Gharpedia brings the 10 crucial things to keep in mind while purchasing cement to buy good quality cement for your construction.
Whether you are doing RCC work, plaster or flooring, cement is the most crucial material, which provides strength to the whole concrete structure. Cement not only gives strength to structures but also makes them long-lasting. Therefore, it is very important that the cement used in the construction is fresh, of good quality and free from any deterioration. If you use bad-quality cement, then the structure will not gain desired strength. It will also lead to various problems in the structure, such as leakages, corrosion, cracks etc., while increasing the maintenance cost.
Things To Keep In Mind While Purchasing Cement
In case you have a question in your mind about how to purchase cement at the shop, then here are some important things to keep in mind while purchasing cement.
- Check the Requirement before Purchasing Cement
- Consider Authorized Brand & Dealer to Purchase a Cement Bag
- Be Cautious while Buying Cement
- Check ISI Mark on Cement Bag
- Check the Packing of the Cement Bag
- Consider the Grade of Cement
- Check the Manufacturing Date before Buying Cement
- Check Storage of Cement in the Go-down
- Check Printed Information on Cement Bag
- Consider Transportation Cost
So, let’s have a detailed look at the points that should be considered while purchasing cement
01. Check the Requirement before Purchasing Cement
Estimate the requirement of cement bags to complete the construction work. It is necessary to order the cement bags in bulk which can be consumed in three months time period. On the bulk order of cement, you can get the chance to bargain the cement prices. And if you are lucky, you can save some money.
02. Consider Authorized Brand & Dealer to Purchase a Cement Bag
Purchase the selected type of cement from authorized company outlets only. According to the ‘Raveendran R’, (Top 10 Cement Companies in India 2022, published in INDIANcompanies.in), “India is the second largest producer of cement in the world.’’ As per their list of best cement, Ultratech cement ranked first, Ambuja Cements ranked second, ACC Ltd ranked third, Shree Cement Ltd raked four; and Dalmia Bharat Ltd ranked fifth. It means the Ultratech brand has the highest brand loyalty and sales.
03. Be Cautious while Buying Cement
Be cautious while buying cement. Before buying cement, consider the factors like the type of structure you want to build, the environmental conditions at your location, etc., and select the suitable type and grade of cement for your construction work. These points should be considered while purchasing cement because they are directly affect the structure’s strength.
04. Check ISI Mark on Cement Bag
Must check ISI mark on the cement bag before buying, it is one of the best tips for purchasing good quality cement. It is mandatory for any cement manufacturer to have an ISI mark on the cement bags. Hence, the cement bags must carry the ISI mark. The ISI mark is issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and the ISI mark is printed on the cement to certify its quality.
05. Check the Packing of the Cement Bag
Check the stitching of the cement bag and ensure that the cement bag has not been re-stitched. Also, check for holes in the cement bags developed during the transfer of cement bags using the steel hooks by the labour. The construction cost of any concrete house depends on the cement’s cost. Even a small hole in the cement bag can be the reason for the wastage of cement or can be affected by moisture. In both cases, cement becomes useless, which leads to the burden of extra cost on the construction project.
06. Consider the Grade of Cement
To construct a long-lasting house, you need the best cement. Hence, always check whether you are buying the right grade of cement as specified by the in-charge engineer/architect, such as cement grade 33/43/53, cement type PPC/PSC/OPC. Properties of concrete mainly depend on the properties of cement, i.e. composition, fineness, soundness etc. Therefore, one has to choose or buy cement wisely.
07. Check the Manufacturing Date before Buying Cement
Check the manufacturing date, which is printed on the cement bags. It is another one of the best tips for purchasing good quality cement. Avoid purchasing cement bags manufactured before 3 months of the purchase date. The strength of the cement starts decreasing three months after its manufacturing date and deteriorates further with the passing of time. Go through the below link to know whether you can use a one-year-old cement bag.
08. Check Storage of Cement in the Go-down
You have to check the storage of cement in the go-down as the condition of the bags should be good and they must be stored in a moisture-free area. This is because, in areas, where the amount of moisture is higher in the atmosphere, moisture will react with the cement and lead to lumps in cement. Hence, it is necessary to store the cement bags carefully in cement go-down and avoid such cement bags, which have large hardened lumps in them. Click on link below to know more about the moisture effect on cement bag.
During the concrete making, the reaction between the cement and water plays an important role. If the cement has already reacted with moisture, then it is not advisable to use it for making concrete. Remember that, these types of cement bags are useless because the chemical reaction has already taken place inside the cement bags causing hardened masses. Know more about the storage of cement go through the below blog-
09. Check Printed Information on Cement Bag
It is one of the most important things to keep in mind while purchasing cement that checks all the printed information on the cement bag. There is a lot of useful information printed on the cement bags. So, carefully check them, like the manufacturer’s name or trademark, MRP, net weight, cements type and grade, manufacturer’s address etc. There you can improve the quality of construction work if you are familiar with the information. Hence, read the detailed information printed on cement Bags. If you want to know in detail which information is printed on the cement bag and what it means, go through the below blog to know-
10. Consider Transportation Cost
Consider the time and cost of transportation of cement from a certified retailer shop to the construction site. Higher transportation costs will increase the cost of construction work. It is advisable to locate the certified cement dealer close to the construction site. Also, look for certified cement dealers at Gharpedia- Nearby Professionals – Retailers.
I hope you like this blog on the things to keep in mind while purchasing cement, and now you get your answer that how to purchase cement at shop. This information will save you cost and help you get long-lasting quality cement, which ultimately leads to a durable structure. So, always follow the abovementioned points while buying cement from certified cement dealers.
It’s not ended here with buying good quality cement; you must also be careful when handling it. Therefore, to make your handling task easy, here we have a detailed blog on handling cement bags.
10 Ways of Handling Cement Bags Manually
Image Courtesy: Image 2(a), Image 2(b), Image 2(c), Image 2(d), Image 2(e), Image 3, Image 6
