Tricks of the Trade
Hereʼs one you can warm up to. While installing 14 cases of Roadware Flexible Cement II (thatʼs 168 tubes), Roadware contractor Dave Wilson got tired of shaking and turning tubes, waiting for the ball bearings to start clicking. Dave headed over to a Super Wal-Mart looking for an electric blanket. It was the wrong time of the year, but they did have heating pads.
Dave had this crazy idea if they warmed up the cartridges, the material would mix immediately, speeding up the installation and keeping the installation virtually striation clear. To make a long story short, he got that and a whole lot more.
- The heating pads exactly fit the boxes of Flexible Cement II™..
- Open the bottom of the box, remove the bubble packing and insert a heating pad.
- Open the top and place an additional heating pad on top of the cartridges.
- Turn the pads on to medium/medium high.
- Wait 15 minutes.
- Take out a layer of cartridges (3) and place the pad on the next layer.
- Shake the three cartridges until the white side has a consistent color. You will hear the steel ball rattle inside. Set up the three cartridges and run out 10-15 feet of expansion joint or construction joint with FLEX II.
- Have second crew member follow behind with a second application and a third crew member follow with a third application.
- At the end of the third application leave the nozzle stuck in the joint to dam the warmed FLEX II.
- Set up three more cartridges and continue the run until complete.
- The warmed FLEX II will self level, require no additional trowel work and if done carefully, no clean-up needed. Pull the nozzle-dam and replace it with FLEX II as you start the next run. This will eliminate cold joints.
- When breaking for lunch, reduce pad heat to medium.
Dave’s Comments: “Iʼve never heard the ball bearings rattle before, but I hear them now. This puts cartridge applications on a par with bulk-mixed FLEX II. Itʼs quick, easy and very effective. The material thins to Mender-like viscosity and penetrates joint walls securing the FLEX II and the joint. The pads may be reused, of course, and the set-up cost is minimal.”
“I highly recommend you try it. It sure worked well on this job and we will continue to use a little heat to keep things flowing.”
Roadwareʼs Comments: “Why didnʼt we think of that?”
 |
| Electric heating pads are a good way to warm up Flexible Cement II prior to application. Use caution not to “cook” your cartridges for more than 12 hours. Leaking at the seals may be the result. |