The Concrete Countertop Institute brings back its advanced mixes and sealers class
January 15, 2008
Raleigh, NC –The Concrete Countertop Institute has scheduled three sessions of its class Mixes & Sealers 301 in 2008, February 20 – 22, March 26 – 28, and July 23 – 25. This advanced class is designed for experienced concrete countertop makers who are having technical difficulties with mixes and sealers. It teaches them scientific principles that will prevent problems and result in more satisfied customers.
Jeff Girard, P.E., President of The Concrete Countertop Institute (CCI) and instructor for the class explains, “I believe that students should understand why to do something a certain way, not just be told how to do it without any real understanding. So all of my beginner classes explain the principles behind the methods I teach. But there are so many concrete countertop professionals out there who weren’t trained by CCI, and are doing a great job and trying to produce a quality product for their customers, but they have lots of problems that they don’t understand how to fix. That results in a lot of re-dos and a lot of frustration. I designed the Mixes & Sealers class to help experienced concrete countertop makers truly understand why they’re doing what they’re doing with mixes and sealers – and change it if necessary to make their business more productive and ultimately more fun.
Girard, a licensed professional civil engineer, designed the class to teach students not just rote formulas and procedures, but the engineering that goes into creating high-performance concrete countertop mixes from local materials and optimizing concrete countertop sealer performance. Girard explains in the class how he designed the from-scratch mixes he uses and the scientific testing procedures he uses to evaluate any new sealer. The class has been extended from two days to three days to allow more time both in the classroom and hands on. The class covers the following concrete countertop mix topics: concrete fundamentals, strength development, curing, pozzolans, admixtures, aggregate gradation, fibers, all-sand mixes, lightweight concrete and self-consolidating concrete. It includes hands-on mixing, and students receive exact formulas for two different from-scratch concrete countertop mixes. Concrete countertop sealer topics include: types of penetrating and topical sealers such as densifiers, repellants, acrylics, epoxies and urethanes, how to test the performance properties of sealers, how to set customer expectations for sealers, application methods such as rolling or spraying, and hands on application of two different commercially available concrete countertop sealing systems. Girard says, “I was very pleased with the response to the last class. It made me feel that I had gotten it right – that experienced concrete countertop makers really do need help in these areas. One student, Andy Wimmer from Ohio, said ‘Playing with mix design is akin to walking through a strange house in the dark. CCI’s 301 turns on the lights.’ That was exactly my goal.”The class will be offered on the dates specified above at The Concrete Countertop Institute’s training facility in Raleigh, NC. The two-day class “Advanced Sinks & Molds 202” is offered immediately preceding, and has been expanded to include more mold-making techniques with various materials such as rubber, foam and fiberglass, plus more mold shapes such as vessel sinks and ramp sinks. Each student will take home a rubber sink mold that he or she makes during the class. Immediately following the class, the one-day “Fiber Optics in Concrete Countertops” class is available.
All of these advanced classes are open only to concrete countertop professionals who have been making concrete countertops as a business for paying customers for at least one year. To speak with a representative about your experience and to register for these classes, call 888-386-7711 or email info@ConcreteCountertopInstitute.com.
About The Concrete Countertop Institute:
The Concrete Countertop Institute’s mission is to help concrete countertop professionals succeed. Through its CCI Training Programs, the Institute provides contractors with intensive, comprehensive training that helps them achieve success in the business of making concrete countertops.