Industry Leader

Grandfather's Advice Proves Timeless

by Sherry Bennett Bell, The Concrete Network

Rod and Gerry Sadleir

Anyone in business could learn a great deal from the work ethics instituted by Concrete Solutions, Inc. located in San Diego, California. Developed in 1986, the company was designed for the repair, restoration and beautification of existing surfaces.

Rod Sadleir, the company president says, "Our secret to success is providing quality, job tested and time proven products and systems, training for applicators and suppliers, support, and also encouragement for a contractor to learn first hand about a particular product system by personal application and evaluation."

Concrete Solutions is family owned and operated by people who work well together and sincerely care about the company's reputation. While much of the industry is concentrating on developing more inferior products that promote replacement cost profits, Concrete Solutions is happy to assist customers in repairing existing surfaces at a much lower cost that is of equal quality and lasting durability.

One of Rod Sadleir's philosophies is, "If it is possible to improve it, why remove it?" It's this kind of refreshing approach to tried and true values that has carried them safely through a failing economy.

Rod Sadleir first owned an asphalt paving business, which he sold when he recognized the need for better repair methods to concrete surfaces and the importance of decorative concrete. He then joined forces with his brother, Gerry Sadleir, who is now the company's vice president. They began a contracting business in concrete restoration and beautification. Since 1986 Rod and Gerry have developed unique product systems for use over existing surfaces including concrete as well as asphalt, wood, metal, tile, linoleum and even foam. Each surface is repaired with a protective coating, resulting in an appealing, better than new surface. Nine years of contracting helped establish a reputation for quality workmanship. It also provided a myriad of job situations that required unusual solutions to defective concrete and other substrate problems.

Concrete Solutions offer superior products for unique systems which include crack repair, resurfacing, spray-texturing, staining and stenciling, and have trademarked the name Ultra Surface ®. "Ultra" is defined by Concrete Solutions as "beyond the ordinary." They provide five complete systems that include the ¼" Stamping System, Color Flake System, Broom Finish System, Trowel Knockdown System, and Spray-Top System.

The Stamping System is applied over an existing surface of only ¼" to ½" thick but still achieves the same natural beauty of conventional stamped concrete. The Color Flake System provides a more decorative appearance such as that of granite or terrazzo. The Broom Finish System, applied only1/16" thick makes it possible to restore deteriorated concrete, making cracks and stains disappear. The Trowel Knockdown System delivers an impressive textured decorator look that is popular for pool decks, patios, walkways, and driveways. It is used for both residential and commercial applications. The Spray-Top System is a revolutionary new polymer cement which may be sprayed on smooth, textured, or stamped concrete and other surfaces like a thin coat of paint. The overall cement coating is so thin that the existing texture is beautifully maintained.

Every month Concrete Solutions provides classes at their training facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The training experience begins with a hands-on training session followed by a professional tour bus which takes the attendees to various hotels to view jobs that have been done using their Ultra Surface ® Products and Systems. One such stop is at The Mandalay Bay Hotel and Resort which utilizes over 200,000 square feet of their ¼" Stamping System.

According to Rod Sadleir, the sales representatives at Concrete Solutions urges clients to take the scientific approach when trying out a new product or system. He says it's best to record coverage rate, cost, and the labor involved on the first job so that future customers have personal knowledge rather than relying on sales suggestions for future projects. He added that Concrete Solutions always offers step-by-step instructions and readily available support by phone, fax or on-the-job-assistance. Rod Sadleir also emphasizes that "the goal of every training session is to provide hands-on-experience for attendees, to educate, to demonstrate, and to show job examples of our Ultra Surface ® Product Systems."

Ultra Surface® Colorflake Ultra Surface® Stamped Ultra Surface® Trowel Knock Down Ultra Surface® Broom

Ultra Surface® Colorflake
Ultra Surface® Stamped
Ultra Surface® Trowel Knock Down
Ultra Surface® Broom

To elaborate on two of the most recently innovative products, in 1997 Concrete Solutions was the first to introduce ¼" to ½" stamped overlays on existing surfaces, and after five years of tests and evaluations it was premiered at the World of Concrete Show. The company maintains an assortment of tools to duplicate patterns of slate, tile, brick and stone finishes in addition to antiquing pigments, sealers, and glosses. They also offer an interior floor care system to keep the new surface looking its best.

Their newest product, Spray-Top was invented by Gerry Sadleir. His combined years of contracting, teaching and working with other contractors to promote the products which Concrete Solutions is known for, allowed him to identify a need for an integrated product that would allow restoration of faded stamped concrete to the original, or newly selected color.

Before Spray-Top After Spray-Top


Before Spray-Top

After Spray-Top

Concrete Solutions products are successfully used in both interior and exterior conditions, proving to be weather enduring and practical. For exterior preparation the product systems are created to be UV stable, fade resistant, and resilient enough for pedestrian and vehicular traffic conditions. Similarly, interior uses have been developed with special techniques that eliminate the mess normally involved in standard coloring for stamped or textured products. Since these products can be used on countertops, they serve as an economical choice for many residential and commercial projects.

"Since our beginning in 1986, year after year we have learned more about each product system as it continues to perform under the actual conditions to which it is subjected," said Rod Sadleir. They feel that testing a product under the actual conditions is better than laboratory testing.

One such test was conducted to prove the integrity of the Ultra Surface ® Concrete Polymer. After seven years as an exterior product, they obtained permission from a property owner to take a core sample from his concrete driveway, which had been resurfaced with a 1/16" covering of Concrete Solution's polymer-modified cement. They took it to a reputable lab, Law Crandall Testing Laboratory, for a bond test. The results reported that the Ultra Surface ® product did not "debond", and in fact the concrete sample broke approximately ¾" below the concrete surface, proof positive of the tenacity associated with the bonding qualities of this particular product. Rod Sadleir believes this is a meaningful test and as his Grandfather would have said, "the proof is in the pudding".

Through their main warehouse located in San Diego, California, they ship products all over the world by land, sea and air. Nine years ago they shipped Concrete Polymer to Malaysia for resurfacing a highway. The successful result of that application yielded the second order that was recently shipped, proving that when you give the customer a good deal and a quality product, they won't forget you. To date, they have sent orders nationwide and to various countries including Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Canada.

Sometimes Rod and his brother Gerry reflect on what led them to where they are today. This is their sixteenth year as partners of Concrete Solutions and during this time, they have invested a great deal of energy and hard work into developing these products and systems that the company now manufactures and promotes world-wide. "It has been a conscientious effort to accomplish something in our field that is recognized as beyond the ordinary and of great value," said Rod Sadleir. "Though the road has been long and hard at times, we are grateful for all we have learned and continue to learn." Both men seem to genuinely enjoy sharing their experiences and even their success with others.

When asked about how the current economy had involved Concrete Solutions as the family enterprise, Rod Sadleir replied, "A poor economy has not affected our progress. This year has begun better than last year, and last year was better than the previous year. Even when new construction may slow down or be halted, there is always a need for concrete repairs."

Rod sees continued growth and steady progress in the coming years as more contractors, designers, architects, and engineers learn of the unlimited potential and advantages involved through the use of these most unique, and yet, practical Ultra Surface ® products and systems. Through the artful use of well researched and tested products and continued efforts of a family business that prides itself on simple, old-fashioned honesty and quality, this company is likely to be at the forefront of many more future developments in the world of home and business renovations.

Sherry Bennett Bell is a guest columnist for The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). The articles are meant to inform and inspire by shedding light on leaders in the industry who are "making things happen."

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