A Few Concrete Suggestions

Article by: Larry Lentz

Up until a few years ago, my professional experience was in industries including retail, energy, , Hot BBQ Grills and Items for the Summer health care, and fast food. , Protect Your Floors with a Concrete Sealant! In 1996 circumstances and opportunity led me into the manufacturing, marketing, and installation of products , How To Buy A Loft Bed (Bunk Bed) used for Floor Warming, Total Space Heating, Roof , 5 Reasons to Make Early Spring "Firewood Time" at Your Home Snow and Ice Melting and Snow , 5 Reasons to Make Early Spring "Firewood Time" at Your Home and Ice Melting of driving and walking surfaces.

Since three out of the four applications for my company's products , Do You Realize You Live In A Solar Home? Yes, you. may be installed into new pour cementitious material like concrete, , Tinkling Wind Chimes I quickly determined two things: first, that anything embedded into cementitious materials is only as good as that cementitious material; and second, that the long term happiness and satisfaction of my many of my customers was dependent on the integrity and quality of the work of others. What I did not know, but I have since discovered, is that not all concrete , Auto Air Conditioning work is of the same quality and that while my company's heating element carries a 25 year warranty, concrete , Easy Ways to Slow Down that Nose warranties are generally relatively short. As a result of this discrepancy in horizons, I quickly determined that if I wanted to be successful I needed to learn more about concrete, , A 'How To' Guide to Home Energy Savings its installation, and the preparation required to insure a high quality job.

Since making that determination I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to observe and evaluate many new concrete , Protect Your Floors with a Sealant! pours and examine a lot of very old, yet still perfectly good, concrete. , Grandfather Clocks Bring a Sense of Awe...They're So Tall As a result of these opportunities I have noted several things that exceptional concrete , Living Off the Grid; Is It for You? professionals routinely do and I am convinced that these things, along with high quality materials, result in superior concrete projects. For more information , How To Buy A Loft Bed (Bunk Bed) go to : http://www.warmquest.com

Please note that I am not a concrete , Real Estate: Seller's Checklist professional and that my motivations for writing this article are limited to attempting to insure that:

a) your concrete , Laminate Flooring Guide will look as good as possible and last for many years in the future; and,

b) if you elect to install my company's snow , Home Siding Ideas - Always Consider These 3 Points and ice melt products, , Deck Design - Why Firm Foundations Are Essential or anyone else's for that matter, it is able to serve its intended purpose for many years to come.

Now for a Few Concrete , Marble Countertops Suggestions:

Professionals: Always use professionals that have a proven track record and willingly provide creditable references.

Dry Base: Make certain that the ground below where the new asphalt, concrete , Deck Design - Why Firm Foundations Are Essential or pavers will be located is as dry as possible. It is recommended that it be covered whenever there is a risk of a storm for one to two weeks prior to the pour.

Excavation: Be sure that your excavation is deep enough to accommodate the desired thickness of the cementitious material, the depth of a sand , Make Your Home Secure bed if the heating cable is being installed under the cementitious material, the thickness of the insulation, and the depth of the aggregate base necessary for proper drainage.

Compaction: Proper compaction is essential and must be given a great deal of care.

Make certain that the entire area to be covered by the cementitious material is completely and properly compacted.

Drainage: In order to have proper drainage and to reduce the likelihood of vertical shifting of the cementitious material, a minimum of 6 inches of high quality aggregate should be laid over the entire area, plus one foot around the perimeter.

Reinforcement: In order to enhance the integrity of the cementitious material, reinforcement materials must always be considered as part of the installation.

Examples of reinforcement materials include fibers in concrete, , Privacy Fences welded wire fabric, plastic lath, etc.

Insulation: Insulation under concrete , Get Organized and pavers is a two edged sword. On the one hand, it acts as a good moisture , Water Treatment Systems barrier, reduces the response time of your snowmelt or heating system, and saves , Tinkling Wind Chimes money by reducing operating time. On the other hand, insulation does not allow the heat , Swimming Pools: 6 Tips to Make them Auspicious from the ground to get into the asphalt, concrete, , How To Install Professional Looking Porch Railings or pavers.

Geometric Shapes: Concrete , Water Treatment Systems tends to break into a square geometric shape. As a result I recommend that concrete , Get Organized be poured in square sections no larger than 9.5 feet X 9.5 feet. Pouring other geometric shapes without additional joints almost always results in undesirable cracks at undesirable locations. , A 'How To' Guide to Home Energy Savings Each square must always have a joint on each of its four sides.

Jumpers: It does not matter what kind of joint is in the concrete, , Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings the heating element should never be allowed to run through it. Always jumper under or around any and all joints.

Thickness: I recommend that the following thickness be observed:

Concrete 5 or more inches
Asphalt 4 or more inches
Pavers 4 or less inches

Suggested Mix: A six-bag mix with fiber or steel reinforcement should always be used when pouring concrete , Fireplace FAQs - 4 Key Areas unless the structural or traffic profile requires a different mix.

I am confident that by following the above concrete , Easy Ways to Slow Down that Nose suggestions you will be rewarded with concrete , Shower Door Styles that looks good and lasts for many years. In the event you purchase a snow , Eon Decking – Composite Decking That Looks And Feels Like Wood melting system and follow the above concrete , Living Off the Grid; Is It for You? suggestions you will increase the likelihood that the heating cable is able to perform for years to come by reducing the possibility that it will get damaged or broken by vertical or horizontal movement of the material in which it is embedded.

Larry Lentz

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