Our first two issues of Concrete Surfaces have generated a great response from our contractor-readers. My first thought was we were off to a good start with something new. But I discovered recently that there's an awful lot of history here at Hanley Wood.
Our sister publication, Concrete Construction, celebrated its 50th year in 2006. Each month this year, that magazine's editors published bits and pieces of its original articles that appeared through its five decades. One of the feature stories under consideration for republishing was “Protecting Concrete Surfaces.”
I almost had to rub my eyes because it could very well be the headline from a story in the current issue you are holding in your hands right now. “Good, well-placed concrete should be durable concrete, but there are always instances when the wise contractor should apply a protective coating to a concrete surface,” the author wrote. “This article examines the types of protective coatings available and discusses when they should be used.”
The date? It wasn't two, five, or even 20 years ago. The date was February 1966.
Concrete applicators, contractors, and concrete producers (not to mention the magazines they read) like to think of themselves as being on the cutting edge of new technologies, products, and techniques. And in many cases, they are. But think back to the readers in 1966 when they read:
“Cement-based coatings usually consist of a mixture of white Portland cement, silica sand, pigment when required, accelerators, and water repellents. This mixture should be scrubbed well into the thoroughly dampened concrete surface.”
“Silicone compounds are a very popular method of dampproofing exterior, above-grade wall.”
“Linseed oil shows a great deal of promise as a surface treatment for concrete pavement.”
It was all good, exciting stuff for them to take to the jobsite. It makes me wonder what this magazine's editor in 2046 will think of the articles in the Winter 2006 issue.
Green Roofs may seem innovative now. Those readers of the future might say, “That magazine was pretty innovative.” Or how about polyurea? “They were on the ball back then.”
Our editorial heritage of innovative reporting and industry involvement continues today. I hope these features provide valuable information you can use on your jobsites.
We also are helping you in the not-too-distant future, reporting on two great places to learn about the concrete surfaces industry. Details about these important upcoming events are in the news section on page 11.
But I do want to highlight a truly special event at World of Concrete, Jan. 23–26, in Las Vegas. Concrete Surfaces is teaming with The Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) to offer the C-11 SSPC Concrete Coating Inspector Program and Certification right at the show.
This partnership has terrific synergies. As a World of Concrete attendee, you look to SSPC for knowledge that will enable you to offer better value to your customers. Here's a chance to get quality training and education in a setting surrounded with products and technologies you will find useful in your jobs.
