The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
True or false? When using a black pigment to integrally color concrete, black is black and that’s that. Answer: Absolutely false. Black is widely used in the concrete industry. It can be mixed to darken other pigments, and it can be used alone to make light grays, dark grays or […]
Masks, gloves and goggles protect your body from the damaging effects of concrete dust and chemicals used in beautifying concrete.
Don’t let moisture problems put a wet blanket on your concrete work. Here are some solutions.
If you want to impress gullible friends with the glamour and excitement of concrete contracting, tell them you work on a hands-on basis with “release agents.” Only you will know the truth. Release agents are NOT highly trained government operatives who negotiate the exchange of political prisoners. They’re just powders […]
From Cairo to Seoul, this contractor has taught the basics of concrete around the world. Michael Archambault was more than a casual contender. Back in the ’70s, before he was 25 years old, the sassy lad who grew up in San Diego had Houston by its concrete tail. He not only owned a Patterned Concrete Industries franchise but eventually bought out the mother company and served as president.
Products and training from Colormaker will help you turn an ordinary floor into an artistic creation.
Smart Chairs were designed by contractors for contractors. Constructed with recycled high-strength polypropylene plastic, the chairs are designed to support steel, eliminate wire ties and stop steel displacement.
Ardex high-tech flooring solution, LT-65 Lite-Tech, is engineered with the strength of portland cement yet weighs only 65 pounds per cubic foot — less than half the weight of normal concrete. Ardex designed this product for deep-fill, lightweight concrete applications where design constraints limit the amount of dead load that […]
Concrete is porous and it needs to breathe to let moisture escape. When applied at the manufacturer’s recommended rate, most concrete sealers will remain breathable. However, a blushing problem can occur when sealers are over-applied or reapplied too often. Blushing is a white film that forms when moisture is trapped between the concrete and the sealer.
Micro-Finish, from Elite Crete Systems, is a pre-mixed, “just add water” overlay system designed for creating an extremely smooth finish. It is sold as white, but can be custom colored with Portion Control Colorants to achieve over 30 base colors. It can also be stained with Chem-Stone Reactive Stain or […]
