We are Wealth Clinic Team
Planning to build your house or workplace? What do you think is the most important single element of construction? It’s not the bricks but the cement. Cement is the glue that binds your structure together and is majorly responsible for how strong and durable your house and workplace will turn out to be.
The tricky thing is there are many types of cements and each is meant for various use cases. There is no one-size-fits-all cement that you can use everywhere. And sadly the majority of people are not even aware of it.
The popular trend is to choose a cement or two by the brand image and use those extensively and universally. This is wrong as each type of cement has different compositions, properties, and use cases. Some are better suited for inside than outside, few are more resistant to water and chemicals while some can resist heating better.
Which type of cement will suit you best depends on where you are using it. Allow this article to help you figure out the types of cement in India and where they must be applied.
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC):
This is by far the most used cement type in India thanks to it being affordable and resistant to cracks and shrinkages. OPC comes in 3 variations: Grade 33, Grade 43, and Grade 53. The first two are relatively weak and outdated now and builders have primarily shifted to Grade 53 one.
Grade 53 is used for building houses, roads, bridges, and other durable infrastructure. However, for plastering and flooring work lower grades like Grade 43 and Grade 33 can be used as well.
Portland Slag Cement:
It is great for buildings – big or small, especially if the climate is harsh and extreme. It can last for, like, 100 years! You can use it for constructing bridges, high rises, and even structures that are near water or hold water such as drains and sewage.
Portland Pozzolana Cement:
This is like an all-rounder. You can use it for making dams, walls, bridges, and even for plastering and making mortar. It’s really strong and doesn’t let water pass through easily.
White Cement:
This one is all about making things look nice. You can use it to fix floors, roofs, and even fancy marble tiles. It’s great for making things look pretty both inside and outside your house, like fancy decorations and cool slabs.
Sulphate Resistant Cement:
When you’re building something near water or in places with lots of moisture, this cement is your best buddy. It’s super good at replacing regular cement and keeping things strong.
Low heat Portland Cement:
This cement is awesome when you want to build stuff that needs to hold water, like dams, bridge abutments, piers, etc. It doesn’t crack or shrink, so it’s perfect for these kinds of projects.
Rapid hardening Cement:
This cement is great for fixing broken or damaged stuff. It dries quickly and becomes strong in a short time and that is another advantage.
Quick setting Cement:
Just as the name suggests, it sets quickly and that’s the USP. It is better than the Rapid Hardening Cement as it sets quicker. It is used to fill cracks and cavities and thus repair damaged structures quickly. We normally use it to plug gaps, cracks, and cavities in walls, floorings, and stair steps.
Expansive Cement:
Expansive cement is a cement that expands – way more than regular ones. Add water to it and let it dry and you’d be surprised to see how it grows in volume. It’s stronger than regular cement and is used especially to minimize gaps, holes, and shrinkages in the concrete.
Hydrophobic Cement:
It fights water and moisture like no other cement type. That’s why it is used for structures that are exposed to water such as dams, manholes, drains, spillways, underwater constructions, and even roofs.
High Alumina Cement:
This cement is best suited to handle extreme heat. It is used in building furnaces, boilers, kilns, and chimneys. It provides great strength to structures, hardens them quickly, and is also highly resistant to abrasive chemicals and other elements.
Colored Cement:
It is prepared by adding 5-10% color pigment to ordinary Portland cement. It is primarily used for decorative purposes like accentuating a part of the wall, floor, stairs, and so on.
So choose the cement wisely to get the best out of the money you invest in your construction.
Wish you a happy building experience!
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