Concrete Coatings

From department stores to convenience stores, decorative concrete is turning up in retail spaces across the country.

Our regular feature offers two step-by-step description of a unique floor that was created with good old terrazzo.

A very noticeable trend with decorative concrete over the last decade is that the end users and the design community have become much better educated, not only on the types of finishes and products available, but also on how they are installed and what to expect in terms of long-term performance.

There’s often a right way and a wrong way to go about choosing and installing a coating for a job. Jeremy St. Clair, technical director of Orange, California-based Kretus Group, made certain to go the extra mile for a project his company recently supplied in San Diego.

Coatings that cure when exposed to ultraviolet light pose unique challenges for artisans and contractors, but the performance and cure speed of these materials may make them worth it.

Concrete Decor asked artisans around the country about their experiences installing projects during cold weather. They faced freezing temperatures, snowy weather, and even challenges indoors during cold spells. Each artisan found his own solution for handling work during the winter months.

An engineer for a manufacturer of machines that use ultraviolet light to cure coatings explains equipment options for contractors.

Inspired by the pro bono work done on the Bannister House last year during the Concrete Decor Show in San Diego, Jodi Cain of Quest Building Products began looking for ways she and her fellow employees could use their skills and services to give back to their community in Southern California.

When it comes to the application of decorative concrete finishes, it is the smallest (tackiest) details that will make or break your project.

We always have on hand different kinds of tape: three sizes of blue (painter’s) tapes, black tape, and when all else fails, duct tape.

This incredibly simple staining application lends a distinct reflective sparkle to any floor.

Concrete artisans and contractors are always searching for the ideal coating, but end-users and equipment manufacturers are behind the latest push for one specific coating formulation — UV-cure.

Every manufacturer hopes they will develop a product that is truly versatile. Citadel Polyurea Coatings may have come close to that goal with their new Polyurea-1 HD coating.

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.

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.

From presale to reseal, educating customers in how to maintain their decorative concrete is a lengthy process.

A good set of tools goes a long way. When it comes to applying urethanes, epoxies and other concrete coatings, it’s a necessity. In a world where you have to constantly monitor moisture issues, pH, efflorescence, and constantly changing weather conditions, the last thing you need to worry about is an underperforming tool.

High-performance or high-build coatings offer a higher level of performance than thin-build sealers. A brilliant insight, I know. But in reality, the statement often sums up most of what many people know about high-performance coatings compared to thin-build sealers.

Many contractors are used to hearing this line from their clients: “I want a floor that’s slip-resistant, but I also want it to be easy to clean.”

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.

For decorative concrete artisans, an exciting new direction for polyaspartic coatings is countertops and sinks. One contractor, Dave Paterson of Desert Canyon Epoxy Floor Coatings, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has elevated the technique he uses for commercial floors to counter level.

Penicillin, popsicles and the pacemaker are all great inventions that were created by accident. Now it’s time to add another one to that list: Glo-Kote from Super-Krete International Inc.

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.