The Concrete Network Publishes Info Booklet on Pool Decks

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Yucaipa, CA June 11, 2008 -- Pool decks have become an important facet in transforming the pool and backyard area into a mini-resort area. The Concrete Pool Decks catalog, made available on ConcreteNetwork.com, is a convenient source of information for homeowners, builders and designers who are considering a concrete pool deck and want to understand the versatility and affordability of decorative concrete.

One of the most important considerations for any pool deck is the type of material to be used. This catalog features information on the available patterns, colors, textures, designs, and styles possible with decorative concrete. Featuring 13 pages of full-color pool deck photos offering great ideas for planning a project. The catalog also provides information on popular stamp and stenciling patterns, exposed aggregate applications and more.

"The benefits of concrete are many. It can provide an extremely durable surface, as compared to a wooden deck or even stone," explains Silvano Salvatici of Sublime Concrete Solutions. "With the new techniques for stamping and applying decorative concrete, any look can be created at a fraction of the cost."

Decorative concrete has opened the doors to creating pool decks that complement the exterior of the home and meld with the outdoor environment by incorporating other features like lighting and sound, spas, waterfalls and more.

Have an existing pool deck? There is no need to replace the entire deck. Decorative concrete overlays and toppings, highlighted in this catalog, allow homeowners the option to spruce up and existing deck. Textured and colored overlays can be applied over just about any surface. Some companies offer a spray-applied texture coat that provides the same decorative options, but also offers a slip resistant finish.

Read more about concrete.

Established in 1999, The Concrete Network's purpose is to educate consumers, builders, and contractors on popular decorative techniques and applications. These include stamped concrete, stained concrete floors, concrete countertops, polished concrete, and much more. In 2007 The Concrete Network Website had over 11 million visitors researching decorative concrete.

The site excels at connecting buyers with local contractors in their area through its Find a Concrete Contractor service. The service provides visitors with a list of decorative concrete contractors throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is fully searchable by 23 types of decorative concrete work and 202 regional areas throughout North America.

Life Paint Announces Training Class, Scheduled for July 24, 2008

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Life Paint announced the date of their "HOW TO" Clinic and Live Demo of their line of deck coating and concrete coating products to be Thursday July 24, 2008 at their plant at 12927 Sunshine Ave in Santa Fe Springs CA.

The 4 systems that will be discussed and demo'd will be the Texture-Crete System with Acrylic Stain, The AL metal lath cementious system for plywood decks, the MACoat System, for concrete decks and their Epoxy System for interior concrete floors/garages.

Sign up today for this event; pre-paid admission is only $25.00, but you'll pay $50 at the door if you just show up. RSVP to Leonard Moraga by 7 18 08, tell him you saw the information here at our blog!

PCBC Humming With Activity

Winding it down today, PCBC was pretty busy from reports from several manufacturer's I know are displaying.

Mer-Ko, with parent Parex/LaHabra is there...they got some serious real estate tied up in prime spot...

Pli-Dek has a nice looking booth too. Pli-Dek has snappy new literature and binders at their booth waiting for you.

I got a great sample from Multi-coat, their Slatex Systems Below Grade Waterproofing system on a mini-cinder block.

Lots of interesting products, not much new on decking this year that I've heard of. I saw one manufacturer, Quick Drain has a cool stainless steel trough with a snap in cover that looks like it might be adaptable to waterproof decking.

One thing to remember when venting decks in California; new codes require vents that won't let embers in. Gunter Manufacturing 916-652-7424 has 'em. Fire safety is not something to trifle with. These vents will keep you in complaince with California Willand-Urban Interface fire code program.

AVM, Westcoat and Excelelnt Coating/Tufflex are there too, so stop by the show and see the many products and solutions to your building needs.

Plastic Balcony Waterproofing Used on Building in England

From "Ye Olde Englande" comes this story about plastic (cold liquid applied) waterproofing...read on ye merry wenches and wags...

BALCONIES FIT FOR A KING
building
Liquid Plastics
26/06/2008

Liquid Plastics provides Balcons Deco system for King Street Housing Society

26th June 2008 – Liquid Plastics, manufacturer of quality seamless protection systems, has supplied a Balcons Deco waterproofing system to protect the balconies of the new-build Wulfstan Way Flats in Cambridge.

Designed by architects Bland, Brown, and Cole the flats will provide sheltered accommodation for the elderly. The biggest challenge during the project for Deejak Builders (Rushden) Ltd, the main contractor, was to complete the balcony waterproofing within three weeks.

Tower Asphalt Ltd., one of Liquid Plastics’ Quality Assured Contractors, applied the system; “Decothane Balcons is a liquid applied membrane, which makes it easy to dress to intricate detail areas,” comments Keith Marzetti from Tower Asphalt Ltd. “As all building works were virtually finished, this also helped us to complete the project with minimum disruption and provide a highly durable, seamless waterproof finish.”

The concrete balconies at Wulfstan Way had a complete Balcons Deco system installed consisting of two coats of fully reinforced Decothane Balcons, with a decorative paint flake mix broadcast into a third coat and sealed with Balcony Sealer 60. Not only could this system be quickly completed, it is also cold applied and therefore no heat or naked flame were necessary.

The addition of a paint flake mix to a coloured coat of Decothane Balcons allows the system to provide a highly aesthetic finish, not only pleasing to the eye but also highly durable and guaranteed to remain waterproof for 10 years. A skid inhibiting agent is also added to the Balcony Sealer to ensure that the surface is suitable and safe for pedestrian traffic – particularly important for this project because of the need to meet full mobility standards.

Tom Hanks Loses Construction Defect Lawsuit After Losing at Arbitration

Actor Tom hanks lost his bid to sue his contractor in Idaho after a Judge threw out the case on a technicality; he'd already lost at an arbitration, where his contractor was awarded 1.8 million or so.

Now Hanks also faces a lawsuit against him, possibly for spiteful or improper purposes in regards to his lawsuit, for damages and costs of defense.

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APA The Engineered Wood Association, answers a question on T & G Plywood for decks and roofs

At the APA Website was this question on T & G Plywood...read more at APA by clicking our headline...

Help Desk Question: Panel Edge Support - What Role Does Tongue-and-Groove Play?
Posted At : August 31, 2007 1:15 PM | Posted By : Merritt Kline
Related Categories: OSB,Code,Plywood,Help Desk,Floors,Roofs

APA Help DeskQuestion: What purpose does tongue-and-groove (T&G) serve on a roof deck or balcony with inhabited space below? What are the advantages of using T&G in an exterior deck application if, for example, the deck is a subfloor to an exterior balcony with waterproofing and 2-inch topping slab over inhabited space, or a low slope roof deck?

Answer: Tongue-and-groove edges are a type of edge support for wood structural panel sheathing. Other types of edge support appropriate for roof sheathing are edge clips (H clips) and lumber blocking.

The purpose of edge support is twofold.

1. Assure that panels meet minimum load capacity requirements when loads are applied near a panel edge.
2. Limit differential panel deflection when loads are applied near a panel edge.

Roof deck sheathing requires edge support when panels are applied over framing spaced greater than certain specified spans.

Balcony and outdoor deck sheathing must meet floor sheathing requirements. Edge support is required for all floor sheathing applications unless 1/4-inch minimum thickness underlayment or 1-1/2 inches of approved cellular or lightweight concrete, or 3/4-inch wood strip finish floor is applied. Acceptable forms of floor sheathing edge support are: T&G, or lumber blocking.

Is one method of edge support superior to the other? What is the strongest method: T&G, blocking, or H clips?

Although appearance is not typically an edge support consideration, when appearance is important, T&G may be the better choice.

Properly installed, lumber blocking is the strongest of the three methods. Edge clips, the least; however, for roof deck sheathing applications, edge clips are perfectly satisfactory and may facilitate proper panel spacing.