Mixing Cement Without an Electric Cement Mixer

Whether you want to mix cement to redo your driveway, fill some cracks on the ground around your home, or simply as part of some landscaping project, if you don't have an electric cement mixer or a gas powered one, then you will need to do it by hand. Doing this can be time consuming as well as a pain in the back but if it's your only option, then you will have to do what you have to do. There are several ways to actually do this but let's look at one of them.

What you will need are a couple of simple things. The first is obviously the cement bags. You can get these at places like Home Depot. There are different weight sizes as well as mixer percentages. There are also different types of cement to choose from as well. If you are unsure about what to get, you can ask one of the workers there. The cost per bag will depend on the type as well as how many pounds the bag is. The more it weighs, the more it will cost you. For ease of mixing, get the premixed type. Other things you will need are a shovel, water, and a electric wheelbarrow.

The first thing you will do is add a bit of water into the wheelbarrow, just enough to wet the bottom. From there, you can use a knife or scissors to cut into the bag and pour the cement mix into the wheelbarrow. Typically, you can do 2 bags at a time depending on how big your wheelbarrow is. Keep in mind that the more cement you mix at a time, the harder it will be. Cement is heavy and having to mix it especially when it's still dry can get pretty physically demanding. Next, just start adding some water to the cement. The amount you add if you're just evening it will be just about the same as how much cement is in there. Just to make sure you don't put too much though, mix the cement with a shovel and gradually add more water as needed.

Once you have a nice mix where there is basically no more dry cement, you can then either pour it out from the wheelbarrow to where you need it or use the shovel and transfer it to the ground. Keep in mind that cement will dry so don't leave it in the barrow for too long. Obviously, the best thing to do is to just buy or rent an electric cement mixer to make this process a lot easier on your body as well as save you time.