On Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:28:42 -0500, dadiOH wrote:
If you are buying concrete, why do you want sand and rock?
I'm not sure if I'm using the words right.
I'm getting rather confused here.
You want something to hold it to the slab, right?
That something is mortar. Could be Type N mortar...
could be Type S mortar...could be thinset

In another thread, I confused everyone by being wholly ignorant about the
terms concrete vs cement vs mortar vs grout.

So how's this first pass at clarifying:

Cement -- aka "Portland cement" - it's the sticky gray glue.
Lime -- aka white "hydrated lime" - prevents sand & cement separation.
Sand -- mixed with cement - I think it gives strength to cement.
Mortar -- cement + lime + (rough) sand (rougher mix for stone & brick)
Grout -- cement + lime + (smoother) sand (finer mixture for tile)
Concrete: -- cement + lime + sand + gravel (courser mixture)