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As we come out of the winter, I always deal with multiple polishing projects where the concrete was placed during cold temperatures. Although there are ACI standards for cold-weather placements, I still experience quite a few slabs that have issues related to cold weather.
When preparing a brand new concrete surface to be acid-stained, don’t take anything for granted. Every step of the new concrete pour contains elements that might affect the quality of your acid stain job.
Contractors, subcontractors and suppliers can sometimes be put in adversarial roles. Because of the low-bid mentality that still dominates most construction sectors in the United States, trust is not always what it should be.
Have you ever gotten that early-morning or late-night call from an unhappy owner telling you that the color is lighter than they wanted … or darker … or does not match from one pour to the next? If you haven’t been on the receiving end of one of those calls, good for you! If you have, then you know what we are talking about.
Designed as an easier-to-use, more controllable color system, Construcolor B01 integral pigment is a liquid gel that has been winning over skeptics for the last decade.
Take an older home on the beach in need of radical change. Add a designer and a concrete contractor, both of whom are comfortable thinking outside the box. Give them carte blanche and as much time as they need. Allow their creative juices to simmer. What do you get?
When raw soil or aggregate needs to be compacted before a pour, what do decorative concrete contractors use to pound the ground? Rollers are too much machine for smaller jobs. So generally, the choice is between rammers and vibratory plate compactors.
You may be enjoying the benefits of water reducers whether you know it or not. Tony Schlagbaum, group product line manager at DeGussa Admixtures Inc. in Cleveland, estimates that 70 percent to 80 percent — maybe as high as 90 percent — of concrete mixes contain some form of water reducer
Some large projects will require more than one pour to complete. Whether you are doing an overlay or stamped concrete, matching in to the previous days work is very important. Having a project look uniform from start to finish, will lessen headaches, make happier customers and sell more work.
Do you know how to prevent concrete cracks in the corners of a fresh pour? Doug Bannister has a tip that just might make your day.
