Highlights From Laike’s Week, And Some Tips On Curing

Doug: So you got… Just got a win, bro?

Laike: Yes, yes!

Doug: What did you get? Just got Flatbush Primary in Auckland there.

Doug: Nice! What’s that involve?

Laike: A bit of AQURON 1000 to all the concrete slabs there for curing and anti-dusting.

Doug: Nice!

Laike: We’re obviously extending that service life, that’s what we’re always about at MARKHAM.

Doug: Is it going to have … what are the finishes of the floor going to be?

Laike: Just a burnished-finish slab there. And there’s a little bit of AQURON 2000 works as well, for under the floorcoverings.

Doug: Oh, so the school’s … in their classrooms, that they have it?

Laike: Yes well, so the AQURON 2000 for the main classrooms and AQURON 1000 all in the reception area. Some of the corridors even have got exposed concrete, so…

Doug: Oh yes, durable finish.

Laike: Yes it’ll be quite nice once it’s all done.

Doug: Nice. That’s a good feeling for Friday afternoon.

Laike: Yes, yes. Finishing the week off with something positive is always good, so…

Doug: Nice! So do you reckon that’s the most interesting project you worked on this week? Or is there …

Laike: No, there’s been a few others. Myself and my colleague Lachie were down in Christchurch on the Wednesday there.

Doug: Nice!

Laike: We had a meeting on every hour. So there were eight meetings total, all locked in, so it was good.

Doug: So do you reckon the market’s picking up a bit, then?

Laike: Yes sure is, compared to last year obviously. And following on from the government change there, a lot of government-level projects had been put on hold.

Doug: Yes.

Laike: And kind of been shafted, I guess you could say. But now that’s definitely starting to pick up. A lot of schooling…

Doug: Yes nice!

Laike: …even Ministry of Health, a lot of health projects, hospitals and health care is all starting to come back, which is good.

Doug: Cranking on!

Laike: Yes!

Doug: Oh that’s good, yes. And similar in the industries. So for anyone that’s not familiar, Laike looks after construction in New Zealand, construction sales. So that’s everything from hospitals to education, schooling as you just mentioned, retail warehouse floors, everything. I’m more on the mining and civil infrastructure space. And likewise. It’s a bit of a quieter start to the year, but that’s kind of typical. But yes, there’s some real good projects in the pipeline there. It’s looking like … halfway through the year is going to really pick up. Lots of projects that are sort of, you know, nearing the end of that study phase and they’re ready to push go, which is awesome. No. That’s cool. What else? What else do you … If there’s one thing in the market that you could tell every builder in New Zealand that’s involved in pouring concrete – so let’s just say pouring a… for argument’s sake, a school project. What would be the one thing you wish you could tell them in regard of concrete curing? Off the top of your head.

Laike: Generally speaking, honestly, the ‘old age’ -slash- I guess you say ‘trusted’ way of curing a concrete slab is water curing. However, that does come with many, many challenges.

Doug: Yes.

Laike: As we’ve kind of known and seen, a lot, on projects over in the past, just due to… when you’re water curing, just due to the fact that, you know, inconsistency. Sometimes if you’re doing… even a multi-story, we’ve got one up in Auckland that we’re pricing up at the moment. 18 stories high. You can’t water cure up to 18 stories.

Doug: No.

Laike: And it’s a lot of admin involved. You’ve got to have guys on site maintaining that water ponding on that slab.

Doug: Yes.

Laike: And then when it comes to, obviously, flooring stage, if there’s floorcoverings going down, if that concrete is still wet then the floor layers aren’t going to be able to put the floorcoverings down. So yes.

Doug: Yes. No, that’s… so you’re saying there’s smarter ways, or there’s better ways, than water curing those sort of slabs?

Laike: Yes. Yes. Laike: And also a lot more cost effective too.

Doug: Yes.

Laike: Cost… depending if you’re doing a curing blanket or just water ponding.

Doug: Yes.

Laike: …both are…

Doug: No, that’s an interesting topic. Not many people think about water curing having a cost, but it does. You think about the labour aspect of it. A lot of times you’re paying for water, especially in larger cities, that sort of thing. And then you, like you say, if you’re doing water curing properly, you’re doing it for a minimum of three days, and then some concrete’s at seven days. And… you’re, you know, having a very… I mean, it’s not very practical to work in, is it, when you’ve got water and… ?

Laike: And also during those seven days, you can’t do any work on the slab; like it’s all… that kind of takes out that chunk out of carrying on with other works that might, yes, require you to go on the slab. So yes.

Doug: In a perfect world, it’s the best that you can do for concrete curing, for sure. We’re not questioning it. So it’s quality of curing concrete, but, yes. Like you say, being practical. So something to think about. Like you might say, say one of our hydrogel caring products might look… I mean, what’s the pricing per square metre approximately for…?

Laike: For the genuine water cure? Yes, for an alternative. Oh, we can get down to $1.50 to $2 a square metre for, you know, an alternative or a superior cure.

Doug: Yes. And then obviously, it just depends on what your end use of that area is. But yes, there’s definitely different ways to do that. And would you say – when you’re thinking about flooring, that you mentioned, you know, the slab being wet and saturated, from water curing, but then also if it’s exposed to moisture during the construction phase, it doesn’t set up very nicely for floor coverings, does it?

Laike: No, no, not at all. And it’s, yes. It’s a big cause of projects not sticking to a project timeline, I guess you could say.

Doug: Yes.

Laike: …just due to the fact that they have to wait a certain… Say a couple of weeks or a month for that concrete to dry out before…

Doug: Yes.

Laike: …floor layers can get on.

Doug: Yes. No, that’s definitely something to think about there. No, that’s cool. Thanks Laike! I’m trying to think if there’s anything else from this side of the table. I fully agree with what you’re saying. It’s definitely seen as sort of being a cheap, easy option, but in reality, it’s not – water curing. That’s good. Awesome. Anything else to finish off the week? What do you do on the weekend?

Laike: No real plans at the moment.

Doug: Going to go pig hunting or anything?

Laike: No, no. No pig hunting. Just going to … seeing family and friends and…

Doug: Yes same.

Laike:…and enjoy the, you know, sunny weather we’re having in Hawkes Bay at the moment.

Doug: I’m going up to Taupō. See the float!

Laike: Oh yes.

Doug: Yes. Swim in the river. Catch up with a few mates.

Laike: Good stuff.

Doug: And he …! Sweet! Right. Eyes to the front, Laike! Maaate!