To get the look, Ralston scattered rock salt here and there on the fresh pour, along with drops of retardant. Photo courtesy of Simple Solutions/Salt Roller Inc. Tom Ralston, president of Tom Ralston Concrete, Santa Cruz, Calif., has a client who requested worn, craggy-looking concrete for his bathroom, fireplace and […]
Vol. 10 No. 7 – October 2010
A Volatile Issue: A Breakdown of VOCs
There’s no way around the fact that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are nasty stuff. They smell bad, they are highly flammable, they damage the atmosphere, and they can be acutely toxic to human and other living beings.
Filling the Joint
Not long ago my wife and I were having dinner at a well-known chain restaurant when we noticed that hundreds of feet of saw cuts had been left unfilled. I’m guessing this had to be a health issue. If nothing else, it made the floor look unfinished, to say the least.
Countertops Over Oceanside
The Montego is a three-story condominium building in Oceanside, Calif., that offers roof access for its residents to relax or entertain. The building is a couple of blocks from Oceanside Pier, so the rooftop overlooks the beach. Sounds idyllic, right?
Lead Bricks and Black Holes: Weight and Scale
We ate. We drank. We told the truth and lied, and then admitted that we had lied. We laughed. We talked business. We talked wives. We talked ex-wives. We cried, but just a little.
Nebraska’s own Todd Rose Decorative Concrete Inc.
Only a couple of years old, this upstart is already attracting attention to its colorful work in the Cornhusker State.
Proper Preparation Helps Concrete Overlays Stay Strong
The decorative overlay industry has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, and so has the number of failures and problems related to overlay installations.
Recipes: Stamping & Texturing Concrete
Three unique looks achieved by seasoned veterans with stamping and texturing tools – an authentic travertine tile look, a cobblestone finish and a patio with hand-tooled brick.
High-Performance Mix Design — Understanding GFRC Mixes
GFRC is a combination of fine aggregate, cement, water, polymer, chemical admixtures and glass fiber. The key to GFRC is the glass-fiber reinforcement. The fibers take the place of steel in a wet-cast mix. They allow GFRC to develop much higher flexural strengths than typical wet-cast concrete, allowing you to cast thinner, lighter sections and pieces.
Choosing the Right Roller Sleeve or Roller Cover
A roller sleeve or cover is commonly thought of as something found in a painter’s toolbox rather than a concrete contractor’s. However, rolling sealants and colors onto (and into) concrete has become an increasingly popular option in decorative concrete applications.