Concrete Decor November/December 2019
Publisher:
Bent O. Mikkelsen
bent@protradepubinc.com
(877) 935-8906 x201
Editor:
Stacey Enesey Klemenc
stacey@protradepubinc.com
(757) 427-6355
Creative Director:
Bill Simpson
bill@protradepubinc.com
(877) 935-8906 x203
Writers:
Dr. Kaveh Afshinnia
Jennifer Faller
Jon Kopp
Joe Maty
K. Schipper
Business Manager:
Sheri Mikkelsen
sheri@protradepubinc.com
(877) 935-8906 x205
Circulation:
Meg Webb
meg@protradepubinc.com
(877) 935-8906 x200
Sales:
Bent O. Mikkelsen
bent@protradepubinc.com
(877) 935-8906 x201
Subscriber Services:
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circulation@protradepub.com
Fax: (541) 228-9972
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Professional Trade
Publications Inc.
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Concrete Decor™ is published eight times a year by Professional Trade Publications Inc. Bulk rate postage paid at Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, and additional mailing offices.

ISSN 1542-1597

© 2019 Professional Trade Publications Inc. All rights reserved. Acceptance of advertising in this magazine and mention of specific products or services in editorial content does not imply endorsement of the product or service by Concrete Decor. No part of this publication or its website may be reproduced without written permission of Professional Trade Publications Inc.

Publisher’s Letter
Bent Mikkelsen Headshot
Dear Readers,

I love when our house is full of family and friends. My wife, Sheri, on the other hand, tends to be a little apprehensive about preparations because there are so many things to do before guests arrive. I know there are things to do ahead of time, but I’m more focused on simply having company. The preparations don’t bog me down.

Bent Mikkelsen Headshot

The recent Concrete Decor Show had some of these same characteristics. We spent a year getting ready, but the effort was well worth it. I met new people, learned from them, discovered new products and watched experts in action. I also listened to presentations about running a business, making more money and using social platforms. I even got to spend time hearing how the show helped people in a way I never considered. Best of all, I made new friends.

What I feel compelled to share is I wouldn’t have experienced any of these benefits if I had stayed home. I know I personally didn’t really have a choice, but if I had stayed home my life wouldn’t have improved. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get all pumped up about my industry, again! It all happened because I went.

On the cover: The multilayered floor in this home in St. Petersburg, Florida, features Sable and a custom blend of Golden Brown and Hammock from the PurEpoxy Metallic Flooring System collection. It was installed by this issue’s Artisan in Concrete, Elton John Strawderman.
Photo courtesy of Epoxy Artisan
Concrete Decor logo
Vol. 19, No. 8
November/December 2019
2019 Concrete Decor Show
 
Industry News
4
Attendees discover good things can come in small packages
by Stacey Enesey Klemenc
 
Product News
10
2019 Concrete Decor Show promotes product launches, ongoing demonstrations
 
The Broadcast
18
Two well-established training programs graded as choice preferences
by Joe Maty
 
Artisan in Concrete

20
Epoxy Artisan, Bradenton, Florida
by K. Schipper

 
Project Profile

25
Project included installing decorative concrete for the pint-sized
Dallas KidZania, Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas
by K. Schipper

A Small Detail
28
Radical artisan decides metallics are the only way to roll
by Jon Kopp

Heavy into Metal
34
Waste glass in concrete has advantages and disadvantages
By Dr. Kaveh Afshinnia, P.E., LEED GA

37
A defined method whose time has come
by Jennifer Faller

 
Final Pour

40
by Stacey Enesey Klemenc

Experts
Dr. Kaveh Afshinnia, P.E. headshot

Dr. Kaveh Afshinnia, P.E., received his doctorate in repair and rehabilitation of concrete structures and infrastructures from Clemson University. He serves on several technical committees for the American Concrete Institute, has had several articles published in peer-reviewed journals, and has presented at ACI conventions and international conferences. Kaveh has more than 12 years of experience designing new structures, as well as testing, evaluating and rehabilitating existing structures and infrastructures. Currently, Kaveh is a structural engineer for T.Y. Lin International in Alexandria, Virginia. He can be reached at (202) 276-8554 or kaveh.afshinnia@tylin.com. See Kaveh’s article on page 34.

Jennifer A. Faller headshot

Jennifer A. Faller has been in the surface preparation and concrete chemical and polishing industries for the past 24 years. A decorative concrete contractor, technical consultant, trainer and owner of a distribution company, Jennifer has held polishing positions as a brand, product, project and business development manager, as well as vice president of operations, director of technical services and global account manager. Recently, she’s an independent technical consultant at her firm, Concrete In-Site LLC. She also consults on behalf of other firms. Contact her at concreteinsite@gmail.com. See Jennifer’s article on page 37.

Jon Kopp headshot

Jon Kopp is founder, owner and operator of Quality Epoxy in Phoenix, Arizona. Check out his latest projects at FaceBook.com/QualityEpoxy and YouTube.com/Quality Epoxy. Jon can be reached at qualityepoxy@gmail.com. See Jon’s article on page 28.

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Industry News
(Above) Chris Sullivan of ChemSystems Inc. addresses the crowd during one of the many product demonstrations at the show. (Right) Brian Farnsworth of Cement Colors answers a question about a product. (Below right) Troy Lemon mugs for the camera while Emil Gera and a workshop participant toil away. (Below) A Bon Tool rep explains a tool to visitors.
(Above) Chris Sullivan of ChemSystems Inc. addresses the crowd during one of the many product demonstrations at the show. (First) Brian Farnsworth of Cement Colors answers a question about a product. (Second) Troy Lemon mugs for the camera while Emil Gera and a workshop participant toil away. (Third) A Bon Tool rep explains a tool to visitors.
2019 Concrete Decor Show Returns to Texas
Attendees discover good things can come in small packages
by Stacey Enesey Klemenc
T

he atmosphere was inviting and the modest but eager crowd engaged at the 2019 Concrete Decor Show in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 28-31. Many of those who attended reported it was a great time to reconnect with old friends, establish new contacts, discover products and tools, and witness some of the industry’s elite — such as Troy Lemon, Emil Gera, Rick Lobdell, Cindee Lundin and Jake Brady — lead workshops on the convention floor.

“I reaped so much value taking the time to be here,” says Brian Farnsworth, general manager of Cement Colors in Fort Worth, who exhibited, led a seminar and helped with product demonstrations. “It was a great show. I met a lot of interesting people and I got 100% out of the show that I had hoped for.”

He says he especially liked the ongoing demonstrations held at a variety of locations on the convention floor that featured installation of products that were on display during the show. Attendees didn’t get swallowed up by a huge crowd, could see the products in action and ask questions that got answered on the spot.

Industry News
Four men inducted into Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame
T

HIS year, four men joined the ranks of those honored in the Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony and dinner held Oct. 28 at the 2019 Concrete Decor Show in Arlington, Texas: Marshall Barabasch Sr., head of Shaw & Sons Special Project Division; Lance Boyer, CEO of Trademark Concrete Systems; and Jeff Irwin and Paul Sowa, co-owners of Proline Decorative Concrete Systems. All three companies are based in Southern California.

Professional Trade Publications, parent company of Concrete Decor magazine, established the prestigious hall in 2010 to honor the individuals and companies who have contributed significantly to the advancement of decorative concrete as a business and an art form.

Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame Award Ceremony
Product Roundup, Texas Style typography
By no means an inclusive list of interesting finds, there was plenty to explore at the 2019 Concrete Decor Show at the Arlington Convention Center in the shape of products and tools.
Product Roundup, Texas Style typography
By no means an inclusive list of interesting finds, there was plenty to explore at the 2019 Concrete Decor Show at the Arlington Convention Center in the shape of products and tools.
2019 Concrete Decor Show promotes product launches, ongoing demonstrations
W

ith some things, it’s what goes up first that can really matter. Imperial Core Bond, a multiuse polymer-modified cement-based material from Kingdom Products, was used as the basecoat for Kingdom Products’ Imperial Vertical Carving Mix. A one-component mix that just requires water, Imperial Core Bond was the bonding agent behind the walls of the DreamKrete exhibit and the training wall (pictured above) in Emil Gera and Troy Lemon’s vertical concrete workshop. The two men led a team that used Vertical Carving Mix to create simulated brick, stone and wood that was colored with multiple shades of Kingdom Products color hardener. The same Vertical Carving Mix was used in Cindee Lundin’s workshop to create a faux bois bird bath.

The Broadcast
Survey Says:
Two well-established training programs graded as choice preferences
by Joe Maty
A

TOTAL of 47 survey respondents shared their opinions on decorative concrete training programs in an informal survey conducted by Concrete Decor magazine. The survey was sent to current and past magazine subscribers as well as Concrete Decor Show attendees.

Asked to list the decorative concrete classes they judge the best, respondents cited The Concrete Countertop Institute, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and operated by Jeff Girard and Lane Mangum, 34 times. Girard and Mangum have contributed articles to Concrete Decor and presented programs at the Concrete Decor Show in the past.

Runner-up was the Concrete Design School in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with programs presented by Brandon Gore and Dusty Baker. They received 21 mentions. Both men’s work has been featured in the pages of Concrete Decor.

artisan in concrete brown logo
Elton John Strawderman
Epoxy Artisan, Bradenton, Florida
by K. Schipper
S

hakespeare wondered what’s in a name, and Elton John Strawderman could likely give him an answer or two.

Yes, his mother did name him after the British superstar, on a dare from a friend, he says, adding it’s often a good conversation starter. However, rather than outsized glasses and platform shoes, the real measure of the man comes from the name of his business.

The founder and owner of Epoxy Artisan in Bradenton, Florida, Strawderman says his goal in life is to be the best craftsman possible with his chosen medium: epoxy on concrete.

headshot of elton john strawderman
artisan in concrete brown logo
Elton John Strawderman
Epoxy Artisan, Bradenton, Florida
by K. Schipper
S

hakespeare wondered what’s in a name, and Elton John Strawderman could likely give him an answer or two.

Yes, his mother did name him after the British superstar, on a dare from a friend, he says, adding it’s often a good conversation starter. However, rather than outsized glasses and platform shoes, the real measure of the man comes from the name of his business.

The founder and owner of Epoxy Artisan in Bradenton, Florida, Strawderman says his goal in life is to be the best craftsman possible with his chosen medium: epoxy on concrete.

headshot of elton john strawderman
Project Profile
A Small Detail
Project included installing decorative concrete for the pint-sized
Dallas KidZania, Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas
by K. Schipper
M

ANY people get into the construction trades because of the ongoing challenge of building something new. Imagine the thrill of helping to build a whole new city — in 14 weeks.

That’s exactly what production manager Jeff Parker, superintendent Juan Garza and a team ranging from eight to 15 artisans with the decorative concrete division of Dallas-based Concrete Preservation have been doing this fall. As for the quick turnaround, well, the “city” is only about 80,000 square feet and sized specifically for children 14 and younger.

When Dallas KidZania opened in the Texas suburb of Frisco in November, it was the first U.S. franchise of this Mexican-based corporation that’s dedicated to helping children learn by doing. Set up as a community in miniature, it offers kids the opportunity to role play and earn “money,” called kidZos, while trying out 100 different careers.

Radical artisan decides metallics are the only way to roll
by Jon Kopp
W

HEN I founded my company, Quality Epoxy, 20+ years ago, I only offered solid colors. Over the ensuing years as my competition began to heat up, I also started offering a five-layer chip system with 5/8-inch chips. I went with the 5/8-inch chips because the standard industry chip size is 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch and I wanted to offer a better-looking floor than my competition.

Over the course of many years, my chip system floors earned me local recognition. But in time, I began to get burned out on chip floors and solid colors. I was never pleased how solid colors were such a thin coat system. There were always problems with inconsistent pigment.

By 2010, I contemplated selling my company. During this burn-out stage, I was surfing the internet and stumbled upon an amazing flooring system called “metallics.” In 2011, I shelved the idea of selling my company and turned my attention to learning all I could about metallics so I could offer them to customers in the Phoenix market.

recycle reuse repurpose title
light green transparent recycle symbol
recycle reuse repurpose title
Seen here is a landfill where waste glass cullets are disposed.
Photos courtesy of Kaveh Afshinnia
Waste glass in concrete has advantages and disadvantages
By Dr. Kaveh Afshinnia, P.E., LEED GA
A

ccording to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report, the total amount of waste material has increased from 88 million tons in 1960 to 262 million tons in 2015. In 2015, 26% of the waste materials was recycled, 9% was composted, 13% was combusted with energy recovery and 52% was disposed of in landfills.

Among all the waste materials that have been recycled, batteries and steel are the most recyclable. Although glass is a material that can be recycled, just 34% of waste glass has been recycled. The main reason why collected mix-color waste glass isn’t recycled is due to its chemical composition.

Typically, glass containers consist of sand, soda ash, limestone and cullet. Sand is glass’s main component and is its source of silica. Soda ash is added to the mixture to decrease the melting temperature. The chemical compositions of different glass colors are slightly different which affect their melting temperature. Therefore, glass containers can’t be properly recycled unless they’re sorted based on their color.

Polished Concrete
A defined method whose time has come
Photos courtesy of Yezco
The before and after of concrete
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Faller
The before and after of this slab of concrete is a great example of why more companies are choosing to go with a polished finish.
by Jennifer Faller
A

s polished concrete becomes more mainstream for floors, it continues to gain momentum across the board. In fact, industry statistics show that polished concrete is now 15-20% of the total flooring installed each year.

For decades, most architects, general contractors and facility owners tended to lump floor covering/flooring and polished concrete into the same category — usually division 9 (finishes) because they didn’t commonly consider the differences. Due to the flooring industry’s significant efforts to educate (and provide proper specifications to) architects, contractors and owners, these client groups now (mostly!) categorize polished concrete and concrete flooring under division 3 (concrete), right where they belong.

Defining the categories

“Floor covering” and “flooring” are terms that generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. It’s common for these terms to be used interchangeably.

by Jennifer Faller
A

s polished concrete becomes more mainstream for floors, it continues to gain momentum across the board. In fact, industry statistics show that polished concrete is now 15-20% of the total flooring installed each year.

For decades, most architects, general contractors and facility owners tended to lump floor covering/flooring and polished concrete into the same category — usually division 9 (finishes) because they didn’t commonly consider the differences. Due to the flooring industry’s significant efforts to educate (and provide proper specifications to) architects, contractors and owners, these client groups now (mostly!) categorize polished concrete and concrete flooring under division 3 (concrete), right where they belong.

Defining the categories

“Floor covering” and “flooring” are terms that generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. It’s common for these terms to be used interchangeably.

The before and after of concrete
Photos courtesy of Yezco
You can easily charge from $1.50 to $3 a square foot to seal interior concrete.
Final Pour
Bringing Something to the Table
by Stacey Enesey Klemenc
T

here’s a massive table in Asheville, North Carolina, crafted from precast GFRC and an 18-foot-long red oak log. Tipping the scales at 12,000 pounds, the elusive log alone took the men behind the table more than a year to find. And once they did it was “a bit of a dance” to make the table whole.

When the log was delivered, the furniture makers fashioned a base from it to support a 20½-foot-long precast concrete tabletop that tapers in width from 5 feet to 4. Figuring a log that size will take 10 years to dry out completely and will likely shrink in the process by as much as 10%, they built the tabletop with recessed spaces so it would sit on the base like a cap. The bolts that support the top can be adjusted to the desired height to compensate for the ensuing shrinkage. Problem solved.

Concrete Decor logo
Thanks for reading our November/December 2019 Preview Issue!