Having attended World of Concrete a bunch of times, I have never failed to find something new — a tool, product, or technique that inspires me to go home, put on the rubber boots and gloves and play in the mud. This year it was Stan Yoder, Andy Yoder’s son, applying Flex-C-Ment vertically, then stamping and hand-carving the surface. Stan created a garden wall with a walk-through archway by overlaying wood and Styrofoam.
Flex-C-Ment Wall Mix is a cementitious dry mix designed specifically for deep wall textures, creating the appearance of various stone and brick patterns. It can be applied up to 2″-3″ thick without sagging. A few applications include: fireplace surrounds, interior and exterior walls, foundations, retaining walls and chimneys.
I was interested enough to fly out to North Carolina to meet the Yoders and have a look at their product and facility first hand. (My wife, being from North Carolina, had told me that I needed to experience the hospitality and the food! I was not disappointed!) The seminar was refreshing and informative. Those who attended were challenged artistically as well as ethically.
Seminar details
The seminar was held at their facility, a modest warehouse renovated to manufacture product as well as provide space for hands-on training. Company executives, engineers, contractors and concrete finishers all left having learned something new and convinced that the products and training were worth the trip.
The products used at the seminar were very easy to use, a two-part system composed of a liquid modifier and a dry “bag mix” for the vertical wall application. (This was prefaced by a rolled-on bonding agent and a scratch coat.)
The application was incredibly easy. Overworking the material while applying it to a wall was the main concern. The underlay and overlay products were very versatile. Additionally, like the wall mix, you could apply them over surfaces such as plywood, sheetrock, foamboard, paint or linoleum. In the more adverse situations, reinforcement such as metal lathe and or fiberglass mesh was used. The coloring systems used seemed to be endless. There were color hardeners, integral colors mixed with the material, integral colors added to a water-based sealer, acid stains etc.
The encouragement and reminders to run our businesses with honesty and integrity were priceless. I especially appreciated the quote from King Solomon in Proverbs 22:29. “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”
