Concrete Decor's Current Articles

In the heart of northern Michigan wine country near Traverse City, Mari Vineyards opened for business in May 2016. The 31,000-square-foot facility was equipped with the usual amenities of a first-rate winery as well as an extensive underground barrel-aging area that has the qualities of a cave.

I’m not a fan of overlays unless they’re necessary, I continually compete against knockdown finish companies that prefer them. Most of my competition uses overlays on pool decks and patios no matter what. This gives me a unique spin to compete against them.

About 25 years ago, Cindee Lundin took a leave of absence from her job as a preschool teacher and enrolled at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota to work on her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. She already had two associate degrees — one in art and the other in child development — but state laws were changing back then and she needed a more advanced degree to continue to teach in public schools.

Heat is the universal catalyst. Apply heat and things tend to happen faster. Consider what happened the last time you accidentally grabbed a hot plate. I am sure your speed increased dramatically as you looked for a place to put the plate down. The same thing happens with sealers at the molecular level when the temperatures go up.

Five veteran contractors and artisans provide insight by explaining where their decorative concrete journeys began, how their skill sets grew and how diversification has affected their careers.

Twenty-two student teams from colleges and universities across North America recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete in the 17th annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers and largely sponsored by Degussa Admixtures Inc./Master Builders.

Masks, gloves and goggles protect your body from the damaging effects of concrete dust and chemicals used in beautifying concrete.

In the hills of Southern Indiana lies a massive steel and concrete structure steeped in history. The Viaduct — also known locally as the Tulip Trestle, the Richland Creek Viaduct, the Green County Viaduct and officially, Bridge X75-6, according to Bloomingpedia — was once the largest railroad trestle in the United States.

Bella Vernici's sprayable overlay compound is the crown jewel of the company's stainable concrete veneer system.

 “Just apply a decorative overlay and it will hide everything.” Or, “Use acid to strip that sealer.” These are just a couple of the myths or just plain wrong recommendations concrete contractors may have come across recently.

There are four different overlay systems used in creating decorative concrete floors: microtoppings, stampable overlays, multipurpose overlays and self-leveling overlays. All have different characters and makeups with which to achieve decorative looks.

The U.S. Highway 80 Corridor in southwest Jackson, Miss., is one of those aging main drags that could use some aesthetic improvements. To the relief of many locals, much-needed changes are being made.

The market for concrete sealers is vast and it seems that there is almost every imaginable way to protect and enhance concrete floors. For the purpose of this article we are going to discuss two options that involve a clear sealer.

The reason concrete is so strong is elemental. According to researchers at Rice University, studying friction on materials such as concrete has provided the answer.

Pennsylvania artist Robert Stadnycki has excelled in a number of media: textiles, painting, furniture. Last year, he tried decorative concrete for the first time, collaborating with SunWorks, Etc. LLC to craft three countertops in his distinctive style for a kitchen. 

Potential clients often struggle with visualizing what decorative concrete will look like at their home or business. The new Deco-Con Wizard from Depiction Software can help remove the mystery by quickly and easily showing them what selected decorative concrete patterns will look like on their property.

The Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, has announced the winners of its sixth annual Decorative Concrete Awards competition.

How long is a set of diamonds supposed to last? Or more to the point, what kind of square footage can I expect out of a set of diamonds?