Vol. 12 No. 1 - January 2012

While in the course of business these days, you will sometimes be asked to travel outside the United States to do decorative concrete work. The pitfalls are many, but the windfalls can be huge.

For years, the owners of Phoenix, Ariz.-based retail chain Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies hired various contractors to work on their floors, hoping to see blue water-like effects beneath their customers’ feet. Their wish was granted when they met Troy Lewis, owner of Orlando, Fla.-based Exquisite Flooring of West Orange.

The cultural practices and business models from country to country are unique in every way possible: techniques, materials, tools and construction practice regulations.

For your decorative concrete business to grow, it must be built on a foundation of innovation. If you don’t do so, you will find it increasingly difficult to create lasting value for your business and your customers.

Longtime artist and acid stain master Gaye Goodman, 66, wasn’t always a guru of colored concrete.

She spent the early part of her career creating batiks and abstract paintings. Forms found in nature often served as her inspiration. She finally landed in the decorative concrete industry and truly blossomed.

The District is a restaurant specializing in contemporary American cuisine. It is a venue that proudly supports local agriculture and sustainable, local fishing practices. It only made sense to include as one of its focal points a concrete countertop made from local natural resources to complement its overall ambiance.

Two recent decorative concrete projects on the Strip — for two very high-profile ventures, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the CityCenter Las Vegas development — illustrate why working in Las Vegas is a unique undertaking.

In the United States, decorative concrete is advanced at a level that it is not at anywhere else. When you’re overseas, be prepared to educate.

The cold truth is that our industry has seen its share of truly talented decorative concrete individuals fail, and it’s not because they weren’t good at their craft. Today’s artisans must be more than talented — they must be capable of overlaying talent with an entrepreneurial spirit. That's where training and education comes in.

Potential clients often struggle with visualizing what decorative concrete will look like at their home or business. The new Deco-Con Wizard from Depiction Software can help remove the mystery by quickly and easily showing them what selected decorative concrete patterns will look like on their property.

Happenstance led Tyson Long, president of Calgary-based Hardscapes Inc., to the new location of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame museum in Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park, where he used white and clear epoxy coatings to transform the floor of the museum’s ice-hockey exhibit room into a virtual ice rink.

The only things that can be added to create a standard countertop mix are integral color, a densifier and the know-how acquired through years of decorative experience.

Second-story decks are popular outdoor spaces in both residential and commercial buildings, In order to help combat moisture problems below these decks, Westcoat Specialty Coating Systems offers two popular and proven waterproofing coating systems: ALX and MACoat.

Decorative concrete played a role in the construction of a Native American landmark in Ignacio, Colo., that drew hundreds to its opening ceremony in May.

Have you ever gotten that early-morning or late-night call from an unhappy owner telling you that the color is lighter than they wanted … or darker … or does not match from one pour to the next? If you haven’t been on the receiving end of one of those calls, good for you! If you have, then you know what we are talking about.

In Southern California, grinding and polishing concrete that was placed 20 or 30 years ago is fairly common. However, burnishing concrete that’s more than a century old is a rare task for any contractor.

The specification is the best protection that you have, other than the contract itself, to keep from getting taken advantage of by the customer. If you know the specifications forward and backward you are in excellent shape if any conflict arises.

There are four different overlay systems used in creating decorative concrete floors: microtoppings, stampable overlays, multipurpose overlays and self-leveling overlays. All have different characters and makeups with which to achieve decorative looks.

As any decorative concrete artisan knows, staining is one of the most nuanced, finicky and unpredictable techniques in the playbook. Yes, stains offer a fantastic variety of design possibilities — just consider the difference between an acid-stained floor and a water-based stain job, for example.

There are many regions where the weather does not seem winterlike but is cold enough to affect concrete placement. This is where cold-weather placement practices become very important. Not following the rules because it does not seem that cold potentially leads to concrete that is weak and substandard.

Taking steps to incorporate a maintenance program for your customers is a great way to ensure ongoing business.

Let’s look at several ways you can promote maintenance services that help relieve headaches and save the industry from a tarnished reputation.