ASTM has established a new standard for glass pozzolans, ASTM C1866/C1866M-20, that covers two chemistries of glass, soda lime and E glass. Soda lime, which is used to make bottles and windows, is called Type GS. The other chemistry is E glass, made from glass fiber used for reinforcements, called […]
July 2020 – Online Exclusive
Mohs Testing Will Save Time, Money and Frustration
In an earlier concrete polishing tip, I mentioned there are many options when choosing diamond tooling configurations and grit levels. Now we’re going to learn about another variable to consider, the Mohs testing for polished concrete. Today, we’ll learn how to match a diamond tool’s metal bond to the concrete […]
Things to Know About High-speed Burnishing
When used optimally, a high-speed burnisher can be useful during many phases of a polished concrete project especially while high-speed burnishing. Most people who own a high-speed burnisher or do I speed burnishing don’t know that the back wheels that touch the floor should be in the most set-back hole. […]
A Win Pin:
Land more decorative concrete work with Pinterest ads
Pinterest has become one of the largest visual search engines. Its user base consists of people searching for images and looking for just about everything including fashion, food, home decor, wedding ideas and also home projects. Using Pinterest ads can be a huge boost to your lead generation. In 2019, […]
Keeping a Natural Enemy at Bay:
3 Ways to Protect Concrete from Water
Concrete has been used as a strong, durable building material for thousands of years, dating back to many ancient concrete structures still standing today. Yet, it has one fundamental enemy it can’t escape — water. As an uptick in humidity and rainstorms wash across many regions of the country this […]
The Domino Effect:
Time is Money
As we all know, polishing concrete requires a bunch of steps done in a specific sequence. Much like a domino chain, the cumulative effect produced when one event transitions smoothly into the next creates momentum and productivity persists. When the sequence is disrupted — whether major or minor — the […]
Barn to be Styled:
Metallic Epoxy in a Rustic Barn
Recently, I received a call from a potential customer who had just bought a home and a barn was part of the deal. The barn was quite old and unique, to say the least. The customers wanted me to install metallic epoxy in a rustic barn floor to match the […]
Pick and Choose:
A Metallic Epoxy Floor of Another Color
People ask me from time to time how many colors they should pick for their metallic epoxy floor. They also ask which ones I’d recommend when choosing metallic epoxy colors. I have 72 colors to choose from, so picking the right colors can be difficult. For some, such a large […]
Was enough densifier/hardener applied to the polished concrete slab?
Densifiers and hardeners for polished concrete are either alkali metal silicates or colloidal silica. When you apply the densifier of choice to concrete and it absorbs into the polished concrete slab, the silicate reacts with the free lime (excess calcium hydroxide) and forms calcium silicate hydrate (CSH gel). This reaction […]
Shrinkage-compensating Cement Concrete Can Optimize Performance and Sustainability
Sustainability in concrete is a driving force in today’s built environment. To guide and organize the efforts, a robust collection of initiatives include the LEED program, the International Green Code Council and the Cement Sustainability Initiative, to name a few. Their goal is to improve ecological stewardship practices and minimize […]