Concrete Vs Cement: What's The Difference?

DIYing quick fixes around your home can help you to save a ton of money, but only if you can do it right the first time. For some DIY projects, you'll find yourself standing in the store, debating between concrete and cement, wondering if there is any difference. After all, people often swap around the two words without much thought. The truth is, though they look similar, they are made up of different materials, and each has a specific role to fill. 

Cement is a mix of minerals like limestone, iron, and shale that have been heated and ground up finely. Concrete, on the other hand, is actually a large percentage of sand or gravel along with a bit of cement to act as a binder. Both need water added to activate.

Concrete is sturdy, and unlike cement — a binding agent — is a construction material that can be used on its own for big projects. (This is why you will see concrete driveways, but not "cement" driveways.) Depending on what weather elements and weight it has to handle as well as the kind you use, concrete's lifespan is somewhere between 30 and 100 years, though things that undergo significant wear and tear, like driveways, may only be in good shape for 20 years. Cement is far less sturdy and is too porous to last as a standalone building material. It doesn't get stronger as it dries and can easily crumble, which is just one of the dangers of confusing concrete with cement. 

Because it can be rather detrimental to mix up these two materials, you need to understand when to use one over the other. Cement is used as a binding agent in mixtures like concrete and mortar. You can, of course, use it by itself in projects, such as the easy-to-make outdoor project using quick-setting cement — solar light holders. However, cement is brittle when it dries, not a heavy-duty building material you can trust. It is, however, sometimes useful for small driveway and patio repairs, though if your concrete driveway is crumbling, you may need to look at hiring a professional to fix big mistakes. 

Structures that need to handle a lot of wear and tear and last a long time should be made with concrete. Some examples include patios, fence posts, foundations, and driveways. In short, cement is all binder and no aggregate — not what you want to depend on to serve as a foundation for your home. However, it serves its role dutifully in aggregate-filled concrete, which is so ubiquitous that its massive impact on the world of construction cannot be overstated.