Concrete Coatings

This wild floor design should tame the outdated notion that epoxies are only for airplane hangers and garage floors.

It’s a crucial question regarding coatings for horizontal concrete installations and restorations — whether the coating is serving a protective-only mission or protective-decorative function.

The Kimbell Art Museum houses one of the country’s most well-known collections of art. The original building, designed in 1966 by Louis I. Kahn, opened in 1972. In 2010, ground was broken on an expansion, this time utilizing the design of Italian architect Renzo Piano.

When Vanilla Ice calls, flooring contractors answer. In 2009, Rob Van Winkle, the rapper best known for the hit “Ice Ice Baby,” started hosting a television show called “The Vanilla Ice Project,” featuring home improvements.

It wasn’t long after Shawn MacDonald heard about a promising new concrete floor restoration system that he encountered a project that figured to be a good candidate for putting the system to the test.

Reminiscent of nothing so much as the surface of Jupiter, this rich swirling effect is guaranteed to take any floor up a notch.

There are three things in this world that have room for improvement: cell phones, microwave popcorn and, you guessed it, concrete sealers. There have been more prayers and cuss words offered up regarding sealers than over any other decorative concrete issue.

Whether you're working on a decorative wall in a backyard or the exterior walls of a 15-story building, consider stencils for vertical surfaces.

Experts have a lot to say about polyaspartics. We gathered some of our favorites from contractors and manufacturers.

Today's trend has less to do with any certain product and more to do with a weak economy and saving money. Just like people are finding ways to make their cars go another year to save money, so too are they are looking for ways to make their existing concrete work another year.

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When fire stations are upgraded, contractors must complete improvements while minimally disrupting operations and firefighters’ access to equipment. Oftentimes, the return-to-service window of products used is paramount to completing this task, especially when coating and sealing concrete apparatus bays.

In his 40 years of working in the masonry and general construction industry, Dominick Freda has never been involved with a project of the magnitude of the St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, a traditional Roman Catholic facility situated on 1,100 acres in Dillwyn, Virginia, not far from Charlottesville.

Contractors have relied on acrylic sealers for decades to protect concrete flooring systems, and for good reason. In the right conditions, these sealers offer optimal durability, stain resistance and a desirable “wet look” finish. However, they have their limitations too and aren’t always the ideal option for high-traffic areas and environments with extreme hazards.

From huge industrial manufacturing plants and nationwide retail stores to restaurants and residences across the country, polished concrete has become a very popular flooring option over the last decade.

I firmly believe that the lifeblood of our industry is new and innovative products that continue to move the decorative market forward. A close second, the oxygen of our industry, is word-of-mouth advertising by satisfied clients who have had their expectations met.

Nanotechnology is everywhere. It seems to be the new buzzword in the decorative concrete industry. Now, nanotechnology has become the magic ingredient in any number of sealers, coatings and stains. I This article explores exactly what nanotechnology is and what benefits it brings to the decorative industry.

Is it possible to smell sealer months after application? Someone asked me this regarding a stained and sealed floor in a Colorado residence.

Rachel Romanu, communications coordination at Mark Beamish Waterproofing, an Anaheim, Calif., specialty floor contractor, wrote us this vivid story about an amphitheater restoration job with a classy chip finish.

At a Justice, Just for Girls retail store under construction in Charlotte, N.C., Jason Burke and his small crew toss colored confetti as high in the air as the store’s high ceiling will allow. The confetti — 1/4-inch acrylic latex chips — lands in random patterns on the still-wet coated concrete floor.

From commercial kitchens, fire stations, spas and salons to basements, garages, veterinarian clinics and airport hangars, epoxy materials are being applied to concrete floor surfaces.

First and foremost, using ultraviolet curing equipment for concrete coatings requires diligent safety practices. Compare it to "a welder's flash on steroids." Sunglasses and long-sleeved shirts are not enough. UV emitted by curing equipment can be many times brighter than the sun.

There were even unbelievable benefits from a concrete contractor's standpoint. As Singapore is near the equator, temperatures are very stable and don't typically swing much or swing quickly. It's also quite humid. What this meant, from a concreter's standpoint, was great latitude as to contraction joints.