The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
A very noticeable trend with decorative concrete over the last decade is that the end users and the design community have become much better educated, not only on the types of finishes and products available, but also on how they are installed and what to expect in terms of long-term performance.
When your country calls you to do a job, how much should you charge? That was the predicament Dick Krach, CEO of Sundek of Washington, came face to face with when his secretary fielded a call from someone at a “white house” concerning a pool deck that needed repair and some sprucing up.
Close your eyes. Think of your business. Imagine you operate in a world without competitors. Imagine you’re the only one that customers can hire to install decorative concrete. Visualize yourself winning bid after bid without anything or anyone to stand in your way. Now, open your eyes. Welcome back to reality.
The decorative concrete industry is driven by fascination. Inspiring this fascination in customers is only possible when you connect first and foremost. Unfortunately, this is the number one aspect I see missing within our talented artisans today. Just like your ability to create with color and concrete, there is an art to connecting with architects, designers and owners.
The job’s biggest challenge was figuring out a way to texture the surface without burying or breaking the fibers, Denny says. “The customer was intent on having stamped concrete, so not stamping wasn’t an option.”
The popularity of glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) has grown in the past few years as more and more people discover its versatility, strength and relative ease of manufacture. GFRC makes it possible to create stronger and lighter elements and complex 3-D pieces easily.
Look through Amedeo Cilli’s decorative concrete project photos and you’ll find stone patterns with color complexity and rugged texture that look straight out of nature. Actually, they’re the result of several decades of technique fine-tuning.
Industry experts predict that the demand for environmentally friendly, “green” building materials and methods will be the most significant driver in construction growth for the next five years and in the foreseeable future.
I went through this transition as a polishing contractor, so I thought that I would give you a few helpful tips and things to think about before you embark on this journey.
Once you have successfully cast your parts and finished them completely, you are ready to install your cast concrete range hood.
