Try looking in the yellow pages for concrete suppliers, then phone around. I find the white is approx twice the cost of the grey here in Canada.At the suppliers you should be able to find some colorants, or Home depot or Revy, Home Hardware.
Cindy

Here in Western Washington I get white portland at Mutual Materials--they're also a source for lathe. It costs @ $21 a bag. Like Cindy says, phone around because some carry it and some don't. They told me it's because it has a short shelf-life. Also, it's a good idea to call to save yourself the embarrassment of explaining at every single masonry supply house why you want just one bag of white portland. For some reason, those folks think we're a little nutty...

Deb

I have a bag, do you know what the shelf life is Deb ??
Thanks.

I thought White Portland was made/manufactured in Canada? I get mine from the Ready Mix Company near us.
Paws

I got mine from a local Ace Hardware/Building Supply store. When I got that 90 lb. bag home and opened, I found it had HUGE chunks in it. (The store has an open shed for all their building materials and I live in a moist part of the country.) I took it back and they kindly replaced it with a good bag from another store.) I keep it in my basement and it's still fine. Wish I could find it in smaller bags though.

If you have trouble finding a source for white Portland, try checking with the nearest swimming pool builder. They usually go through a lot of it and are willing to pass on their suppliers names.

The size of your bags is interesting. In Ireland (and it's probably a European regulation) you can no longer buy cement in those larger bags that used to be the standard. The bags are approx. half the size now, 25kg. I think it's a Health & Safety thing, the larger bags are considered too heavy for safe lifting.

Lighter bags sounds pretty sensible to me. I'm consistently seeing people lifting more than what I think is appropriate.

I was just out at the local Rona, here in Vancouver, BC. They had white cement on the shelf for about $25CAN (unless I'm mistaken; lots of bags of lots of stuff).

cheers,

Sean

Hey,Sean..just got my white from a dealer on Boundary,paid about the same price.They turn their stock over approx. every two weeks,so,I know it's fresh and untainted by moisture.If you can,check out Pacific West Systems Supply Ltd,at 604-293-1741.They've also got grey,at 8.90/bag.
As for our friend in Ireland-you guys must be hernia-free.My silica flour comes in same size bags that you're referring to;a LOT easier to deal with.
As to our need for storing in other containers,well,it prolongs the shelf life,particularly when you spend the aforementioned kind of money for white,go 2.5 hours to your home,crack it open,and the sucker develops lumps because of the damp weather when you don't use it all right away.Since I only use about 7.5 pounds per pour,i want it to last!!!!
Cheers from here

Hi Rick,

I have been over to Pacific West, it was a lead that I got from an old post of yours seen while searching.

btw. do you ever go over to Target? I had the strangest reception over there a couple of days ago. In their office; I was more or less lectured by some guy who appeared when he overheard the phrase "silica fume". He really took exception to the fact that I was considering trying it out; adamant that it was not at all suitable (in spite of not knowing what I'd be doing). When I said, "well, I do know someone who is using the material", he said, "well, maybe you should buy it from him!?!". What kind of a thing is that to say? I was kind of flabbergasted. A total contrast to the last place that I'd been, Kenroc, which was super-friendly and helpful; two thumbs up. Anyhow, I gave up Target for a lost cause at that point, and went home. I may go back, but not to the office; apparently I was in the wrong part of the compound. I definitely don't want to deal with 'man o'concrete' again. Honestly, you had to be there; it was like a really bad cartoon. Aye caramba.

cheers,

Sean

Sean-it's been a while but I think I got my SF from Universal in Burnaby,near Brentwood Mall.As for Target,shame on them!I do use them for my coloured sands(which I can get shipped in to my local Curtis Lumber)but,I always got a weird vibe when I went there,too.SF,and metakaolin are regularly used by concrete artists(think Andrew Goss in Ontario,and his jewellry)in search of better mixes.the flat out that you got at Target makes me rethink my going there,I'll get it at Universal,or order thru my local.
Cheers

I wasn't going to post about that, but yeah, it was odd : )
"it's sticky!!", "it's water greedy!", "it shrinks!", "it'll crack!", "it's for shotcrete, it's for shotcrete", "and ... it'll make your concrete black!". Not necessarily the opinions, but the delivery.

I actually phoned Universal that AM. They at least knew what I was asking about, but couldn't help.

No worries though, I have lots to occupy myself. Maybe that was the universe's way of saying, "hold on dude, get the baby step stuff out of the way first!".

And it is (pretty much) a full moon. I've seen some odd behaviour in the last week ; )

cheers,

Sean

Don't know what final evaluation will be but I've tried something that may help those looking for white portland. I tried stucco finish coat instead of portland and it appears to be working ok. Nice and white unless you add peat or vermiculite (sp?). Used it for some leaf casting and came out smelling like a rose so far. Appears to have the same strength etc. as portland based mix. Am going to try and sift out the aggerate (small as it is) to see if I can get an even smoother finish. Still used the fortifier and fiberglass. Will re-post if the whole thing falls apart or if I find something about it not to my liking.
Packrat

Although the strange reception at Target...some facts you may want to know. "FEDERAL" brand White Cement is distributed throughout western Canada by...Target. So even though your purchase of White Cement or Silica Fume may be at Universal or Pac West or local Curtis Lumber,... originally it came from Target. Suggestion is to continue puchasing from Universal Concrete or National Concrete as Target is large manufacturer that is not set up for small retail sales. Probably why you recieved unwelcome response about your inquiry. As for lumps... White Cement is notorious for lumps...and not a lot you can do other than continue screening material and remove. This from years of decorative concrete work. Target is not the bad place you make them out to be. Found a young sales guy in their decorative concrete division who was very helpful, sorry I can't remember name. Must of got someone on a bad day and had too many inquiries to want to answer your questions...

I keep my cement in a contractor's garbage bag (thicker than regular) in a Rubbermaid trashcan with a closed lid. It has kept well for a couple of years now - and my basement is wet (frogs and salamanders).

I finally found white portland at a Masonry Supply store. I found white sand at a different one. Home Depot's cement colors are expensive and dull. I bought some iron oxides (red, yellow, black and brown), chromium oxide (strong green) and titanium (white) at a ceramic supply.

I did have a gorgeous blue from the Masonry Supply store, but it was special order and not as light-fast as I had hoped. I'm trying at swimming pool places. I have not found a good, true red - just a sort of brick color.

I have not found a good place to buy silica flour.

Lightfast cement colours are basically only stable, non-toxic, insoluble, cheap oxides and carbonates; and coloured rocks (dolerite/road metal might be a starting point for blue). There aren't too many of these. Yellow and red are iron oxides (rust), black is either iron oxide or carbon. Blue might be cobalt oxide, but that is toxic. Green is Chromium(III) oxide, and slightly toxic.

Has anyone tried using ultramarine as a pigment yet? You can buy it from soap hobbiest shops. It is very lightfast and stable in alkaline conditions (not in acid though).

The colours used in acrylic based paints are usually organic dyes, which are not lightfast in UV.

I keep my cement in a contractor's garbage bag (thicker than regular) in a Rubbermaid trashcan with a closed lid. It has kept well for a couple of years now - and my basement is wet (frogs and salamanders).

I finally found white portland at a Masonry Supply store. I found white sand at a different one. Home Depot's cement colors are expensive and dull. I bought some iron oxides (red, yellow, black and brown), chromium oxide (strong green) and titanium (white) at a ceramic supply.

I did have a gorgeous blue from the Masonry Supply store, but it was special order and not as light-fast as I had hoped. I'm trying at swimming pool places. I have not found a good, true red - just a sort of brick color.

I have not found a good place to buy silica flour.

where in kenya can i get JK white cement at a cheap price. reply on mys email. sgtkalou@yahoo.com

Anyone know how to get white Portland in Utah

Some marble and tile places will stock white portland cement in the big bags.

And you can call your local in ground swimming pool contractors and they should be able to tell you who supplies them with it.

They have a quarry "or whatever its called" in Waco texas, so you should be able to find it in the Dallas and Houston areas.

Does anyone know where to get white portland cement in Brooklyn? And where to get other concrete related products like glass fibers, etc?

Federal White Portland Cement Type 1 can be purchased online at Fishstone,

Federal White Portland sold at Fishstone online

This is an old post but a frequent question - Ian Pink - Look in the phone book for cement delivery. They should also have retail store, and they will sell the bags of white Portland. In my area white Portland is about $2 more per bag.

My god, it's funny how there's so many comments of rants on how everyone is a know it all, but not answering the actual question.

Im doing a pool plaster and my white portland cement turns a slight grey when its wet, but the existing white plaster that the previous owner had done stays white when wet. What am I doing wrong? And yes Im mixing it with marble dust.