The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
Coatings are liquid or semi-liquid mixtures applied to cured concrete to make it more aesthetically pleasing, improve its durability, boost its longevity and/or reduce upkeep and repairs.
A very noticeable trend with decorative concrete over the last decade is that the end users and the design community have become much better educated, not only on the types of finishes and products available, but also on how they are installed and what to expect in terms of long-term performance.
The request from JMC: Museum Arts LLC to Sundek of Washington was an odd one. “Can you make floors that look like dirt?” JMC asked. Not dirty floors, mind you, dirt floors.
Resealing exterior stamped concrete, stained concrete or decorative concrete is probably the most misunderstood and least-studied process in our industry. It has the potential to be a repeat revenue stream or a headache that never really goes away.
In his 40 years of working in the masonry and general construction industry, Dominick Freda has never been involved with a project of the magnitude of the St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, a traditional Roman Catholic facility situated on 1,100 acres in Dillwyn, Virginia, not far from Charlottesville.
Consumers, often blown away with the low prices of desktop inkjet printers, forget to consider the additional cost of ink cartridges which put many of them on a first name basis with the folks at the office supply store.
My contractor placed blue painter’s tape on the concrete for a few days to mark the placement of cabinetry. The tape was removed and the concrete was sealed with two coats of 25 percent solids acrylic sealer and two coats of acrylic finish. A few days later the concrete was discolored and had evidence of where the tape had been placed. No surface damage to the concrete was evident.
The decorative industry grew up on the “one size fits all” high-gloss sealer which was the go-to coating for decades. While high gloss is still widely used, low-gloss and natural finishes in the decorative concrete industry have been gaining momentum as homeowners, architects and designers seek more ecofriendly, green and natural-looking sealing options.
I firmly believe that the lifeblood of our industry is new and innovative products that continue to move the decorative market forward. A close second, the oxygen of our industry, is word-of-mouth advertising by satisfied clients who have had their expectations met.
This issue of blotchy and inconsistent color and gloss created by a sealer is not that uncommon. There are multiple factors that can create this appearance, but the two most common are application — how the sealer was applied — and surface — what the sealer is being applied to in regard to density and porosity.
What’s new in decorative concrete? That was a popular question that came my way multiple times during the recent World of Concrete. I realize my name is out there, but I’m a long way from having a crystal ball to be able to predict what the future of our industry holds.
