A trencher can be a useful tool for your construction needs. Its basic purpose is to, as the name might suggest, dig trenches and move large areas of dirt. If you do not have the help or time to complete a large project, this machine might be the thing to help you complete it in the most time and cost efficient way. If you are considering buying or renting a trencher for your next project, there are several things to consider.

The first consideration is the type of trencher you want. For smaller, confined spaces, you might consider looking into a manual trencher. This is one that you might want to use for shorter projects, as these are not recommended for digging large or deep trenches. If you are looking to create better drainage around your home or garden, a manual trencher could be for you.

For a bigger project, a ride on trencher may be more suitable – ride on trenchers are more efficient and can cut deeper and longer than manual trenches. They are often more comfortable to use while resulting in a higher quality result. Additionally, if you are gardening or landscaping and come across a patch of heavily rooted soils, trenchers can cut through roots and eliminate the need for doing tasks like that by hand.

Be careful to not use your trencher on rocks and concrete before checking that the type you bought or rented can accommodate that task. Do a thorough survey of your project site before buying or renting as well, as the maneuverability of a landscape will greatly impact the type and size of trencher you want.

Due to the wide variety of projects you might need a trencher for, it is recommended that you err on the side of renting over purchasing. The site conditions from project to project can vary drastically, making it a more economically smart decision to rent on a project to project basis based on the physical conditions.

Overall, investing in a trencher for your next irrigation, landscaping, or utility project could save you a great amount of time and money. If you think this tool might be of use to you, contact your local equipment shop and talk through your project with a professional. It might be helpful to go with your desired depth and length of trench, physical limitations of the site, and the goal of the project in mind.

Photo by Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash

When you are laying the foundation for a home, business, or other permanent structure, you need to take steps to make sure the foundation is dry and will stay that way for as long as possible. There are lots of ways to make sure that happens, including choosing your site wisely and using proper grading and site preparation to make sure as little water reaches the base of your structure as possible.

However, keeping your wall and foundation perfectly dry by using those solutions is not possible. One reason is that you don’t always get to choose your building site. The lot is what it is, and only so much can be accomplished through grading and other water diversion efforts. Sometimes you just have to work to turn your foundation wall into a fortress that is prepared to stand up to hydrostatic pressure and surface water.

One solution in this situation is the use of dimple boards such as GeoMat Dimple Board for wall drainage.

What is dimple board?

Dimple board and other similar products are exactly what their name implies. When you look at the material, it is covered with dimples or spots that stick up like small mounds. When dimple board is properly installed against the concrete wall, these dimples help promote the flow of water away from your foundation and the building site, through drainage you have planned in advance.

The dimples and dimple board keep the ground outside awaye from your poured concrete wall, preventing the intrusion of water via hydrostatic pressure.

Where is dimple board installed?

Dimple board and similar construction materials are installed around the exterior of your poured concrete foundation. The board is mechanically affixed to the exterior wall so that it covers the entire wall from the base to the level where your finished foundation will be visible, also known as final grade height.

Permanently fastened by mechanical means including screws or bolts, or with liquid adhesives, there should be a tight bond between the back of the dimple board and the foundation, with no space for rain or below surface water to get in and stand next to the foundation.

This wrapping acts like a raincoat around your foundation. With careful planning and the use of additional waterproofing methods and tools, dimple board can be part of a flawless waterproofing plan for your next project.

Geo-Mat is one example of dimple board or drainage board.

When planning any sort of construction project you want to consider carefully how you are going to manage water.  For most construction projects, water is at worst an enemy, and at best a problem that needs to be dealt with in order to ensure enjoyment and a long life for your project.

One tool available to help manage water is a category of waterproofing materials called drainage membrane.  Drainage membranes might be made of different types of plastics, rubbers, and composite materials. Further, they might be placed inside a project or outside, depending on their exact specifications and what is needed for the work.

Wrapped exterior membranes

One type of drainage membrane wraps around the exterior of a poured concrete wall. In this case the membrane is designed to keep water away from the foundation. It does this by allowing water to flow freely through holes or in air pockets created by dimples in the surface of the material. This flowing water moves quickly away from the surface, keeping the concrete beneath it dry and safe from freezing, cracking, and seeping.

Interior lining membranes

Another type of drainage membrane can go inside an already leaking or seeping foundation. This membrane is not built to protect the foundation, but is instead designed to keep the space inside liveable and mold free. By capturing the water and directing it where it can be managed, like into a fabricated drainage system, water can be directed outside and into sewer or stormwater systems. By controlling water flow, the interior space is kept dry and can be used for whatever the owner wishes: living space for a family, dry storage for a business, or more.

Exterior underlayment

For patios and play surfaces such as football fields, drainage membranes serve an important role that doesn’t necessarily mean keeping things dry. In this treatment, the goal is not to prevent water from reaching an artificial turf surface. Instead, the goal of this underlayment is to absorb and redirect the water to prevent the field or patio from becoming a puddle or a pond. This keeps the space safer by reducing slips and also helps to extend the life of the work.

For your next project, consider how water will affect the work over the lifetime of use, and then choose wisely how you will manage that water. You might find that one of our Mar-Flex drainage membranes is a perfect fit to meet your needs.

A membrane protects the wall behind it. Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

There are many specialized tools that are used in every trade. Whether you are a fly fisher who needs a special vice to hold tiny lures as you wind them with line, or a construction worker manning the levers of a ten-story crane, your tools help you do a job that few can accomplish.

This is also true about waterproofing the foundations and walls of homes, businesses, warehouses, and schools across southwest Ohio where Mar-Flex has been doing this work for nearly three decades.

Every soil type and building specification requires a unique approach to match the situation. Sometimes the work requires an excavation and the application of an external wrap. Sometimes the work has to be done from inside and requires layers of waterproofing and even channeling to redirect foundational water.

Sometimes, the job requires injecting waterproofing materials deep into walls. This allows you to reach spots and weaknesses not visible to the eye during an inspection. This job requires a crack injection gun.

The crack injection gun has special powers

While it sounds potentially menacing or even dangerous, the crack injection gun is simply a specialized tool to help with waterproofing and dampproofing.

The crack injection gun can take various forms. Most are manually operated and some are open while others, like the one pictured in this article, are largely self-contained.

Using this tool, your expert waterproofing team can push or “inject” caulk into cracks and seams. The use of additional force, provided by hand leverage, forces the waterproofing caulk or sealant into spots that simply can not be seen by the naked eye.

Careful application of sealant into every available spot can allow the transformation of a wall. A surface that was once porous and allowed water to seep through into a foundation or basement can be rendered largely waterproof. This can bring thousands of dollars of value and years of enjoyment to a space.

Using the right tools is important if you want to do a job well. Make sure that you have those tools at your disposal when you start your next major project.

Or go a step further and hire the seasoned professionals who have those tools to do the job expertly the first time. Consider calling Mar-Flex for your next project.

Crack injection gun. Photo provided.

Waterproofing is hardly a new science. People have been working to waterproof structures as long as we have been living in them. However, the materials available today are much more advanced than those used in the past. Through innovative use of new compounds that preserve the best qualities of rubber and plastic, materials such as Mar-Flex Bentonite waterproofing products do a far better job of keeping water than any product of prior generations – or even this generation.

Mar-Flex specializes in creating water-repellant structures using trusted products like Mar-Flex Bentonite Waterproofing Membrane. Designed to keep water out and prevent dangerous mold growth while still remaining removable, cleanable and repairable, Bentonite products are a permanent waterproofing solution for your next building project.

Together Mar-Flex and Bentonite products create waterproof structures for homes and offices that are ideal even in high water pressure and with high local humidity levels.

Who is Mar-Flex, and why bentonite?

Mar-Flex is a quality building materials company specializing in waterproofing, foundations and concrete repair. The company is well known for its use of trusted Bentonite products, including waterproofing membranes, which are vital to their waterproofing process.

Mar-Flex has been using Bentonite for years to waterproof underground structures like offices, warehouses, basements, and even whole houses.

Specifically Mar-Flex has been manufacturing and distributing Bentonite Pressurized products for over twenty years. Trust in Mar-Flex as your easy solution to waterproofing projects.

In today’s world, building codes and investors demand buildings and structures to be made safer and more reliable than ever before.

Does your property suffer from leaks? Are the neighbors always complaining about water damage in your home or business? All too often, poor waterproofing of a structure leads to extensive water damage. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can choose to use Mar-Flex, a trusted industry leader in waterproofing membranes and mortar treatments.

Although waterproofing and building structures are different, the end goal remains the same – creating a structure that is protected from water. This can be done by using bentonite products that create a waterproof membrane, reducing erosion, retaining groundwater and showcasing chemical efficiency.

Mar-Flex, Inc. is a company that is dedicated to providing quality service and products in the construction industry. The company first began operating in 1907 in Denton, Texas as the Denton Natural Gas & Water Company.

Mar-Flex provides environmentally friendly and durable waterproofing for every building site – including waterproof membranes, building wrap, EPDM underlayments, and more.

Mar-Flex is dedicated to helping you solve your problems and improve your operations. That’s why we not only encourage you to learn more about our waterproofing products and innovative solutions, but invite you to chat with our technicians to answer any questions you may have.

Bentonite was found in dry lake beds around the world, and thought to form from volcanic ash. It was considered magical because it absorbed water, and its properties are still widely in demand today.

Bentonite can be found on dry lake beds like this one.

Photo by Kasey McCoy on Unsplash

The Mar-Flex company started over 35 years ago and has grown to become a leading waterproofing company in southern Ohio. We have a wide range of dampproofing products for your next building project.

Whether you’re starting construction on a new building or editing an existing structure, Mar-Flex has the right products for any situation. We distribute a wide range of dampproofing materials to help keep your project protected from water damage as it’s being built. Our products are ideal for high- and low-lying foam applications, using hydrophobic materials, and clear and radiant barriers.

Mar-Flex is your stellar source for a wide range of products that’ll keep your building protected from water damage as it’s being built. If you’re looking to seal walls, roofing materials, and plumbing systems, we can help you find exactly what you need. We also offer great solutions for high- and low-lying foam applications, using hydrophobic materials, and clear and radiant barriers.

For over 35 years, professionals and contractors have relied on us to help them put in the best waterproofing system possible. We distribute a wide range of products that help customers protect their jobs from water damage while they’re under construction by using foam, hydrophobic materials, and other waterproof barriers.

Discover our selection of dampproofing solutions. No matter your project, Mar-Flex has everything you need. We offer a wide range of foams, radiant barriers and hydrophobic materials. The possibilities are endless when it comes to how you can use these products to provide the most efficient solutions possible.

We’re the foam experts. No matter your project, Mar-Flex has everything you need. Our gel polyurethane, polyethylene, polyolefin and specialty solutions are ready to work for you. Contact us today to learn about the customized solutions we can create for you.

Mar-Flex offers a variety of materials and products for all of your waterproofing needs. We cover any aspect of waterproofing, from radiant barrier compounds to foam sealants.

From residential homes to restaurant use, Mar-Flex is the industry standard for waterproofing solutions. Our products are available in a variety of forms, so you can find the solution that fits your needs.

Mar-Flex is your source for everything waterproofing. We offer a wide range of products including foam, radiant barriers and hydrophobic materials.

Mar-Flex dampproofing can help you protect almost anything.

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash