For people around the country, summer is coming to an end. Students are returning to school, fall colors are appearing on the trees, people are dreaming of pumpkin-spiced coffee, and temperatures are cooling down. Unless you live in Texas. Or Florida. Or Southern California. And every state in between. In these places, summer continues to boil with temperatures in the triple digits. And if you’re working in the concrete industry, you are still fighting against the elements to finish your concrete before it bakes in the sun.
Fritz-Pak is here to remind you summer temperatures don’t have to keep stressing you out or make your job harder than it needs to be. We design our delayed set admixtures to help you beat the heat and create a beautiful, consistent finish for your concrete. These products can be especially useful if you’re a decorative concrete contractor stamping large areas of concrete.
When working with decorative concrete, you know appearance is the priority. Anything that will diminish the appearance of the concrete must be mitigated, including the elements. Here at Fritz-Pak, we recommend using our delay set admixtures as part of the Step Delay Process to ensure a clean aesthetic for your finished concrete. The Step Delay Process is cost-effective and easy to follow.
Step 1: Pour a portion of the concrete
The first step is easy. You place a specified amount of your concrete. The size of the job and the load will determine how much concrete you place in this first pour. Example: Pour 4 yards of an 8-yard load.
Step 2: Add the delayed set admixture
Once you have poured the first portion of the concrete, add the appropriate amount of delayed set admixture to the truck and mix it on high for around 5 minutes. Once again, the size of the job will determine how much admixture you add. Then pour the next section of concrete. Example: Add 4 bags of Mini Delayed Set to the next 4 yards of an 8-yard load.
Step 3: Stamp and finish the concrete
Once you have poured all the concrete, start stamping the first section you placed. Work your way toward the next section of concrete and continue working onto each section until you have stamped the whole job.
The Step Delay process allows you the opportunity to evenly stamp the concrete by slowing down the set time for portions of the concrete. Without this process, some of the concrete may set up before you have a chance to stamp, creating uneven patterns or unsightly cracks in the design. To learn more about how you can use our products to ensure the best finish for your decorative concrete, check out the video from DecoCrete, and be sure to visit the products page on our website.
Fritz-Pak Corporation is a member of the American Concrete Institute, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, the American Society of Concrete Contractors, including the Decorative Concrete Council, the American Concrete Pumping Association, and the International Packaged Concrete Manufacturer’s Association.
For more information, contact David Ojeda, 1-888-746-4116, davidojeda@fritzpak.com