Attacking the Whole Margin | Why adding a Liquid Screed Mixer to your fleet can bring more business

Increasing competition in the concrete industry means that there’s always a focus on improving efficiency, finding new holes in the market, and keeping up with the latest technology to give you the advantage. Innovations in building design cause shifts in supply and demand. A prime example of this happening in both Europe and North America is the increased adoption of in-floor heating and concrete levelling systems.

THE HISTORY

In many countries, radiant floor heating has become the standard for many new builds. In Europe, the industry saw the practice exponentially increasing through the 80’s and 90’s as a result of the ability to produce and utilize PEX-Style tubing. North America is not far behind – more and more colder-climate areas are integrating this efficient and low-maintenance alternative to traditional heating systems.

HOW IT WORKS

Instead of a central air or individual radiation units, in-floor heating essentially treats the entire concrete floor as a functional radiator. The result is a very pleasant, evenly distributed warmth that often starts in the basement, keeping the whole building warm from the ground up. A positive result of this is that it eliminates the ever-present homeowner battle of keeping the basement warm in cold winter climates without over-heating the upper levels.

A typical installation of the system happens after the structural concrete subfloor. Insulation boards are installed to retain the heat from moving downwards below the foundation, and then the hot-water piping is placed in conjunction with hardware to keep it in place. Hardware methos range from specialized staples to more sturdy rail-style retainers.

Once the system has been tested to ensure it can hold water pressure, heat, and does not leak, it’s ready for screed!

WHERE YOU COME IN

Here’s exactly where the Titan Screed Series shows it’s benefit:

Traditionally, to lay the floor down overtop of the heating system, the floor would be manually trowelled with a semi-dry screed mix (Concrete sand and cement powder). This is a very particular and time-consuming process with a lot of opportunities for imperfection:

• Levelling needs to be done manually.
• The final finish depends upon the skill of the finishing crew.
• Thermal conduction is poor.
• Longer dry times.

With liquid screed from a Titan, the benefits are very significant:

• Perfectly level surface and finish with minimum manual labour.
• Roughly half the material is needed to cover the same floor surface, resulting in a much thinner floor, which also conducts heat quicker.
• Adjust on the fly as needed by the pump or crew.
• Fast installation time.
• Cures enough for foot traffic in 24-48 hours
• Less shrinkage and cracking
• No empty spaces or voids

HOW YOU BENEFIT

Along with the clearly superior product installation comes the regular benefits that a Volumetric Mixer already brings to the table – advanced versatility, customization, and the ability to pour on your own schedule. Controlling your own concrete allows for you to work on your own time, not the the batch plant availability.

Your business can also make full use of products like the LYNX360™ and Bay-lynx Support to optimize your operation. If you’re already running standard volumetrics, a screed machine makes perfect sense to expand your capability without a drastic setup or overhead change. Gather new customers and support your current ones by being the supplier who is capable to offer a wider range of product.

If you want to learn more about screed and the Titan Screed Series, reach out to us here!