Polishing concrete on the surface (ha-ha) seems reasonably straightforward. Buy the right equipment, attach diamond tooling, turn on the equipment and “mow” the concrete. Do this one row at a time and repeat with finer grits. How hard can this be? Well, that just might be the first problem. How […]
June 2021 – Online Exclusive
Concrete Artisan Designs Floors to Disappear During Photo Shoots
Can you install flawless floors that will completely disappear with the click of a camera? That was the quest Nike recently presented to NEx Systems of Stockton, California. The company, in turn, tasked concrete artisan Adrian Henry and his talented team with the Nike studio job. Besides sporting a bright-white […]
Ultra Durable Technologies Adds New Member to its List of Distributors
Ultra Durable Technologies (UDT) has entered into a strategic agreement with United Surface Preparation (USP) that makes USP an authorized distributor of its innovative concrete coatings. United Surface Preparation is a leading specialty industrial distributor with a national reach. Headquartered in Anoka, Minnesota, with a second location in Tampa, Florida, […]
Understanding Chemical Treatments for Polished Concrete Will Boost Business
In 2013, I introduced nine categories of polished concrete treatments at the Concrete Decor Show. Since then, some have ignored these nine categories of chemical treatments, while others have used them as game-changers. Today, commonly used treatments consist of densifiers/hardeners, grout and joint-fillers, and stain protection guards. In addition to […]
Metallics and Epoxy Mix to Create Elegance, Movement and Depth
When asked what he likes most about McKinnon Materials’ Aurora metallics, the answer came quickly to Advanced Epoxy’s Ryan Stowell. “Its elegance,” says the Wichita, Kansas, company owner. “The final look is at the top of the line with any flooring choice.” Stowell has used the metallic epoxy dust floor […]
Rework: Is it an investment or unnecessary cost?
When I’m wearing my teaching/training hat, I’m known to say, “when you go back for rework, you just forfeited your profit.” But recently, an owner required one of my polisher/clients to do some rework on a polishing job. Consequently, during our conversation, I saw another angle. I had thought of […]
Rotary or planetary grinder:
Which will you choose?
Whether you use a rotary (left) or a planetary (right) grinder to get the job done largely relies on personal preference. Both types of machines can handle light and heavy-duty grinding jobs of any size. Photos courtesy of Zanchettin Brothers Terrazzo & Tile Co. (left) and Superabrasive (right). Jobs always […]
You Can Wet-cut While Grinding and Honing Concrete
I venture to guess that most of the floor-covering installers reading this tip don’t consider “grinding or honing wet” an option when bidding polished concrete. I don’t blame you. In the floor covering industry, the idea of adding water to the concrete sounds crazy. Most of the time, you already […]
UDT Launches New Mil Thickness/Coverage Rate Calculators
Ultra Durable Technologies (UDT) prides itself in its ability to “find the need and fill it.” Putting this concept into practice, UDT has recently launched two new coverage rate calculators on the company website. One is for wet mil thickness and one for dry mil thickness. These free-to-use tools have […]
Car Enthusiast’s Garage Floor Gets Glowing Results
After graduating from college, Evan Shanks knew his true calling reached far beyond a nine-to-five desk job. In 2012, he took a leap of faith and started his career as an automotive YouTuber. His goal was to be a positive influence while showing the ups and downs of building and […]