With new and improved formulas being created daily, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the wide range of blends available. And with all the decisions you’ll be making on a wide range of other matters, concrete should be one less thing you need to concern yourself with.

Start by looking around. Find a reputable brand that fits your budget and has all the blends geared towards the project you are going to carry out. To select the best concrete, ensure that product guarantees both durability and longevity. If the product you’ve selected can ensure these two criteria then you can rest assured knowing your home construction project will be built to last.

Foundations, Driveways, Patios, RV Slabs, Sidewalks
Strength required: 4000+ psi (pounds per square inch)

For big projects like driveways and foundations, ready-mix is typically the go-to product employed. This makes it much easier to pour over the large areas that will need to be covered. This can be anywhere from 4 inches for driveways, slabs, and sidewalks, to 8-10 inches for home foundations.

Garage Floors and Interior Floors
Strength required: 2500 – 4000+ psi

The minimum requirement needed for a floor is a 6-inch pour of concrete. This should be increased to 8 or 10 inches for surfaces that will face constant traffic from heavy loads, such as a garage.

Indoor and Outdoor Countertops
The strength required: 5000 psi

Countertops never have to be thicker than 1.5 – 2 inches thick, they do however require a hefty amount of strength and durability. Of course, you can create thicker countertops for aesthetic reasons, and that will require you to carry out a reasonable amount of research. You could also choose concrete shades that satisfy your aesthetic purposes.

Indoor and Outdoor Stairs
The strength required: 4000+ psi

Choosing the correct concrete is only one step in your construction project, but it is also a very important step. So the research, planning, and consider all your options before committing.

If stairs are a project you want to tackle yourself, or with the help of a professional, there are a lot of calculations and planning that need to go into place before any decisions can be made. From the style of stairs you want to create to properly laying the stairs on well-prepared surfaces, concrete stairs are building projects that demand a lot of work.