Concrete Decor's Current Articles

For thousands of years the permanence of concrete has made it an ideal construction and design medium for architects, engineers and builders. Even the word “concrete” is often used as an adjective to describe the reality, longevity and durability of everything from objects to ideas.

Although rocker Huey Lewis made headlines singing how it was “Hip to be Square,” artisan Ben Ashby couldn’t quite jibe with that mantra when it came to concrete countertops. Back in the early ’90s, others in the fledgling decorative concrete business — like FuTung Cheng and Buddy Rhodes, he remembers — were perfectly fine with square-edged countertops but Ashby wanted more for his creations.

Concrete overlays’ strength comes from combining specific amounts of portland cement, sand, water and polymer. Sand type is an important component in decorative concrete and concrete overlays because overlays are typically applied thinner than standard concrete, yet still need to withstand the forces of foot and automobile traffic.

What better place is there to experiment with various decorative concrete techniques than in a high-school art classroom?

Watch out for water, especially in climates where you get cold winters. Water is by far the biggest challenge you will face as a decorative concrete professional. Words like “spalling,” “flaking,” “pitting” or “chipping” are not what people making a living in concrete want to hear. and rarely do these words mean a satisfied customer a profitable month.

There is an increase in complaints about the final color not matching the sample or mock-up. In all cases, a small mock-up was created, finished and cured as specified, and eventually accepted by the client. Fast forward to the actual job placement, and all of a sudden the color no longer matched the mock-up sample.

If you’re looking to outfit your house from top to bottom in concrete — floors, walls, kitchen and/or furniture — what better way to top it off than with a concrete clock?

If you work with concrete you already know how abrasive, alkaline and caustic it is.

To put it simply, as portland cement dries, it will absorb water from any source in order to harden. That means it will suck the moisture from your skin as well.

Phys.org announced research that could lead to a way to light roads, highways or bicycle lanes without electricity.

Concrete steps can be the centerpiece of a house's façade and a showpiece of the decorative concrete craft.

From day one, we put a lot of thought into the covers for each issue of Concrete Decor magazine. Because it isn’t available on newsstands, we don’t have to try to appeal to the average grocery shopper standing in line, but we definitely want our cover images to be attention-grabbing.

Contractors, subcontractors and suppliers can sometimes be put in adversarial roles. Because of the low-bid mentality that still dominates most construction sectors in the United States, trust is not always what it should be.

Thai Summit America Corp. is a multinational corporation with facilities in Asia and North America. The company has been a leader in the sheet metal stamping industry for the last 20 years. The company recently polished more than 1,000,000 square feet (yes, that’s more than 1 million square feet) in their Howell, Michigan, production plant.

For Scott Cohen, owner of The Green Scene Landscaping and Pools in Northridge, Calif., creating spectacular, outdoor entertainment and leisure spaces is second nature, but many of his jobs require much more than bringing a vision to life.

Colors must be matched. Costs must be controlled. There are all sorts of variables to consider when repairing a decorative concrete floor. Luckily, several products aim to help you get things fixed.

Transitioning to Decorative Concrete Doug Carlton of Carlton Concrete offers sound advice on how to transition your structural concrete business into one that specializes in decorative concrete applications.

Polishing 52,000 square feet of floor is never an easy task, but some jobs can be more demanding than others. This was one of them. It took contractor Darryl White and a crew of five 11 weeks to prep, polish and finesse the artwork for the floors of Alabama Robotics Technology Park.

Along the Willamette River's eastern shore, where it cuts through the heart of Portland, Ore., there stretches a long walkway, a favorite spot for locals to run or ride along the riverfront.