Stamping & Texturing Concrete

Dry shake hardeners are increasingly popular as coloring agents. Color hardeners are made from cement, sand and pigment, with finishing agents, wetting agents or retardants added to suit manufacturers’ preferences.

Why would anyone spend thousands of dollars on Parisian cobblestone stamps? A flight to Paris and a hotel for the weekend, for both concrete contractor and client to share mutual experiences and gather ideas, would’ve been cheaper and the real deal!

Paul Schneider is one of the lucky people in this world whose hobby and occupation are one and the same: decorative concrete. “Most people don’t think of a hobby as something you make money off of,” he says. But he does it.

Popular Concrete Decor columnist Chris Sullivan explores ways to fix a stamped concrete job that came out looking like a patchwork quilt

When Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida wanted to create a new ride inspired by the popular Disney-Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life,” the theme park called on Brickform, a division of Solomon Colors Inc., to create a seamless texture skin representative of a dry lakebed. That was nearly one decade ago.

Classic Native American patterns, wild horses, tropical fish: today's border-stamp makers are living on the edge.

The lifestyle center addition to the Greenwood Park Mall on U.S. Highway 31 North in Greenwood was completed in spring 2008. The project, which involved more than 1,000 cubic yards of concrete, is significant because it reflects the growing use of concrete in Indiana’s public spaces.

Antiquing stampable overlays is taken for granted these days. However, there are many ways to achieve this effect. This method is a quick, consistent and effective way to achieve a beautiful antiqued look with Miracote products.

Stamping concrete in hot weather requires advanced planning and close attention. Here, industry pro George Lee shares his secrets for a successful outcome.

This stamping won't warm your feet, but it will fill your bank account in the winter months. Here are some tips to get your cold weather concrete stamping jobs going.

The new Exploration Center at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Santa Cruz, Calif., invites visitors to interact with exhibits that explore issues impacting the marine ecosystem.

“Graceful Curves.” That’s what Scott Cohen and his team at Green Scene Landscaping and Swimming Pools call a recent backyard masterpiece in Malibu, California. Cohen describes it as the ultimate entertaining backyard that has everything and then some — including a pool that makes you feel like you’re in a giant lake.

I was invited to attend the preplanning meeting for the 2013 Concrete Decor Show to look at potential sites for the decorative concrete makeover workshops. We looked at three different sites, and in the end it was clear that the Charlotte Rescue Mission had the most need of our services.

Many years in the making and rigorously reviewed by dozens of experts in the field, the much-anticipated 310R-13 Guide to Decorative Concrete was officially published by the American Concrete Institute in December 2013.

Surely you’ve heard the phrase “concrete jungle,” but what about concrete in the jungle? In this case, the jungle is the Rainforest Habitat at Discovery Place, in uptown Charlotte. The exhibit boasts wildlife ranging from birds and reptiles to vegetation such as palms and epiphytes.

Stamped concrete can be a beautiful addition to any property. However, poorly textured concrete can be an eyesore for the owner and a headache for the contractor.

Unique Concrete is true to its name. Like many decorative concrete contracting firms, it constructs pool surrounds, patios, sidewalks and driveways. However, unlike other contractors, it also specializes in laying concrete on top of decks.

The issue of car tires pulling sealer from concrete is known as “hot-tire pickup.” The initial conclusion most people make when they hear “hot-tire pickup” is that a hot tire is melting the sealer and causing it to peel off the concrete.

Chris Post, owner of Elite Concrete Solutions in Fort Worth, landed a second job while creating walkways at the University Park Village shopping center. The owner of Pacific Table, a restaurant at the shopping mall, saw him working on the sidewalks and invited him to lead the remodel of a faux-wood floor and countertop at the popular eatery.

Being next door to the Artistry in Concrete competition at the World of Concrete 2015, Steven Ochs knew he had to bring his A game to the Smith Paint Products booth. Ochs, a decorative concrete artisan and chairman of the department of art and design for Southern Arkansas University, presented several designs to the Brunners, owners of the family-run business.

Texas Christian University’s football program has emerged as a national power over the past few years, and for a smallish university (enrollment under 10,000) that’s quite an accomplishment. It stands to reason that a big-time football program would want to play in a big-time stadium.

When the U.S. General Services Administration decided to renovate the federal office building at 50 United Nations Plaza in downtown San Francisco for its own use, officials set out to make the building a model of environmental sustainability.

At first glance, you’d think you were looking at a distinguished upholstered bar done in a style that many attribute to a sofa designed for the fourth earl of Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope (1694-1773), that featured the now iconic buttoned leather look.