Concrete Decor's Current Articles

Concrete is going to crack and contractors should be prepared to handle certain issues when they happen.

"Innovation" was the word of the day for Scofield’s 10th annual Decorative Concrete Awards which were presented during the 2018 World of Concrete in Las Vegas. Grand prize-winning “Scofie” projects in six categories were unique in their design and execution, with several recipients pushing the limits of their experience to try new things.

A little-known fact about New Castle, Indiana, (for everyone not a Hoosier) is that it’s home to the world’s largest high school gymnasium. Basketball fever is so rampant in this small town of 18,000 that the community raised the money needed to build a high school gym that seats 9,325 spectators.

There are as many techniques for layering stains as there are concrete artisans. Here are tips from some of the best in the trade.

Special mats and tools can be used to imprint the pattern or texture in these tight areas. Flexible (or floppy) mats typically have about half the weight of a regular mat and thus can be bent to get closer to the wall or corner.

Do you know how to prevent concrete cracks in the corners of a fresh pour? Doug Bannister has a tip that just might make your day.

New sealers compliant with VOC laws have contractors in cold sweats. With these tips, you can REALLY start breathing easier.

Thousands of contractors use decorative concrete in commercial projects because it is attractive, durable, affordable and easy to maintain. This article is about the explosion in commercial decorative work and how it may benefi t your company

Unlike a fine wine, decorative concrete does not always age well.

As Bob Chatterton, co-owner of Surface 519, puts it, "Countertops are just a sealing nightmare. It's asked that they be resistant to everything under the sun."

So it seems a natural correlation to make a stain- and scratch-resistant coating that uses the sun - or at least the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Structurally unbeatable, decorative forms and form-liners are creating a timely and profitable advantage on more and more jobsites, big and small.

Carole Vincent lives in Cornwall, England, in a house overlooking the sea. Her father was a concrete contractor and she grew up around the trade, originally working with concrete as a building material and then turning to more artistic uses for her favorite medium.

With concrete countertops becoming more popular by the day, mastering the art has become a priority for many contractors. But finding the perfect mix of concrete and additives to mold into the tight corners and custom shapes of many countertop projects is a complicated, not to mention expensive, process.

In this article you will see how to properly apply your GFRC mix to your created forms once you’ve prepared it.

Although Shelley and Guy Chomistek of Rafter C Precast Concrete are no strangers to custom concrete countertops, this recent bathroom project held some unique creative challenges.

The simple yet powerful design of this memorial included the piece of wreckage from the World Trade Center and a map of the Northeast coastline of the United States on concrete pavement that approaches the tattered beam. The map identifies the coastline and the three crash sites of that dreadful date.

Lilli Ann Rosenberg discovered concrete more or less by accident, when a concrete truck dumped a pile of wet cement in a vacant lot across the street from the Henry Street Settlement in New York City, where she taught art to children.

Learning the necessary skills required for this type of concrete work produces high-quality results? Concrete Decor shares some thoughts!

If I were a contractor I would take “preexisting” projects over new projects every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

How integral color has continued to establish itself in a down economy - and what’s next.

A Nashville youth center gets a  decorative concrete makeover as part of  the 2011 Concrete Decor Show & Spring Training