LOGO
The Concrete Source - Countertops
A Monthly Newsletter about Concrete Countertops
February 2009
Quick Links
Concrete Countertop Technical Tips
Over 75 articles, from leading countertop expert and instructor Jeff Girard, answer your questions about mix design, building and reinforcement, sealing countertops, and more.
 
Countertop Technical Tips
Buyer's Guide to Concrete Countertop Supplies
This comprehensive buyer's guide to concrete countertop supplies provides a list of more than a dozen supply essentials, along with buying tips from three concrete countertop veterans: Jeff Girard, Buddy Rhodes, and Evan Lloyd.


Concrete Countertop Supplies Buyer's Guide
Business School - Register Today!
Rocky Geans Business School
Attend a two-day business school for concrete contractors, and learn how to run your concrete company more successfully.
 
March 20-21, 2009 in Dallas, TX 
  
Price: $795 per person

Register: 866-380-7754 or RockyGeans.com
 


Sign up for The Concrete Network's Free Newsletters
 
  Join Our Mailing List!
 
Hi  ,
 
Although you can mix small batches of concrete required for concrete countertops in buckets or a wheelbarrow, a portable mixer is more convenient and will blend ingredients more thoroughly. Jeff Girard, president of The Concrete Countertop Institute, answers your questions on all things related to fabricating concrete countertops, including this question on which portable mixer is right for countertops.
 
Get more technical tips from Jeff Girard.
Which Portable Mixer is Right for Concrete Countertops?
Question: I want to buy a portable mixer for making concrete countertops, but I'm confused by the different types available. Which type works best for countertop mixes?

Answer: It's best to match the type of mixer to the type of concrete you plan on using when making countertops. There are three basic types of concrete mixers available: drum, mortar, and vertical shaft. Here are basic descriptions of how each mixer type works and what concrete mixtures they are best suited for:
  • Drum mixers are the most commonly used type and what most people picture when they think of a concrete mixer. Drum mixers are designed to mix relatively fluid concrete that contains significant quantities of large aggregate. Typically very stiff low-slump, no-slump, and all-sand mixes are difficult to mix in a drum mixer because they tend to stick to the walls of the drum and not tumble and churn.
    Drum Mixer
  • Mortar mixers, sometimes called stucco mixers, have a horizontal shaft with paddles attached. Thorough, efficient mixing depends on the mixing action of the paddles and not so much on the concrete mixture's physical characteristics. For this reason, mortar mixers tend to be more versatile than drum mixers because they can mix both highly fluid and very stiff concrete mixes. And they can usually handle concrete with up to 3/8-inch aggregate.
    Mortar Mixer
  • Vertical-shaft mixers have wide, shallow, circular mixing pans and are similar to mortar mixers in that the pan remains stationary. These mixers are less common than the previous two types, but they offer increased mixing speed and efficiency and are capable of mixing most types of concrete, both stiff and fluid. The drawback is the discharge method, which may make stiff mixes more difficult to deal with.
    Vertical Shaft Mixer
Sincerely,

 
Jim Peterson
The Concrete Network
Find Concrete Products
Find concrete manufacturers and distributors of concrete products online. 

Visit: ConcreteNetwork.com/suppliers