Decorative Control Joints
When necessity becomes art
by Joan Stanus
. Concrete is going to crack.
But controlling those cracks with properly designed control joints to aesthetically enhance the slab “is what separates the men from the boys,” according to many of today’s artisans who are carving a name for themselves in the decorative concrete field.
“Cracks are not appealing,” notes Lee Levig, president of Concrete Works in Fairfield, Calif.
“If you’re doing decorative work, that’s something you don’t want to introduce … so joints are the key. We never try to prevent cracks. The object is to control and then disguise them in the most decorative way possible.”
Since joints are simply pre-planned cracks, the whole trick, he notes, is to “fool the eye” into seeing beauty, not imperfection.
“I like to use the joints as part of the decoration,” Levig adds. “If you take the time and think out what’s going on, it’s not that difficult. It’s all in the prep work and the tools. The more you carve it up, the fewer the random cracks.”
 “You have to plan the cracks,” echoes Bud Stegmeier, manager and partner in Stegmeier Corp. of Arlington, Texas. “The primary function of joints is to break up the slab in geometric patterns to cause it to crack in a uniform way. Whether you’re doing regular or decorative concrete, the joints should look nice.”
Turning those joint “patterns” into distinctive decoration has become a finely honed skill for many concrete craftsmen around the country. Instead of using a canvas and paintbrushes, today’s concrete artisans are taking advantage of newly developed manufactured products and coming up with creative techniques to turn concrete pours into works of art.
But fashion should never take a back seat to function, many caution. Joints perform a vital function in concrete work. What makes for stellar concrete is when the architect/contractor can combine both function and decoration together to create a beautifully crafted slab of concrete.
Richard Smith of West Hills, Calif.-based Richard Smith Custom Concrete, puts it this way: “We don’t tell concrete what to do — it tells us what to do. But there’s nothing that can’t be done.”
Depending on the type of joint, environment and the circumstances of the pour, practitioners use various techniques, products and methods to get the effect they’re after. They may score or saw cut, they may add a colored seal, or they may use grooving techniques to distress harsh lines.
Some contractors are even turning to new joint materials to create a stylized decorative look. Artflor by Tri-Co, based in San Deigo, has recently begun using such metals as brass, copper and stainless steel as joint components.
“It’s strictly for aesthetics, but it’s still functional,” notes Penny Steward, director of sales and marketing. “It really enhances the design ... and gives the concrete a great look.”
Steward noted that as nightclubs become “major players” in using decorative concrete as part of their décor, all sorts of cutting-edge techniques are being developed.
“There are just a lot of exciting things happening out there right now,” says the company official, who is based in Las Vegas. “Our guys look at their work as an art form… and they try to be innovative in what they’re doing.” |
