Concrete Decor's Current Articles

Building owners are asking contractors around the country to create decorative outdoor concrete features on areas not normally associated with concrete surfaces such as decks and roofs.

Kevin Brown is a soft-spoken, humble-yet-accomplished man who got into the business of concrete work through his family. As he describes it, he knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in the family footsteps.

Gray seems to be dominating current color schemes for everything. As I’m not a fan, I hope this trend ends soon. Forcing me to work in gray almost makes me turn down jobs. But work is better than being idle so if gray is your prospect’s preferred hue, here are a couple of important points to think about when talking to clients.

For years, officials with the Clark County Department of Aviation knew Terminal 1 at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas was in need of a fresh concrete overlay job. Wide, deep expansion joints placed long ago posed dangers for travelers, and the airport was paying for it.

As the concretist, we’ve worked both internationally and nationwide. But some of the jobs are in the smallest, quaintest towns. They might not be major population centers, but the concrete in those places are that much more sweet, The people are warm even while the weather often isn't.

One-part concrete sealer products are easily stored for reuse in the future. Of course, you want to avoid foreign contaminants, so don’t pour back into the container what you may have portioned off unless you strain the used material first.

A carbon-fiber-reinforced, epoxy-resin-based grid design. It can be used in place of, or along with, steel wire mesh and light rebar. Unlike steel, carbon grid can be placed just below the finished surface.

I have an exterior raised wooden deck that has a cement-based overlay applied to the top. The area that is under roof is fine, but the area that is outside is failing.

Artists can use Quick Draw to create large and highly detailed designs comfortably from a standing position. For detailed drawing, the chalk-holder piece of the assembly, called simply Quick Draw, can be removed and used alone.

In 2001, Colorado Hardscapes made a move that forever changed its approach to sales and marketing. The company moved into a new concrete design center, the first of its kind in Colorado.

Mark Celebuski, general manager of Pinnacle Cast Concrete, wants to share some of his hard-earned wisdom with the readers of Concrete Decor. He has developed a list of 10 tips he thinks will help concrete countertop makers in particular improve their businesses.

Cleanliness is a definite selling point with water-blasting. Unlike shot blasting or grinding, it can be done in occupied spaces because a high- volume vacuum almost instantly removes the water and debris.

While a mechanical — or other — method of preparing concrete for an overlay will generally remove whatever is on the existing surface and open it up for the new application, it’s not always enough.

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.

Reminiscent of nothing so much as the surface of Jupiter, this rich swirling effect is guaranteed to take any floor up a notch.

Starting a business is a challenging process no matter what the circumstances, but starting a business at 19 years old, while holding down two other jobs and working on a degree? Now that’s a challenge.

Are you in decorative concrete and looking for more work? I bet you are, and if so, I have some good news. Let's listen to Dan’s auto repair business.

The president of Artistic Concrete Surfaces, an award-winning company in Olathe, Kan., Mike Denny says that his commitment to quality sometimes drags on the business. “I’d rather lose money on a job instead of doing a job that didn’t look right. I have a good reputation for making sure everything is done above and beyond what people expect."

Each new edition of Concrete Decor provides invaluable insights and perspective from our industry columnists. The magazine also contains focuses on projects that constantly aim to unlock the best practices for turning ordinary concrete into finishes that challenge traditional building and finishing methods.

Catty-cornered northwest of the Indiana Convention Center, the JW Marriott Art Plaza has become a city landmark and a tribute to Hoosiers statewide since its grand unveiling in March 2010.

Dancer’s company, Dancer Concrete Design, offered another solution to waxing the scuffed-up floor in the events center — polished concrete.