Surface prep is not the most creative part of a decorative concrete project, but it’s also rarely the same old grind.
Topics
Superior Concrete Stenciling Techniques
From rugs to logos: Several examples of one of decorative concrete’s most proven, versatile treatments.
Concrete Staining Recipe: Wildflower Drops
The techniques featured in this beloved annual feature may give you the look you’re after for finishing that one job. Or, they may provide the spark you need to come up with something new.
Adjusting Your Business and Mindset to the New Normal
Adjusting the way you do business from this day forward is as important as accepting the fact that the "new normal" is very real. It has nothing to do with giving up. I have been lucky enough to be a decorative contractor for many years, and the new normal as I see it is as follows.
Recipe: Trash Aesthetic Acid Stain
Acid staining is unpredictable by nature, but after years of experience, several of the country’s most gifted artisans have developed techniques that incorporate the stains into tried-and-true effects.
Decorative Concrete Tips:
Cleaning a Pump Sprayer
Sprayers can be a real pain in the neck when they don’t work right, so I’d like to share a procedure that has worked well for us through the years. This was developed after throwing away a mountain of spent sprayer cans!
Manufacturer Profile: QC Construction Products, Madera, California
Started in 1992 in Madera, Calif., QC Construction began life as a regional supplier of decorative concrete raw materials — colors, hardeners, release powders — to contractors in central and southern California. The company blossomed in the mid-’90s when contractors and homeowners alike discovered that there was more to concrete than mere shades of gray.
Going Vertical with Reactive Concrete Stains
Discover why vertical staining is catching on despite some application challenges.
Concrete to Dye For
Concrete dyes are tailor-made for color adjustment on staining jobs, and on their own, they offer an endless array of colors. So release your inner artist and give ’em a try!
Decorative Concrete: Why We Do It
Sometimes a decorative concrete application is way more than just a job.
