My Original Method for Preparing the Mold for Concrete
For my first lightweight concrete blend I’ll oil my molds as I did in my previous video. I use a thin coat of food grade mineral oil. And I apply it with a sponge. I also apply this oil to the pipes before inserting them.
Embedded Wire Grid to Add Concrete Strength
For the grid I cut them from 4 gauge hog panel fencing. This galvanized livestock fencing has a grid that’s 4″ square. And to cut this I use small bolt cutters.
Perlite Lightweight Concrete Ingredients and Tools
Here’s the ingredients and some tools for the first lightweight blend. I use portland cement, perlite, masonry sand, and some glass fibre.
Crack Resistance with Glass Fiber
The manufacturer of the glass fibre recommends adding 1 pound of fiber per cubic yard of concrete to provide crack resistance. So that amounts to only a quarter ounce per 36″ garden panel. Which is just a pinch.
Now this may seem like way too little fiber to make a difference but, that fiber really spreads around through the mix. So much so that you can see it easily in the finished concrete everywhere. Feel free to add more if you like and do some tests to see if it makes any difference.
Red Cement Color for the Perlite Lightweight Concrete Mix
I’ll also add 1 ounce of cement colour per 36″ panel. For the perlite I’ll be using the red colour.
I’ll mix that with my water to help it blend evenly in to the ingredients.
