Skip to content

cementby.com

Author: Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak

Concrete does not fail because of the concrete. It fails because the ground underneath was wrong, the weather was wrong, or somebody added water on site to make life easier. I write about the sub-base, the curing and the joints — the three things nobody photographs and everybody skips. Forty-three years of pours taught me that the pour itself is the easy part and the hour before it decides everything.
  • Home
  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • Page 11
Getting Flow Without Losing Strength
8 min 0
  • Concrete

Getting Flow Without Losing Strength

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 30, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood on a site, watching some lad…
Read More
The Complete Guide to Repointing
12 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Repointing

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 30, 2026
I was standing on a driveway in Surrey last Tuesday, looking at a wall that…
Read More
One Datum Everyone Works From
8 min 0
  • Groundwork

One Datum Everyone Works From

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 29, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a lad try to set out…
Read More
Why Slabs Lift Without a Primer
8 min 0
  • Paving

Why Slabs Lift Without a Primer

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 27, 2026
I remember standing on a driveway in Surrey back in ’98, watching a lad pour…
Read More
Telling Condensation From Ingress
8 min 0
  • Masonry

Telling Condensation From Ingress

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 26, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood in a client’s kitchen, watching them…
Read More
Admixtures Instead of Extra Water
7 min 0
  • Concrete

Admixtures Instead of Extra Water

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 25, 2026
I remember standing on a site in the pouring rain back in ’94, watching a…
Read More
Squaring Up With Diagonals
11 min 0
  • Groundwork

Squaring Up With Diagonals

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 22, 2026
I remember standing on a site in ’94, watching a young lad pull his tapes…
Read More
Full Mortar Bed and Slurry Primer
11 min 0
  • Paving

Full Mortar Bed and Slurry Primer

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 21, 2026
I remember standing on a job in Surrey ten years ago, looking at a client’s…
Read More
Water Driven Through a South-west Wall
8 min 0
  • Masonry

Water Driven Through a South-west Wall

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 21, 2026
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stood in a customer’s hallway, listening to…
Read More
The Complete Guide to Mortar
8 min 0
  • Guides

The Complete Guide to Mortar

  • Bartosz Achterberg-Nowak
  • March 20, 2026
I’ve spent forty-three years watching lads buy the most expensive bagged mixes on the market,…
Read More

Posts pagination

Previous 1 … 10 11 12 … 17 Next

Recent Posts

  • The Complete Guide to Foundations
  • Ewi Detailing Around Openings
  • Laps, Spacers and Getting Cover Right
  • Gabions Where Drainage Matters More Than Looks
  • Weeds Grow in the Joints, Not Through the Base

Recent Comments

No comments to show.
Copyright © 2026 cementby.com Theme: Glowing Blog By Adore Themes.