COMPANY FAQ’s
Once I request a quote, when will I get it?
1-7 Business Days. If you haven’t received your quote within that time frame. Contact our office ASAP at 419-536-7325
What does our schedule look like?
Our schedule depends on the time of year and weather. If there is still space available, spots are a first come first serve basis based on deposit.
What is resealing and how often should I do it?
Sealant is a water coat that will help prolong the life of your asphalt driveway or parking lot. Additionally resealing will renew the vibrant black coloring of your asphalt surface. After the initial application, your driveway/parking lot should be sealed every 2 to 3 years, depending on personal preference.
Do you have a senior discount?
No
Do you have a military discount?
No
CONCRETE FAQ’s
What is the difference between concrete and cement?
Cement is an ingredient used to make concrete. The cement is what reacts to the water in the mix and become the glue of the cement, holding it together and making it strong.
Is There a Way to Reinforce Concrete?
The solution is to put reinforced concrete permanently into compression by prestressing it (also called pretensioning). Use rebar for structural reinforcement. Place the rebar vertically and horizontally in 4-foot sections creating a grid pattern. Or using fiber mesh or wire mesh preventing cracks from forming. Fibers are much more lightweight and tend to stay in position better. Fiber mesh tends to be less expensive and requires far less labor to install. By using the rebar and the fiber mesh you build an effective support system to reinforce your concrete project
How Does the Weather Affect When Concrete Can Be Poured?
Concrete that freezes at an early age can lose much of its overall strength. Done properly, concrete poured in cool weather is actually stronger than concrete poured in hot weather, thanks to the slow curing period. When outdoor temperatures are below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, it is best to simply abandon the idea of pouring concrete. Admixers such as water reducers or accelerators can be added to concrete to combat potential issues. With those additions, the only times’ that are not recommended are when it is raining or freezing temperatures.
How Much Concrete to Use?
Measure the length and width that you’d like to cover. Multiply the length by the width to determine the square footage. Convert the thickness from inches to feet. Multiply the thickness in feet by the square footage to determine the amount of concrete you will need to order in cubic yards, the standard measurement by which contractor order concrete.
Can I Pour Concrete Myself?
Although it may be tempting to roll up your sleeves, mix up some concrete, and tackle a concrete project yourself to save money, you will likely spend most of your time preparing for the project. From planning a complete and realistic budget to considering help from professional concrete contractors for certain steps of the project to making sure your project is allowed by the local permitting office, there’s a lot to do before you start mixing up that gray matter! Pouring and finishing concrete is hard work, and often the convenience of hiring a contractor outweighs the enticement of a challenge for most homeowners.
Can I Use Chemical De-icers on Concrete?
Although concrete is an extremely durable product, the following care and maintenance guidelines will add to the value of your investment: Do not apply deicing chemicals for snow and ice removal during the winter. To provide traction, sand is recommended. If absolutely necessary we suggest using magnesium or potassium-based deicer. They are less damaging to the concrete. However, keeping the snow away by shoveling is the best suggestion.
Can I Make Concrete Look More Appealing?
How is cement made?
What does it mean to "cure" concrete?
Can it be too hot or too cold to place new concrete?
Frequently Asked Questions
All information provided here is from the Portland Cement Association.
All information provided here is from the Portland Cement Association.
The Portland Cement Association is concerned with contributing to a better environment, in improving the concrete product and its uses, and in raising the quality of construction.
What is the difference between cement and concrete?
How is Portland cement made?
What does it mean to “cure” concrete?
Can it be too hot or too cold to place new concrete?
What is air-entrained concrete?
What are recommended mix proportions for good concrete?
Why does concrete crack?
Why test concrete?
What are the most common tests for fresh concrete?
How can you tell if you’re getting the amount of concrete you’re paying for?
Why do concrete surfaces flake and spall?
Will concrete harden under water?
What does 28 -day strength mean?
What is 3,000 pound concrete?
How do you control the strength of concrete?
How do you remove stains from concrete?
What are the decorative finishes that can be applied to concrete surfaces?
How do you protect a concrete surface from aggressive materials like acids?
Is there a universal international specification for Portland cement?
What is alkali-silica reactivity (ASR)?
Are there different types of Portland cement?
Contacts at the Portland Cement Association
What is the difference between cement and concrete?
Although the terms cement and concrete often are used interchangeably, cement is actually an ingredient of concrete. Concrete is basically a mixture of aggregates and paste. The aggregates are sand and gravel or crushed stone; the paste is water and Portland cement. Concrete gets stronger as it gets older.
Portland cement is not a brand name, but the generic term for the type of cement used in virtually all concrete, just as stainless is a type of steel and sterling a type of silver. Cement comprises from 10 to 15 percent of the concrete mix, by volume. Through a process called hydration, the cement and water harden and bind the aggregates into arocklike mass. This hardening process continues for years meaning that concrete getsstronger as it gets older.
So, there is no such thing as a cement sidewalk, or a cement mixer; the proper terms are concrete sidewalk and concrete mixer.
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How is Portland cement made?
Materials that contain appropriate amounts of calcium compounds, silica, alumina andiron oxide are crushed and screened and placed in a rotating cement kiln. Ingredients used in this process are typically materials such as limestone, marl, shale, iron ore, clay, and fly ash.
The kiln resembles a large horizontal pipe with a diameter of 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.1 meters) and a length of 300 feet (90 meters) or more. One end is raised slightly. The raw mix is placed in the high end and as the kiln rotates the materials move slowly toward thelower end. Flame jets are at the lower end and all the materials in the kiln are heated to high temperatures that range between 2700 and 3000 Fahrenheit (1480 and 1650 Celsius). This high heat drives off, or calcines, the chemically combined water and carbon dioxide from the raw materials and forms new compounds (tricalcium silicate, dicalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate and tetracalcium aluminoferrite). For each ton of
material that goes into the feed end of the kiln, two thirds of a ton the comes out the discharge end, called clinker. This clinker is in the form of marble sized pellets. The clinker is very finely ground to produce portland cement. A small amount of gypsum is added during the grinding process to control the cement’s set or rate of hardening.
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What does it mean to “cure” concrete?
Curing is one of the most important steps in concrete construction, because proper curing greatlyincreases concrete strength and durability. Concrete hardens as a result of hydration: the chemical reaction between cement and water. However, hydration occurs only if water is available and if the concrete’s temperature stays within a suitable range. During the curing period-from five to seven days after placement for conventional concrete-the concrete surface needs to be kept moist to permit the hydration process. new concrete can be wet with soaking hoses, sprinklers or covered with wet burlap, or can be coated with commercially available curing compounds, which seal in moisture.
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Can it be too hot or too cold to place new concrete?
Temperature extremes make it difficult to properly cure concrete. On hot days, too much water is lost by evaporation from newly placed concrete. If the temperature drops too close to freezing, hydration slows to nearly a standstill. Under these conditions, concrete ceases to gain strength and other desirable properties. In general, the temperature of new concrete should not be allowed to fall below 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) during the curing period.
What is air-entrained concrete?
mixed on the job. The amount of entrained air is usually between 4 percent and 7 percent of the volume of the concrete, but may be varied as required by special conditions.
What are recommended mix proportions for good concrete?
A minimum cement content of 6 bags per cubic yard of concrete,
A maximum water content of 6 gallons per bag of cement,
A curing period (keeping concrete moist) a minimum of 6 days, and
An air content of 6 percent (if concrete will be subject to freezing and thawing).
Why does concrete crack?
Why test concrete?
like the Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, and state departments of transportation.
What are the most common tests for fresh concrete?
Slump is a measure of consistency, or relative ability of the concrete to flow. If the concrete can’t flow because the consistency or slump is too low, there are potential problems with proper consolidation. If the concrete won’t stop flowing because the slump is too high, there are potential problems with mortar loss through the formwork, excessive formwork pressures, finishing delays and segregation.
Air content measures the total air content in a sample of fresh concrete, but does not indicate what the final in-place air content will be, because a certain amount of air is lost in transportation, consolidating, placement and finishing. Three field tests are widely specified: the pressure meter and volumetric method are ASTM standards and the Chace Indicator is an AASHTO procedure.
Unit weight measures the weight of a known volume of fresh concrete.
Compressive strength is tested by pouring cylinders of fresh concrete and measuring the force needed to break the concrete cylinders at proscribed intervals as they harden. According to Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete (ACI 318), as long as no single test is more than 500 psi below the design strength and the average of three consecutive tests equals or exceed the design strength then the concrete is acceptable. If the strength tests don’t meet these criteria, steps must be taken to raise the average.
How can you tell if you're getting the amount of concrete you're paying for?
Why do concrete surfaces flake and spall?
In areas of the country that are subjected to freezing and thawing the concrete should be air-entrained to resist flaking and scaling of the surface. If air-entrained concrete is not used, there will be subsequent damage to the surface.
The water/cement ratio should be as low as possible to improve durability of the surface. Too much water in the mix will produce a weaker, less durable concrete that will contribute to early flaking and spalling of the surface.
The finishing operations should not begin until the water sheen on the surface is gone and excess bleed water on the surface has had a chance to evaporate. If this excess water is worked into the concrete because the finishing operations are begun too soon, the concrete on the surface will have too high a water content and will be weaker and less durable.
Will concrete harden under water?
What does 28 -day strength mean?
be tested. At this age, a substantial percentage of the hydration has taken place.
What is 3,000 pound concrete?
How do you control the strength of concrete?
How do you remove stains from concrete?
Common dry methods include sandblasting, flame cleaning and shotblasting, grinding, scabbing, planing and scouring. Steel-wire brushes should be used with care because they can leave metal particles on the surface that later may rust and stain the concrete.
Wet methods involve the application of water or specific chemicals according to the nature of the stain. The chemical treatment either dissolves the staining substance so it can be blotted up from the surface of the concrete or bleaches the staining substance so it will not show.
To remove blood stains, for example, wet the stains with water and cover them with a layer of sodium peroxide powder; let stand for a few minutes, rinse with water and scrub vigorously. Follow with the application of a 5 percent solution of vinegar to neutralize any remaining sodium peroxide.
What are the decorative finishes that can be applied to concrete surfaces?
How do you protect a concrete surface from aggressive materials like acids?
Is there a universal international specification for cement?
The United States uses the specification prepared by the American Society for Testing and Materials-ASTM C-150 Standard Specification for Portland Cement. There are a few other countries that also have adopted this as their standard, however, there are countless other specifications. Unfortunately, they do not use the same criteria for measuring properties and defining physical characteristics so they are virtually “non-translatable.” The European Cement Association
located in Brussels, Belgium, publishes a book titled “Cement Standards of the World.”
What is alkali-silica reactivity (ASR)?
Are there different types of cement?
Type I is a general purpose portland cement suitable for most uses.
Type II is used for structures in water or soil containing moderate amounts of sulfate, or when heat build-up is a concern.
Type III cement provides high strength at an early state, usually in a week or less.
Type IV moderates heat generated by hydration that is used for massive concrete structures such as dams.
Type V cement resists chemical attack by soil and water high in sulfates.
Types IA, IIA and IIIA are cements used to make air-entrained concrete. They have the same properties as types I, II, and III, except that they have small quantities of air-entrained materials combined with them.
White portland cement is made from raw materials containing little or no iron or manganese, the substances that give conventional cement its gray color.
If you have a question that was not answered in this section, please email us and we will be happy to answer it!