thank all of you in advance for any advice!!
Glo |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Portland Cement? Which one?
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| "Portland" is the tradename for the most basic & widely used cement on earth. About 98% of all cement used today is Portland. Start with basic Portland as the foundation for your mix...don't get "concrete" or "Mortar Mix"...both of those already have aggregates (sand & such) already added in unknown quantities. Cement is the "glue" you use to hold all the other ingredients together. Never heard of "Plastic Cement" except for the little tubes of glue used to build model airplanes, but there are an increasing number of "new generation" cement products hitting the market everyday. Would love to find out more about the one you saw. As for the "peanuts", I'll leave that one to some of the hardcore 'Tufa experimentors...whatta 'ya say guys? |
RE: Portland Cement? Which one?
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Glo, You want "Type I or Type I/II" it's the most common portland cement. Plastic cement is used for stucco, it's a "Quikrete" (the manufacturer) product. Not all peanuts are created equal, some are made from cornstarch and dissolve in water. Plus the floating factor could be a problem and pieces of peanuts sticking out the planter wall don't sound too cool. What recipe are you going use? Most of the time I use equal parts Portland cement, sand and peat moss for planters. If I want a lighter mix I cut my sand in half and increase the peat moss to double.
Masonary supply house should have large bags of vermiculite. I get 4 cubic foot bags of vermiculite and perlite from my feed store. Show us some pics when you're done and have fun! Billie |
RE: Portland Cement? Which one?
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| Oh thank You guys so much! No Kiddin'! I was planning on going with the "plastic" thinking that was what everyone was using! That is what was holding me "up" too, just waiting to find out what to use. The recipe I was planning on using was the "little of everything" recipe. I wanted kindof a really old looking type first. They are so beautiful, a replication of the past. The recipe calls for 2 parts portland cement, 2 parts perlite, 1 1/2 peatmoss, 1/2 sand, and some concrete fibers. I have downloaded many, and I have written yours down! Yours sound awesome and waaay less ingredients! Thank You Both soo much! You have no idea how much you have helped me. I have been scared and excited both to get started!! I know I won't be able to quit, because everyone does such beautiful work!! I will let you all know how it goes, gonna try this weekend!! Glo |
RE: Portland Cement? Which one?
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| Glo --- just dive in! This stuff is all so cheap you won't go broke if something breaks, unlike a lot of hobbies & crafts. Just try & keep a good set of notes that includes at least your mix recipe...water content...mixing time...working time and curing processes. It's not only the best way to avoid making the same mistake twice...but the ONLY way to repeat something that works really well! And I hope by now you've read the basic "safety" notes about good rubber gloves, not breathing the dust & so on. If not, let us know and between a few of us we can probably pass most of them on to you. Have fun. Tango |
RE: Portland Cement? Which one?
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| Thank You!! Yes, I can't believe the beautiful creations all of you have made! I know I will not be able to stop once I get going! Safety? Oh yes!! I did forget about the airmask though and would be most unhappy to run back to "wally world", fight through the crowds for just that! I love to use the "doctors" gloves, although they are not as tough as the rubber gloves. Now I am thinking I should wear them on the inside and get a good set for the outside. Thank You for the encouragement! I just love it already!! Glo! |
RE: Portland Cement? Which one?
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Years after the original post, I know, but:
Portland cement is what we all call "cement": the main component of concrete, stuccos, etc. Plastic cement is just regular portland cement plus some lime. Plasterers use plastic cement in their stucco and portland cement stucco mixes (along with water and sand) because the added lime makes it more "plastic" - stickier, more shapeable, easier to apply to a wall. For a flower pot or other DIY use, plastic cement is unnecessary, but would be just fine if the local big box store was out of regular portland cement. |
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