Vol. 8 No. 2 - March/April 2008

Concrete hoods are an easy sell for customers who are already buying countertops, but this hood - Concrete Jungle’s first - was purchased by a homeowner with a kitchen in mid-renovation who had already committed to granite countertops.

When you've just created art on 256 square feet of concrete entryway, you do not want to have it described as a "horse with a rash" two days before the opening of your client's new retail establishment. But that's what Tony Victor and partner Ben Washburn were up against in October 2007.

It’s hard to describe enVisions using words alone. The plastic casting mat, which is laid into a countertop form before the concrete is poured, creates a genuinely unique, shimmering visual effect on a concrete surface.

Analysts have been dissecting the residential and commercial construction industry for months, and though some predict a rebound soon, no clear end to the rollercoaster ride is in sight. But as many in the decorative concrete sector have discovered, a change in the market doesn’t necessarily mean a dramatic decline in business.

The best way to predict the future is to learn from history. However, the polished concrete industry is a very young industry. One cannot look to the history of polished concrete to make predictions about its future. One has to look instead at the histories of the established flooring industries and other related industries.

There is not a comforting way to say the word “cancer.” Even in this day of strong chances of recovery and survival, it is a word that gets our attention every time. Although the products we use turn normal concrete into extraordinary works of art, some of those products are carcinogenic. Are you taking the proper measures to be safe?

Water-based stains hold tantalizing promise for the field of architectural concrete, but do they deliver the wearability, durability and ease of application that would help make concrete colored with water-based stains more appealing to customers?

Using a little bit of research, a dash of cunning and a lot of experimentation, developing your own mix designs can save you from many decorative concrete pitfalls.

A job that began with a mere 80 square feet of overlay snowballed into a decorative concrete transformation — complete with faux hollow tree — for this restaurant and bar.