The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
The lack of communication between owners and designers at the top of the building process and the workers at the production end, as well as the training needed for a seamless transition from client’s conception to finished project can create a dysfunction in the industry that is in desperate need of fixing.
With its distinctive Rice Krispies look, pervious concrete was designed to let liquids pass through it. The material poses some clear challenges for decorative concrete contractors.
Ryan Neal of SBR Concrete was hired by a former client to create a basement floor that had to be not only easy to clean, but also unique. The end result was a floor made with hand-shaped rectangular "stones," each individually colored so that no two would look exactly the same.
Bob Harris of the Decorative Concrete Institute was asked about his experience training and working at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix as part of the Concrete Decor Show & Decorative Concrete Spring Training.
Fabricators’ approaches to sealing countertops are as varied as their creative countertop designs. Here are some observations from manufacturers and artisans about how they protect the work.
Bay Area Concretes Inc. isn’t just the company behind a laundry list of impressive decorative concrete projects around California. As the second contractor to carry Bomanite’s stamped concrete products, it claims a piece of decorative concrete history.
One of the biggest innovations in the concrete countertop grinding and polishing industry has been planetary technology – machines that have multiple grinding heads, allowing fabricators to cover a large radius of material at a time and achieve an extra-flat result.
Take a look at a few pictures from the winners of the 2010 Concrete Countertop Design Competition.
Every concrete countertop fabricator is after a smooth, clean finish on his or her work, be it a kitchen island, fireplace mantle or sink basin. Achieving a flat, shiny surface often comes down to the type of grinder that’s used, and with so many machines on the market, many fabricators can feel overwhelmed by the choices.
Three unique looks achieved by seasoned veterans with stamping and texturing tools – an authentic travertine tile look, a cobblestone finish and a patio with hand-tooled brick.
