Xylene – A common solvent. Used as a carrier for solvent based sealers. High in odor and flammability.
Read MoreArchive for ‘Concrete Glossary’
Water-Cement Ratio – The ratio of the amount of water to the amount of cement in a concrete mixture. The key to producing high-quality decorative concrete is to keep the water-cement ratio as low as possible without sacrificing workability.
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: cement dust, cement ratio, cementitious materials, color tones, concrete mixture, concrete slabs, diamond abrasives, hydraulic cement, iron content, low iron, polished concrete, portland cement, slump of freshly mixed concrete, substrate temperature, water plug, white cement, wire fabric, wire mesh, wire strands, woven mesh
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments 
Vapor Barrier – A moisture-impervious material, such as plastic sheeting, placed on the subbase under a concrete slab to help prevent moisture vapor transmission.
Vertical Stamped Concrete – A decorative finish for walls and other vertical surfaces using a lightweight cementitious …
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: acid stains, cementitious, cleaning materials, concrete coatings, concrete slab, fluidity, liquid material, masonry wall, moisture vapor, organic chemicals, plastic sheeting, room temperatures, subbase, thicknesses, vapor barrier, vapor transmission, vertical surfaces, viscosity, volatile organic compounds, wall textures
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Tack – The stickiness or adhesiveness of a material.
Tamper (or pounder) – A handheld impact tool used to firmly press stamping mats or texturing skins into fresh concrete to ensure a complete imprint.
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: application procedures, color hardener, concrete surfaces, concrete trowel, coverage rates, different shapes, hand tool, impact tool, margin trowel, paint roller, perimeters, pot life, repair materials, restricted areas, seamless textures, square edges, steel hand, technical data sheet, textured surface, trowels
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Sacrificial Coating – A final floor finish or wax designed to protect the sealer or topcoat from wear. Usually applied by mop or floor buffer in several coats to act as a shock absorber to scuffs, scratches, and grime.
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: abrasive blades, coats, concrete surface, concrete surfaces, cutters, decorative aggregates, decorative concrete, joints, milling equipment, mop, nozzle, penetrating sealer, right angle, rock salt, sandblasting, scratches, shock absorber, ssd, surface sealer, topcoat
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Raveling – The dislodging of aggregate at the edges of jointsor scored patterns in concrete, generally caused by sawcutting joints too soon after concrete placement.
Ready-Mixed Concrete – Concrete thats batched or mixed at a central plant before delivery to the …
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: aggregate, architectural details, concrete concrete, concrete construction, concrete placement, concrete slab, concrete surfaces, cracks, diameters, flexural strength, flexural stress, joints, polystyrene, reinforcing bars, steel bars, steel rebar, stress release, substrate, wall surfaces, wire mesh
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Patterned Concrete – See Stamped Concrete
Penetrating Sealer – A sealerwith the ability to penetrate into the concrete surface to increase water repellency and resist stains. Often used on decorative concrete to provide invisible protection without changing the surface appearance.
…
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: cement paste, concrete cement, concrete surface, decorative concrete, invisible protection, patterned concrete, penetrating sealer, ph test, pinhead, plastic shrinkage, plasticity, platform tools, polished concrete, polished stone, polyurea coating, sandpaper, shrinkage cracks, sized holes, surface appearance, water repellency
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Opacity – The ability of a coating to hide the color of the underlying surface. (Also see Translucent.)
Overlay – A bonded layer of material, ranging from 1/4 to 1 inch or more in thickness, placed on existing concrete surfaces to …
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: concrete surfaces, glossary, opacity, polymer
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Neutralize – To return concrete to the proper pH after acid etching, generally by washing the surface with a mixture of water and ammonia or sodium carbonate. Ideal pH is 7.0 (neutral), but a pH range of 6.0-9.0 is acceptable for most coatings. ASTM D …
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: acid etching, acidity, alkalinity, ammonia, coating application, concrete surfaces, epoxy resin, glossary, mixture, notches, ph range, ph test, proper ph, resin products, sodium carbonate, test method, viscosity
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments
Marbleize – To give concrete surfaces the look and gloss of marble, through a combination of color layering and finishing techniques.
Margin Trowel (also pointer or pointed masons trowel) – A steel trowel with a small, rectangular flat blade about 5 …
Read MoreDecember 11, 2011 Tags: aggregates, architectural requirements, chemical ingredients, coating thickness, concrete surface, concrete surfaces, finishing tools, flat blade, information sheets, margin trowel, masons, material safety data, material safety data sheet, materials and methods, moisture vapor, pigments, safety data sheet, safety guidelines, thin polymer, vapor transmission
Category: Concrete Glossary No Comments