Concrete Decor's Current Articles

What is the most important test when it comes to evaluating decorative concrete overlays? A case can be made that any test result can help better define how a product will perform, but when it comes to decorative overlays some tests are more meaningful than others.

You have likely heard by now that sharing visual content — infographics, photographs and videos — on social media garners attention, builds brand awareness and increases audience engagement better than text-only posts.

In recent months, most of the safety emphasis in the industry has been on crystalline silica and new regulations designed to keep it out of concrete workers’ lungs.

Both equipment manufacturers and contractors have worked hard to come up with new products and processes to keep their workers safe.

A 16-foot-tall concrete wave? Concrete artists created this and more at a 15,000-square-foot skate park.

A How To feature that offers step-by-step instructions for casting statuary and other fine-featured pieces.

I have identified six steps that all successful hunks of stamped concrete have in common. Bypassing one of the six steps will leave a stamping professional a rung short of a true level of potential. Perfection starts well before any color broadcasts across a wet concrete’s surface, and even well before a ready-mix truck arrives.

The Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, recognized the winners of its ninth annual Decorative Concrete Awards competition Jan. 17 at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

Choosing the right mixer for casting countertops, sinks and the like is an important element of getting the results you want. The mixer must deliver a workable and consistent mix, in the quantity you need, at a speed that allows you to work profitably.

A marketing professional discovered the genius of Fu-Tung Cheng after he decided to renovate his home with concrete countertops.

Gregory Mata and his Cutting Edge Decorative Concrete crew arrived at the house of a young CEO intending only to stamp a patio. Then inspiration took over.

In recent years the decorative concrete and coatings market has made its way over to the retail market. Retailers have unique needs that they have to address, and decorative concrete and coatings are becoming a more and more popular method for filling those needs.

Most bridges are built to be purely functional, but functional doesn’t have to mean boring. Decorative concrete contractors have played a key role in some recent artistically striking bridge construction projects. Using materials that add character and can withstand exposure to the outdoors, contractors are transforming concrete bridges.

Savvy contractors can gain greater project input and can secure more work for their companies by becoming involved with design professionals during the early stages of project design.

Concrete placement is never easy, with many variables such as wind, sun, ambient temperature and humidity to consider as they all affect each pour. The mix design and consideration of the actual makeup of the concrete and possible additives are just as important.

Asked to do the decorative concrete work for an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, cousins Doug and Scott Carlton thought it sounded like a worthwhile project. Their work on the show, seen by more than 13 million viewers, led to a flurry of media attention in the state of California.

Hong Kong is home to what is billed as the largest quarter-inch stamping job in the world — 600,000 square feet of lines, arrows, and numbers that help condo dwellers park in style.

A funny thing happened on the way home from the grocery store, says Troy Lemon, president of Cornerstone Decorative Concrete in Holland, Michigan. It all started when he and his son, Josh, stumbled upon an art studio in their own tiny village of Fennville.

J.C. Santy Construction, Pulaski, Wisconsin, uses metallic and mica powders from Crescent Bronze Powder Co. to bring brilliant color to decorative concrete. One prime example is The Children's Garden created by artisan and owner Brad Santy for the Brown County Public Library in Green Bay, Wisconsin.