White VS Gray portland cement

[JasonB]

Just curious if anyone has more luck with white or gray? I don't seem to have much of a problem spraying a white face coat, but when I try with gray it is just a mess. Thoughts anyone?

[Alla Linetsky]

I stopped using grey two years ago. The quality is far too sketchy to rely on it. White is much better quality-controlled, and is just a better product.

[april brooks]

I have had the opposite problem. The white portland around here is always nightmarish!

[George Wert, Concrete Revealed]

Funny, I was just thinking about this today. Back when I waxed (concrete) I always found it much harder to get a nice even shine with the gray. I would have chalked it up to lack of talent or technique but I seemed to do fine with the white.

[Eric Maier]

I always have the best luck spraying a 50/50 mix of white and gray. When I spray 100% white, I have a problem with it spraying.

[Alla Linetsky]

I think it depends on the manufacturer of white cement. I'm lucky to have Federal White readily available (and locally produced) - it seems to be the best. The only problem I've had with it once had to do with underfilled bags - around 80 lbs instead of the promised 88. Seemed to be only one production batch.

[jschuler]

I fully agree with Alla,

It really isn't the color of the Portland, it is the manufacturer. Since I have started testing our materials, Federal White, is spot on. I now use Federal as the standard to test all of our pieces to. We have tried a few others and they just were crap compared to Federal.

We have tested a few Grays as well, the Basalite....terrible. Buzzi Gray has been the clear winner in the Grays. I also have some Riverside Gray I have not tested yet...but many guys like it and swear by it.

So, just to let everyone know....all Portland is NOT the same Portland. We found that out for sure. Like everyone....we took for granted Portland was Portland....big mistake. We paid for it too many times, so now we test all our materials before we move forward with any change in Portland cement in our mixes.

[Rich Holschuh]

I used Trinity White for years and struggled with it tremendously (wetcasting even...) - never realized it was the port - I thought it was just me... Now I have Federal White and everything has stabilized to an amazing degree. My gray, regionally produced from Dragon in Maine, is just fine as far as behaving for me, but a Grace admix salesman tells me it is one of the most alkaline in the country - have yet to research exactly what the implications of that may be... I believe it requires slightly higher doses of some admixes...

[Christian Lotte COUNTERINTUITIVE]

Rich, interesting, I am still using Trinity White Port by Lafarge. What sort of struggles did you go through (maybe I am too new to really notice major differences)? What kind of improvement did you see/can I expect from switching to Federal White? I am still wet casting, but I am contemplating the move to GFRC.

Lafarge Cements are easy to get for me, the only problem I have seen (and I will blame my masonry supply) is the occasional bag that has drawn moisture. I send those back.

Thanks, Christian

[Rich Holschuh]

I can't specifically say that it was the manufacturer's shortfall with the performance of the LaFarge Trinity White - it may very well have been a problem of old stock and a supplier issue. I would often get lumpy sacks (and would return them when I caught them in time), but I suspect strongly that a lot of the inventory was just past its best shelf life, the supply chain being too long and the turnover too slow from low volume - we are very rural here.. Having said that and as mentioned in this thread, portland can vary widely from plant to plant and label to label. Not only in batching ingredients and processing procedure, but clinker grinding, particle modulus, etc. It has become an axiom in the biz that I can't tell you how to mix my concrete, because yours is very different by default to varying suppliers and locations.
My main prblem was horrible segregation with my white mixes but not my grays. That has vanished now with the change to Federal, from a different supplier. So it's hard to nail down, but I have my suspicions...

[Christian Lotte COUNTERINTUITIVE]

Good point. I have noticed segregation, but largely when making White Concrete. So far I have blamed it on superplasticizing properties of large quantities of White Pigment in my mix. Most other colors, when using Trinity White Portland, have been ok in the mix.

I was curious to see if you, or anyone else, has notice large shade differences in their colored concrete from batch to batch with Trinity White.

[Rich Holschuh]

Not really any shade differences with Trinity White. I always stick with the same cement source with any particular job, of course, to ensure the same; sometimes my suppliers have changed horses on me in the middle of the stream and that is not nice. Reliable sourcing is a constant headache - I waste more time chasing material around - one very good reason I avoid HD like the plague - much too fickle.