Laticrete, a leading manufacturer of construction solutions for the building industry, has introduced Nxt Level SP, a coarse-sanded, polishable, cementitious self-leveling concrete overlay designed to function as a high-strength wear surface or underlayment.
With its ability to be pourable and pumpable, the overlay is ideal for new construction and repairs to polished slabs in malls, department stores, supermarkets, hotels, apartment buildings, car dealerships and other high-traffic areas that need a durable, low-maintenance wear surface.
Nxt Level SP flattens floors that can be walked on in as little as two hours and polished as soon as one day after application. Once cured, the concrete overlay, which has a salt-and-pepper appearance, can remain as is or topped with a flooring material or coating.
The overlay’s additional performance features include high abrasion resistance, which contributes to its low maintenance and longer appearance retention, and high compressive strength of 7,000 psi. The product also is equipped with an inorganic low-alkali cement-based formulation that won’t contribute to or harbor growth of mold or mildew.
Stud – Equipped with custom internal gearing, the new generation of Stud Tape Measures uses a smaller spring to reduce size and allow for a more compact, comfortable and ergonomic fit in your hand. This new design allows for an optimized spring to control blade retraction speed, minimizing whip.
The Stud’s blade, which is printed on both sides, is wrapped entirely with a high-density nylon coating to prolong its use. It also has a fully reinforced frame that can survive an 80-foot drop. These tape measures are now offered in more sizes, including a 25-foot magnetic option.
Wide Blade – The new Wide Blade Tape Measures have the longest, straightest standout for extended reach and efficiency. With two-sided blade printing for increased readability, they allow users to easily measure long distances on their own. The Wide Blade Tape Measures have 16- and 25-foot magnetic options.
Compact – The new Compact Wide Blade Tape Measures are a best-in-class compact size and deliver up to 12 feet of standout. They are also available in magnetic models that feature a finger stop.
Alpha Professional Tools has introduced the newest addition to its Ecoguard Dust Collection line. The Ecoguard W6 is designed for collecting dust/debris when using a high-speed angle grinder with a vacuum.
The guard fits on most 4½-, 5- and 6-inch angle grinders. It was built for heavy-duty applications and has unique features such as the support base for precise cuts as well as an adjustable cutting depth to a maximum of 1¾ inches. The clear cover allows for better visibility and is easy to install. It allows you to convert your existing dry angle grinder into a dustless tool without the expense of a second tool.
The guard has multiple connectors that fit most popular grinders on the market today, including inner flange, lock nut, spacers, collars for stainless-steel hose band, rubber hose adapter, side handle and pin wrench. It also has a flexible hose to conveniently attach to a vacuum.
W.R. Meadows not only offers non-sag and self-leveling versions of its dependable Pourthane joint sealant line, but both products are now available in a variety of colors as well.
Pourthane NS, an elastic, low-modulus, one-component, moisture-curing, non-sag, polyurethane sealant, maintains flexibility while providing outstanding durability in horizontal and vertical applications. It comes in 11 color choices to better match a variety of possible projects.
Pourthane SL, an elastic, one-component, self-leveling, polyurethane sealant specifically designed to be used in multipurpose horizontal joint sealing applications, is offered in three popular colors: gray, limestone and desert tan.
Sample cards showing the actual color of both products are available by request. A digital, printable PDF is also available with color options. The product’s actual color may vary and final color matching should be done with actual material.
Metabo HPT, formerly Hitachi Power Tools, launches its first four-port battery charger. It conveniently charges multiple 36-volt MultiVolt and 18-volt Metabo HPT/Hitachi batteries along with two USB-compatible accessories. It’s also equipped with two AC outlets to power additional electric devices.
Multiple ports can charge up to four lithium-ion slide batteries simultaneously or one by one, depending on which charging mode the user prefers. In multimode, the charger will uniformly charge all the batteries at the same time. In normal mode, the charger will charge batteries in sequence from port one to port four.
Rapid charging is convenient as the UC18YTSL can charge one 18V compact 3.0Ah battery in just 30 minutes or all four simultaneously in two hours. If charging a 4.0Ah MultiVolt battery, it can be fully charged in 52 minutes or all four simultaneously in 208 minutes. A mix of batteries with various voltages and amp hours can be charged simultaneously.
When charging, an indicator light activates until the cycle is complete. The charger will beep to indicate batteries are ready to go. It’s also equipped with an overcharge system that protects against overheating through a built-in temperature sensor.
Two USB ports are located on the side of the charger to recharge cell phones or other USB-compatible accessories.
Repair contractors, architects and building owners now have a safer, more consistent option to integrally add color to concrete flooring overlays.
Prosoco’s new Integral Color for Overlays is a premeasured, concentrated liquid designed to integrally color cement mixtures for overlays and polishable overlays. Available in nine colors readily in stock, they blend easily into overlays during the mixing process to create attractive hard surfaces.
The UV-resistant, easy-to-mix colors produce uniform and consistent color results in overlay applications. The liquid formulations are less messy than powdered integral colors and safer. They’re nonhazardous and water-based and come in 10-ounce packages for easy shipping.
The colorants are also VOC compliant, nonflammable, nontoxic, noncorrosive and low odor, and can be used for overlays in outdoor or indoor applications.
Simpson Strong Tie, a leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, recently released its “Anchoring, Fastening Systems and Restoration Solutions for Concrete and Masonry” product guide, a comprehensive yet streamlined reference guide designed to aid customers in quickly identifying the right products across the company’s extensive line of concrete construction solutions.
Created for dealers, engineers and contractors, the concrete construction product guide makes it easy to specify project-appropriate solutions.
In other news, Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced a ¼-inch diameter stainless-steel screw anchor designed for lighter-duty applications in severely corrosive environments. It’s code listed for use in cracked concrete.
Part of the company’s broad line of code-listed stainless-steel Titen HD heavy-duty screw anchors, the new ¼-inch anchor combines the corrosion resistance of Type 316 stainless steel with the undercutting ability of harder, heat-treated carbon steel. The helical-coil threads feature a serrated carbon-steel leading thread that cuts a channel so the stainless-steel threading can securely interlock with concrete and masonry.
Traditional carbon-tipped stainless-steel anchors are vulnerable to rust and expansion that can crack the concrete, but the helical-coil carbon thread greatly reduces the anchor’s overall carbon-steel quantity, making it much less likely to cause concrete damage if corrosion occurs. For comparison, a ½-by-5-inch screw anchor contains less than 1% carbon steel, while other stainless-steel screw anchors of the same size can contain as much as 18% carbon steel.
The addition of the ¼-inch diameter anchor to the THDSS lineup rounds out the company’s offering of stainless-steel anchors suitable for bridge, marine, water-treatment plant, and heavier civil-construction and retrofit applications where corrosive elements pose a hazard to standard carbon-steel screw anchors. In addition to their strength and environmental adaptability, all Titen HD screw anchors install easily with an impact wrench or hand tool.
Stainless-steel Titen HD anchors are code listed for a wide variety of applications in IAPMO UES ER-493 (for concrete) and ICC-ES ESR-1056 (for masonry).
Spyder Products, a company that makes high-performance power tool accessories, recently launched longer-lasting circular saw blades and a cut-off wheel that cuts cost.
Equipped with nickel cobalt (NiCo) cutting teeth, alternating tooth bevel and an anti-friction coating, the blades are easier to use, safer and provide up to six times the working life of conventional blades.
The 24 rugged and resilient NiCo teeth on the 7¼-inch blades are triple-sharpened to ensure exceptionally clean cuts. Unlike conventional blades, they include an alternating tooth bevel that allows users to rip and crosscut with minimal effort.
In addition to the specialized tooth design, polymer stabilization vents are engineered to reduce friction, noise and vibrations. An interfused anti-friction coating protects the blade against heat, gumming and corrosion.
Spyder’s circular saw blade, designed for use on circular saws with a maximum RPM of 10,000, includes a 5/8-inch arbor with diamond knockout that makes it compatible with a variety of arbor styles.
The new Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel can power through almost any material a professional might encounter — metal, stone, tile, composites and concrete — while providing a significantly lower cost-per-cut than conventional bonded abrasive products.
The wheel features a diamond-abrasive edge, combined with a shatter-resistant steel core. Together, these ensure safe operation, reduced dust and debris, and a much longer working life than typical wheels. It’s designed to retain its cutting power up to 100 times longer than typical bonded abrasive products.
The wheel is designed for use on angle grinders with a maximum RPM of 13,000.
Duraamen recently released its new Terrazzi Sprayable Polished Concrete Floor System, an innovative technology that helps eliminate poor results and reduce the costs and installation time of polished concrete floors.
The Terrazzi Sprayer, an airless pump, is designed to spray apply the company’s Arapido microtopping, a polishable concrete overlay that produces an ultra-smooth, super-fine surface. Spraying eliminates many of the installation problems and difficulties associated with hand-tool installation.
Arapido doesn’t need heavy grinding and is compatible with integral colors and concrete dyes. It’s an ideal solution for covering existing concrete or wood subfloors. The microtopping produces consistent results on both horizontal and vertical surfaces.