Tag Archives: cracks

Concrete Repair, MatchCrete

Making Cracks Disappear

One question we get asked all the time is if we can make a crack disappear.  For the most part the answer has always been no. We can make a good repair and finish it as close as we can to the original color and surface texture. That was before Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear came along.  The photos below were sent in by a concrete polishing contractor. By using MatchCrete™ clear and sand that matches the surrounding concrete, the polished repair blends in very nicely with the concrete slab. When the floor is in service, you will have to look very carefully to find the repairs.  Try some Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear on your next polishing job. With a little technique and experimentation, you can get results like this.

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Polished concrete repair with Concrete Mender™ Off-white.
Polished concrete repair with Concrete Mender™ Off-white.
 Did the crack disappear? If you don’t notice it anymore, what’s the difference?
Concrete Repair, MatchCrete

Roadware compared to look-alikes.

Recently a customer sent me several cut sheets from other manufactures of look-alike concrete repair products and asked me to compare them with Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™.  Here is how it played out.

Dear Dave,
 
We here at Roadware are familiar with the knock-off and look-alike products you submitted for our review. These products fall into the category of a low viscosity polyurea. Basically, what they have done is modify a standard polyurea joint filler and added a solvent to make it appear as a high-penetration Concrete Mender™-like product. They are all missing the key property and process that makes Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ unique and superior in overall performance. This process is called Microdoweling™.
 
Roadware’s Microdoweling™ process uses a proprietary formula of polyurethanes and additives to achieve a measured surface tension of 0.026 N/m. (1/3 of water) Surface tension is a measurement of a liquids ability to break free of its own molecular friction and flow into something else. Microdoweling™ is why Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ can penetrate easily into a concrete surface under adverse conditions, as is the case in distressed, broken and cracked concrete.
Other advantages for Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ are:
 
  • The lowest viscosity for easier mixing and blending.
  • Easy, one-step polishing and grinding. This material will not melt, smear, or gum up diamond polishing pads. An excellent parging compound.
  • Experienced and advanced packaging. Roadware cartridge packaging is reliable and works well in the field.
  • End-user color blending. New MatchCrete™ Concrete Mender can easily be manipulated into many colors by modifying the sand or adding pigments.
  • A modulus of elasticity that is slightly less then the concrete so repairs will move with the concrete and not against it.
  • Needle tip application. A complete system of needle-tip cartridge mixers for pin-point application and hairline crack repair.
It’s all in the data. Roadware backs up the Microdoweling™ process with independent testing data and publishes it on our website, www.roadware.us.
Thank you for continued support and please call us any time if you have any questions.
Best regards,
 
 
Kelton Glewwe
Vice President of Operations

 

Concrete Repair, MatchCrete

Emergency Concrete Repair at Wal-Mart Garden Center

1 Comment

Recently Dave Wilson, of Roadware Distributor Fowler Supply received this email on behalf of a East Tennessee Construction Services.

From: Retail Facilities Maintenance Call Center
 
Subject: concrete repair
 
Possible safety hazard in garden center patio. Please dispatch concrete repair specialist to evaluate and remedy the situation as soon as possible. Customer safety is a top priority.
Store Manager 
Store #XXX
Georgia

 

Emergency repairs are common for Roadware contractors.  When safety is on the line and a store needs something repaired quickly and permanently, Roadware Concrete Repair Products are the clear choice due to minimal down time and minimal intrusion to facility operations.

When Dave Wilson arrived on site, this is the trip hazard condition he found.

Plan of Action:

  1. Repair bottom portion of spalled joint with Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™.
  2. Repair top portion of spalled joint using new Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear (MCC) colored with Davis Colors pigment to match the surrounding concrete. MCC is used because it will not change color when exposed to UV sunlight as is the case in a garden center.
  3. Finish to grade.

Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ and silica sand is added to the bottom of the repair. This provides a tough  Microdoweling™ repair and seals off and moisture in the substrate.

Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear and a mixture of silica sand blended with about one teaspoon of powdered Davis Color is added to the repair.

The Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear and sand mixture is troweled in place and allowed to cure for about 45 minutes.

After curing, the surface is ground smooth and the control joint is re-sawn with a diamond blade.

 

Traffic is restored immediately.  Danny, the associate who requested the work order was, “Amazed.”

When the job has to be done quickly and correctly. Roadware Concrete Repair products are always at the ready.

Special thanks to Dave Wilson at PatchMyConcrete.com for sending this in!

concrete mender, Concrete Repair

Concrete slab under wood floor crack repair.

Today I received several photographs of a large crack that developed under a hardwood floor in a slab-on-grade application. The crack buckled the hardwood flooring. The home owner consulted several contractors and engineers to solve the problem. No cost-effective solution could be found until Roadware contractor, Clay Kenny, (Manderville, Lousiana) arrived on the scene.

Using Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ and silica sand, Clay repaired the crack to full depth and re-bonded the slabs back together using Roadware’s Microdoweling™technology.

The repairs cured in just 10 minutes and Clay was on and off the job in just 3 hours. The home owner was amazed. Clay and 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ did what couldn’t be done. The hard wood flooring was re-installed and the floor was put back in service faster then anyone could imagine. This repair took nine 600ml cartridges of #80300 Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ and a 40 lbs bag of silica sand to complete. The Concrete Mender™ turned a flooring disaster into an opportunity.
Anyone in the concrete business knows that concrete can be unpredictable and even a well thought-out project can develop cracks. Some are minor, and some can cause a real problem. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ can help make the problems manageable.

 

Concrete Repair

Introducing Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear

 

Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear (MCC) is a two component aliphatic polyurethane for repairing cracks, spalls, and joints in concrete subject to UV exposure from sunlight. This material is clear in appearance when applied and cured. Colored sand and pigments may be added to create color stable repairs that match most any decorative or shade of concrete surface. MCC will not significantly change color with exposure to sunlight over time.

Use Roadware MatchCrete™ Clear (MCC)  to quickly repair cracks and spalls in concrete that is exposed to sunlight and where a color compatible appearance is desired.

Who would want a “clear” concrete repair product? What could you use it for?

For over 15 years, Roadware manufactured 10  Minute Concrete Mender™ in one standard concrete grey color. It was simple and straight forward. Concrete is grey! The repairs should be grey.  Then everything changed. In the past five years, decorative concrete has exploded into the marketplace.  Now you can have your concrete in nearly limitless color choices and textures. We developed MatchCrete™ Clear to give you endless color possibilities as well. So, what can you do with MatchCrete™ Clear?

Cracks and Saw-cut Control Joints:

  • Clear- Use MCC without sand to create an eye pleasing joint that will not distract from the overall look.
  • Colored and Clear – Stain the sidewalls of a crack or joint  and fill with MCC to create a colored joint effect.
  • Colored Sand- Use MCC with colored sand or colored quartz to make nearly any color repair.
  • Colored Aggregate- Use MCC and colored aggregate to make a granite or stone effect.
  • Concrete Dust- Use MCC and concrete dust to make a portland concrete look.
  • Dry Pigment- Use MCC, sand, and some dry concrete pigment to create most any matching color.
  • Dry Shake- Add a bit of dry shake color to your MCC repair for matching color effects.

Decorative Use:

  • Joints and Cracks- Fill joints and cracks around concrete, stone, tile, or terrazzo without becoming an eyesore.
  • Exposed Aggregate- Repair cracks, spalls, and knock-outs.
  • Pool Decks- Repair coatings and de-laminations.

Polishing:

  • Joints- Use MCC for polished joints that match the concrete and look good.
  • Design- Use MCC to embed items into the concrete and polish the surface flush.
  • Lighting- Use MCC to embed LED lighting into concrete walkways and decks for dramatic effects.

Exterior Use:

  • Use MCC in areas exposed to sunlight where color stable repairs are necessary such as driveways, sidewalks and entryways.

Architectural  Use:

  • Use MCC to repair cracks, joints and spalls in high profile building entrances, courtyards, and common areas. Repairs with MCC will not distract from the overall appearance and design.
Roadware MatchCtete™ Clear #71300 600ml cartridge.
Roadware MatchCtete™ Clear #71300 600ml cartridge.