Posts by Jake Barnhart

 Mankind has been building structures for millennia, creating buildings that in some cases still stand today. We can see a tribute to the permanence of stone, brick, and concrete in the architecture of the Romans and the Greeks, some of which still stand today.  Though materials and techniques change, not everything does. Steel and glass…

 You’ve just finished that beautiful new slab of concrete. It’s perfect—smooth and pristine. It’s done, right? Not quite. Did you know that you need to seal your concrete before the job is finished? Without sealer, raw concrete tends to pick up moisture, which can cause the surface to crack, spall, or scale. In severe cases…

 You’ve probably heard the horror stories. They’ve gone around the industry a few times, and if you’re thinking about using EIFS, someone may have offered you a variant of the following story: “I heard about someone who got EIFS on the outside of their building, and it trapped all the moisture in. Then they had…

 Over time, commercial buildings build up a patina and a layer of dirt and grime that can look unsightly to visitors. Some buildings are coated in paint that may not have originally been there, and that paint eventually needs to be removed. Whether you’re a new builder owner or a long-time owner, you might be…

 What does it take to restore your concrete? If your concrete is spalling or cracking, or if you’ve been having issues with structural integrity, it’s time to give it some TLC. To do that, though, you need the right tools for the job. Here are a few common tools used in concrete restoration. Pressure washer…

 If you’ve been inside a commercial building recently, you’ve probably been inside a structure made of water-resistant concrete. Water-resistant concrete structures are extremely common, but they also have an extremely common fail point: the joints. A poorly installed joint system in a water-resistant concrete structure is an immediate fail point. When water begins to leak…

 Concrete lasts forever, right? After all, there are still concrete buildings and aqueducts from ancient Rome that are with us today.  But concrete doesn’t really last forever. Concrete is durable and long-lasting, but it does require maintenance and care if you’re going to keep it structurally sound and looking good.  What if that maintenance has…

 Where is everyone going to park? Countless business owners have wondered this when looking at a new location. Apartment complexes, shopping centers, downtown buildings… everything in a modern city requires parking, and if you don’t have it, you’re probably hurting your business. So if you’re considering parking, should you go for a parking lot or…

 EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems) is commonly used in new construction. But when it comes to retrofits, you might hesitate. Is it possible to install EIFS over the outside of a brick building or a brick veneer? What exactly is EIFS? When you’re debating EIFS for a building, it’s important to understand exactly what…

 You may have heard the term “masonry restoration” before. But what is masonry restoration? And why is it so important? Making old things new Masonry restoration is something of a catchall term. Many people use it interchangeably with tuckpointing or repointing, which is the process of replacing old and worn-out joints with newer mortar. But…