Concrete Decor's Current Articles

As metallic coatings grow in popularity, the competition is heating up. Bear in mind that the key to a mesmerizing metallic floor is the artist behind it.

Being in the construction industry his whole life, Dion Battles made the unsurprising leap to decorative concrete, specifically the vertical carving and theming part of the industry, after the nationwide recession hit the residential building industry hard in 2007. 

Built in Missouri in 1927, the First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis’ sanctuary was recently renovated to modernize its look and feel, while preserving its historic Gothic style. Improvements to the sanctuary’s floor, specifically two rectangular sections under the pews, were vital to this upgrade. 

Stenciling and coloring go hand-in-hand to create works of art in concrete. Acid- or water-based stains are the most widely used — and most versatile — materials for coloring stenciled projects. Acid stains tend to produce muted, earthy colors, while water-based stains are available in brighter, more vibrant colors.

Concrete is being used as a final interior flooring surface in direct competition with wood, tile, marble, and slate. Concrete surfaces can be stained, scored, sandblasted, overlayed and stamped — or a combination of the above.

Like any concrete surface that leads to the front entrance of a major Las Vegas hotel, the driveway at the main valet area of Caesars Palace is subject to all kinds of wear and tear.

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

The tragedy created a bond between the boys’ mothers, Milena Sellers-Phillips and Maria Keever. When Sellers-Phillips participated in the search for a murdered girl in 2010, the experience renewed her desire for a public memorial to Jonathan and Charlie.

There are more choices and considerations with concrete topical sealers than there are with penetrating sealer treatments, and I believe it's because of this that so many people are confused, frustrated and bewildered. Let me clear up concrete countertop coating confusion

Boyer is the owner of ConcretiZen, based in Apache Junction, Ariz. She does it all — art pieces, driveways, pool decks, countertops, floors. She takes residential and commercial jobs, coloring, texturing, stamping, polishing, sandblasting or engraving concrete.

Quick Release Block Forms for creating large landscape concrete blocks are available in a variety of sizes. Liners can create various rock and stone patterns and last for a minimum of 100+ uses under normal conditions

In indoor applications, terrazzo has a ground and polished surface that lends itself to creative design. The use of divider strips allows the material to be mixed in different colors and applied in a process similar to paint-by-number, so you can incorporate designs, logos, borders and just about anything.

The Sparkle Grain System is an eye-catching, black sparkle concrete finish that can be applied with color hardeners or by itself.It aids with slip resistance and is designed for sidewalks, driveways, ramps, public buildings, wineries, schools, etc., to name a few.

Photo Courtesy of Ralston Concrete

On a project where different colors are desired, a simple solution is to use a solvent sealer in the darker field and a water-based sealer or a stand-alone wax (for interior projects) in the lighter field.

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.

Passion, precision, artistry and creativity were all on display at the L. M. Scofield Co. ninth annual Decorative Concrete Awards ceremony held during the World of Concrete 2017 in Las Vegas. Scofield, now a member of Sika, a specialty chemicals company with subsidiaries in 93 countries around the world, enlists professionals from the concrete industry to judge submissions based on skill of installation, artistic expression and integration with the overall design intent.

Exposed aggregate finishes are in demand on concrete walls. How do you get that rock to pop? One way is to use a surface retarder.

Unfortunately, complaints about how color turns out are an all-too-familiar topic of conversation. Complaints can involve but are not limited to integrally colored concrete, color-hardened concrete, stamped and textured concrete and stained concrete. People claim the wrong color, inconsistent color, blotchy color, color that is too light, color that’s too dark, and the list goes on and on. When you really think about it, it does make sense. What is the biggest difference that separates decorative concrete from regular concrete? Color!

Classic Native American patterns, wild horses, tropical fish: today's border-stamp makers are living on the edge.