Choosing the right countertop is really important in the grand design of your kitchen or bathroom. Granite countertops have been done to death and if you are looking at something modern and new then you should look at concrete countertops. Concrete countertops are general-purpose mortar mix, which is one part cement to three parts sand but with technological advances admixtures are added to the concrete application for color and design flexibility.
If the look of your old garage floor is bothering you, then it is time to take action and replace it immediately. Garage floors take a lot of wear and tear from motor oils, chemical spills, machine fluids and road salts that enter your garage through the winter season. You may no longer be able to hide those hard to remove motor oil stains or the cracks that keep getting larger on your garage floor. You can avoid spending on fixing up other surface problems and still improve the way your garage looks by opting to replace your garage flooring. It may be worth your time looking at all the options on hand when it comes to laying a beautiful, new garage floor, before selecting one that can withstand hard conditions. Garage floors definitely have to be tough and durable but they must also have some visual appeal. An attractive garage space doubles up as a fully functional extra room and also increases the resale value of your property.
Concrete used to be the Roman Empire’s construction material of choice and was used in monuments such as the Pantheon in Rome as well as in wharves, breakwaters and other harbor structures. No wonder concrete structures are meant to last a lifetime. Usually concrete structures have a design life of 50 or 100 years, but unfortunately many of today’s structures are not living up to expectations. It is not an overstatement to say that water causes almost everything bad that happens to concrete. Water carries chemical contaminants into the concrete, which can corrode the steel reinforcement, contribute to expansive and erode the surface. You will want to do everything you can to stop the premature deterioration of concrete infrastructure and to enhance the durability of your concrete and here are five suggestions:
Mix Design
Durability starts with a concrete mix design suitable for the service conditions that the concrete will be exposed. The amount of water specified may be the single most important component of the mix design. A low water-cement ratio between 0.40 and 0.50 is normally recommended for concrete frequently subjected to severe exposure. Do not add extra water on site. Additional water will lower strength and increase permeability and the likelihood of scaling.
No single mix design can be durable in every situation. For example, the mix design should consider using sulphate resistant cement, when concrete is exposed to sulphate contaminated soil. However this mix design is not appropriate when a concrete structure is exposed to the cycles of freezing and thawing in a wet environment. In this case, the mix design should include an air-entraining admixture since entrained air will help to protect the concrete under these conditions.
Water-reducing admixtures reduce the amount of water required for a given consistency and contribute to the degree of cement hydration and, in turn, produce a more durable cement paste. Increased hydration results in more durable concrete.
Other important components of the mix design are the aggregates. Contaminated aggregates can cause pop-outs or alkali silica reactivity (ASR), and off-spec cement can cause finishing problems with inconsistent setting times.
Construction Joints
Construction joints are a common weak point in the structure where water will often find its way in and through it. Corrosion of the reinforcing steel from water penetrating through the joints can cause damage to your structure. Be sure to design your structure with adequate, pre-determined control joint locations in order to avoid random cracking and make sure that each joint employs a reliable waterproofing system of its own. The best long-term protection at joint locations is due to a joint waterproofing system that includes crystalline technology, which self-seals random cracking and thus provides added reliability and protection.
Prevent Premature Moisture Loss During Placing
Keeping the concrete moist and at an adequate temperature helps to provide proper hydration of the cement for maximum strength, increased density, lower permeability, and greater resistance to scaling. For durable concrete proper placing and finishing are essential as excessive or premature finishing contributes to blistering and reduces surface air content and durability. The popular practice of “blessing” concrete with water during troweling, increases the probability of surface scaling and spalling. The increase in the water-cement ratio at the surface weakens the concrete at the near-surface wear zone. The use of an evaporation retardant in rapid moisture loss conditions can eliminate the need for “blessing.” This will prevent surface crusting and plastic shrinkage cracking and reduce overall placement costs while increasing placement crew productivity and overall concrete quality.
Low Permeability
You may have to adjust the mix designs to match the conditions, but there is one factor that is common to all good concrete and that is low permeability. For lower permeability good mix proportioning by reducing the amount of free water in your mix and using water reducing admixtures or plasticizers is essential. A waterproofing admixture should be used to protect concrete from water intrusion.
Proper Curing
Curing means maintaining conditions that will allow the concrete to harden and gain strength optimally and this step is central to extending the life of your concrete. Proper temperature and humidity are most important. The temperature should be above 10°C for strength development to proceed at a reasonable pace. Moisture must be maintained, especially in the first few days in order to promote cement hydration and keep the concrete from drying, shrinking and cracking.
Protect Concrete From De-icing Salts After Curing
Frequent wetting and drying during the early age of concrete will cause crazing, scaling, lower concrete strength, and increase the possibility of scaling. It is essential that concrete be protected from freezing temperatures during the first days of hydration; when its low strength and high moisture content make it most susceptible to freeze/thaw damage. Where the presence of deicer agents cannot be eliminated, treat the surface, with something like Aquapel, to prevent the migration of nearly 90 percent of deicer salts and effectively repel a high percentage of the moisture that will cause deterioration.
Concrete Placement
Concrete must be placed properly and consolidated into a solid mass that is free from any voids or rock pockets. Voids most commonly occur below or behind reinforcing steel bars – especially in areas where there are many bars together. Be sure to properly vibrate all concrete with special attention around congested reinforcement. Rock pockets are areas where there is not enough
cement paste and fine aggregate to close the space between large aggregate. Make sure there is no standing water prior to concrete placement and do not move concrete large distance from where it is initially poured. The use of self-consolidating concrete can alleviate many of these concerns.
With proper mix design, permeability reduction, and attention to good jointing, placing and curing practices, one can create durable concrete structures that will resist the development of corrosive conditions and other deteriorating mechanisms.
Davis Concrete is a family-owned and operated concrete business that provides Florida homeowners and contractors with the very best building materials in Clearwater, Tampa, Bradenton and Lakeland.
Plaster was once the most common and popular form of interior wall finish. It may have seen a slight change in fortune ever since the pressed gypsum boards known as drywall became widely available but it is still used extensively. It originated in the mid 17th century, so you may think of plaster as a wall finish only found in historical or old homes. However, this ancient material still offers a number of benefits in modern applications. This compound can be used to decorate and stylize your homes in varied styles, ranging from Victorian to French designs. There are many advantages associated with the use of plaster for remodeling your home and some of them include:
Aesthetics and Stylization
The living space of your beautiful home needs something more than barren smooth distempered walls. Plaster adds a sense of fullness thereby accentuating the wholesome look of your home. If your aim is to instill the ‘Wow!’ factor into your room at minimal cost, this can often be achieved using plaster moulds on your walls and ceiling. There are many aspects to be considered while choosing the plaster moulds like – theme, colors, size and design. Even the slightest change in shade or depth would turn it into a work of art.
Varied designs
The possible choice of designs is practically infinite. Plaster provides varied charming design opportunities for your room like plaster cornices, architectural columns, decorative plaster ceilings, archways, ceiling domes, plaster ceiling panels, decorative corbels, plaster fireplaces, decorative vents, acoustic ceiling tiles and acoustic panels. Plaster can be cast into any imaginable shape and is ideal in many different situations. It offers unlimited design possibilities from ‘traditional European’ designs to ‘modern contemporary’ styles.
Durability
Plaster not only lends elegance and beauty to the walls but it also enhances durability. If properly mixed and applied, a plaster coating creates a stronger and more durable wall finish than drywall. The walls become stronger due to the chemical reaction that takes place when water escapes the plaster mixture. Plaster is more resistant to knocks and dents in most cases. The lath, or backing, used behind the plaster also affects its strength. A modern metal lath or tough backing boards are more durable than the thin wooden lath strips used in historical houses.
Easy Installation
One of the benefits of using plaster is the installation procedure. It is quite easy and convenient to install since it does not generate any kind of dust except for a small amount released when water is first added to the powder. Moreover, plaster doesn’t need any kind of sanding and a wall can be plastered within a shorter timeframe. It also doesn’t require sanding and, if multiple coats are used, they usually are applied before the bottom layer is completely dried. A plaster wall takes less time to finish and produces less mess.
Absorbs Noise and Deters Fire
You can hear the difference in noise levels between rooms fitted with plaster and lath compared with contemporary drywall. Plaster can absorb noise, the keys with their irregular shapes between the walls, act as acoustical and sound absorbing elements and the lime plaster is denser than new gypsum board. The traditional lime plaster material is also known for inherent fire resistance, as carbonated lime (lime that has had months to cure) will spread fire slower than traditional drywall. Additionally, there is less space or air between the wall or ceiling layers, potentially giving fire less oxygen to work with.
Plaster may be considered especially in these applications:
When you consider the long life and superior aesthetics of plaster finishes, they may take a little time to install from start to finish but they provide excellent value.
There are many options when it comes to choosing a ground cover for your backyard ranging from synthetic material, such as landscape fabric and recycled rubber strips, to natural organic mulch and natural inorganic mulch. In the inorganic category, you’ll find rock-based ground covers like gravel, volcanic rock and crushed stones. The purposes of a ground cover like rock or wood mulch is weed suppression, water retention and aesthetic appeal. They conserve water and require less maintenance than grass-based yards. The harder surface may limit activities that can be performed on it. Before making your choice of rock ground cover for landscape, be aware of its advantages and disadvantages so you can make an informed decision.
Advantages of Rock Ground Cover
Pros:
Minimal Maintenance
Rock-based ground covers are low-maintenance because they don’t need constant replacing, maintain their appearance and aren’t easily blown away by the wind or displaced by you or your pets. Even non-living, organic ground covers need periodic maintenance. Many types of wood chips and bark chips need to be replaced every few months because the wood’s color fades. But rock does not require topdressing every year and is easy to reuse. It can also be washed clean with a basic garden hose.
Doesn’t Decompose
Rock is much more resilient to the elements, which plays into the sustainability. Wind, sun and rain are not going to speed up degradation or displace it like they do with wood mulch.
More Durable
Rock ground covers such as river rock or crushed granite, definitely have staying power. Durability is an important factor especially in areas such as walkways or a driveway where organic or living ground covers would be easily trampled or destroyed by visitors or cars. Gravel and other forms of rock ground cover stand up to heavy use.
No Bugs
Pea gravel and other types of inorganic ground cover don’t decompose and minimize the risk of such bug problems. Whereas wood chips, bark strips and plant ground covers decompose, and attract insects to the decaying organic matter. Of more importance are termites, which are attracted to most types of cellulose-containing mulches.
Conserves water
Rock covers also lessen the amount of water used during hot months, conserving a valuable natural resource and reducing the consumer’s water bill. The addition of rock near the foundation of a house can help stop erosion and reduce water damage to a home’s foundation.
Cons:
Sinks into the Soil
Rocks and other stone-based ground covers being heavier than the soil upon which they’re placed can start to sink deep down into the soil over time, this can interfere with the healthy soil structure and make it difficult to till or replant the area in the future.
Injuries
Flying rock projectiles can create a significant hazard for you and your family, especially if you’re using stone-based ground covers near areas that are mowed or trimmed. The lawn mower or trimmer can catch on the rocks and fling them into the air.
Increases Heat
Rock gets much hotter than wood mulch and reflects sunlight, which can create an uncomfortable micro-climate for plant material. Pea gravel, volcanic rock and similar stones have a high capacity for absorbing and retaining heat, which they then release as the sun goes down. Rocks also reflect a lot of heat off of their exposed surfaces. It can increase the day and evening temperatures in the area and make your house hot, especially when you have these ground covers near your exterior walls. Rock, while easy to maintain, can be tough on plant material.
No Nutrients
As organic ground covers, both living and dead, decompose, and add important nutrients to the soil such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Inorganic mulches don’t decompose and do not improve the soil.
Now that you know the pros and cons of rock ground cover it will be easier for you to choose the right landscaping material for your backyard. Contact Davis Concrete at (800) 910-6928 for advice on the best way to bring out the most in your landscape with gravel.
A lot of home owners and project managers are replacing the current wood or vinyl siding that is currently on the exterior of their home or building with a more long lasting and visually pleasing siding such as stucco. Stucco siding is made of Portland cement, sand, lime, and water. The ancient Greeks and Romans painted wall frescoes onto fine-grained hard plaster surfaces made of gypsum, marble dust and glue.
During the Renaissance, the Italians elaborated stucco techniques, which, in turn, spread throughout Europe. Reasonably priced, easy to maintain and aesthetically pleasing, stucco has been a popular siding choice for hundreds of years. With a variety of paint colors and applications to choose from, stucco works well with any home’s exterior. Check out the facts to decide if it’s right for yours.
1. A high degree of energy efficiency and low maintenance
Stucco is an incredible insulator of both warm and cool air. With stucco on the exterior, it is cheap and easy to maintain a constant temperature in your home, no matter what the mercury reads outdoors. Its energy efficiency is one of the main reasons stucco is such a popular siding choice in areas of extreme heat. It also expands and contracts with the weather, which minimizes cracking.
2. Variations in Content and Application
Stucco lends itself to virtually any application, paint color and countless variations in content. Stucco can be smooth or course, raked or swirled. It can contain sand, lime or pebbles. Depending upon the climate and the desired texture, different types of cement are used in the stucco mix. Because it is plaster with a cement base, stucco can be applied:
It can be applied by hand with a trowel or sprayed on. Pigment can be mixed in or the surface may be painted when it’s dry and set. This variety of ways in which stucco may be applied makes it one of the most adaptable materials available for siding.
3. Durability
Stucco is generally a very durable siding option. It can expand and contract during seasonal shifts, so it won’t sustain damage under harsh conditions. In fact, it’s even fire-resistant. Synthetic stucco has been developed to overcome the moisture issues and is quite durable. EIFS is styrofoam-based stucco that provides additional insulation. Stucco can last up to 50 years before it needs to be replaced.
4. Low Maintenance
Unlike wood siding, stucco requires little to no maintenance. Some homeowners don’t like the stains that stucco tends to attract, so light pressure-washing is common. Hairline cracks can be easily fixed with paint or a brushable elastomeric sealant.
5. Aesthetic Appearance
From a design standpoint, you can’t beat the appearance of the smooth, traditional, southwestern look of stucco as a siding material. Add to that the fact that you can add coloring to your cement coats, get artistic designs carved into the cement coatings, and mosaics and murals into your stucco walls before the cement dries. Stucco can thus easily be transformed into one of the most creative, and innovative, siding applications on the market.
Stucco siding can be applied as a do-it-yourself siding application, or homeowners can choose to hire a siding contractor experienced in applying stucco, to do the work for them. An experienced contractor with a good crew can accomplish in a few weeks what will take a homeowner several months to do on their own. Give Davis Concrete a call at (800) 910-6928, if you think stucco is the siding material you’ve been searching out for your home.
One far too common misconception is the tendency of most homeowners, and many home builders, to equate drying to curing. This can lead to problems down the road in cases where a concrete driveway has not been allowed to cure.
Pea gravel ground is a hassle free alternative to grassy lawn. Grassy lawns require a lot of maintenance and consume a lot of water to stay green. Gravel is a better landscape material that is permeable, low maintenance and inexpensive. The most important stage of laying pea gravel is preparation to prevent weeds from pushing through in no time. Pea gravel seems a good choice for mulch in planted areas in borders, to create a focal point in your lawn, or to lay a path or cover your whole yard. The best use of it is to use gravel as a general ground covering with plantings throughout it and stone or concrete walking paths. No matter what the landscaping project is, the basic preparation for pea gravel is the same; plan, dig and cover up, then sit back and rest easy.
Gravel is inorganic ground cover that is permeable, allowing adequate drainage for precipitation, yet tougher and more pleasing to the eye than exposed soil. Gravel refers to small stones, generally 5-30mm in diameter that may be angular or rounded. Angular gravels are usually sourced from quarries, a by-product of the crushing processes, whereas rounded gravels are from a fluvial source, such as an old river bed, beaches, and channel dredging. Types of gravel can vary and not all are suitable for landscaping though. Depending on the area of landscaping that it covers the landscaping gravel differs. Take a look at the varying types of gravel used for different landscaping purposes. Continue reading
Photo by KitzcornerThe best way to get concrete mix ready is by understanding its desired use, such as floors, foundations, and countertops and admixtures like water reducers, retardants, accelerants. Concrete may be a versatile substance but it does have its limitations and is affected by temperature, too hot and it dries with cracks, too cold and it takes forever to set-up. Continue reading
