Making your material go farther

Did you know using CTi’s Smart Prep System can make your Hallmark products cover more?  The Smart Prep product line was originally designed to create a better preparation process for the concrete and to repair cracks with a better system.

Many Dealers are now using the Smart Prep to create a smoother finish that allows the CTi decorative products to cover more and to perform better.  The Smart Prep product line allows the decorative products to create an even stronger bond with the concrete which allows for better performance in the long term.

Working with a Radiant Heat Concrete Surface

Radiant heat flooring is a situation you may encounter if you live in a colder climate.  Radiant heating is the process of embedding tubing in a concrete surface (i.e. interior floors for room heating and exterior slabs to melt snow and ice) and then having hot water or electric heating transmit through this tubing to warm the concrete slab.

The challenge posed by radiant heat flooring is that of not harming the tubing during the preparation stages.  Since the floor has tubing running approximately 2” down throughout the floor, you cannot cut the floor for tension relief.

Preparation of a radiant heat floor must be mechanical.  Use of acid on a radiant heat slab may cause damage to the tubing.  Crack repair procedures can be utilized by forming a small “V” channel in the slab along the crack line and injecting the Fast Crack 1431.  Once the mechanical preparation and crack repair is done, the installation of the CTI System can proceed as normal.

Once the CTI System has been installed, it is recommended that the radiant heat unit not be used for a minimum of 30 days.  This allows the CTI System to cure and so the rapid heating of the concrete caused by the radiant heating doesn’t damage the surface.

The Advantages of Keeping Your Trailer Organized

Trailer Organization

Most Dealers operate from a 7’ X 14’ tandem axle trailer.  The weight limit on a trailer of this nature normally ranges from 5000 to 7500 lbs. and can easily hold everything needed for a project of up to 2000 sq. ft.

Having the trailer organized in a way where all items are easy to access and laid out in an order where they are grouped together as needed is a way to make your crew more efficient.   Before the start of any project, go through the checklist of items that could possibly be needed on the project and make sure the trailer is stocked completely before leaving for the job site.  This extra time spent organizing everything you need will save trips back to your warehouse (or worst, having to purchase items you already have) due to not having items while on the job site.

Trailer Organization

Keeping your trailer organized not only allows you and your installation crews to be more efficient, but also helps in keeping your CTi products in good condition, extends the life of your equipment and provides a professional look for your current and prospective customers when you’re on the job site.  Below are some examples of how to organize a typical trailer, CTi recommends you build out your trailer with the storage and organizational layout that works best for you.

CTi has detailed layouts on where to keep your material, equipment and other items needed for the job site organized in a way where it is not only easy to access but also is easy to find.

Items to keep from Freezing

Items to Keep From Freezing during shipping and storage

Please make a note when placing orders that our carrier lines will not ship products that will freeze if there is a chance the shipment will spend the weekend on a loading dock in temperatures below 32 degrees.  With this in mind, if you need any of the products listed below, please order them on Monday or Tuesday so the shipment can arrive prior to the weekend:

Spraymark Modifier

Quick Set Modifier

190 Colorants

Series 5000 Binder Parts A and B

Euro Bond

Euro Color

Series 140 Sealer

Pro Seal 200 Part B

Aquathane 6000 Parts A and B

Rapid Armor Part A

Super Seal 210 Parts A and B

Smart Prep liquid

New Products for the Winter Installation Season

Helpful products for the Winter installation months

Slow Cure Rapid Armor:  This addition to the Rapid Armor line allows more cure time when working with the product.  Especially useful for the Reflective Flooring finish where multiple layers are needed.  When ordering, simply ask for the Rapid Armor Slow Cure.

Series 5000 Binder Fast Cure:  This addition to the Durafleck line helps the binder cure more quickly during the Winter months.  This helps get the job done more quickly and shortens the amount of time required for the job.

Clean Your Rollers for Better Rapid Armor Installation

Everyone loves the glassy shine Rapid Armor can provide for the Euro Bond, Reflective Floor, Durafleck or even the troweled Hallmark finishes.  To insure you minimize the imperfections found in this glassy appearance, make sure to do the following to clean your yellow rollers:

1)      Take masking tape and wrap it around your hand with the sticky side facing out.  Pad the roller to remove any debris or loose fibers.

2)      Use your blower to remove any debris from the roller as well.

In addition, when applying the Rapid Armor, take a moment before rolling out the sealer to go outside and blow off any dust or other debris that may be on your clothes.  This will keep your movement while applying the sealer from dislodging debris from your clothes and falling into the sealer.

Product Coverage using the Hallmark System

Product Coverage When Applying the Hallmark System

When using products for a skim coat individually:

 

1 – 50 lb. Bag of 105 Polymerized Dry component will cover 250 s/f

1 – 5 gallon container of 110 Polymerized Wet component will cover 875 s/f

1 – Quart bottle of 190 Color Integration Component will cover 1000 s/f

 

When using products for the main spray coat individually:

 

1 – 50 lb. Bag of 105 Polymerized Dry component will cover 250 s/f

1 – 5 gallon container of 110 Polymerized Wet component will cover 1000 s/f

1 – Quart bottle of 190 Color Integration Component will cover 1000 s/f

 

When using the products for highlighting (each highlight color will have equal coverage) individually:

 

1 – 50 lb. Bag of 105 Polymerized Dry component will cover 5000 s/f

1 – 5 gallon container of 110 Polymerized Wet component will cover 20,000 s/f

1 – Quart bottle of 190 Color Integration Component will cover 15000 s/f per color.

 

When Sealing the project:

 

1 – 5 gallon container of Series 150 or 155 Texture Enhancer will cover 400 -500 square feet using TWO coats depending on the amount of texture.

 

Quick Coverage Ratio using the products together:

 

4 – 50 lb. Bags of Polymerized Dry Component

1 – 5 gallon container of 110 Polymerized Wet Component

1 – Quart Bottle of 190 Color Integration Component (this will be a combination of all colors used)

1 – 5 gallon container of 150 or 155 Texture Enhancer

 

Will cover 500 square feet on average concrete of COMPLETED HALLMARK APPLICATION.

 

These are CTi’s recommended coverage for the Hallmark products.  Factors such as

Condition of the original concrete

• Temperature of the original concrete
• How thin the skim coat is applied
• Percentage coverage for the main spray coat
• Percentage coverage for the highlight colors
   
  Will all play a role in how the product’s coverage performs.  CTi recommends being conservative with your estimated coverage to insure better profitability within the job as well as better product planning.