Hard facts for sel I ing concrete product

II\ONCRETE products aren't sexy. VBut that doesn't mean lumber yards and building products retailers cant make increased profits by giving these high margin basics a second look.

The materials themselves may not be inherently attractive; it's what they?e used for. "What you do is display what it looks like when it's done,

Crulk

Cmcre0c the project in final form," explains Dennis Winchester of Quikrete. Through drawings, in use photos or even actual three-dimensional displays, show the completed patio, walkway or repaired pothole on driveway crack.

His company offers a big, brightly colored banner with illusfations and a Project Construction Center stocked

Glossary of Goncrete-Related Terms

To seal rry crcvices with some flexibtre material.

An artificial stone,made by nlxing cement and sand with gravel broken stone or gqryr.aqgtegry, plus sufficient water b cause the cementto set ad bind the entlle msss.

Cotrol Jolnts Continuous vertical joints built into concete wells alleedng slit61 wall rpv€firent !o conbol eracking caused by unusual sfresses.

Cudry Tbe gocess of protecting concrete 4gainst loss of moisture during tb earlier stages of seting (hydration).

ldg-tng tr'oru Aporaneter or set of paraneters that contains the footing concrete. lborrcl A st!€l tool witl a flat snrfee used to mootb a concrele surfaoe. with free leaflets detailing the 1l most common concrete projects. The literature keys on the end use: "SEonger Slabs," "Build a Fence," etc.

A finisbing prccoss of rormding tbe edge of freshly poured concrete.

Footlng A base for a wall or other sEucture tbat provides strtrchral stability.

Gruut A watsr-cement or wat€,r-cement sand mixture used to plug holes or cracks in -concrete, r-*l:gin!r, fill spacos between machinery bed plates and consret€ foudations.

Hydratlon r The chemical process of waler and concrele during eebing or drying.

Masonry A constuctiron made of prefabricated masonry units laid in various ways and joined bgeth€r with mortar.

Mhers Vehicles o'r containers used b mix tle concrete's ingredients.

Mortrr Used for bonding masonry units togerher.

Povers Various sized/ehaped bricks for sid€walks, patios anddriveways.

Retelntng Wall A wall constructed to hold soil in place.

Smd A long; Ehsight boad for stiking off concrete, called screeding.

Sst Tb hardening of mortar or concaete.

Sffilng Ofl Tbe process of removing etcess concrete to adesired level.

Stucco A {uish conposed of two or more layers of mortar rpplied to walls.

Temp Co'mprcting concreG with rates or sbort lengths of lumbor.

Tcrtrrlng Creating a certain ffnish Orusbed, smoothed, etched, pockmclced).

Itlrc Mcch Eonded wire forming amet used to reinforc€ slabs of consrete.

Another key is emphasizing how easy the projects are. Have lnowledgeable sales personnel on hand who are familiar with the products and terminology. There's concrete mix, mortal mix, sand mix, glass block mortar, vinvl concrete patcher, concrete repair caulk, quick-setting cement, anchoring cernent, patching plaster, concrete and asphalt cleaner, crack seal, surface bonding cement, stucco, foundation coating, masonry coating, concrete bonding adhesive, concrete acrylic fortifier, sealer, wall and floor tile mix, tile adhesive, tile grou! tile and grout cleaner, latex, floor resurfacer, undedayment, sand, gravel, driveway crack filler and sealer, blacktop patch, Portland cement, masonry cement. Consumers need to know which product to buy, how much and how to use it.

Many retailers have separated the products from the rest of the basic building materials, brought them out of the back of the store and fomred a separate "Concrete Repair and Building Products" deparUnent. Products

Story at a Glance

are now more accessible, all and easy to find.

Also available are ad slicks empbasizing products and projects, ideal for a product that can be advertised just about any time. "They're sold pretty much year-round," Winchester said. "The only time people don't buy them is Chrisunas."