Amerimix, part of the Echelon Masonry portfolio by Oldcastle Architectural, is embarking on an educational campaign which encourages masonry professionals to “Ditch the Sand Pile” and embrace the numerous benefits of pre-blended mortar, which can be mixed 50 percent faster and provide economic and time advantages on the jobsite compared to field mixing, officials said.
Field mixing requires cement and lime to be mixed with sand (usually in a pile), all while eyeballing the right combination, without clumping or having that pile compromised by weather or environmental factors.
The new Amerimix campaign with the “Ditch the Sand Pile” theme aimed to challenge field sand pile mixing on digital and social media platforms. According to officials, the campaign calls out facts and figures such as you can buy 445 Amerimix bulk bags or repeat the mixing of cement, lime and sand 4,000 times. Amerimix also yields 30 percent more mortar on the job and can save up to $5,000 per job.
“Sand Piles have been used for generations and the practice is often passed down – think of it like recipes. Each mason swears by their formulation but it’s ultimately a guessing game,” said Trip Jobe, Echelon Masonry director of sales. “Where the sand is sourced, the region, availability of aggregates – all contribute to having little consistency from batch to batch. Add in our industry’s labor shortage and that you might have a different person mixing mortar on any given day. With advancements in manufacturing and engineering, masons can eliminate the guesswork and find immediate efficiencies, along with cost savings, by using our preblended Amerimix mortars, grouts and stucco products.”
Available in bags or bulk silo systems, Amerimix offers masonry mortars in both portland and masonry cement mixes, as well as specialty water repellent and tuck-pointing mortars. Proportionally pre-blended for consistency, Amerimix mortars offer increased workability and yield compared to field mixed mortar. Designed for superior bond, they are also formulated for extended board life so less re-tempering is required in hot or windy climates. Amerimix offers a portfolio of mortar colors as well as the ability to develop or custom match hues to meet specific job needs and is designed and tested to meet ASTM C 270 and ASTM C 1714.
As another boost to productivity, Echelon Masonry’s Amerimix also offers silo systems for efficient, high-output product mixing on the jobsite, dramatically improving productivity and reducing waste. The silos reduce mixing times by up to 50 percent, resulting in significant labor savings and there’s no power source needed, officials said. The automated batching systems and production quality control vs. coupled tickets help eliminate testing issues on fast-track projects.
Echelon Masonry encourages masonry pros to “Ditch the Sand Pile,” ditch the mess and the guesswork and save time on every jobsite.
World of Concrete
Oldcastle Architectural’s Amerimix pre-blended mortars, marketed under the Echelon brand, showcased its product line at the World of Concrete Jan. 23-25 in Las Vegas with a special “message” delivered by a life-sized sand sculpture in front of the South hall, where the buses line up.
Amerimix expanded its recent "Ditch the Sand Pile" campaign with a sculpture created by Fitzysnowman studios, one of the most successful sand sculpting firms in the world, owned by world-renowned 3D street artist Sean Fitzpatrick.
It was located in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall. Fitzpatrick and his wife worked both days on completely the six foot sculpture that displayed two masonry workers: one working effortlessly and already laying block with Amerimix’s pre-blended mortar, while the other struggles, shovel in hand, while attempting to mix concrete from a sand pile.
See Day One Recap in Time Lapse: https://youtu.be/kZxtMBWEYHU
