San Diego Retail Store Floor Coatings

Contact Gerry Sadler at 619-987-4721

Concrete Solutions based in San Diego is a manufacturer of retail store floor coatings that have been installed worldwide. Their product line includes their Ultra Surface Acid Stain and Epoxy system which is an industrial high performance system with unlimited decorative options.

You may have seen their products on the floors of many auto dealers, restaurants, medical facilities and retail stores.  Though headquartred in San Diego they hold training classes for contractors at training facilities in Las Vegas and Chicago.

Their coatings are applied over concrete with tremendous abrasion resistance and low maintenance. In restaurants and commercial kitchens their coatings are easy to clean and wear extremely well. Coatings are seamless and can applied up to the top edge of moldings eliminating bacteria buildup in corners or where the wall meets the floor.

Call Gerry Sadler for information about which system is appropriate for your floor at 619-987-4721

Compact Cordless Drill

I was searching around on the Tool King website looking for a compact cordless drill and stumbled on this deal.

I’ve owned Milwaukee tools for a long time. They’ve worked for me and last a long time.  If you’re in the market for a new drill and a few accessories check this out on their website. The price at $359.99 is down from their list of $467.00 which is still the cheapest I’ve seen for this package.

Tool king has a lot more compact cordless drill kits and tons more tools on their website. Just click the banner.

How To Remove Rust Stains From Concrete

In this project a marina in Baltimore had been searching for the solution to how to remove rust stains from concrete. In this case it was a lot more than rust stains.

The concrete had years of mold, alage, rust and other contaminents that turned the concrete black.  Over time the marina had tried many remedies but to no avail, nothing worked. Finally they brought in various contractors and tested different methods and solutions.

The solution to how to remove rust stains from concrete was finally achieved with a gelled acid developed by Surface Gel Tek of Mesa Arizona. It turns out that cleaning rust stains, mold and algae is a simple process using the gelled acid. Acids actually work to remove rust stains and algae from concrete but they settle back into the concrete immediately. To effectively clean concrete with acid requires tremendous labor and a lot of acid.

Gelled acid solve the problem. When the gelled acid is applied and left to sit for 15 minutes the rust and algae comes free from the concrete but is contained in the gel. Now the gel can be easily cleaned and removed along with the rust and algae and if you get on your hands and clothes not a problem. The strongest, HD 24, is only 24% acid.

As you can see in the photo it works. 40,000 square feet was cleaned like new. Plus the fact that the Surface Gel Tek Gelled Acid is ASTM (American Society of Testing Methods) certified and is water soluable and considered a green product.

For more information about how to clean rust stains from concrete contact Surface Gel Tek at 480-970-4580 or visit the Surface Gel Tek website.

San Diego Garage Floor Epox

Concrete Solutions in San Diego manufactures Ultra Surface Color Flake epoxy for resurfacing your garage floor or any concrete commercial surface.

(Contact Gerry Sadler of Concrete Solutions 619-987-4721)

In addition to adding value to your home a resurfaced garage floor will create a clean bright room. The process is to profile the floor with a shotblaster then repair any defects in your garage floor including cracks. Coatings are applied with variations of gray or tan and decorative flake added. In areas like San Diego where the garage floor is an entrance to your home a decorative coating will help prevent dirt from being tracked in.

The Ultra Color Flake System protects your garage floor from moisture vapor, hot tire wear and yellowing from sunlight.

For more information about resurfacing your garage floor in San Diego contact Gerry Sadler of Concrete Solutions at 619-987-4721 or visit their web site Concrete Solutions

How To Remove Rust Stains From Concrete

There is only one product if if you’re looking for how to remove rust stains from concrete and that’s Surface Gel Teks “Gelled Acids”.

Over 10 years ago Surface Gel Tek was formed to fill a need. Tamryn Doolan and husband Dan were looking for a solution to remove rust stains from their concrete pool deck and coping. Acid worked good but not great. The problem was the rust settling back into the concrete. Acid pulls the rust out but back into the concrete it settles.

Along the coping, acids would get into the pool water.  Dan figured out a way to contain acids in a gel. This worked! The discovery worked great on flat surfaces. The acids pulled the stains out of the concrete and was contained in the gel. The gel was cleaned leaving no rust residue. Along the coping Dan found he could remove rust stains from concrete with control. No more acids getting into the pool water.

The gelled acids opened up a new market and work great for removing algae and mold from concrete making old concrete look new. Now there is a solution for how to remove rust stains from concrete on both flat and vertical surfaces.

The gelled acids also opened up the market for concrete art on floors, walls and tables. The gelled acids used on specialty graphics called “Flattoos” etch the concrete within the lines of  the flattoo stencil. The result is artwork on concrete floors, walls, tables, sinks. Check out the picture of the oriental rug. That’s stained concrete.

The Gelled Acids are ASTM certified. Tamryn can be reached at 480-970-4580 or visit the web site Surface Gel Tek

Utah Concrete Countertops and Fireplace Mantels

The photos here of fireplace mantels and  concrete countertops by Utah based Ben Ashby don’t do them justice.  They need to be seen and touched to be fully appreciated.  The beauty of artistic concrete  releases an emotion. When people see it, they want it. That explains why Ben seldom leaves his local area of Sevier County.

The pictures you see tell part of the story and why Ben has a growing national following of students and many happy customers in Utah. This is custom work done by hand so you need to allow for a fair amount of artistic lincense. The process with Ben starts out like a consultation. Ben shows you his portfolio and starts breaking it down.  With fireplace mantels Ben will show you column options and thickness of the mantel and hearth. Then color and design follow. The beauty of concrete is the ability to design around your room and personality.

Can you handle something bold or is something simple more appropriate? Should your fireplace be rustic, antique or contemporary? Every one is different.

Your concrete countertops are a bit of a different process.  Concrete Countertops are used daily and  seen from a closer perspective. When you use your countertops typically your eyes are only 24-30 inches away. You see everything up close whereas with your fireplace mantel you likely are many feet away. An imperfection in a countertop might bother you but the same blemish in your fireplace looks natural.

Either way Ben is an artist and a professional.  He will guild you through the process from initial design to final installation. If you are one his students Ben is always available. Ben runs his business in Sevier County Utah but builds concrete countertops and fireplace mantels throughout the state.

Ben can be reached at 435-201-3045. Concrete Solutions based in San Diego is the manufacturer and distributor of the Ben Ashby line of products. Visit the Concrete Solutions website for upcoming workshops or for their extensive line of decorative concrete products.

Waterproofing Burlington Vermont Concrete Floors and Mold Remediation

Garage Outfitters based in Burlington Vermont  resurfaces concrete floors with a unique system that serves as a waterproofing and mold remediation solution. The result is decorative, extremely durable and healthy.

If you are like me you seldom if ever give a thought about the quality of air in your home or commercial property. However moisture is ever present in every property and thats what breeds mold. It starts with your concrete floors. There are a few sources of moisture in homes and commercial properties.

1. Gutters – Gutters are a leading source of moisture problems. Gutters need to move rain water away from your property. Faulty gutters enable water to travel along your foundation wall and under your concrete floors. Excessive water pressure called “hydrostatic pressure” pushes moisture vapor upwards through the capillaries and air holes in concrete. “Damp, musty basements” thats why. A perfect home for mold growth.
2. Drywall, ceiling panels, beams and insulation – Moisture absorbs into anywhere it can. You may notice black dots on your drywall. Thats not just discoloration it’s mold. Mold gets airborn and you breath it. Just because you can’t see mold in the air doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The Vermont Department of Health will tell you more.
3. Garage Floors – Garages have the same issues as basements except that basements take a beating from the elements. Rain water gets under  your slab. The freeze thaw issue in Burlington Vermont causes cracking, then more moisture and more cracking. You might think it’s just the garage and who cares.  What happens in the garage or basement affects the rest of your property and health.
4. Concrete floors, The Surface – if you park your car in the garage you are tracking de-icing salts onto your floor. Take a look at your concrete, you see cracks, chipping, spalling.  Likely salts are the cause. Salts deteriorate concrete and break the hard top layer. Now moisture from the top and bottom are causing problems. Mold is having a field day.

Waterproofing Concrete Floors is Mold Remediation and Prevention

The perception is that a garage coating is a luxury. In fact it is a necessity. Garage Outfitters of Vermont provides a solution. Whether a garage, basement, retail store or restaurant the process is the same. Owner Jake Loeffler grinds the floor with specialized concrete grinding equipment with diamond blades to remove the top coating. Then he fixes all the cracks, spalling and any deteriorating concrete. Finally he applies a polyaspartic coating with a decorative chip. You may know about epoxies, polyaspartics are similar but with a unique feature. They soak into your concrete like water into a sponge. When they dry they become part of the floor. The benefit is decorative, durability and ability to withstand  high moisture pressure.

The final result is a waterproofing system for concrete floors and mold remediation by restricting moisture.

Jake Loeffler can be reached in Burlington Vermont at    802-777-3343 .

Additional Articles

Burlington Vermont Industrial Floors

Garage Outfitters – Garage Flooring

How To Waterproof Concrete Floors

How To Fix A Concrete Floor

Vermont Earth Institute

Burlington Vermont Chimney Flue and Chimney Liners

The last thing you want on those cold Vermont nights is whether or not the fireplace is possibly unsafe. If you’re like me you assume that once it’s built it’s there to stay in perfect condition.

What most of us don’t know about our fiery friend is that when a chimney flue and liner is first installed that is the best condition it will be. Eventually hidden dangers may develop that compromise the safety and efficiency of your chimney.  Gasses can accumulate between the flue tile spaces, an ideal environment for soot, corrosive chemicals and carbon monoxide.

Degeneration of your chimney flue tiles (spalling) due to settling, previous fires or even possibly lightning strikes will cause pieces to flake off.

To work properly chimneys must be gas tight, free of gaps and cracks. Brickliners Heatshield  repair and resurfacing system includes a specially formulated chimney liner that restores the integrity of your flue venting hazardous gasses from your home. And to ensure peace of mind each includes a 20 years warranty.

Burlington Vermont based Brickliner owner, Jake Loeffler, is the one to call at  802-872-0123 . Jake will provide you with a comprehensive Chimney Flue and liner needs analysis.

Edison, New Brunswick Piscataway Commercial & Industrial Flooring

Duraamen based in the Edison, New Brunswick and Picataway corridor of New Jersey off I-287 is a manufacturer and distributor of commercial and industrial epoxy flooring and decorative concrete products for commercial and residential properties.

Run by Victor Paschade, Duraamen provides training, technical support and various products for resurfacing concrete including self leveling concrete, skim coats, stains, dyes, sealers and a full line of epoxies. If you need products or trained contractors in New Jersey, New York or Connecticut for your commercial and industrial flooring Victor will assess your situation and match you with the right solution and the appropriate company for your requirement.

The photos you see here is in a retail store that needed an economical, low maintenence decorative system. This is an epoxy with a decorative chip system and polyaspartic top coat, a durable finish that is used extensively on commercial and industrial flooring. The decorative application makes it a desirable solution for certain retail floors as well.

If you need a specific image Duraamen and their network of artisans nationwide will work with you to design and build a unique result that will help brand your business. Products in the Duraamen line have been applied by contractors and artisans worldwide with amazing results on all kinds of floors, walls, building facades, steps, patios and pool decks.

Contact Victor for more information in the Edison, New Bruswick and Piscataway area for your commercial and industrial epoxing flooring and decorative concrete supplies.    646-875-8690

Industrial and Commercial Epoxy and Decorative Concrete Products

If you’ve ever been involved in new construction or remodeling you may have lived this experience.

A few years ago I completed an awesome concrete stained floor project on a concrete overlay. (Visit Duraamen to see a sample.) The project was a new restaurant outside Boston. As usual the project was behind schedule.  The project took 5 days to complete and the last leg we had to start at 3:00 a.m to finish by 8:00 a.m.  so the finish contractors could get to work. The General Contractor was supposed to put down construction floor protection to prevent any damage to the floor by the finishing trades.

You know the story. Appliances were brought in, electricians, painters, furniture delevery and lots more who could care less about the floor. Well, when the work was complete, all trades had left, the restaurant was cleaned and ready for opening day the new owners, their investors, architect, GC all came to take a look. I can picture it now. Stress, relief, anxiety, the architect and GC proud of their creation, everyone standing around to take a look.

Then they look at their beautiful stained concrete floor, the masterpiece  that is going to be the restaurants signniture. Trashed. The floor is a disaster. The GC never protected the floor properly. The investors look at the owner who looks at the architect who looks at the GC. GC has no one to blame but himself. However he’s not going to take the blame….hmmmm….who can he blame, better think quick.  Me. Lets blame the flooring artists. So I get the call. Not my fault. problems everywhere. Opening delayed, money lost. Call the lawyer, we’re going to sue.

Recently I had lunch with my good friend George Larson of Filmtech who makes construction floor protection. Now you know who to call before your next project so you’re not telling the same story.