Trowels and Floats

    This Weeks product review is on construction trowels and floats. There has always been
confusion as to what is the difference between  trowels and floats and when do use them. I guess I can  make a generalized statement that trowels are used to spread material such as drywall spackle,  mortar, adhesive, plaster and even  concrete and are not meant to be a finishing tool with the exception of a drywall finishing trowel Drywall curved finishing trowel and a plaster finishing trowel
Now you can  see why there is so much confusion.

Trowels can be notched if they are being used to spread mortar and  adhesive for laying tile and formstome.
Notched Trowel

What is a float ? A Float is used to provide a smooth finished look depending on what product you are working with. Float can have a rubber pad used to spread  tile grout. Floats are used to finish plaster and EIFS wall systems. Italian float E Building Product carries one of the most extensive selection on Trowels and floats made by Marshalltown. 

The Steel Network's Driftclip DSLB product review

This weeks product review is on a product called Driftclip manufactured by The Steel Network.

      The Steel Network TSN DriftClip® DSLBis a Light gauge steel framing connector available to accommodate vertical deflection and lateral drift requirements. Step Bushings pre-installed in vertical slots allow up to 2” vertical deflection (1” up and down). Horizontal slots accommodate 2” lateral drift (1” left and right--in-plane), with Step Bushings also pre-installed during the manufacturing process.

You may find a full line of clips and connectors for the  Light Gauge Steel Framing  industry at
 E Building Products

Expandable Foam adhesive

    This weeks review is on Expandable foam adhesive. Expandable foam has many uses but the most recognizable use is for filling air gaps in windows and doors. I can  tell you from personal experience that you must be careful to use low pressure foam in windows and doors. If you don't, you will not be able to open the windows and door and will have to remove them. It is a costly and time consuming lesson.The other tip for you is to use a little foam at a time as it expands 2-3 times what you spray.

  Expandable foam is also used in  the construction industry to fasten foam ( styrofoam) forms to the exterior of building in the ICF, EIFS and SIP industries. Foam can be purchased in a single can , single component with a built in spray nozzle  manufactured by DOW called Enerfoam or in a professional kit,  manufactured by Wind Lock called  Foam 2 Foam.


Please visit our store at E Building Products to see our full line of expandable foams.
 

Product Review : Channel Reveal by Plastic Components

      This weeks product review is about a PVC plastic trim manufactured by Plastic Components called Channel Reveal. This plastic trim is used by contractors when applying the stucco or plaster to the exterior of commercial buildings. This process is called DEFS. ( Direct Applied Exterior Finish System) Here is an official definition of DEFS. You may view and purchase a full line of  Plastic PVC trims at E Building Products.     1-855-832-8453

Metacaulk Intumescent Cover Guard

       This weeks product review in on Matacaulks' Intumescent Electrical Box "Cover Guard".
Who is Metacaulk? They are a world leaders in the engineering and  manufacturing of  Fire Stop products. What is fire stopping. Just as the  name implies , they are products and systems designed to stop or impede the spread of fire and smoke in the case of a fire in public buildings. Intumescent  fire stop products are materials designed to expand  and protect when exposed to high temperature caused by fire. 
In the case of  the  (electrical box) cover guard, this is thin piece of  intumescent material that fits exactly underneath the electrical box cover plate.  Here is a detail of how it  looks Cover guard product data sheet 
  It goes without saying that the electrical box has to be steel, not plastic. Plastic is used in residential applications.
Should you need to buy these Metacaulk Cover guards ,you can do so by going to our store E Building Products

 

ULTRA LATH Product review

       This weeks product review is on a product called "ULTRA LATH". The first question you must be thinking is, what is Lath ?  In the really old days ( the  1900s ) when builders built homes, the walls were made of rough hewn dimensional lumber  for the studs and small  wooden  Slats ( lath) that were around  1/4 inch thick and around  1.5-2 inch wide  nailed horizontally to the studs with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch space between them. When the plasterer would apply his 1st coat of plaster, called a scratch coat  to the wall, the plaster would ooz through the lath spaces and slump over the lath on the inside of the wall ( called a plaster key) locking the  plaster onto the lath once it dried. This technique has lasted for years. Over time, building materials and techniques have evolved to where plaster and stucco contractors began using galvanized steel lath (Mesh) that they would nail to the exterior of building to attach  their plaster and stucco to. The only issue with using  galvanized lath is that if the wall was not water proofed ( which it wasn't ), the moisture would eventually rust the metal lath and the exterior plaster or stucco would begin to crack and fall. 

          Once plastic began taking over our would Plastic Components ( A PVC trim  component  manufacturer ) realized that a plastic lath would be the  ideal solution for  plasterer and stucco contractors. ULTRA LATH is available in three configurations depending  on the size of your  project.
1.    27 x 96 sheets packed in bundles on a pallet   ( click to buy )
2.    27 " x 100' roll  ( click to buy )
3.    3 to 8 inch wide by 96 inches strips packed 50 rolls per box  ( click to buy )

Please visit E Building Products to purchase your ULTRA LATH today.

The Steel Network Stiffclip CL product review

This weeks post is about The Steel Networks' product called  Stiffclip CL.

StiffClip^® CL (Floor Tie)
The StiffClip^® CL series’ unique design allows for the connection of steel studs to the building’s structure by incorporating stiffened legs of a 90o angle to increase bending strength. The Steel Network
is a innovator and nationwide leader in the light gauge steel framing industry. Here is a product data sheet for the  Stiffclip CL
Stiffclip CL. You can  find a full range of sizes of the  CL  Rigid Connectors at Ebuilding Products.  Please like us  on FB.