The biggest issue with a jobsite sand pile is the moisture content… and moisture expands sand. In other words, the water in the sand pile changes the weight and volume of every shovelful of sand. This expanded sand makes it difficult to measure the correct amount of sand when adding to the cement in the mixer.

The answer is an ‘Engineered Mix’.

An Engineered Mix is a stucco base coat blended at the factory-with cement, additives, fibers, and dry-graded & proportioned mason sand.

Every bag…every batch…everyday… is designed to maximize the base coats yield, strength, uniformity and long-term durability.

Amerimix manufactures commercial-grade preblended mortar, portland lime mortar, colored mortar, water-resistant mortar, core fill masonry grout, and stucco products.

Amerimix has been supplying the construction industry for over a decade. Amerimix manufactures commercial-grade preblended mortar, portland lime mortar, colored mortar, water-resistant mortar, core fill masonry grout, and stucco products. Our products can be found on high-rise commercial projects, schools, hospitals, correctional institutions, retail centers, federal buildings, warehouses, condominiums, and single-family structures.

Use our Estimation Calculators for the most exact estimates. These calculators can be used to estimate the amount of product required for a variety of projects, including mortar, grout, and stucco. The amount of product required will also be affected by the jobsite conditions. For example, if the project is in a cold climate, the amount of product required may be higher due to the increased water absorption of the materials.

For general guidelines:

Mortar*:

An 80 lb. bag of mortar contains 0.033 cubic yards or 0.88 cubic feet.

A 3,000 lb. bag of mortar contains 1.25 cubic yards or 30 cubic feet of dry material.

Grout*:

80 lb. bag contains 0.023 cubic yards, or 0.63 cubic feet.

3,000 lb. bag contains 0.88 cubic yards or 23.75 cubic feet of dry material.

Stucco*:

80 lb. bag yields 24 square feet of coverage at 3/8″ or 12 square feet of coverage at 5/8″.

3,000 lb. bag yields 900 square feet of coverage at 3/8″ thick or 450 square feet of coverage at 5/8″ thick.

* Note that coverage / yield information is approximate and is subject to jobsite conditions and requirements.

Another way to estimate the amount of Amerimix product required is to use the following formula:

Area * Thickness * Coverage = Amount of Product Required

Area: This is the size of the area you are working on, in square feet.

Thickness: This is the thickness of the mortar you will be using, in inches.

Coverage: This is the amount of area that one bag of Amerimix product will cover, in square feet.

For example, if you are working on an area that is 100 square feet and you will be using 1/2-inch thick mortar, you will need approximately 20 bags of Amerimix product.

Still have questions about Amerimix products? Contact us and an Amerimix rep will be in touch soon.

Please visit our Contact page or email us at support@amerimix.com

Hydrated lime is a type of dry powder made from quicklime, a calcination process of raw limestone. It is then re-hydrated to form the hydrated lime. When combined with water and sand or cement, hydrated lime is most often used to make mortars and plasters. Its chemical name is calcium hydroxide, or Ca(OH)2.

Cement is manufactured through a closely controlled chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and other ingredients. Common materials used to manufacture cement include limestone, shells, and chalk or marl combined with shale, clay, slate, blast furnace slag, silica sand, and iron ore. These ingredients, when heated at high temperatures form a rock-like substance that is ground into the fine powder. This powder is combined with gypsum for set control and other additives to produce what we commonly think of as cement.

Masonry cement consists of a mixture of portland cement or blended hydraulic cement and plasticizing materials (such as limestone or hydrated or hydraulic lime), together with other materials introduced to enhance one or more properties such as setting time, workability, water retention, and durability. These components are proportioned at the plant under controlled conditions to assure uniformity of performance.

Looking from the street all stucco looks very similar. Actually, there are three different stucco systems commonly used:

1) Exterior Insulating Finish Systems or EIFS

2) Portland cement based three-coat or conventional stucco system

3) Portland cement based one-coat stucco or two-coat system

Typically, EIFS is a layer of foam laminated or mechanically fastened to a substrate with mesh and a polymer modified base coat over the top of the foam and encapsulating the reinforcing mesh – and then an acrylic finish color coat over the top of everything.

Often, the terms “cement,” “concrete” and “mortar” are used almost interchangeably. The terms refer to materials that have three different purposes:

Cement: The binding element in both concrete and mortar.

Concrete: A product composed of cement, sand and gravel or other coarse aggregate. When water is mixed in with this product, it activates the cement, which is the element responsible for binding the mix together to form one solid object.

Mortar: A product composed of masonry cement (or portland cement and lime) and mason sand. When water is mixed in with this product, the cement is activated. Whereas concrete can stand alone, mortar is used to hold together bricks, stones or other building materials.

Concrete and mortar are ubiquitous materials in construction, but with different purposes. Both contain portland cement, water and aggregate, but the mixes for each reflect the desired characteristics.

Mortar

Mortar is a blend of cement, fine sand, and lime. Mortar is used to bond masonry units together. It doesn’t need the strength of concrete; however, it needs good bonding characteristics. Mortars with a high water-cement ratio bond best. This is the opposite of concrete, where concrete mix is formulated for strength and lower water content makes it stronger and more effective for its purpose. Additives or plasticizers may be added to mortar mixes to increase their flexibility.

Concrete

Concrete is a product composed of cement, sand gravel, or other coarse aggregate. When water is mixed in with this product, it activates the cement, which is the element responsible for binding the mix together to form one solid object. There are many different types of concrete, but they can be broadly classified into two categories: plain concrete and structural concrete.

Plain concrete is any structure supported by the ground, such as walkways, driveways, slabs, and spread footings to support masonry walls. Plain concrete is often reinforced with steel to increase its tensile strength against temperature fluctuations that threaten its structural integrity. Structural concrete is any structural piece made of concrete that has points of support and requires the capacity to hold loads, such as concrete beams, suspended concrete slabs, or concrete pilings.

Applications

Mortar is used for a variety of applications, including:

• – Bonding bricks, stones, and other masonry units together
• – Filling gaps between masonry units
• – Pointing
• – Grouting

Concrete is used for a variety of applications, including:

• – Creating foundations
• – Building walls
• – Making sidewalks and driveways
• – Pouring slabs
• – Creating structural elements

How to choose mortar or concrete for your project

The best way to choose the right mortar or concrete for your project is to consider the following factors:

• – The type of masonry units you are using
• – The load the mortar or concrete will be supporting
• – The climate you live in
• – Your budget

Ready to order Amerimix pre-blended product for your next job? Contact your local sales rep.

Visit the Technical Documents page of our website.