Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008

Vol. 8 No. 2 – March/April 2008

Washington Restaurant Gets Decorative Concrete Overhaul

A job that began with a mere 80 square feet of overlay snowballed into a decorative concrete transformation — complete with faux hollow tree — for this restaurant and bar.

Water-based Stains for Concrete: Will They Last?

Staining & Coloring Concrete Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Amy Johnson Comments are Disabled

Water-based stains hold tantalizing promise for the field of architectural concrete, but do they deliver the wearability, durability and ease of application that would help make concrete colored with water-based stains more appealing to customers?

The Science of Concrete Mixes

Building with Concrete Concrete Placing Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Christina Camara Comments are Disabled

Using a little bit of research, a dash of cunning and a lot of experimentation, developing your own mix designs can save you from many decorative concrete pitfalls.

Prepping For The Future of Polished Concrete

Concrete Polishing Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by John Abrahamson Comments are Disabled

The best way to predict the future is to learn from history. However, the polished concrete industry is a very young industry. One cannot look to the history of polished concrete to make predictions about its future. One has to look instead at the histories of the established flooring industries and other related industries.

enVisions Casting Mat from PreiTech Corp.

Tools & Equipment Concrete Countertops Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Concrete Decor Staff Comments are Disabled

It’s hard to describe enVisions using words alone. The plastic casting mat, which is laid into a countertop form before the concrete is poured, creates a genuinely unique, shimmering visual effect on a concrete surface.

Dying for Decorative Concrete

Business & Technology Safety Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Doug Carlton Comments are Disabled

There is not a comforting way to say the word “cancer.” Even in this day of strong chances of recovery and survival, it is a word that gets our attention every time. Although the products we use turn normal concrete into extraordinary works of art, some of those products are carcinogenic. Are you taking the proper measures to be safe?

When Weather Gets Into the Mix of Decorative Concrete

Concrete Repair & Restoration Building with Concrete Concrete Placing Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Mike Dawson Comments are Disabled

While Phoenix bartenders made their last pours of the night, Peter Boccaccio of Peter Boccaccio Decorative Concrete Design was getting ready to make his first of the day. A 2 a.m. start is the first step to beating the heat on an acid-stain job in the desert.

Concrete Contractor Fixes a Botched Stencil, Stain and Sealer Job

Staining & Coloring Concrete Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by David Searls Comments are Disabled

When you’ve just created art on 256 square feet of concrete entryway, you do not want to have it described as a "horse with a rash" two days before the opening of your client’s new retail establishment. But that’s what Tony Victor and partner Ben Washburn were up against in October 2007.

Generations of Concrete Expertise Leads to Success for this Artisan

Featured Contractor Concrete Furniture Concrete Countertops Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Erin Ansley Comments are Disabled

With a history in decorative concrete stretching back to the 1930s, J&M Lifestyles brings generations of experience and expertise to all of its projects.

How to Keep Your Business Up in a Down Market

Business & Technology Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008 by Erin Ansley Comments are Disabled

Analysts have been dissecting the residential and commercial construction industry for months, and though some predict a rebound soon, no clear end to the rollercoaster ride is in sight. But as many in the decorative concrete sector have discovered, a change in the market doesn’t necessarily mean a dramatic decline in business.