The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
Instead of pouring concrete, concrete installers place concrete where they want it to go. And there are right ways and wrong ways to do this.
I have identified six steps that all successful hunks of stamped concrete have in common. Bypassing one of the six steps will leave a stamping professional a rung short of a true level of potential. Perfection starts well before any color broadcasts across a wet concrete’s surface, and even well before a ready-mix truck arrives.
Contractors, subcontractors and suppliers can sometimes be put in adversarial roles. Because of the low-bid mentality that still dominates most construction sectors in the United States, trust is not always what it should be.
Seeing a finished construction project put to good use is something any contractor welcomes.
Watch out for water, especially in climates where you get cold winters. Water is by far the biggest challenge you will face as a decorative concrete professional. Words like “spalling,” “flaking,” “pitting” or “chipping” are not what people making a living in concrete want to hear. and rarely do these words mean a satisfied customer a profitable month.
In wintry areas of North America, heated walkways and driveways that melt snow have been a prized feature of upscale homes and businesses for decades.
Winter and freeze-thaw have a way of exposing defects in concrete we normally would not see in warmer regions.
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.
Corporal Byron Dickson visited Bart Sacco’s workplace at Kingdom Products in Throop, Pennsylvania, a week before he was killed in an ambush shooting by Eric Frein, asking Sacco for a few tips on what would be involved with replacing the sidewalks in front of his home.
Some of the concrete design trends in Colorado differ from those in other parts of the country. In Colorado, we see a strong push for higher quality in even the most standard concrete. Even though we specialize in decorative concrete, some of our larger contracts this year include a good portion of standard uncolored broom-finished concrete.
Stenciling gives a more detailed and realistic finish to fresh concrete than stamping. And there are other advantages to stenciling, as well.
Experts share some “whys” and “hows” for using stencils on fresh concrete.
