Vintage cement powder is the most popular category of materials in construction. Thanks to its physical and technical characteristics and a set of positive operational properties, the universal compound can be used both for indoor and outdoor work.
Acting as a binder, bagged cement determines the quality of any manufactured mortar or concrete mix. In this article, we will look at how and where to store cement, so that its efficiency always remains high.
Features of building materials
It is worth noting the whimsicality of building materials regarding their storage. It is quite difficult to keep cement suitable for operation. Directly, manufacturers strive to ensure that the packaging is sufficiently strong and dense, in which case the hermetically sealed powder does not lose its quality indicators.
Basically, we are talking about multi-layer wrapping of paper bags with an additional inner film. However, the protection of such packaging is also not absolute: the bag may break during transportation, with the exception of the possibility of selling building materials.
It is recommended to protect the powder composition from the following external factors that negatively affect it::
- Moisture content. Dampness is an enemy for cement of various vintage types. When interacting with a liquid, the powder begins to absorb it (hardens). Similarly, paper containers are deformed. If there is high humidity on the site where the building material is stored, it is strongly recommended to pour it into an alternative (more reliable) container.
- Air. Directly carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere negatively affects the powder building material. Prolonged interaction between the two substances activates the chemical reaction. The appearance of the powder does not change, but when kneading, there is no viscosity – a key condition that allows you to use building materials to make high-quality concrete or masonry composition.
- Frost. In winter, powdery building materials may lose their strength under the influence of negative temperatures, if appropriate steps are not taken to protect them thermally.
Expiration date
The standard period during which dry powder bags can be stored is 1 year from the date of production. However, the time specified by manufacturers may actually be much shorter, since the actual time during which the safety of building materials is guaranteed is affected by the location of the building material, the type of packaging, and the brand of the powder itself.
The widely used M500 building material is very difficult to place for long-term storage. In order for the viscosity parameter of a powder with such a Brand accessory to deteriorate, it takes much less time than for other building materials. It will take about a month for quality indicators to decrease by 15% due to improper storage. So, for a period of up to six months, the M500 may lose one position in the brand classification – it will turn into the M400.
Important! It is necessary to take into account the technological features of the mixture, because there are many important additives, depending on the addition of which the composition spoils more slowly/faster.
How to properly place the mixture for a long period of time
Before loading packaged building materials into the room, you should carefully inspect all containers, excluding packages that have holes or scratches. It is also unacceptable to get the product wet.
Then each bag must be additionally packed in polyethylene, tightly (hermetically sealed – for this purpose, the film is sealed) closing the stored element. An alternative option is to use special containers, for example, in the format of a plastic barrel.
The chosen site should have minimal humidity and be well ventilated. Naturally, in the garage, the storage process will be more efficient than under a shed, where damage to building materials is inevitable due to regular temperature jumps and condensation formation.
The packed powder should be separated from the floor and walls by an air layer. It is best to place containers on special wooden pallets (pallets) or even load them on wooden/metal racks.
Based on this information, you can solve the problem by successfully storing construction warehouses and providing them with an extremely long storage period.