A giant-sized concrete gear table inspired by Ayn Rand’s novel, “Atlas Shrugged,” greets all who venture into the lobby of 145 Palisade St. in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Located on the banks of the Hudson River, the repurposed commercial building once housed the circa 1853 Anchor Brewing Co. However, today […]
Topics
Cogs of the Machine:
Commercial Protection System Helps Deliver Pristine Polished Floors
When Hutton, a large design-build firm based in Wichita, Kansas, outgrew its headquarters, owner Ben Hutton naturally turned to his own resources. He called on Hutton’s in-house architecture and design team to draw up plans for a new facility. In addition, he knew he needed some commercial protection systems in […]
Before polishing: Contractors must remove delamination and do repairs
As we discussed in Concrete 101, concrete is a hard, durable surface made up of cement, aggregate and water. It’s the single, largest, volume-building material used worldwide. All totaled, that equates to about 10 billion tons a year. For the most part, concrete does its job, and we hardly ever […]
Opportunity Knocks:
Concrete Design Franchise Business
Opens Doors for Entrepreneurs
Rather than demolishing and replacing existing concrete floors, many decorative concrete contractors turn to overlays for solutions. However, says business developer Alexander Lorenz, there’s a better way to remedy the situation and achieve longer-lasting results. Namely, transform and restore the integrity of the concrete that already exists. The founder and […]
Concrete 101:
Know the basics of mix design
Concrete is a hard, durable substance made up of cement, aggregate and water. Together, these ingredients form concrete, the largest volume-building material used worldwide. Cement acts as the binder, the fine medium. Coarse aggregate gives concrete its compressive strength. And water initiates and promotes the reactions that allow concrete to […]
Contractor credits Concrete Decor
for showing her the way
Concrete contractor Kimberley Robles credits Concrete Decor back in the early 2000s for developing her interests in decorative concrete. Back then, she was a journeyman cement mason and the magazine was just getting its legs. “That’s how I found out about all these cool products and how people used them,” […]
Get ready for the new year
with a 2021 marketing plan
No doubt, 2020 will be a year for the history books. Still, decorative concrete contractors must muster some sense of new hope and start gearing up for 2021. Each one of us must choose how we want to plan and prepare. And a 2021 marketing plan is the right place […]
A wise choice:
Have a plan when removing adhesive
After discovering adhesive, stop for a moment to wisely plan your next steps. Figuring out if the adhesive is hard and not tacky — or somewhat soft and a bit sticky — is crucial! It is imperative to determine this before removing adhesive from concrete. As soon as you discover […]
Kennedy Center Pavilions Outshine Competition for ACI Excellence Award
Featuring architectural concrete of utmost quality, three pavilions exquisitely extend the presence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Aptly called The Reach, the inviting trio in Washington, D.C., consists of the Welcome, Skylight and River pavilions. “The buildings are strikingly white,” says Yvonne Nelson, then the formwork manager […]
Determining a Concrete Grinder’s Sweet Spot
How much overlap is needed when grinding, honing and polishing? And how do we find a concrete grinder’s sweet spot? These questions refer to the process of making consecutive passes when processing a bonded abrasive polished concrete (BAPC) floor. Truth be told, all concrete will show and tell us the […]