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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 […]
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 […]
Kamp C, the Westerlo-based provincial Centre for Sustainability and Innovation in construction, is the world’s first to 3-D print a house. They printed this house using the largest 3D concrete printer in Europe. The 90-square metre dwelling was printed in one piece with a fixed printer. This is a world […]
With the new social distancing protocol in full swing and people choosing to stay home rather than going out, backyard living areas are all the rage in New Orleans and beyond. And now, edge forms are taking backyard living above and beyond. “Outdoor living is really hot,” says Dan Lynch, […]
All concrete cracks, but still it’s the most used paving material in the world. Why does it crack? And what steps can you take when preparing for concrete cracks? For those of us in the industry, we know why but explaining that to an owner who just paid a bunch […]
Crystalline silica refers to a naturally occurring class of minerals found in a wide variety of rock. This mineral occurs naturally in virtually all sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks including granodiorites, rhyolites and granites. Its most common form is quartz, which is the second most abundant mineral harvested from the […]
The first step to creating and processing a scratch-free polished concrete floor is to start by cleaning the floor you’re about to grind, hone and polish. Make sure the grinder is clean. This includes the bottom of the machine, the skirt and the diamonds. Inspect the surfaces of the diamonds […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought much more than illness to our nation. Many changes have happened throughout every state in the U.S. because of the coronavirus. Adapting your business during COVID-19 is as important as ever. Changes and adaptations can include things like masks, social distancing and permanent business closures. […]
The aesthetics of polished concrete is often one of the primary reasons why it’s chosen as the finished flooring on many projects. The material’s natural beauty expressed through varying aggregate reveals, the color of the cement binder and the clarity of the polished surface makes it a singularly unique flooring […]
Proper diamond tools for polishing concrete is essential to getting it right. Choose the starting diamond grit and tooling segment configuration based on what’s best to achieve the job’s appearance objective. If there wasn’t one given, go with the random aggregate configuration. Objective # 1 Random aggregate (doesn’t matter what […]
