Archive for the ‘Concrete & Cement’ Category

Best of Concrete Construction

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

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Concrete construction is one of the most common techniques used in various buildings because the concrete is durable and easy to work with. One of the methods that are widely used in modern concrete construction is thin joint masonry. This is an accurate, fast and clean way of constructing using concrete blocks that are autoclaved aerated.

With thin joint masonry, contractors are able to construct high quality buildings at a much faster rate and reduce the amount of material that is wasted unlike the traditional mortar construction. This technique also improves thermal performance.

This is a fast technique because the mortar is easily and accurately applied on the joint and this makes it a good option for buildings that have long walls. Construction also takes a shorter period of time because walls made using this method are stable in an hour. Applying plaster will also be easier and it will only take a short time to dry.

Concrete crack repair in basement walls

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

Concrete, Construction, Home Improvement, BasementThe basement walls inevitably develop cracks which can be both narrow as well as wide up-to 1.5”. The cracks can be due to many reasons but main reasons include thermal movement and drying shrinkage. The narrow cracks seem innocent but over the time they cause lot of problems. All cracks start leaking at some or other time.

Now cracks can not give structural failures as there are easy ways to fill up the cracks. Pour-in concrete walls can be injected with low pressure epoxy or polyurethane foam. This permanent, cost-effective and reliable method is preferred by everyone. But a concrete block walls can’t have epoxy injection. The cracks are fully filled and the treatment arrests the seepage of water. Drilling is not needed to inject the treatment. The injection is made from the inside the no digging is required. Basement is the diciest place from where the seepage occurs and the complete building decays. Thus basement walls have to be repaired at the earliest.

How to install furring strips to concrete walls

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Construction, ConcreteInstalling furring strips to concrete walls is a pretty easy job which can be done even by a layman with a little knowledge about it. The furring strips are installed to sheetrock the concrete walls. You need a few kiln dried studs, fluted nails for concrete and nail glue.

The studs are to be placed along the wall to its complete height. Apply glue on the bottom plate or on the wider side of the stud and adhere the stud to the wall. Use drill with masonry bit to make holes on the bottom plate. The holes should be at a distance of 16” and penetrate the concrete wall and mallet the nails in the drilled holes. Once the bottom plate is installed, then start with the walls. The vertical studs are to be placed in the same manner. Once the glue sets properly, you will have installed furring strips on the concrete walls.

Preventing Structure Collapse with Help of Construction Chemicals

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

Construction, Structure Building,Buildings, as well as other types of structures are designed to withstand a certain weight load, which varies depending on the quality of construction, as well as the quality of the materials used in the construction of the building.

There have been high profile disasters where structures have collapsed, sometimes with distressing repercussions. Over time, factors such as extreme weather, earthquakes, or simple wear and tear will take its toll on a structure.

Collapsing buildings are disastrous, but there have also been some recent tragedies pertaining to the collapse of bridges and tunnels. In many of these cases, pitiable building or wearing away are to blame for the disaster.

Today, there are construction chemicals that can be used to help enhance the life and strength of new structures and for the strengthening of aged structures to make certain the best end results are obtained.

Maintaining Your Home’s Concrete

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Construction, Home Improvement, Home Concrete, Home Design,When one understands the importance of an organized simple house, one takes steps and precautions of maintaining the home.

Clean your home regularly. Prepare a schedule and always sweep your house before you sleep. As always you fill your house with new things, make sure non usable things are donated or eliminated from the house. If you are too busy then hire a helper to assist and brainstorm on issues and supplement your efforts.

You may want to continue organizing and decorating the concrete in your home as time goes on. Think of what areas you would have an ideal vacation spot, and see if you can recreate them inside home. If you have small children or another situation that makes keeping a clean house especially difficult, give yourself permission to have a little clutter.
Keep your home concrete clean and well-maintained for that sparkling look and for it to last a long time.

Flexible Concrete for Home Foundations

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Construction, Concrete, Home Foundations,When building a home or home addition, the question frequently comes up on whether concrete blocks or poured concrete should be used in constructing the foundation walls. Flexible concrete for home foundations will depend among the various building material the builder will use, and the home construction costs

There are Standard concrete blocks that contain hollow cells designed to support rebar steel reinforcing rods, as well as poured concrete/mortar, to

maximize wall strength. Besides the standard size concrete block there are a number of alternative sizes, shapes, textures and color tones to choose from.

Flexible concrete block home foundations can be constructed by home owners with some basic masonry knowledge and back strength. The basic masonry knowledge can quickly and easily be obtained through a number of resources. If the concrete blocks are properly filled with concrete and rebar during the wall construction, a very large thermal mass is created.

Concrete Resurfacing Provides Unique Solutions For Your Next Home

Monday, September 15th, 2008

Construction, Concrete surfacingConcrete ages, with time and it deteriorates, resulting to a discolored, stained, cracked, chipped, weakened and porous concrete surface. Weather, wear, moisture, freeze and earth movement are contributing factors of gradual surface deterioration

old concrete, with cracks, surface discoloration, or surface imperfections, must be removed and replaced in order to improve the look. Home owners sometimes are normally discouraged by their cement flooring or other concrete areas, not realizing the option available to them to resurface their already existing concrete.
Resurfacing concrete with polymer-modified overlay systems is a good way to improve existing concrete surfaces. to resurface the concrete can range from simply making the concrete look like new again, or upgrading the surface with a variety of colors and patterns. Be it a concrete driveway, cement floor or patio, resurfacing options will let you transform your old, concrete into a new, smooth colored concrete surface and leave it looking as good as new.