The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
When Shawn Halverson first tried his hand at concrete installation, he didn’t intend to make it his livelihood. He got into structural concrete in high school after meeting a contractor who was working on a house for Halverson’s parents, and at the time, he viewed the job as a temporary gig.
For an upscale hotel like the W in Miami Beach, elegance is anything but optional. This effect, using incredibly simple ingredients, provides a deliciously luxe look for the lobby.
Our regular feature offers two step-by-step description of a unique floor that was created with good old terrazzo.
Decorative concrete is a highly specialized form of construction. The product itself is unique, the tools, materials and construction methodologies employed are specialized, and the people who produce construction art are creative, dedicated artisans.
Using epoxy instead of cement opens up all kinds of new possibilities for terrazzo floors.
Terrazzo is one of the most beautiful and long-lasting floor technologies in the world. It is often found where there is high traffic (airports, malls, retail) or frequent cleaning required (hospitals, restaurants)
On the heels of the concrete countertop trend, terrazzo is making its way into the kitchen. Steve Jarred, a field representative for Mason Supply Co. in Eugene, Ore., says one of the most popular applications for terrazzo in the Pacific Northwest right now is for countertops.
Photo courtesy of TerrazzoCo
In indoor applications, terrazzo has a ground and polished surface that lends itself to creative design. The use of divider strips allows the material to be mixed in different colors and applied in a process similar to paint-by-number, so you can incorporate designs, logos, borders and just about anything.
Deco Pour is an innovative self-leveling terrazzo and decorative overlayment process. This enhanced industrial overlayment is poured thin by using a patent pending integral additive called HDS 2001. Overlayments without this additive are typically softer and will not allow for proper seeding and machine honing of the surface.
Each slab of concrete is unique, polishing it can require a lot of experience and often involves the attendant mistakes. Advanced Floor Products in Provo, Utah, decided to develop a concrete-polishing technology to eliminate some of the guesswork.
