Just a few short years ago, saying that concrete was a green building material was sufficient. It was taken for granted that concrete, being locally produced, durable and nontoxic, was a sound, sustainable choice.
Topics
How Stains and Dyes Color Your Concrete
Do you really understand how the products you use on your decorative projects work? One of my “Seven Steps to Success Before You Start a Project” states that you should “understand the products and process.” Using the product is not enough. You have to really know what it is, what it’s made of, how it works, and how to properly use it.
Disorganization Is Hurting Your Contracting Business
When you put in years perfecting your decorative concrete craft , you start to consider yourself an expert in your field. Past customers appreciate your skill, courtesy and professionalism, and they refer friends and relatives to your services. But recently you have noticed something is changing, and this change makes you uneasy.
Using Brass and Glass to Create Concrete Poetry
As concretists, each of us defines ourselves as “one who practices concrete poetry.” As we craft this material, we are crafting a poem. At the most basic level, that poem can be a haiku — deceptively simple.
Choosing and Placing Your Tape Carefully
When it comes to the application of decorative concrete finishes, it is the smallest (tackiest) details that will make or break your project.
We always have on hand different kinds of tape: three sizes of blue (painter’s) tapes, black tape, and when all else fails, duct tape.
Oregon Store Sports Glossy Golden O Thanks to Decorative Overlay
Nailing the gold in the O that is the official logo of University of Oregon sports couldn’t have been easy. But here it is, on a dyed and polished cement overlay floor at The Duck Store in the Clackamas Town Center shopping mall, near Portland, Ore.
Replicate this Concrete Floor using a Versatile Staining Technique
A versatile staining technique that creates a rich mottled finish that can be used on either newly poured, ultra-lightweight concrete or preexisting standard-weight slabs — or on a project that includes both.
A Place to Learn about Evolving Green Ideas and Practices
I’ve talked to experts on everything from LEED terminology and concrete polishing to sustainable coatings and organic materials. In this process, I’ve noticed that just when you think you know what green means, something changes.
How to Reinforce Your Concrete Countertop
Proper reinforcing and good mix design go hand in hand to prevent problems with concrete countertops. The materials you use for reinforcing are just as important as those you select for your mix. To understand which materials are best for reinforcing your concrete countertop, you first need to understand how reinforcing works.
TV Show Features Concrete that Looks Like Wood
You can’t hate your bathroom when it features a flawless faux wood technique created and marketed by JM Lifestyles (Randolph, N.J.).
