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.
This sweeping outdoor staircase and wraparound deck at Azure Standard, in Dufur, Ore., is more than just an update to an old warehouse on a rural Northwest farm. It’s the latest chapter in the story of a business that has spanned four generations and was built on a strong foundation of organic farming, sustainability and close-knit family ties.
When preparing a brand new concrete surface to be acid-stained, don’t take anything for granted. Every step of the new concrete pour contains elements that might affect the quality of your acid stain job.
Pool coping can be made of many different types of material, including cast-in-place concrete, brick, flagstone, precast concrete, travertine, aluminum or tile. The pool coping separates the pool structure from the pool deck, which means the deck can shift without adversely affecting the pool.
The hardscape around the Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center at 535 Barnhill Drive is a beautiful addition to the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus.
Mix designs are always a little tricky. As most Concrete Decor readers are not architects or engineers, there is a lot of risk associated with modifying a designed and engineered concrete mix.
Beautiful, durable and nonslip… what more could you want from a concrete surface that dazzles its beholders?
When weary travelers pull or carry their bags across the plaza and into one of the lobbies of the Consolidated Rental Car Center at Lindbergh Field at the airport in San Diego, they probably won’t give much thought to the decorative concrete and terrazzo beneath their feet.
Jason Geiser, owner of Deco-Crete Supply in Orrville, Ohio, thought a broad, sloping hill at his three children’s new school needed something to transform it from a virtually unusable space to an inviting outdoor classroom. He and the school officials came up with a project that revolved around Geiser building an amphitheater.
Portland cement consists primarily of calcium silicates. When mixed with water, a chemical reaction known as hydration creates calcium silicate hydrate (CSH). Needle-like crystals of CSH interlock to hold concrete together, almost like a glue.
There were even unbelievable benefits from a concrete contractor’s standpoint. As Singapore is near the equator, temperatures are very stable and don’t typically swing much or swing quickly. It’s also quite humid. What this meant, from a concreter’s standpoint, was great latitude as to contraction joints.
