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Found 92 results for the keyword(s) ‘Concrete’

• Article

  HOW DO I PREVENT DRY ROT IN BASEMENT STUDS?

  Wood in contact with slightly humid concrete can easily develop dry rot. (search keyword "rot" for the title "WHAT IS DRY ROT?") This often happens to studs laid on the basement floor or standing up against basement walls. A perfectly dry basement will present no problem -- but how many ba...
• Article

  WHAT IS BASEMENT FREEZE SHIFTING?

  There are two basic mechanisms which can cause a basement to move because of freezing temperatures -- ice-block formation and ad-freezing.Frost heaving: a form of ice-block formation occurs when moist soil lies under the foundation footings and the frost line or freezing-point penetration reac...
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  A form for column footings, below ground

  "Big Foot" is a plastic form that you put in the bottom of the hole you dug for your support columns. You then set a Sono-tube on the top and pour in the concrete. The concrete will fill the form on the bottom (air holes let it flow) and give you a perfectly formed footing every time, without h...
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  A portable re-bar bending tool

  Hitichi let me play with a prototype of a portable machine that will bend re-bar to any shape you want, with absolutely no effort. Expensive and used for heavy construction sites -- but a really nifty gadget. It is like playing with re-bar like they were paper clips.
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  Slippery finished concrete

  Bill from Edmonton, Alberta has coloured and varnished concrete outdoors, which has turned out to be just too slippery.To keep the same look but eliminate the safety hazard I would suggest another coat of the same finish but while it is wet, sprinkle in painter's sand. You can find little contai...
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  Pro: Trouble Shooting Concrete Fasteners

  Fastening to concrete or masonry? We've got three problems: choosing the right fastener, choosing the right tool and then doing it right. Here is some product information and trouble shooting tips.Power Actuated nailingExplosive shot nailling is the most common but the weakest of the serious ...
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  Removing Stains on Concrete

  Oil stains are almost impossible to get out of concrete. Substances that tend to sit on the top surface of the concrete are much easier to get off. We did some testing with various stain and graffiti removal products. Nothing worked perfectly.Since this show I have been looking for somethin...
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  Sealing a concrete roof

  Dartmouth, Nova Scotia is home to a peculiar house with a concrete roof. The roof is now leaking and Ron would like to know how to seal it.Many good coatings are available, but all of them will eventually need maintaining and may even develop leaks from weathering -- as has happened with the pre...
• Article

  Concrete Fasteners - a survey

  There are many different fasteners and fastening systems for attaching things to concrete. What you are looking for is a balance between speed, strength and cost.Nails driven with a hammer or with a power actuated gun work well in attaching something to a floor to keep it from sliding sideway...
• Article

  Getting a poorly constructed concrete veranda to work

  Lisa in Markham Ontario has a real water problem because her contractor did not follow the architect's plan for the construction of a concrete veranda around most of her house. The architect had planned a membrane below the concrete as well as a curb between the deck and the house wall. Non...