When asked if concrete contractors should add safety surfacing to their roster of services, George Coon’s answer was a question that was succinct and to the point: “Do they want to make money?”
Vol. 14 No. 3 – April 2014
The Ultimate Backyard Hacienda Resort Adds a Concrete Pool
Looking at it today, it’s hard to imagine that the focal point of the Weiner family’s backyard used to be a $300 aboveground swimming pool from Walmart. Now, the award-winning residential resort is more in line with the likes of Neiman Marcus with its outdoor kitchen, water slide, conversation area with fire pit, and concrete swimming pool and spa with a Baja shelf, two in-pool tables and a shaded pavilion.
A Colorful Transformation of a Transit Stop Using LithoMosaic Designs
“The imagery was kind of inspired by the playfulness of the site,” Lucking says. “It’s like psychedelic cactuses, which is what Fourth Avenue is like.” They decided Lucking would execute the design in a mosaic on the pavement, and Goldlust would render it as cutouts in the station’s steel benches and partitions.
How Can You Minimize Sealer Slipperiness on Concrete?
Using grit additives has become the most common method for reducing slipperiness when sealing decorative concrete flatwork on exterior walking surfaces. The grit additives are mixed into the sealer, then the gritty sealer is applied to the concrete. However, in this situation the weather was too cold to reseal the concrete. So another method needs to be used until springtime arrives and temperatures rise.
A Guide to Removing Built-Up Residue from Polishing Concrete
Surface preparation is the crucial beginning stage of any concrete polishing process. It is especially important in old office buildings, warehouses or department stores where tile or carpeting once covered the flooring, leaving behind residue that must be removed before applying an overlay or polishing. Photo courtesy of Stoops Freightliner
The Playful Vibe of Crafted Tide Concrete Pool Stones
Decorative concrete wizard Tom Ralston is a familiar name to Concrete Decor readers for his elaborate, multifaceted homes and backyards. But there’s another side to Ralston’s work: the wildly creative stuff that’s almost pure fun.
Series of Turnpike Stops Get Decked Out with Decorative Concrete
If Florida’s Turnpike were a rail line, the Fort Drum service plaza in the south central part of the state would be the equivalent of New York’s Grand Central Station, with glitzy interior treatments that include terrazzo floors and decorative exterior treatments and landscaping that evoke Florida’s unique natural environs.
Concrete Polishing Tips: Slow Grind Speeds, Cool Tools and Sweeping Compound Pitfalls
This is very similar to the story told in the old children’s tale, “The Tortoise and the Hare.” If you remember, the slow-footed tortoise won a race against the faster hare by keeping a slow, steady pace while his faster counterpart sprinted, tired and lost concentration.
Should You Overlay or Replace That Cracked Concrete Surface?
First Federal Savings Bank, Sheridan, Wyo., asked Doug Carlton if there was an overlay that could improve their cracked, uneven parking lot. He told them no. The crack pattern shows a problem beyond random cracking. He guessed that the concrete is too thin or not properly reinforced, or that the subgrade had failed.
How Polymer Additives Became a Part of GFRC
Glass-fiber reinforced concrete became a commercially viable material in the early 1970s. But it would take another decade or two before it became an economically attractive and faster alternative to the heavy and expensive materials traditionally used in commercial buildings.
