pouring a 4’ x 8’ 4 in slab. Home Depot guy urged me to use Maximizer because it requires less bags and is supposedly stronger PSI. It’s also more expensive. :rolleyes: But, Home Depot guy claims the cost is about the same because there’s less bags used.
I’d used Quikrete in the past. But, am always open to something better.
Quikrete’s online calculator says 32 sq ft is 24- 60 lb bags. Maximizer calculates it as 22- 40 lb bags.
I really like the sound of those 40 lb bags. 60 lb bags get kind of heavy after the tenth bag is carried a hundred feet into the backyard.
So what’s the straight dope? Is Maximizer all it’s cracked up (he he) to be?
I’m not a concrete expert, but I do know that the stiffer you make the concrete mix (i.e. less water) the stronger it’ll end up. That’s probably a more important variable than the brand of concrete you buy to pour your slab.
thanks. I’ve been building & leveling my form tonight. Tired and a bit sore from the digging.
I’ll pick one and go with it.
I noticed Lowes’ web site doesn’t sell Maximizer. Only Quikrete. Home Depot sells both. Lowes & Home Depot price for the 80 lb Quikrete is the same (3.48 a bag)
Problem is, I’ve never used “Maximizer” and would want to know the outcome, but I fear I’ll be either dead or unconcerned for a follow-up in 6 years.
Good luck, man! I’ve used Quickcrete (the cheap stuff) and never had a problem. I would use the volume/price to figure the best deal, and assume the product is about the same.
Cement just sits, the way I see it, especially for fence posts. Not a huge “wear” issue. Only as strong as the ground it gets poured into. Go for the cheap, I say!
I recently used Maximizer and I was not very happy with it. It started setting up way too fast and adding water didn’t seem to help much. The bigger issue was it contained way too many rocks and they were very small. It seem like when I was trying to screed it off, I wasn’t able to work the rocks down to get it to “butter up”. It seemed like is was “rocks all the way down.” I made a mess of the slab as a result. A large part of it was my fault for trying to mix, pour, and finish 32 bags of it by myself on a hot day.
I just poured a slab for my brick pizza oven this past weekend. I saw the Maximizer type stuff, but didn’t want to venture into new territory. I have no idea how it would hold up the heat. Never had a problem with Quikrete, no good reason to switch now. The price advantage seemed tiny, and there I spent more time setting up and leveling the form than filling it. For something big enough to make a significant difference in the number of bags, I’d just call in a truck.
60 lb bags get kind of heavy after the tenth bag is carried a hundred feet into the backyard.