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Along with exceptional quality , the strength and precision of our products give our clients added value by reducing costs associated with maintenance , repair and replacement . Aesthetics also play an important role in our hardscape design and clients frequently tell us that the visual enhancement of our products is a key component in the uniqueness that differentiates and elevates their projects in the marketplace . Our multiple patents and trademarks exemplify the value that we place in the creativity and innovative nature of our products and our desire to protect our work at the highest possible level .
OUR PRODUCTS
When an architect or owner specifies our proprietary Lithocrete ® or one of our other 40 patented and trademarked products , he or she knows we will not take shortcuts in the construction process and that any slight additional cost will be recovered by the low , long-term maintenance costs and exceptional life expectancy . Although products such as Lithocrete are patented , that doesn ’ t necessarily mean the products cost more . It simply means a product is unique in its marketplace and has a registered set of procedures that , when followed , will consistently produce an expected result including esthetics , quality , and durability . For instance , Lithocrete has a perfect track record with plazas and hardscape structures that are free of failures although they may be approaching 30 years old and look like they were installed a year ago .
Take for example Lithocrete Quarried Stone ® ( L . Q . S .), which is an economical product that simply combines a percentage of granite sands ( or other material ) with granite aggregate . L . Q . S . is the preferred system when the look of quarried stone is specified by owners and designers . L . Q . S . is also easier to install , which saves on labor and material because it doesn ’ t require the high density of just one aggregate .
Rather than the introduction of 100 % coverage of select aggregates , which 100 % coverage is physically impossible to achieve with one coarse size of aggregate , L . Q . S . takes a different approach by seeding the surface with 5 % to 75 % of select materials of different sizes . This gives the appearance of inclusions and veins normally found in quarried stone and the smaller size sand fills the gaps between the larger seeded materials creating a tighter , finer surface and makes 95 % coverage physically possible . L . Q . S . is an excellent alternative when the budget doesn ’ t accommodate full granite . The final product nevertheless results in a very distinctive , artistic appearance with characteristic random patterns . Additionally , L . Q . S . is stain resistant and creates a durable finish that can blend or match well with other materials and elements that make up a project ’ s hardscape structure .
Our Presto Pneumatic Spray ® is simple — Instead of hand broadcasting small materials naturally , creating streaks in the finished product , we use a material sprayer that evenly covers the surface and reduces labor ; therefore , effectively reducing cost and producing a superior product .
We love to create products that not only advance the work of our company , but the industry as a whole . The Speed Dowel ® system we invented and patented went into worldwide use in only three short years . Speed Dowel enables doweled slabs , mostly super flat warehouse slabs , to be constructed better and with less labor and cost . Shaw & Sons uses Speed Dowels on all of our projects and most commonly with smooth fiberglass dowels that eliminate any potential corrosion in and around joints . This coming year we are introducing a new dowel base plate in collaboration with Sika / Greenstreak that will increase the speed and efficiency of speed dowels and reduce costs even further .
Our Presto Wall Finish gives owners and architects the look of acid-wash concrete on vertical surfaces without the entrapped air holes and pour lines that are typically found on cast-in-place walls . The Presto Wall Finish works well for cast-in-place walls , from seat walls to one or more stories in height .
In all regards our systems are unique . There are knockoff products in the industry , but they don ’ t include all of the necessary steps , nor most importantly , include Shaw & Sons ’ people and requirements , which forces them to circumvent our patents resulting in a potentially inferior product . In any regards , knockoff competitors show their flaws by not having original thoughts and designs and typically produce a product with a very short lifespan .
Our unique products give each project our personal signature which is so important to us . It is gratifying to be part of a group of people who are responsible for helping to put a roof over others so they can live , work and play in an environment that offers security and comfort . It is even more gratifying to become part of the design and know that the owner is getting much more then what they could get out of anyone else for the same money . Each of our projects whether they are structural or architectural must have our signature look and durability .
When an architect and / or owner requests Shaw & Sons for a project , it ’ s typically the result of an earlier experience with our company on a previous project , and the architect or owner wants to build a new project with the same assurance of quality and without any problems .