World of Concrete is once again on a roll.
The 2019 show marked the 44th time World of Concrete has taken place. It topped the charts as the largest show in more than a decade. The annual extravaganza for the concrete and masonry industries worldwide attracted 60,511 registered professionals. There were also more than 1,500 companies that exhibited across some 776,800 square feet in the vast reaches of the Las Vegas Convention Center tin January 2019.
For the third consecutive year, Decorative Concrete LIVE! occupied exhibit space in the Silver Lot across from the main entrance to the South Hall. A steady stream of visitors came by to see the ongoing demonstrations put on by artisans from around the country to display how an increasingly energy-minded society can benefit from the power of concrete. Concrete Decor magazine, the Concrete Decor RoadShow and a host of sponsoring partners sponsor Decorative Concrete LIVE!
Here is a small sample of the many tools, products and machinery that caught the eyes of Concrete Decor staff.
Machinery
CPS
Weighing in at 1,100 pounds, the G-320XHD grinder from CPS offers the operator more torque and more power with 200 extra pounds of head pressure than the 320D Pro. The machine also offers the versatility of using it from initial removal to fine-grit polishing.
From CPS’s new chemical line, the star of the show was CPS Armor DSQ, or D-Squared. A high-solids, pore-lining, penetrating densifier, it hardens and protects against dusting. It also has no VOCs and is code compliant in all 50 states.
www.go2cps.com
Superabrasive
Superabrasive, the maker of Lavina equipment for concrete grinding and polishing, launched its Elite series, a totally new generation of machines. The new series includes electric and propane-powered grinders from 20 up to 38 inches wide. There are also two remote-controlled models and an array of new features to make your grinding and polishing jobs easier and safer. Integrated weights, misting system, phone-charging station, cup holder and LED lights are just a few of the improvements.
www.superabrasive.us
Husqvarna
Husqvarna promoted the advantages of its Hipertrowel system paired with a ride-on power trowel of your choosing. Designed for jobs 5,000 square feet and up with large open areas that are relatively level, they can polish up to 10,000 square feet a day of new or existing concrete. In six or so steps, you can produce a shiny salt-and-pepper or glossy satin finish perfect for industrial floors.
www.husqvarna.com/us
HTC
If you’re in the market for something smaller, HTC unveiled its 450, 400 and 280 grinders with corresponding vacuums that are great little machines for garage floors. They easily break down into two pieces and can fit in something as compact as an SUV.
www.htc-floorsystems.com
NewGrind
The big and bad Rhino RXL 1000 grinder from NewGrind is made to handle large commercial jobs yet is designed to fit through a standard 3-foot-wide door. With its six 11-inch counter-rotating tool plates, it’s always cross-cutting for faster production and can grind floors within 5/16 inch of a wall. To reduce operator fatigue, it’s self-propelled. Another plus is that it can run on as little as 30 amps@208.
www.newgrind.com
Graco
Scheduled to launch this spring, the Graco T-Max 6912 is a texture sprayer that consists of a pump module and a plastic hopper that easily and quickly separates and reconnects without any tools. The convenient machine, which reportedly rolls around like a shopping cart, can be used to spray aggregate-based materials on building exteriors or smooth compounds on inside walls. Depending on the job, it can be operated airless or air-assisted.
www.graco.com
Blastrac
Blastrac displayed a prototype under development of BMR-25P, a ride-on shot blaster with interchangeable heads that can be converted into a scarifier. The two-in-one machine, which also comes with a HEPA vacuum, will hit the market this summer.
www.blastrac.com
Maverick Surface Preparations
Maverick Surface Preparations developed the new Ravage Pro to be an on-board generator for the company’s line of surface prep machines. The patent-pending machine, which has a display screen and a front view camera, converts an electric Maverick grinder into a propane-powered one. When there are multiple tasks that require multiple equipment at the same site, the Ravage Pro can be disassembled. You ca. then remove it from the grinder and place it on a mobile wheel cart for portable power.
www.mavericksurfacepreparations.com
Accessories
Granquartz
Designed to be used between metal and resin pads, Surface Pro Black Magic Transition Pads from GranQuartz help scratches disappear quicker while polishing. The transitional pads can be used to polish wet or dry.
www.granquartz.com
Butterfiled Colors
Among its wares, Butterfield Colors, a Sika brand, displayed its new Woodplank urethane mold, a 40-by-60-inch mold used to cast a table. The mold also comes in a slate version.
www.butterfieldcolor.com
Solomon Colors/Brickform
Over at Solomon Colors/Brickform, the new mold everyone was talking about was the single-piece Stone Faced 2-Inch Cantilevered Step Liner designed for cast concrete stairs. The yet-to-be-released polyurethane step liner, which measures 2-by-5½ inches, will soon join the company’s line of textured natural stone tools to make an installer’s job easier.
www.solomoncolors.com
Trimaco
Trimaco rolled out a residential version of SuperTuff at the show, a reusable floor protector with a rubber no-slip back. It’s absorbent and slip resistant, and a great choice for protecting floors and counters while you’re working on something else.
www.trimaco.com
Carhartt
Carrhartt, a company that’s been making workwear since 1889, debuted it Carhartt Company Gear program that caters to making durable uniforms for companies that need everything from pants for a crew of 20 to head-to-toe uniforms for the entire business. In addition to its recognized styles that have been around for decades, a Rugged Professional Series that includes nine styles for men and women was launched.
www.carhartt.com
Elite Plastiform
Alongside artisans demonstrating various products and techniques at Decorative Concrete LIVE!, Elite Plastiform displayed one of its newest additions to its form offerings. Visitors got a glimpse of an adjustable wall and column form that uses a cam system to lock it in place. The forms can be stacked to build walls or columns of varying dimensions. There are also similar forms available for pillars.
www.eliteplastiform.com
Tools
Metabo
At the Metabo exhibit, SDS combination hammers for drilling and chiseling continued to be in the limelight, with a 2 1/16-inch version leading the way as the largest hammer on the market. These brushless hammers, also available in 1 3/4 and 1 9/16-inch models, promise to be low on the maintenance side and fast in the drilling department.
www.metabo.com
Dewalt
Developed for formwork, the Flexvolt 60 rotary hammer is touted by DeWalt to be the most powerful cordless 2-inch brushless SDS Max combination hammer in the industry. With seven speed selections, it’s great for chipping or drilling and can drill into hard concrete as well as through 2-by-4s. When paired with a 20V Max universal dust extractor, this hammer does the job dust-free.
www.dewalt.com
Makita
Makita’s XAG21 cordless grinder with vacuum attachment uses Bluetooth connectivity to further today’s wireless workplace experience with state-of-the-art power-on/power-off communication. Thanks to the company’s Auto-Start Wireless System, the vacuum/dust extractor only runs when the grinder is grinding.
www.makitatools.com
Bosch Tools
The Core 18V battery from Bosch boosts the power offered by its predecessor and is redesigned to keep more heat away from the tool it’s powering for optimal performance. It offers more runtime, can be recharged faster and is compatible with old and new 18V Bosch tools. This battery answers the need for stronger, longer-lasting batteries in applications where corded tools had to be used because cordless versions couldn’t deliver.
www.boschtools.com
Coatings, sealers and related products
Kryton
Kryton launched an improved waterproofing product, Krystol T1. Now available in white as well as the original gray, it does the job with a single-coat that looks so good you don’t have to paint over it. It can be brushed or sprayed on with a hopper gun and is a good choice for basements or underground parking garages.
www.kryton.com
W.R. Meadows
When natural is the look you’re going for, Decra-Seal from W.R. Meadows could be the penetrating sealer for the job. Specifically formulated for the decorative concrete market, it will not only help with freeze/thaw issues but will ever so slightly enhance the color of the surface.
www.wrmeadows.com
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Franmar
Now packaged in aerosol cans, Franmar’s Blue Bear asphalt remover and graffiti remover for hard surfaces and porous surfaces just got more convenient. The cans are easy to access, pack and store. They also can withstand wide temperature fluctuations.
www.franmar.com
Clemons Concrete Coatings
For patios and stamped areas where clients want a high-gloss finish, Clemons Concrete Coatings has developed Supreme Shield Gloss, a hybrid penetrating sealer. In addition to giving the surface a nonplastic “wet look,” the proprietary silane blend enhances the color and protects against freeze/thaw conditions. It’s available in three different formulas to comply with VOC restrictions throughout the U.S.
www.ccc-usa.com
Buddy Rhodes
Buddy Rhodes Vertical Mix is touted to be 30 percent lighter than other cement-based overlays and can be carved, sculpted or stamped. Its zero-slump qualities make it an ideal product for creating everything from zoo and aquarium displays to public sculptures and themed environments. Tested and certified E-84 Class-A flame resistant with no VOCs, you can safely use the new carvable concrete to build large, lightweight, thin structures at a more affordable price.
www.buddyrhodes.com
Westcoat
In response to the increased demand for wood-looking concrete for patios and entryways, Westcoat has added a new finish to its popular Texture Crete line. Westcoat created this with a textural cement-based mix and grout tape rather than stamps. You can use Texture Crete Wood Finish to simulate traditional deck materials such as cedar, redwood or composites.
www.westcoat.com
Quikrete
Quikrete has come up with a Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer, a blend of portland cement, graded sand, polymer resins and other additives that adhere to the old concrete by forming a bond that’s four times stronger than concrete itself. As a result, it’s easier and faster to transform a deteriorated concrete surface into a durable, long-lasting sidewalk, driveway or patio at a fraction of the price to replace it. Applicators apply it with either a squeegee, trowel or brush.
www.quikrete.com
Tri-Shield
Tri-Shield is a timesaving decorative product from Nox-crete. It combines a deep-penetrating silane with an acrylic polymer to form a sealer that cures, seals, repels water and protects against stains all in one fell swoop. You can use it on new or existing exterior horizontal surfaces where you desire a wet look.
www.nox-crete.com
Synpro Products
To remove grease and dirt before polishing, try Agua-Cut to help break the surface tension and get to the exposed aggregate in record time. This new environmentally friendly product from SynPro is acid-free, noncorrosive and biodegradable, and will help save wear on your diamonds.
www.synproproducts.com
Laticrete
If you’re looking for a product to integrate with a cove, Spartacote Vertical WB from Laticrete is a urethane coating system designed for commercial spaces, educational institutions and health care facilities. You can brush it, roll it or spray it on and comes in a glossy or matte finish. Also introduced at the show was Vapor Ban Primer ER, a two-part epoxy moisture mitigation system from Laticrete that cures in three hours. This all-in-one moisture vapor barrier and primer can save a step in the coating process while delivering extra protection against moisture. You can color it or broadcast over it with chips or quartz.
www.laticrete.com
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Mapei
Contractors have found new uses for Mapei’s Concrete Renew, a polymer-modified cementitious material that gives old concrete a facelift. Instead of brooming the product on floors, they’re using it vertically with stencils and for knockdown finishes with great results. In other developments, Mapei extended its Elastocolor line. It now includes an alkaline-resistant primer that protects against high pH levels and a high-build, textured coating that’s a perfect choice for irregular substrates.
www.mapei.com
McKinnon Materials
Although the product was officially launched last year, WB Epoxy Primer from McKinnon Materials was once again spotlighted. The prized primer is graced with an indefinite pot life (even if left in an open bucket) and a fast dry time (two hours and it’s good). These attributes, according to its maker, make it one of those things that you don’t know how it works but you’re glad it does.
www.mckinnonmaterials.com
CTS Cement Manufacturing
CTS Cement Manufacturing has expanded its professional grade cement line with the addition of Rapid Set Tru SP, a self-leveling topping that can be ground and polished for a salt-and-pepper finish. Available in both natural and gray, the architectural topping is workable for up to 20 minutes and is ready for foot traffic in two to three hours.
www.ctscement.com
Dur-A-Flex
Eco-Fast from Dur-A-Flex is one system that does it all. It starts with an epoxy blend with a 20-minute working time. This self-priming, self-leveling and moisture-mitigating layer is then broadcast with a single application of chips or quartz and covered with a clear topcoat. That’s it; high-performance seamless floor free of Red-List materials is complete.
www.dur-a-flex.com
Stone Edge Surfaces
A perfect product for a big job because it’s so economical, Stone Edge Surface’s Pro Wall AddPak is a high-strength, lightweight, polymer designed to mix with Type S mortar to produce a custom concrete veneer on vertical surfaces. You can install it up to 5-inches thick but the tpyical application is between ½ and 1-inch thick and stamped, textured, hand-carved and colored to resemble natural stone.
www.stoneedgesurfaces.com
New Smart Logger Can Be Your Eyes
To show how both ambient temperature and relative humidity can be monitored, Wagner Meters displayed its newest device, the Smart Logger, at World of Concrete 2019. The monitoring device, when paired with the free Smart Logger app, can serve as your around-the-clock eyes on a job site.
Small and lightweight, you can easily mount the logger just about anywhere. It will collect and store up to 12,000 readings of ambient temperature and RH over a period of up to 300 days.
You can quickly and wirelessly download the collected data to a mobile device via Bluetooth. You can then email a report to the general contractor or client.
According to Jason Spangler, Wagner Meters’ flooring division manager, a few advantages of using the Smart Logger include:
- Saving time and money by reducing the need to visit a job site just to monitor ambient conditions.
- Reducing your liability and avoiding “the blame game” with documented monitoring of job site conditions.
- Providing a visible reminder to the GC and others to maintain service conditions.
- Using the latest technology to ensure successful outcomes.
To record ambient conditions in case a flooring issue arises in the future, Spangler advises, you can leave the device behind after the job is completed. Time-stamped documentation will show if job site conditions have deviated from serviceable at any time during the monitoring process.
Spangler recommends to always test for moisture prior to applying coatings, sealants or other products to the surface of a concrete slab.
“The in situ RH test method is recommended for its accuracy and reliability,” he says. “When testing, be sure the job site meets service conditions per ASTM F2170.”
The free Smart Logger app is available at both the Apple Store and Google Play.
www.wagnermeters.com
