The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
The type of equipment you use should reflect careful consideration of the surface you’re working on and the region you live in.
Colored concrete is beautiful, but laying it down can be an ugly business. So many things can go wrong — the weather turns, supplies run out unexpectedly, batches of cement vary in shade. Getting decent results often means spending hours or days compensating for circumstance.
When it comes to edging that pleases the eye, decorative concrete curbs have no competition.
Railroad ties rot, bender board breaks and brick mortar crumbles. But decorative curbing is permanent.
Concrete Sealers can be removed with mechanical means such as sandblasting or grinding. But for many contractors, it’s a last resort.
This is probably not your favorite way to spend a day, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil.
Integral color and color hardener are still the most common ways to tint concrete. But these days, the buzz is all about acid stain. Because the stain is the result of many individual chemical reactions, the tint is uneven — gloriously so. It can contain marbling, mottling and all kinds of variations in the base hue.
Versatility is the name of the game with Versatile Building Products’ floor and decking products.
If you want to impress gullible friends with the glamour and excitement of concrete contracting, tell them you work on a hands-on basis with “release agents.” Only you will know the truth. Release agents are NOT highly trained government operatives who negotiate the exchange of political prisoners. They’re just powders […]
A shot blaster is the tool of choice for concrete contractors when prepping a surface. Shot blasting gives the surface a rough profile so coatings and sealers will bond snugly with a floor.
The Miracote story began in the 1930s, when Jack Crossfield developed a way to create coatings that combine natural latex with hydrating cement. Charles Watt and Howard Patch acquired the rights to Crossfield’s patent and, in 1938, established Crossfield Products Corp.
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.
