| Most ready
mix suppliers, Levig says, will have the right mix design
for a particular job if the contractor gives them site - and
temperature-specific information. On large jobs, suppliers
will work on site with YOU, lie says, but any contractor has
to be ready to adjust for the local ambient temperature and
other conditions. Levig advises contractors that "YOU
must keep control of what YOU have. Each manufacturer will
try to sell what he knows, ind each ones products reacts a
little differently, so try out each one and learn by experience."
Ojeda says that while ready mix suppliers
determine what the contractor gets, each contractor should
demand what lie needs, so the more they learn about admixtures,
and the more they know what to demand of their suppliers,
the better they will do.
This is especially good advice considering
that admixtures can also be added by contractors on site to
meet specific needs of a pour. To this end, admixtures are
packaged in preweighed portions that can he placed into the
mix in the field, allowing for precise modification of the
mix to meet site conditions without spillage.
Contractors would do well to keep a
selection of these admixtures on hand to deal with on-site
problems, making sure to conduct a field test before the pour
to make sure the fix is on target and that the admixtures
does not change any aesthetic priorities.
Admixtures can come in combinations,
says Harris, which gives more than one capability in one product.
Further, admixtures can be Used in combination, says Ojeda,
but contractors should be wary about combining them. He warns
that they are Used in such concentration that each must be
thoroughly dispersed before the next one is added to avoid
problems.
Admixtures if Used right, can
be the decor contractor's best friend, allowing him to build
in quality and strength while Using his labor and time to
the best advantage.
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