Concrete Decor's Current Articles

The fourth annual Decorative Concrete LIVE! will continue to showcase innovative construction applications for residential and commercial contractors at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas Feb. 4-7, 2020.

Not getting paid is every contractor’s worst nightmare and there are plenty of reasons why some clients fail to pay. Whatever the reasons may be, it’s important that you take the right steps to exercise your right to get paid. Here are some ways you can ensure that you get paid on time and in full.

Concrete in new construction is like a blank canvas. Unblemished and uncracked, it’s the ideal concrete to stain. Every stage — from cleaning to ­sealing — is important. However, there are many moving parts in new construction projects which can affect the concrete staining process. Timing is essential.

Decorative concrete contractor Tom Ralston has probably never met you, but even so, he suspects you’re waiting too long before cutting your control joints. “Saw-cutting concrete is usually done long after the concrete has been poured or has set up,” he says. “It’s kind of like locking the gate after the horse has left.”

In converting a warehouse in an offbeat neighborhood to an organic microbrewery, the married duo of Emily Thomas and Chad Brill proved to be up for anything.

The purpose of the retaining wall remains unchanged — to hold back dirt — but decorative concrete offers a solution to improve the appearance of retaining walls.

The decorative overlay industry has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, and so has the number of failures and problems related to overlay installations.

Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport put its money down in a bet on a vibrant, colorful and imaginative new look for the airport’s Terminal 1 ticketing and baggage claim area.

Concrete workers should be aware of the health risks associated with asbestos which may be present in concrete placed prior to and during the 1970s.

“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.

Imagine building your dream home. All of the right elements are in place: hardwood floors, granite countertops, marble tile in the bathrooms and kitchen, exterior brick siding, flagstone pool deck, rock retaining walls and exposed aggregate driveway. Now imagine taking that plan and replacing all those elements with concrete.

Decorative concrete played a role in the construction of a Native American landmark in Ignacio, Colo., that drew hundreds to its opening ceremony in May.

Spice 6, a fast-casual restaurant in Hyattsville, Md., serves up a zesty visual feast that complements its Chipotle-like “modern Indian” bill of fare.

When Troy Lemon the concrete sculptor met up with Troy Wolfiss the home builder, a fireplace of great proportions ensued. Wolfiss, owner of Artisan Craft Homes, busily designed his new home which would be part of the Home Builders Association of Greater Grand Rapids’ Spring Parade of Homes.

The right mixer and paddle can be the pairing for success. Just as a good cook knows when to use a stand mixer with bread hooks and when to get out the hand mixer with a whip, there are a mixer— and a paddle or blade design— for just about every size job in the decorative concrete industry, as well.

Even with a substrate riddled with cracks, pits and spalls, this high-build metallic finish will give your floor a look that is quietly mesmerizing.

A beach house floor Ralston’s company recently refurbished in Monterey Bay, Calif. The floor’s crown jewel from a decorative standpoint is a pattern created when randomly placed seaweed stamps, made from real seaweed, were laid in a 3/8-inch fast-setting overlay.

Let’s start at the beginning: What is GFRC, what are its benefits and what are its downsides? GFRC stands for glass-fiber reinforced concrete. The GFRC I use is a composite of portland cement, silica sand, Forton VF-774 , Liquefaction Compound, Vitro Minerals VCAS-micronHS, water, and alkali-resistant chopped glass-fiber strands.