The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
It’s a colossal stone fireplace measuring 21 feet at the hearth, with an 18-foot mantel. You can’t miss it. Each massive riverbed boulder has been hefted in place and mortared securely. It’s Old World stone-masonry at its finest, except…it’s not. The dramatic fireplace display in a Michigan builder’s residence is […]
Summer Classics, a high-end local furniture retailer, hired Brandon Meeks and Birmingham Decorative Concrete to install stained concrete and polished overlay flooring in its 10,000 square feet of corporate office space. Brandon Meeks, president and founder of both Birmingham Concrete and Birmingham Decorative Concrete, chats by phone from a newly constructed […]
Chemical surfactants such as Prosoco’s Consolideck First Cut and KickStart Clarity Enhancer from Curecrete Distribution’s Retroplate System can boost productivity and improve results in the early grind stages of concrete polishing projects. David Stratton, president of Pacific Decorative Concrete in Sacramento, says there are two main reasons contractors use such […]
Have you seen interior concrete floors in such bad shape that your first thought was to rip them out and start over? It can be your immediate reaction, but there’s an easier approach. Self-leveling toppings or self-leveling overlays can be poured over concrete surfaces you didn’t think were salvageable, saving time and money.
Moisture problems in concrete slabs old and new can play havoc with decorative concrete projects and other flooring strata in several ways, including bubbling, blistering and blushing of color. It’s commonly an interior problem because breathable products that reduce the threat are more commonly used in exterior applications.
When working with stamped concrete overlays, experts caution you to keep your eye on weather and temperature conditions
Who doesn’t like the look of stamped concrete? It can add a touch of elegance to everything from commercial and retail projects to public spaces and residences. But what if traditionally stamped concrete isn’t an option? What if the customer already has a concrete surface and a rip out isn’t […]
To decorative concrete contractors, surface retarders are valuable tools for both pragmatic and aesthetic reasons. They’re easy to work with, relatively inexpensive — especially considering the costly alternatives of sandblasting or acid washing — and can be used to create endless textures and designs.
A Tuscaloosa, Ala., company landed the contract to polish some 12,000 square feet of concrete poured as part of a major renovation to the US Space & Rocket Center, which serves as home to the internationally known Space Camp for bright and cosmically focused kids.
East Coast met West Coast and “old school” joined up with state-of-the-art hardscape concrete work at an award-winning residential project in Andover, Mass. The three-level backyard spread, including patio, pool, fire pit and surrounding walls, earned project owner New England Hardscapes, of Acton, Mass., an ASCC design award.
