On SPEC

 Quarterly Newsletter
Fall 2009 
Greetings!

This fall, Spec Formliners, is ramping up for the New Year.  It's been a rough 2009 for many, but we are looking forward to a strong and prosperous 2010.  Heading up our 2010 surge, this edition of On Spec features signs and letters, how to attach our liner to your forms, and Spec Formliners' engineering program that will make your specifications easy. 

We hope you enjoy!
 
Jessie Deering Ullerich
Spec Formliners, Inc.
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
 
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Written in Stone 
 
One of  Spec Formliners' specialties lies in the art of custom sign and letter making.
 
Letters and signs are a common artistic flare on many DOT, local, and even commercial projects.  One of the main benefits to using form liner to create this look is that it allows us to detail the tool so that it can be easily dropped into and cast in a form.  No dealing with numerous Styrofoam pieces, no aligning and centering in the form, and if you want, no dealing with individual letters. 
 
Additionally, like the Lake Elsinore sign below, one of the advantages of making a sign as a liner is that the lettering can be cut through a texture pattern.  Using this technique, letter panels can blend in with the wall pattern texture which gives the sign the striking look of a watermark in concrete. 
 
Spec Formliners, Inc., likes to make sign-making easy. 
 
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411 on Liner Application
Featuring:  Attaching the Liner


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Plastic:
When attaching the plastic liners to the form, the first step is to identify the side to be poured against.  The side facing the formwork has a smooth shiny surface; the concrete side has a slight "hair cell" appearance.   
The most common method to attach the liner to the form is with screws or nails.  Tek Drywall screws work well for this application and the nails or screws should be placed every 6"-12"on center  around the perimeter and 18"-24" in the center of the liner.  Other options include pneumatic staples, which don't hold as well so they should be applied closer together, and double sided tape.  The recommended method for tilt-up application is wooden dowels inserted into the casting slab. "Formica top" adhesive is suggested for applying plastic liners to steel forms. 
 
Urethane:
Urethane liners can be attached to the front or the back of the forms with bolts or lag screws.  The head of the bolt can be screwed into the face of the liner and covered with a silicon or urethane caulking material.  Or, for easy attachment, Spec Formliners can manufacturer your liners with T-Nuts according to your specifications where the head of the bolt can be screwed into the imbedded threads in the back of the liner.   
 
For more information on the application process:
Click here for plastic or click here for urethane
Personal Engineer
Spec Formliners' customer-oriented engineering

Engineer


All projects have budgets. The difference between a profitable project and an unprofitable one can come down to the very first phase of the project: the planning phase. Without proper planning, items can be overlooked until a critical phase in the construction, at which point the only solution is to go over budget in order to get it done.
 
The cost, weight, lead time, and functionality of form liners are factors which often go underestimated or overlooked at planning and bid time, and that comes back to haunt contractors and project owners during production.  Through active involvement in the early stages of planning a project, Spec Formliners is able to save customers both time and money. 
 
Spec Formliners offers a unique service to help minimize unforeseen costs by working closely with architects and contractors during the planning phase to accurately account for the often-overlooked details.
Spec Formliners' staff includes a dedicated engineer with years of experience in designing Form liners systems that meet the vision and design intent of the architect while achieving the engineering and production requirements of the contractor.  
 
The Spec Formliners "Personal Engineer" service is here to offer you pattern and material information specific to your job, design suggestions, drawings, and specification information.  Spec Formliner's "Personal Engineer" is also there to help you with submittal information.  Just call and ask what we can do to help you with your project, or  send us an e-mail letting us know how we can assist you.
Back to Basics:  Brick Patterns
Brick 
When looking for a cost-effective alternative to masonry work,  consider Spec's Brick patterns. 
 
Each of our brick patterns are made with authenticity in mind.  Their remarkable resemblance to real brick makes these patterns common on perimeter walls, parking structures, bridges, retail spaces, and schools.  
 
To view all of our standard brick patterns, click Here

 

In This Issue
Written In Stone
Attaching the Liner
Personal Engineer
Back to Basics: Brick Patterns
Green Requirements
World of Concrete
Green Requirements
Spec Formliners, Inc., like many other companies, has a growing concern for the environment and its resources.  To do our part, we re-grind all unused plastic at our factory and send it back to the plastic pedmanufacturer to be recycled into new sheets.  In turn, the plastic sheets that we purchase from our supplier are composed of the recycled and re-ground plastic that we've kept out of our nation's landfills. There's a good chance that the material in the form liner you're using on your projects has been around the block a few times before!
 
For a printable version of this information to use for Leed and Green submittals, Click Here

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 Liner

 

 World Of Concrete
 
It's that time of the year again.  The World of Concrete is quickly approaching.  This year,seminars will be held Feb. 1st-Feb 5th with exhibits Feb. 2nd- Feb 5th.
 
Spec Formliners, Inc., staff is looking forward to checking out the show's many informative and cutting-edge exhibits and hopefully seeing some of you!  We will be perusing the World Of Concrete Feb. 2nd-4th.  Let us know if you will be there too! 

 

Contacting Spec Formliners, Inc.
Spec Formliners, Inc.
530 East Dyer Road
Santa Ana, California 92707
P:  714.429.9500    
P:  888.429.9550    
F:  714.429.1460
 
President:  Steve Deering
VP Admin:  Judy Deering
VP Engineering:  Drew Deering
VP Sales: Jessie Deering Ullerich
Sales:  Ronda Gilbert
Production:  Ralph Cachua 
Accounting:
  Jan Bowders
Order Dept.: Laura Krause

View our Patterns:
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