Stamping & Texturing Concrete

Work by: Volunteers, various cities

In preparation for the 2012 Concrete Decor Show in San Antonio, Texas, show coordinators and trainers met at SAY Sí, an award-winning nonprofit youth arts organization, last September to brainstorm ideas for hands-on workshop possibilities. They saw potential for overhauling the building’s front entrance.

When Bob McDaid began making plans to build iPlay America, his 115,000-square-foot indoor family amusement park in Freehold, N.J., he envisioned flooring to complement two very different settings.

A look at several ways you can promote maintenance services that help relieve headaches and save the industry from a tarnished reputation.

Decorative concrete has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 20 years as people have started to realize what kinds of natural looks can be achieved. As demand has risen, stamp manufacturers are continually refining their techniques to create more realistic impressions.

Becker Architectural Concrete, Woodbury, Minn.
www.beckerconcrete.com

A bluestone-stamped field trimmed with richly stained faux beams, this technique is perfectly suited for any room with an upscale rustic theme.

Concrete Oasis Inc., Malvern, Pa.
www.concreteoasis.com

Ideal for patios, driveways or other expansive exteriors, this stamping technique is all about subtle variations in color and texture, resulting in a realistic stony finish.

During a hot summer in northern Texas, a cool dip in a pool or ride down a water slide can be the perfect remedy, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Paradise Springs, a new water park that opened for the 2011 summer season at the Gaylord Texan, a Grapevine, Texas, resort owned by luxury hospitality chain Gaylord Hotels.

The project originally given Kevin Baltz, president of Memphis, Tenn., company Baltz & Sons Concrete Services, was a lot simpler than the one he ended up with. “I was first approached to do some hardscape and subbase for a network of brick or paver stone terraces,” he recalls. “The connecting walkways were going to be asphalt.” He can’t hide the disdain in his voice when he makes that last statement.

Across the country stamped concrete jobs are beginning to show wear. To help restore the worn surfaces, Concrete Earth LLC has developed a three-step system to re-color, accent and seal previously installed jobs. Rztore (pronounced restore) is a fast, efficient system that revives old stamped concrete and return it to foot traffic in as little as eight hours.

This recipe is for those clients who call you complaining about a stamped or textured patio that’s become lifeless and dull. With just a few steps and a freshly mixed batch of tinted liquid release agent, you can bring color and depth to those sad surfaces.