cement

[jen]

anyone know if you can get postcrete or similar in france.

[Théière]

They do sell beton express which I think is similar but I haven't actually used yet.

[jen]

thank you I'll have a look for that

[AnOther]

I've tried quick set cement and it's OK for tiny jobs, rawl plug type wall fixings for instance or minor repairs, but I'd never use it for fence posts, in that sort of quantity it will be going off long before you can properly mix it.

In any case post mix really is the ultimate lazy man's option so get some proper cement and ballast and do the job properly, probably cheaper too [;-)]

[Théière]

I have to disagree AnOther, post mix is not the ultimate lazy mans option at all. It is a proper polymer additive rapid set concrete (fine), if you had to put up fence posts in the numbers we do you would soon learn to appreciate it. Yes conventional is cheaper but I would have the job finished why you were still driving to collect the concrete mixer. I have used to make patio steps as it's so fast it requires minimal shuttering and the area can be walked on within 30mins and yes they are still there.

[AnOther]

I bow to your experience. So what is it called here ?

I have my own petrol cement mixer BTW [;-)]

[fisherman]

I agree with Theiere. It is an excelent product. Clean, easy to use and sets quickly. We used it of dozens of timber decks to provide a footings for the posts. It is expensive but a lot less work than mixing concrete.

If it was not available I would probably knock up a 3:1 mix of sharp sand and a rapid set cement. Give it a little longer to cure than postcrete.

[mattjazz]

Post crete is a fantastic product, but given its price (we pay £4.20 a bag as oppose to £12/t of ballast and £3.50 a bag of dust), its not a financially viable option. Having said that we do use it for quick fix jobs and jobs we need gone off quickly.

I've used it on 6"x6" site gate posts, hanging a 3mx2.4m steel site gate and there is no movement at all.

If you can afford it use it.

[Chancer]

Bêton universel.

Much cheaper here, during the promos as cheap as €3.50 for a 40g bag, otherwise just under €5 per 40kg bag, none of your sissy 25 kg bags.

The stuff that goes off really fast, except for it never seems to do so for me is mortier de scellement.

I have used the French bêton universel for all the fence posts at my UK property, its crazy I shift all the heavy and voluminous stuff from one country to the other because of the price differences, anyway it works really well for fence posts, just pour in dry and tamp down, job done.

To repair a wall I also took back some redi-mixed mortar once again because of price and as my mixer is in France, it was much easier to use for bricklaying but is far whiter than a normal UK mortar.

[mattjazz]

I didn't realise they did 40kg bags, That makes it more cost effective. It is very good stuff, but a bugger to break out again as it chips rather than cracks.