GigaCrete

New thin coat PlasterMax EIFS under development for interior and exterior applications

andrew — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:05:16 +0000

Exterior Insulated Finishing Systems (EIFS) have not changed a great deal for some time and have some inherent weaknesses, mostly from impact. GigaCrete PlasterMax is well known for its high strength, indent and impact resistance and a natural for the EIFS industry. Typical EIFS coatings are thinner than regular stucco and consist of layers of acrylic polymer coats over a mesh. The mesh does several things including adding tear strength to the finish and evening out the application thickness, desirable during the installation of the coatings. Most EIFS finishes consist of a base coat applied over the substrate, then the mesh embedded followed by another base coat and then one or more finish coats containing the final textures and color. GigaCrete is developing a super strong base coat with higher indent and impact resistance than competitors currently have in the marketplace that can then be coated with a final color/texture coat available from other EIFS coatings companies. ASTM compressive strengths show in excess of 8,000 psi and thickness changes are made by utilizing different sized notched trowels in a one coat, two pass application. The goal is to take a relatively damage prone EIFS coating and make it as tough as possible, keeping it Green in the GigaCrete style and improve the performance levels in the EIFS industry. The new base coat may be offered to other EIFS coatings manufacturers under license. This thin coat concept is also scheduled for fire testing over ICF interiors replacing gypsum board and getting the costs down below our current 3/8″ (9mm) one coat PlasterMax-ICF Base Coat, currently slightly higher than drywall costs installed. If we can hit the same price as drywall installed, we will have the ICF market in our pocket says Andrew Dennis the founder of GigaCrete. Gypsum board over ICF has been a problem for a lot of projects, some of which build with CMU blocks just to avoid using gypsum board. Cost is always an issue so getting the installed coatings lowered is a major effort for the Company whilst maintaining our Green position and fire ratings. Intertek will soon be testing the new thin coat applications.

GigaCrete joined with NextGen to showcase PlasterMax products

Megan — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:41:27 +0000

GigaCrete joined with NextGen to showcase PlasterMax products inside this incredible new home built in time for the 2009 Consumer Electronics, International Builders and World of Concrete Expos in Las Vegas. PlasterMax –IND over gypsum board and PlasterMax-ICF over Nudura ICF greets the visitors and is getting remarkable responses.

GigaCrete installs new Green materials at the 2009 NextGen Home in Las Vegas to rave reviews

Megan — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:50:11 +0000

Almost everyone that walks into the new 2009 state of the art NextGen Home Experience in Las Vegas says “Wow, what’s that finish on the walls” and they go up to it and touch it. The new material is called PlasterMax-IND™ by GigaCrete Inc., a leader in “green” building materials technologies.

GigaCrete Recognized by BuilderNews Magazine as a Best Design Product 0f 2007

Carrie — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:28:48 +0000

By Staff Writers
Published in the December 2007 issue.

Every year BuilderNews honors select products that benefit builders and buyers alike in their annual Best Products Awards. GigaCrete’s PlasterMax was selected this year as a “Best Design Product”.

View Story

GigaCrete Recognized by Popular Mechanics for Green Design

Carrie — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:38:13 +0000

By Jim Gorman

Published in the March 2007 issue.
View Story

GigaCrete Hires Intertek

Carrie — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:43:32 +0000

For Immediate Release

GigaCrete, Inc. Retains Intertek, a Leading International Testing Firm
Intertek to Handle Product Testing and Code Approvals

GigaCrete, Inc. officially retained the world renowned firm, Intertek (www.intertek-etlsemko.com), to handle all of the company’s testing needs and building code approval submittals.

“Intertek has the track record and the technical expertise to service GigaCrete’s testing needs”, said Erik Hanson, GigaCrete’s CEO.

Intertek has been contracted to conduct everything in-house, which allows for greater efficiency in testing and alleviates the necessity to outsource to multiple testing companies. Currently, Intertek is performing an initial evaluation on the company’s “tier one” product suite. Upon completion, Intertek will conduct all the necessary product tests required to achieve ICC (International Code Council) code approval. Intertek will also consult regularly with GigaCrete regarding the development of production quality control procedures required by ICC to obtain product code approvals.

Significantly, one of the key advantages of working with Intertek is the fact that they offer the “Warnock Hersey Mark,” which is among the most well recognized and respected North American marks of compliance for building codes, association criteria, and product safety and performance standards. The Warnock Hersey Mark appears on many building and construction products including fire doors, hardware, manufactured wood, plumbing, roofing and hearth products, as well as pools, spas and various other items. Overall, there are more than 4,000 building products classified according to type and listed by ETL SEMKO that bear the Warnock Hersey Mark. The Warnock Hersey Mark is an independent verification that a building product meets code standards.

“In addition to seeking ICC code approval, GigaCrete may also look into obtaining the Warnock Hersey Mark for some of its core products,” said Mr. Hanson. “We feel very comfortable and have confidence in having a world-class firm of Intertek’s caliber working with us to achieve code approvals for our products.”

About Intertek
ETL SEMKO is a division of Intertek Group PLC (LSE: ITRK) specializing in electrical product safety testing, EMC testing, and benchmark performance testing. Intertek is among the industry leaders in their scope of testing and accreditations and their client portfolio includes such industry giants as Sony, Samsung, Siemens, General Electric, Motorola, 3M, and Alcoa. With more than 30 offices and laboratories on six continents, Intertek is a leader in global presence as well. To ensure fast, dependable answers, in addition to quick market access, Intertek’s experts and accreditations are comprehensive. In North America, Intertek is recognized by OSHA and accredited by NVLAP, A2LA, ANSI, and ICBO to test building products to the most current standards published by leading North American standards bodies.