Author: Doug Carlton

Consistent Concrete Yields Superior Stamped Concrete Projects

Behind every successful slab of stamped concrete is an accumulation of effort by you (the decorative concrete artist) and your local ready-mix provider. If one participant falls short the project becomes compromised, maybe not to the point of being unsalvageable but still to where it does not meet the goal of most professionals.

Knowing When and Why to Say No to Clients

At first, everything seemed perfect as my salesman and I finished setting up our booth for the annual home design and remodeling show in Visalia, Calif. Our exhibit location was ideal, our stamp and stain samples strategically located. The weekend crowd was near maximum capacity and everything seemed ripe for booking plenty of new accounts.

Meeting the Demand for Crack Control in Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete is the very foundation of decorative concrete industry. The ability to take concrete and add pattern and color separates you from your competition. This ability also increases a customer’s expectations. Simply put, most customers will not accept a random crack running through patterned concrete, nor should they.

How to Protect Your Concrete Work Surface on the Job Site

Each job your company completes is a billboard. Each project says, “Yes, my company is good and worthy of your next decorative project,” or it says, “I’m a work in progress that right now, unfortunately, is not worth the chance.” Few billboards imply anything in between. At the end of […]

Using Sealers to Fight Freeze-Thaw in Concrete

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.

Accurate Project Records Today Get You Work Tomorrow

Some things in life a person can bluff their way through but, unfortunately, decorative concrete is not one. When a previous customer called asking to add more decorative stamping, I learned the hard way. She loved the work previously installed, and now wanted to add a pool deck to match, right down to the colors and pattern. No problem, right? Wrong.

Successful Contractors Offer Good Customer Service

Turning a profit in today’s construction industry is no accident. This is why it is essential — now more than ever — to practice the strong fundamentals that every successful business is built on. I witnessed a perfect example of such a business this fall and it made me rethink my effort as a decorative concrete professional.