Category: Installation/Maintenance
Transport, placement and care of projects.
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GRINDER CADDY
Alpha Professional Tools®, Oakland, N.J., offers the Alpha® Ecogrinder Caddy, allowing the operator to stand (and not work from a kneeling position) when grinding and sanding concrete, terrazzo and masonry products, or doing surface preparation work. The height-adjustment mechanism allows the caddy to accommodate each individual user. A halogen light, which can be turned on and off independently, shines above the grinding area to show scratches. The unit is available in two versions for either the 110v or 220v version of Alpha’s Ecogrinders.
Contact: Alpha Professional Tools®, 800-648-7229
By Kevin McFadden
Thin stone veneers are growing in popularity, offering unique facings that add warmth and beauty to interior and exterior surfaces. From fireplace surrounds to outdoor living areas, and garden walls to wine cellars, stone veneers add character and dimension and are maintenance-free and permanent.
Stone veneers are quite versatile – they are lighter than regular stone for cladding, and their thickness ranges from 3/4” to 1 1/2”. This makes installation easier without having to address weight issues normally encountered when utilizing full uncut stone, which may be as thick as 6” and weigh considerably more.
By K. Schipper
You’re doing your best to offer a high-end product to high-end customers. The selections out in the showroom and in the yard are first-rate, your edges and finishes can’t be beat, and your installers are as skilled as any in the market.
By K. Schipper
Talk about your bonehead blunders: One forensic tile expert confesses to actually being called to a floor failure where the stone tile had been installed with cardboard used as filler in the hybrid float.
For some reason, there was little adhesion.
By Tom Plaskota
Technical Support Manager
TEC® Brands
Stonework projects involving wet areas are second-hand nature for most installers. Yet many would also say extra time and effort is an absolute necessity to ensure that waterproofing installation goes right – and stays right.
Failure is not an option, given the possible resulting problems. Let’s take a look at six common reasons why wet projects can go wrong, and ways to avoid trouble.
By Jason Nottestad
When it comes to dealing with adhesives, a quality installer should take a page from Ralph Waldo Emerson and practice self-reliance.
By K. Schipper
For many natural-stone fabricators and installers, the story of a particular job ends when the installation is completed and the last check clears.
However, that’s not the homeowner’s perspective, with a sizeable investment for a product that should last decades, with should being the key word. Walk away from the job without telling the buyer about the importance of proper maintenance, and you’ll find the customer’s romance with stone rather short-lived.
By Tom McNall
So, how can we make stone safer and slip proof? Is there anything the maintenance or restoration people can do? What does the static coefficient of friction actually mean? And, is it really that big of an issue for us?
For those of you who worry that the Tom’s Notes version of the ADA rules on slip-resistance isn’t detailed enough, here’s the section of federal rules on slip resistance in full:
By Don Halvorson,
CTA, CTC, CMRS, CRMI
Forensic Tile Consultant
Showers are a common construction item in residential construction that is causing problems for homeowners and contractors alike – and it’s due to tile and shower assembly installation.
