I spent ?800 on this and am really worried that this is wasted (the use by date on the paper wrapping is october 2008. I have opened one of the bags and there is still powder in it however there are hard bits. Is there anything i can now do with this cement? The builders start mid may. thanks
Toss it, it's no longer any good. Even if you break up the clumps the end product will crack over time. Not worth trying to skimp here.
BOB has it in one. It has gone-off with the natural moisture in the air, a builder would not even consider using it, as it is now useless.
Cement is basically grounded limestone,if you got the time and patience and are very frugal (cheap)you can smash it into powder again and use it. I had several bags of Portland cement (gray) that had small and large granules,I sifted all the bag and squashed the granules and use it to make concrete for my projects with no adverse results.
Dome dweller is not right as the powder is roasted, and crumbling it is not going to restore the chemical properties of the original cement. I use old cement for things that don't matter much - like laying paving slabs, and use about twice as much as fresh cement. It will set fine and perform OK but it is much weaker than good stuff so dont use it for walls or anything important. ?800 is a load of cement - should be 200+ bags? If not you need to look for a better deal - phone some builder's merchants when you are looking for the next lot and get it delivered the day the builders are starting. COver it up or better still keep it inside. Any left over unopened bags will last a long time if they are in a sealed binbag as the paper sack is only moisture resistant, and the cement will pull moisture out of the air to go off like you present lot.
