Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | QUIKRETE: Cement and Concrete Products

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTONS

We’re here 24/7 to answer your questions. Have a question that’s not listed below? Just give us a ring at 1-800-282-5828. We’ll be glad to help you out.

 

Yes! Click on the “Locations Detail” to call the plant nearest to you.

You can get technical advice by clicking on the “Contact Quikrete” or calling us at 1-800-282-5828.>

You can order product literature by clicking on the “Contact Quikrete” or calling us at 1-800-282-5828.

Click on the “Quikrete at Home” to search for project instructions on building concrete countertops.

Always clean the surface first and make major repairs with a concrete product. For toppings less than 1" thick, add QUIKRETE® Concrete Acrylic Fortifier to the mix. For toppings between 1 and 2", paint Concrete Bonding Adhesive on the surface. Moist cure topping for 5 to 7 days or coat with Cure & Seal at the appropriate time. No special curing or sealing is needed when Acrylic Fortifier is in the mix.

No. QUIKRETE® Blacktop Patch must be in a confined area to compact properly. It is to be used in pot holes or cracks greater than 1" wide. When installing in pot holes apply in 1" lifts.

No. QUIKRETE® Hydraulic Water-Stop is to be mixed to a putty like consistency and inserted into cracks greater than 1/4" wide. Use a product like QUIKWALL® Surface Bonding Cement or QUIKRETE® Heavy Duty Masonry Coating to cover and seal hairline cracks.

Dig a hole that is about 3 times the diameter of the post with a depth of 1/3 the overall post length. Place 6" of gravel or crushed stone at the base to aid in drainage. Position the post and check that it is straight. Pour the QUIKRETE® Fast-Setting Concrete Mix dry from the bag into the hole until it reaches 3 to 4" from the top. Pour water onto the dry mix and allow it to soak in. Add water until the powder is thoroughly wet. This will take about one gallon of water for each 50 pound bag depending on soil conditions. If the hole is deeper than 2 1/2', do the operation in lifts of no more than 2 1/2' each. Fill the remainder of the hole with soil or the sod dug from the hole.

The normal thickness is the height of a standard 2" x 4" (about 3 1/2"). Thinner sections will crack too easily. When using smaller sections like with the QUIKRETE® Walk Maker, a thickness of 2" is adequate.

QUIKRETE® Quick-Setting Cement is ideal for making repairs to vertical and overhead surfaces. Quick-Setting Cement sets in about 10 minutes so do not mix more than can be used in 10 minutes. Mix Quick-Setting Cement to the consistency of modeling clay. Start with about 1 part water to 5 parts of Quick-Setting Cement. Mix thoroughly. Adjust consistency by adding a small amount of powder or water as needed. Dampen the surface to be repaired. Use heavy trowel pressure to apply a thin layer of Quick-Setting Cement to the surface. Then build up the area to the desired thickness and shape the patch to conform to the existing concrete. For thin repairs less than 1" thick, add QUIKRETE® Acrylic Fortifier to the mix for improved bond and better curing.

Use a masonry core drill or chisel to create a hole in the concrete. The size of the hole should be at least 1" larger than the size of the railing. The hole should be at least 3" to 4" deep. (In many cases you will drill through the entire slab.) Remove all loose concrete and debris from the hole. Dampen the hole prior to pouring QUIKRETE® Anchoring Cement but do not leave standing water in the bottom of the hole.

QUIKRETE® Sand (Topping) Mix, as the name implies, is ideal for topping the surface of existing concrete. Rigorously clean the concrete surface to remove algae, dirt, oil spills and weak or otherwise contaminated surfaces. A high pressure water blasting machine is ideal for preparing the surface. The next step depends on how much you want to build up the surface. If you wish to build up the surface by 1" to 2", apply a coating of QUIKRETE® Concrete Bonding Adhesive, let it dry and then place the Sand Mix (following the directions on the package). If the planned build up is to be about 3/8" to 1", add QUIKRETE® Concrete Acrylic Fortifier to the Sand Mix following the directions on the Acrylic Fortifier bottle (do not use QUIKRETE® Bonding Adhesive in this case). Sand (Topping) Mix can be troweled and finished just like concrete.

QUIKRETE® Mortar Mix and Mason Mix can stand temperatures up to about 300 degrees F. You can use these products to repair the parts of the fireplace that are made with ordinary brick. Do not use Mason Mix or Mortar Mix in the areas of the fireplace that are made with fire brick.

For sections thinner than 3/8", you will want to use a new and unique product called QUIKRETE® Concrete Resurfacer. This product can be placed very thin down to less than 1/8" thick and can be applied using a squeegee and broom. No curing is necessary. Full depth repairs should be made with one of the fine QUIKRETE® Concrete Mixes. For repairs from about 3/8" to 2" QUIKRETE® Sand Mix is the most common choice. It is trowel applied. Addition of QUIKRETE® Acrylic Fortifier is required for thickness less than 1". QUIKRETE® Concrete Bonding Adhesive can be painted on the surface for repairs in the 1" to 2" thickness range. Do not use Concrete Bonding Adhesive and Acrylic Fortifier at the same time.

Several concrete products are available from QUIKRETE® for making driveways and walkways and other concrete slabs. They are all trowel applied at 2" thickness: QUIKRETE® Concrete Mix is the standard product which achieves a strength of about 4000 psi in 28 days. Crack-Resistant Concrete has similar compressive strength to QUIKRETE® Concrete Mix but it gives extra impact resistance and is ideal for use with the Walk Maker. QUIKRETE® 5000 is used when you want higher strength or if you need the project to be ready more quickly. It achieves a compressive strength of 5000 psi in 28 days. Several Fast-Setting products are also available.

QUIKRETE® has three stucco products for use with metal lathe. QUIKRETE® Base Coat Stucco is used as the first two layers in traditional 3 coat stucco systems. It is applied at a nominal thickness of 3/8" per layer. The third layer is made with QUIKRETE® Finish Coat Stucco. It is available in white or gray and is applied at a minimum thickness of 1/8". QUIKWALL® Surface-Bonding Cement can be used in a single coat of 3/8" in special code approved wall systems. Finish Coat Stucco can also be used over One Coat Fiberglass Reinforced Stucco. QUIKRETE® Elastomeric Coating is a synthetic product that can be used to coat concrete and stucco. It bridges and seals cracks because of its high elasticity.

Use QUIKRETE® Hydraulic Water-Stop Cement to stop active leaks in cracks that are over 1/4" wide. Make a golf ball sized quantity of product and force it in the crack with a gloved hand. Hold in place until it hardens (less than 5 minutes).

Two fast setting products are available for filling cracks in vertical concrete walls. They are QUIKRETE® Quick Setting Cement and QUIKRETE® FastSet™ Repair Mortar. Both are trowel applied into cracks that are larger than 1/8". Clean and dampen the surface first. Apply a thin layer with heavy trowel pressure and then build up to the desired thickness. It is generally desirable to add QUIKRETE® Concrete Acrylic Fortifier to Quick-Setting Cement to enhance the bond. When using FastSet™ Repair Mortar, no bonding agent is needed. Other options: QUIKRETE® also makes synthetic products for vertical cracks. QUIKRETE® Concrete Repair is used for concrete and stucco, while QUIKRETE® Mortar Repair is specifically designed for fixing mortar joints.

QUIKRETE® Anchoring Cement is a fast setting product that is used in holes at least 1" larger than what is being anchored. It is poured in place. For light duty, the project can be put into service within a couple of hours.

QUIKRETE® Blacktop Patch and Commercial Grade Blacktop Patch are used for filling cracks greater than 1" wide. QUIKRETE® makes synthetic acrylic crack repair materials for cracks up to 1/2" wide. One is a pourable filler called QUIKRETE® Latex Blacktop Crack Seal and the other is a caulking gun applied product called QUIKRETE® Blacktop Repair. These products are used to repair cracks that are from about 1/4" to about 1/2" wide. Pour sand in the crack first leaving about 1/4" of space at the top for the crack sealer. Driveways with fine hairline cracks can be sealed with Traffic Top® Driveway Sealer or Traffic Top® Driveway Filler & Sealer.

QUIKWALL® Surface-Bonding Cement is a trowel applied product which is code approved for dampproofing basements when applied at a minimum thickness of 1/8". Apply to dampened surfaces. Use QUIKRETE® Concrete Acrylic Fortifier in the mix when coating concrete. QUIKRETE® Heavy-Duty Masonry Coating is a brush applied product that can be used to damp proof a basement. Use two coats of Heavy Duty Masonry Coating with Concrete Acrylic Fortifier to meet most building code requirements.

Use one of the QUIKRETE® Self-Leveling Floor Resurfacers. QUIKRETE® Self-Leveling Floor Resurfacer can be covered with carpet or tile in as little as 24 hours after application. It is applied at a thickness of feather edge to 1". For thicker applications, pour in layers.

Depending on the performance level required there are several options. QUIKRETE® Fast-Setting Concrete provides about 400 psi in 2 hours and is often used for setting air conditioner bases and other small projects around the house. QUIKRETE® FastSet™ Concrete Mix is suitable for heavy industrial and highway use. It achieves a strength of 3000 psi within 3 hours and 5000 psi in one day. There are two other options suitable for industrial and highway use: Rapid Road Repair (extended by 50 % with -1/2" gravel) and FastSet™ Non-Shrink Grout (extended by 50% with -1/2" gravel).

QUIKRETE® has two trowel applied products especially designed for vertical and overhead surfaces: QUIKRETE® FastSet™ Repair Mortar and QUIKRETE® Quick-Setting Cement. These products are mixed to a modeling clay consistency which makes them ideal for vertical surfaces. Quick-Setting Cement sets quickly but gains strength slowly. This property makes it ideal for artists who wish to carve it and shape it while it hardens. Use with QUIKRETE® Concrete Acrylic Fortifier for improved bond strength. The new FastSet™ Repair Mortar offers superior early strength and never requires the addition of a bonding agent to provide good bond. This makes it ideal for making rapid repairs to structural beams and columns.

Generally, concrete and other Portland cement based products should be moist cured for at least 5 to 7 days. Refer to product instructions for specific instructions. QUIKRETE® Acrylic Concrete Cure & Seal is an ideal alternate to moist curing. Applied at the appropriate time, it will help the concrete cure properly while sealing it against stains that tend to penetrate the surface of the concrete. Acrylic Concrete Cure & Seal should never be used at temperatures below 50 degrees F or when rain is expected within a few hours.

QUIKRETE® Concrete Bonding Adhesive can be used for interior applications and exterior applications over 1" thick. Do not use Concrete Bonding Adhesive in continuously wet environments. Concrete Bonding Adhesive is painted on the surface of the old concrete and allowed to dry before new concrete or QUIKRETE® Sand Mix is applied. For exterior applications less than 1" thick use Sand Mix with QUIKRETE® Concrete Acrylic Fortifier and do not use QUIKRETE® Concrete Bonding Adhesive. Sand Mix with Acrylic Fortifier is a very good way of topping concrete in a thickness range of about 3/8" to 1". For sections thinner than 3/8" you will want to use a new and unique product called QUIKRETE® Concrete Resurfacer. This product can be placed very thin down to less than 1/8"" thick and can be applied using a squeegee and broom. No curing is necessary.

Mortar joints are normally repaired with a weaker mortar than the original. QUIKRETE® Mortar Mix is the best choice for repairing mortar joints in masonry walls. Horizontal mortar like exterior steps should be repaired with a stronger mortar. QUIKRETE® Mason Mix is the minimum recommendation. Vinyl Concrete Patcher is a good choice, but extra care must be taken to insure that the Vinyl Concrete Patcher is removed quickly from the surface. Use QUIKRETE® Mortar Repair in a special caulking tube for a quick and easy way to make non-structural repairs to mortar joints.

QUIKRETE® Vinyl Concrete Patcher is specially designed for this purpose. It can be used to fix spalled and damaged areas up to one square foot. It is also useful for filling cracks larger than 1/8" wide and for repairing mortar joints. Other options for repairing cracks: QUIKRETE® Gray Concrete Crack Seal and QUIKRETE® Concrete Repair can be used to fill cracks that are from 1/8" to 1/2" wide. Gray Concrete Crack Seal should not be poured over 1/4" thick. For deeper cracks, fill the crack with sand to within 1/4" of the surface. Concrete Repair can be applied up to about 3/8" thick.

The simplest way to set a post is to pour the dry material into the hole and then add water. The preferred product is QUIKRETE® Fast Setting Concrete. It is ready to use in 4 hours. QUIKRETE® Concrete Mix can also be used for setting posts, but you must wait a few days before applying heavy loads.

At 70 degrees F, the concrete will set in 20-40 minutes, but you should wait about 4 hours before applying heavy loads. In cool weather allow extra time.

The hundreds of thousands of tiny fibers in QUIKRETE® Crack-Resistant Concrete produce the following benefits: reduced drying shrinkage cracking, improved impact resistance, improved crack resistance.

Use a hammer and chisel to enlarge the hole. Do not make an open V-shaped hole. Ideally you should undercut the hole, making the exposed part of the hole smaller than the end within the wall. If it is not possible to do that, then at least keep the sides as square as possible.

Yes. QUIKRETE® has three non-shrink grouts for commercial and industrial use. They are QUIKRETE® Non-Shrink General Purpose Grout, QUIKRETE® Non-Shrink Precision Grout and FastSet™ Non-Shrink Grout. All of the products can be used for anchoring and grouting but each one has particular advantages. Non-Shrink Precision Grout is particularly suited for grouting machinery bases because of its extended working time. General Purpose or Precision Grout can be used for columns, bridge key ways, etc. FastSet™ Non-Shrink Grout is used when it is important to get the project in service quickly.

The most common cause of crumbly QUIKRETE® Hydraulic Water-Stop is improper mixing or mixing too much at a time. The critical thing is to mix only golf-ball sized quantities at a time. Mix very quickly because the product hardens in 3-5 minutes. Other pointers: If you are fixing a crack that is not leaking, use QUIKRETE® Quick-Setting Cement; it is much easier to work with. QUIKRETE® Hydraulic Water-Stop is not to be used as a resurfacer.

In general we recommend that you wait about 7 days for latex paints and 28 days for oil based paints.

QUIKRETE® Blacktop Patch and Commercial Grade Blacktop Patch are designed for this application. The commercial grade product has the advantage of being easier to place and it can be placed in a damp environment. Both products should be applied at a minimum depth of 1" and should be placed only in potholes. Do not attempt to use these products to resurface old asphalt. They must be confined in a hole and well compacted to work properly. Allow at least one month before sealing Blacktop Patch with QUIKRETE® Traffic Top® Driveway Sealer.