Is it worth storing cement and purchasing it for future use?

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Published: 04/25/2020

Reading time: 9 min

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• 1 How long are different brands stored?
• 2 How long is cement stored: how to store it in bags in winter in a cold garage until next year, storage, shelf life 2.1 Properties of cement
• 2.2 Storage conditions
• 2.3 Store in bags

How long do different brands last?

The difficulty in storing cement lies in the fact that this material has increased moisture-absorbing properties. It actively absorbs moisture from the environment and reacts with carbon dioxide, which negatively affects the strength characteristics of the final solution.

Each batch of cement is tested for strength under production conditions, which allows the material to be marked in increments of 100. The lowest grade of building material is designated M100 - it provides the least durable composition. M600 has the highest strength characteristics.

Topic: What is the best way to store packaged cement in the garage in the winter?

High grade cements are more demanding on storage conditions and have a shorter shelf life.

The deadlines are regulated by GOST 30515-97 “Cements. General terms and Conditions". According to this standard, the following storage periods for the material are established:

• M600 - 3 months;
• M500 - 6 months;
• M400 - 6 months;
• M300 - 12 months;
• M200 - 12 months;
• M100 - 12 months.

Cement is stored much less in unpacked containers:

• M100—M300 — 60 days;
• M400—M600 — 45 days.

After this period, the building material must not be used.

There is a pattern - every three months cement loses about 15% of its initial strength characteristics. Therefore, you need to use the material as soon as possible after purchase.

How to Store Small Amounts in Paper Bags

According to state standards, paper bags with a capacity of 25, 40 and 50 kg are considered the optimal container for selling and storing cement.
Paper containers are able to absorb excess moisture, thereby preventing the cement from becoming damp and losing strength. For additional protection, the manufacturer alternates layers of paper and polyethylene, uses lamination, bituminization and impregnation technologies. All this allows you to extend the shelf life of raw materials even in printed packaging. Since the shelf life of cement in unpacked containers is short, it is not recommended to leave the material in this form for long-term storage. If there is a forced break in construction, and there is still cement left in the open package, you can use a wooden barrel or other sealed container for storage. The edge of the package must be securely closed with a clamp, trying to force out all the air, placed in a barrel and sprinkled with sand on top. Then close the barrel tightly with a lid and wrap it in cellophane film. In this form, the cement mixture will wait for the resumption of construction work, but not longer than a month.

Storing cement in winter, how to store cement in winter. Kharkov, Betonstroy

Why storing cement in winter so difficult? First of all, because the material is finely ground and can very easily absorb water, including from the air. The most important thing in winter is to protect the cement from excess moisture. This is easy to do if you have well-equipped warehouses with an optimal microclimate. But what about private developers?

Features of cement storage

shelf life of cement is significantly influenced by microclimatic factors. It should be taken into account here that even under normal conditions, the material can lose up to 12-16% of its astringent properties every month. If you simply leave the material in bags on the street without any protection, then soon you will not get crumbly powder, but a hardened stone (or several stones).

Sometimes it is worth avoiding storage altogether by organizing the purchase of material immediately before the start of construction work. However, this is often inconvenient and unprofitable. Therefore, it is worth transferring each paper bag into a plastic bag. The room in which the bags will be stored also matters. So, a basement or cellar is absolutely not suitable for this - the room must be dry, without excess moisture.

And it’s still better to choose a room (even if unheated) for storage than the street. Outdoors, cement will quickly lose its astringent properties and dusty consistency. Such material cannot be used in critical structures - it will only be possible to make concrete or mortar for simple work (for example, to create a cushion for laying paving slabs).

How to store cement in winter in a garage or other cold room

A room intended for long-term or short-term storage must meet the following requirements:

• low humidity levels;
• absence of low temperatures (minimum value - +5 ° C);
• good ventilation;
• no drafts.

It is not recommended to store cement in cellars and basements due to high atmospheric humidity.

Damaged packaging or bags with tears, holes and holes cannot be stored for long-term in any room.

Before storing the bags, you must carefully inspect the roof for leaks, otherwise rainwater or snow will get inside and ruin the cement. You cannot place bags directly on the floor - wooden pallets or wooden boards are used for laying. The packaging itself must be wrapped in film, placed on a pallet, shelf or rack and covered with another layer of polyethylene or tarpaulin. The masonry is placed at least 30 cm from the wall.

When storing a large number of bags, they are folded alternately (lengthwise and crosswise) - this will make the structure more stable. The maximum permissible dimensions for masonry made from bags are 3 meters in length and 15 bags in height.

It is necessary to ensure a sufficient flow of fresh air, but ensure that there are no drafts in the room. During the winter season, there is a high probability of the room freezing, so the owners need to take care of heating, at least at a minimum level.

Paper bags with cement of different brands must not be stored side by side. They have different levels of humidity and can negatively affect each other’s quality.

If all the rules are followed, it is possible to reduce the loss of quality of building materials, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to maintain its characteristics at the original level. Therefore, during the construction process it will be necessary to increase cement consumption by approximately one and a half times. This will help achieve high strength cement mortar.

Is it worth storing cement and purchasing it for future use?

With the onset of cold weather, almost all people who have started building their own home or outbuildings stop working. Unfortunately, we are not always able to accurately calculate the required amount of purchased building material, for example, cement. In addition, many people want to save money by buying building materials in bulk, that is, more and cheaper at once.

As a result, by the time a construction site is mothballed for the winter, there is often excess cement left that needs to be kept usable until spring. Today we will discuss the question of whether it is advisable to buy cement for future use or whether it is better not to do so.

Is it possible to store cement at all?

In fact, it is highly undesirable to do this. Everything has its own shelf life, temperature and other requirements for storage conditions, and cement is no exception. Proper conditions are not always observed during commercial storage; in private storage, they are even more difficult to maintain.

Long-term storage is especially harmful for cement. This building material fully possesses its properties only if the storage period does not exceed one month. It turns out that if we store cement in ordinary paper bags, and even in unsuitable conditions for its storage, then we have a high risk of losing almost half of its construction properties. To put it simply, poor storage significantly reduces its binding properties, and also reduces the strength of structures.

I will say more: even after only two or three months of storage, the grade of cement decreases. Thus, instead of a high-quality solution by spring, you risk getting a mixture two or three times worse. In addition, after long-term storage, cement can turn into the form of “cement stone” and there will be an insignificant amount of raw materials suitable for work.

As a result, even if we keep the cement in a more or less suitable condition until spring, its properties will still deteriorate. To compensate for the losses, we will have to put more cement into the solution. Where are the savings?

To sum up, we can say with confidence that it is better not to use cement for future use. It’s another matter when, for one reason or another, there are surplus building materials: they made an incorrect calculation, construction or finishing had to be postponed for financial reasons, or work had to be urgently curtailed due to the sudden onset of cold weather. Then you need to think about how to preserve cement without losing quality.

What to do if there is still cement left after work?

If you have a batch of cement left that has not yet been used, you will need to strictly adhere to several rules for storing it:

You should never store cement outdoors, even when covered with slate or other material.

You need to choose a dry room for storage, where there are no drafts. When you store cement, you should not lay it on the floor or ground, you need to put it on a pallet or any other structure so that there is no contact with the ground. This way the cement will not pick up excess moisture from below. There is no need to store cements of completely different brands together. At least make sure that bags of cement of different brands do not touch each other. Be sure to wrap the cement in several layers of film. This way you will additionally protect the cement from the most important enemy during storage - moisture. By following these simple rules, loss of cement quality during storage will be minimized. But you need to realize that cement that has been stored for a long time should under no circumstances be used for structures that will experience heavy loads. In addition, during construction work, it is better to increase the percentage of cement content in the solution, because such cement has already lost some of its activity.

Can it be stored outside in winter?

The winter season is the most unfavorable for any building materials. Even in enclosed spaces, it is not always possible to achieve optimal conditions for the safety of building materials. It is not at all possible to achieve the required indicators in the open air. High levels of humidity, wind and frost can quickly damage cement and make it unusable.

Therefore, it is prohibited to store cement mixtures outdoors. Neither canopies, nor tarpaulins, nor special shelters will help preserve its characteristics.

Before purchasing, you must immediately take care of the storage location, especially if you plan to purchase a large batch. At the point of sale, you should carefully examine the product, check the expiration date and integrity of the packages.

Only this approach will help to carry out high-quality construction work and not waste financial resources.

How to properly store cement

The constant demand for cement increases the cost, so it is often purchased in advance and in bulk. Theoretically, this building material has a shelf life of up to 1 year, but in practice it loses its strength and adhesive properties by about 15–20% per quarter, and if conditions are violated, even faster. At the same time, it is important to keep the cement in good condition for the next season, otherwise its use will be pointless. The standard set of protective measures consists of sealing the bags and selecting the correct location for their placement. Any mistake leads to hardening of the material inside the package or a decrease in its grade.

Shelf life of Portland cement in bags

In industrial production, cement is poured into special silos; it cannot be stored open. The most convenient option for private construction is buying bags. The shelf life stated by the manufacturers is 1 year (for unopened packaging). For dry cement-based mixtures with mineral impurities, it is even shorter - 6 months. But this building material is very sensitive to environmental conditions: humidity, temperature, ventilation, and therefore it is difficult to store even in untouched bags.

The manufacturer sells products already packaged with a specified release date; usually polyethylene or durable kraft paper is used as a shell. Modern packaging, made according to European standards, combines both materials; in fact, it is multilayer. But cement packaged in this way is difficult to obtain and is more expensive; most often the consumer purchases paper bags. They cannot be stored without protection from moisture; for comparison: fresh Portland cement in regular packaging with the M500 strength grade loses its properties to M400 within a month, and after a year it literally turns to stone. It is impossible to predict the specific timing of quality loss, therefore, after purchase, bags that need to be preserved are additionally packed in polyethylene.

Important point: regular film wrapping is not enough. The second factor influencing the shelf life of cement is the interaction of the powder with carbon dioxide in the air. For packaging, you will need dense and impenetrable bags: special construction bags or suitable-sized garbage bags. In other words, only in sealed packaging can the beneficial properties be preserved.

A good alternative is to buy cement in big bags with a double polyethylene layer; for them, the stated warranty period of 1 year is a real figure. But in this case, the minimum purchased weight is 1 t (or 1.5, depending on the manufacturer), and such a volume is not always advisable.

Cement is not left on the street; even during concreting, the bags are placed under a canopy. The storage room must be dry, heated in winter and ventilated. This is explained by the fact that dampness and carbon dioxide accumulate in a closed space; sub-zero temperatures, in turn, accelerate the process of quality loss. Basements are absolutely not suitable; attics or warehouses are more suitable, provided they are heated. It is believed that cement in bags can be stored in winter at a temperature not lower than +5 °C. If there is no ventilation, the room must be ventilated.

There are also rules for the placement location: under no circumstances should cement be laid on bare ground or even on film. It will be possible to save it only by organizing a ventilated pallet; the top of the bags is covered with a tarpaulin or 2-3 layers of polyethylene. But they are not completely sealed; two sides remain open (ideally towards the air flow).

In case of purchasing bulk cement, two options are possible: packaging in bags and proceeding according to the same scheme or filling into a barrel. You will need a large storage container (from 200 liters), wooden or plastic, with special latches. But reviews about this method are contradictory; theoretically, bulk cement cannot be stored for more than two months. Again, installing the barrel will require a special room; exposure to sub-zero temperatures and dampness is difficult to prevent.

WILL REDUCE CONSUMPTION by up to 50%! Everyone needs to know this!

What experts say

• When using material that has survived the winter, the inevitable decrease in quality is taken into account. Even if all storage rules are followed, next year the cement will lose its properties. In practice, this means an increase in its total proportion in the solution (up to 1.5 times).

How can you save cement until next year?

That is, when preparing concrete in the spring from M500 Portland cement purchased in winter or autumn, proportions for M400 or lower are used.

It is worth noting that even if all the rules mentioned are observed, it is almost impossible to preserve cement for the next year without losing its performance characteristics. Moreover, the higher the quality and grade of the material, the faster it loses them. It is best to make a preliminary calculation of the required quantity and purchase a clear number of bags 2-3 weeks before the start of concreting.

Author: Ivan Yaskevich

Shelf life of cement

Modern construction and finishing work is simply impossible to imagine without cement. Unfortunately, this component of many construction operations very quickly loses its properties. Just like most other materials, the shelf life of cement has limitations and it depends, first of all, on the conditions in which it will be stored and time.

What determines the storage time?

From the moment of production of this building material until its use in repair, construction or decoration, a shelf life is established, guaranteed by the manufacturer. For almost all its types it does not exceed 60 days. For quick-hardening compositions, this figure is even less - only 45 days. As a rule, dry mixtures are packaged in bags made of thick polyethylene or multi-layer paper. With sealed packaging, when moisture and carbon dioxide from the surrounding air do not enter the dry mixture, the shelf life of cement in bags, without losing its properties, will be from one to two years.

But even a seemingly very durable container made of thick and multi-layered kraft paper is not a guarantee that the composition is not in danger. During loading and unloading, transportation, cracks may form on the container, through which moisture and air can have a negative impact. It should be remembered that a dry mixture exposed to moisture and carbon dioxide quickly becomes damp, absorbing water and oxidizing. Moreover, the higher the brand, the less time the loss of quality takes.

In order to store building materials in bags, you need to make sure that they are not torn or wet, wrap them in several layers of polyethylene, and only then remove it.

Shelf life for different grades of material

The shelf life of cement in bags is very dependent on its brand. The higher the grade, the lower the safety of the material.

Average shelf life of cement by brand:

• M600 -3 months;
• M500 - half-year;
• M400-semester;
• M300,200,100 -12 months.

Important! These periods are indicated for storage indoors and in airtight containers!

If you refer to the requirements of GOST 10178-85, which describe storage conditions, you can see the following clarifications on terms:

• For quick-hardening mixtures in bags or soft containers, the shelf life will be 45 days.
• For bulk construction cements, the storage time ranges from 45 to 60 days, depending on the brand.

You can find out the expiration date of cement on the packaging.
When purchasing building materials, you need to carefully look at the release date of the cement; if part of the shelf life has already passed, the cement will be good for a limited time in winter conditions.

In addition, we must take into account the decrease in consumer qualities on a monthly basis. After three months, cement grade M600 will be equal in properties to M500.

Small tricks for preserving cement

To preserve cement in winter until spring, you need to consider the following recommendations:

• When working in a damp room, it is necessary to cover the cement with polyethylene even during breaks in activity.
• To improve the preservation of cement in a barrel or container, you can put adsorbent granules there plus sand.
• Defects in paper or polymer bags are eliminated by wrapping the break area with tape.
• Bags placed in storage must not only be turned over once every 2 months, but also felt in order to detect compacted lumps in time and break them.
• It is preferable to purchase material in multilayer paper bags for storage. They are stronger than single-layer polyethylene and tear much less often.
• It is better to take cement M100,200,300 - even with a reduced shelf life it will survive until spring. Cements with hardeners are poorly stored.
• Cement that has been successfully stored until spring can only be used for auxiliary work: building paths, filling porch defects, sealing cracks.
• To improve the properties of cement that has lain over the winter, a fresh mixture of high grades is added to the solution, then it can be used for more demanding work.

Builders are trying to save money by purchasing cement in advance - at old prices before the New Year. To prevent these savings from leading to losses, it is important to know how to properly preserve the material until the spring construction season. The strength properties of cement decrease over time even without exposure to extreme factors. In winter, it is necessary to ensure complete sealing of the packaging and keep the cement warm.

How to store it correctly?

Before we talk about how to save, let’s dwell on the points associated with the purchase:

1. You should not buy cement in bags from “highway” entrepreneurs and tent campers, since the storage conditions there are very unlikely to be met.
2. If you buy the composition in bags, you need to check the manufacturing date indicated on the packaging.
3. You should carefully inspect the packaging to see if there are any serious tears or damage, or if it is wet.

If all these conditions are met, the purchased material can be stored for a long time with minimal loss of quality in a room prepared for it.

Where should you not store it? First of all, in the open air, even under a canopy. In a damp basement or barn, as they do not prevent the flow of moisture and its interaction with the substance in the container.

Almost ideal for the preservation of building materials will be hermetically sealed rooms with low air humidity, and the packaging itself will be wrapped in several layers of polyethylene.

Just remember that cement has its own shelf life, and even under good storage conditions, after 10 years it will lose all its qualities!

How to properly store cement in bags for a long time?

In order to maintain quality cement for a long time, you just need to observe a few points:

• Cement is usually sold in special paper bags, which require long-term storage. Therefore, the remaining cement you have can be stored in it. True, it is necessary to check the bag for any mechanical damage to its integrity so that there is no direct reaction of the cement with open air. If the packaging is in order, then you can easily store cement in it for up to 8 months.
• if it is necessary to store cement in bags for a longer period than 8 months, you can resort to the use of polymer film. Use it to walk around the entire perimeter of the cement bag, wrapping it several times. This manipulation will further protect the cement from humidity and oxygen of the surrounding environment;
• It is also important to choose the correct location for storing the cement in the bag. Under no circumstances should you store it in a basement or cellar, or in the open air, even under a canopy. The room should be dry and well ventilated;
• A negative point may be the joint storage of cement in a bag of different brands.

Experts do not recommend placing mixtures of different brands nearby for storage. They may differ from each other in moisture content. Therefore, one brand of material can affect the chemical properties of another during long-term storage, especially in winter.

This is a very relevant topic not only for buyers of this cement, but also for small and large stores. I work on the basis of building materials. We order cement in trucks (large vehicles). In summer, there are no special problems with storage, since cement is usually delivered on pallets of 2 tons. We unload directly on the street. We sell it in just three or four days. If it’s going to rain, cover it with plastic on top, or wrap it in rolls of packaging film.

But in winter this is a problem.

Cement must be stored in a dry place. So that the humidity is minimal. It is also desirable without drafts.

If the room is damp, then no bags, especially paper ones, will save you.

You can also pour the remaining cement into a five-liter plastic bottle and close it tightly. We did this once. After winter, the cement was suitable for use.