Not any pigment can be used in concrete. The chemistry of portland cement plus exposure to sunlight and weather can cause most integral concrete colors to fade.
Understanding pigments is the foundation for successful decorative concrete.
Topics
Advanced Countertop Design Training Offered by Fu-Tung Cheng
Fu-Tung Cheng, award-winning designer and author of Concrete Countertops, is now offering five-day Advanced Countertop Design Trainings. Held in Berkeley, Calif., the trainings are limited to 12 participants and include hours of direct instruction by Cheng.
The Beauty of Troweled Overlays
Like an artist’s paintbrush on canvas, the trowel can create a wide variety of effects on overlays.
Sometimes there’s no better way to finish a cementitious topping than to get down on your hands and kneeboards and go to town with a trowel.
Vertical Concrete Overlays: Decorative and Durable
Owners of commercial and retail establishments are discovering the benefits of beautiful, easy-to-clean concrete walls.
Midwest Rake Flexible Blade Smoother
Designed to work with cementitious and viscous materials, the smoother is a steel blade with round corners, angled to maximize surface impact and attached to an aluminum handle.
Crete Master Concrete Surface Finisher
Crete Master’s smooth-as-glass countertop finish, a hand-held surface finisher that excels in finishing concrete counter tops, horizontal and vertical overlays, colored hardeners, edges on concrete slabs and many other applications that require a smooth finish.
A Primer on Pozzolans
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.
Lafarge North America Artevia Decorative Concrete
Lafarge North America is putting some color in its catalog with its new line of Artevia colored concrete.
Counter-Flo Concrete Countertop Admixture: A Water Reducer
Counter-Flo Concrete Countertop Admixture, an admixture from Fritz-Pak Corp., is intended to solve that problem. It’s a water reducer designed for use when creating concrete countertops and statuary. It helps concrete maintain an adequate flow rate with less water, allowing a contractor to lower the amount added to a mix.
Magical Decorative Concrete Castle
Step inside Bart Sacco’s gated castle and you’ll begin to discover just how magical a decorative concrete journey can become with some creative thinking, excellent product training and all the right tools.
