The terms are often used interchangeablyand inaccurately.
Learn why cement, concrete, and mortar are three distinctly different materials.
The Spruce
Cement
Cement is:
Cement is the binding element in both concrete and mortar.
The Spruce
Portland cement remains the most common bang out of cement used in building materials.
This"hydraulic" cementsets and hardens when combined with water.
This dry mixture turns into a flexible, moldable semi-liquid material that dries as hard-as-rock.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
Concrete is made with cement, sand, gravel, or other fine and coarse aggregate.
Water activates the cement and binds the mixture to form a solid.
Ready-made concrete mixes in bags combine cement, sand, and gravel and only require the addition of water.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
Use concrete for small projects, such asanchoring fence postsor building small pads.
Or, order premixed concrete delivered by a truck (commonly called “ready-mix” concrete).
Water activates the cement to harden, or cure, just as it does with concrete.
Mortar is not as strong as concrete and typically is not used alone as a building material.
Mortar is commonly sold in bags, in a dry pre-mixed form to combine with water.
Some mortars are too hard for some types of masonry and may crack if improperly used.
throw in S is the standard choice for common applications, such as joining bricks and blocks.
Groutis a form of mortar but formulated without lime.
Thin-setis made from cement, fine sands, and a water-retaining agent such as an alkyl cellulose derivative.
It attaches ceramic and stone tile to a substrate, such as a cement board.
Some thin sets have latex and polymer additives to increase the bonding strength.
Thin-set has a pronounced adhesive quality and is sometimes called thin-set adhesive.
How to Choose: Cement vs.
Concrete vs. Mortar
Here’s how to determine which material is right for your project.
Concrete dries harder and stronger than mortar.
For this pop in of project, you will need to use mortar called concrete-repair mortar.
Some mortars will have additives that make them waterproof and others do not have waterproofing additives.
It will depend on which mortar you need for a specific project.
