Trust the + to Increase Productivity on Concrete Grind and Seal Jobs
A great article about Porosity+ use on concrete with the RD Weis Hard Surfaces division was published by XL North! Thanks, Carrie Brown.
A recent concrete grind and seal project in Lower Manhattan provided Peter Criscione, Manager of Hard Surfaces at RD Weis, an excellent opportunity to try XL Porosity+® for the first time. As Peter explains, the 30,000 sq. ft. office space job was different from the start. “Usually we do the floors last, but the client requested that the floors be done mid way through the project. Because there were numerous glass panels and glass doors that needed to be installed, the customer didn’t want concrete grinding equipment being used in the space and we didn’t want to accept the liability.”
RD Weis was hired to grind the floor to a level that the end user was satisfied with and then apply a sealer. Peter notes that XL Porosity+ was a huge benefit to the crew during concrete grinding. He describes the process. “The concrete slab was cleaned, and we sprayed Porosity+ on with a pump sprayer. We started grinding while the product was still wet. As it ate away at the top surface, we used a 24” grinder to cut into the slab a bit more.” He adds, “The results were amazing! It was a great aid.”
Although it seemed an unconventional approach, Peter was thoroughly impressed with how easy Porosity+ is to use. “You just put it on the floor, wait 10 minutes, and it gives the concrete slab a profile.” He continues, “When grinding, water acts as a lubricant, but Porosity+ is a lubricant plus a topical agent that eats away at the surface at the same time. In terms of using it versus just water, we got three times the productivity. It saved us time and money.”
Peter and the entire RD Weis team were very pleased with the results. He concludes,“I’d absolutely use it again. It’s a great concrete profiling system when you don’t want to get into the OSHA regulations, if you don’t have machinery, or if you don’t have the correct electrical supply you need on a job.”
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Project management and logistics company CTS Flooring Group serves the flooring industry and focuses primarily on customers with multiple locations. The company manages all aspects of flooring projects from procurement, installation and repairs to floor maintenance, coatings, polishing, and moisture mitigation.
As this is a project management and logistics organization, its project managers are the core of its success, with an average of seventeen years of experience per person. “We have a very experienced group, and we have built a culture around collaboration and communication because as a service organization, you have to be sharing ideas all of the time,” says CTS Flooring President Michael J. Callaghan. “My particular leadership style is simple. It’s to define roles, develop a strategy, provide those associates with direction, and empower, encourage, and coach them along the way.”
CTS had previously been retail-centric, having worked with many big names including Best Buy, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Jared, Kay Jewelers, and Vineyard Vines to name a few. Since joining RD Weis, the company has expanded into other rapidly growing segments such as corporate office, education, and healthcare.
CTS encourages its employees to reach their full potential. “We have a process where we sit down with each associate on a quarterly basis, to review what we call a performance measurement tool,” says Michael. At the beginning of each year, the senior staff work to develop goals that suit both parties. Specific objectives are put into writing, and there are incentives for those who show improvement and determination to achieve their chosen goals.
CTS is also a member of Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership, and this association of independent flooring contractors has a strong reclamation program in which the company is actively involved. Flooring is one of the largest contributors to landfills in terms of mass – not surprising when considering the amount of material that must be used for flooring in a building with multiple stories – so it is important to reuse and recycle as much material as possible.
