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Outdoor Spaces

Walkway that is stamped and stained to and feels like a jungle with the perfectly chosen landscaping.
For a guy who started from the bottom up, Jesse Escalera has managed to make a name for himself over the years through his backyard masterpieces.
Artisan Jesse Escalera Creates Concrete Masterpieces
An infinity pond and a concrete bench in a beautiful mountainous setting.
This Hacienda Resort includes an outdoor kitchen, water slide, fire pit, concrete swimming pool with Baja shelf, two in-pool tables, and a shaded pavilion.
The Hacienda Resort Adds a Concrete Pool
Lavacrete table that is glowing with the help of fiber optics
An “outrageous” beach house on the French side of the Caribbean island St. Martin needed an anything-but-usual outdoor table.
Concrete Tables Include Fiber Optics That Flow And Glow
Outdoor space that is lit up for the night with torches and lights that reflect off of the waterfall and the pool below.
When Tom Ralston Concrete took on the job of building Todd Turowski a lap pool in the backyard of his hillside house, they did so with eyes wide open.
Award-Winning Engineered Backyard
An outdoor kitchen with a concrete countertop and a large grill and a place to store logs for the firepit.
Outdoor kitchens are a popular request no matter where you live. Typically the contractor constructs them in a warm climate, but that's not the case here.
Beyond the Kit: Outdoor Kitchens in Cold Climates
Artisan Jesse Escalera Creates Concrete Masterpieces
The Hacienda Resort Adds a Concrete Pool
Concrete Tables Include Fiber Optics That Flow And Glow
Award-Winning Engineered Backyard
Beyond the Kit: Outdoor Kitchens in Cold Climates
Stenciling Concrete Color Hardeners
Acid Stain Pools Fiber Optics
Water-based Sealers
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Construction Firm Creates a Tranquil Backyard with Full Outdoor Kitchen

In Los Angeles, and in particular the Beverly Hills area of the city, there are many OMG backyards.In Los Angeles, and in particular the Beverly Hills area of the city, there are many OMG backyards. This one, though, created by Scott Cohen’s company, Green Scene Landscaping & Swimming Pools, was over-the-top enough to have been featured last summer on the television show “OMG Backyards.”

ASCC Council Honors Winners of 2017 Decorative Concrete Awards

swirly floor with with rock formation pathThe Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, recognized the winners of its ninth annual Decorative Concrete Awards competition Jan. 17 at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

Concrete Mural at the Top of the Mountain

This public art piece was installed by Los Angeles artisan Steve O'Loughlin and Surface Gel Tek president Tamryn Doolan at the top of Double Peak, a popular hiking area in San Marcos, Calif.Decorative concrete is everywhere these days, even at the tops of mountains. This public art piece was installed by Los Angeles artisan Steve O'Loughlin and Surface Gel Tek president Tamryn Doolan at the top of Double Peak, a popular hiking area in San Marcos, Calif.

Backyard Beach Pool Design

Around the pool, Lacker experimented with a beach design that he planned to recreate at the Dolphin Mall in Miami. He applied an overlay over the area around the pool and created an ocean blue both in the pool and around it, using SuperStone integral blue color in the overlay and blue SuperStone dyes on the surface.Around the pool is a beach design GLC3 planned for the Dolphin Mall in Miami. He applied an overlay and created an ocean blue both in the pool and around it, using SuperStone integral blue color in the overlay and blue SuperStone dyes on the surface.

Alabama Concrete Artisan Discovers The Ashby System

Concrete In-Counters, Enterprise, Alabama Concrete CountertopTamara Gilgenast combines passion and a veteran’s discipline and attention to detail to create works of art in concrete. Though she only started her business about four years ago after discovering The Ashby System, she already has an extensive portfolio.

Contractors Show Their Creative Uses with Shotcrete

The final outcome of a shotcrete project in Boatswain's Beach Lagoon.While swimming pools and road construction projects have been the mainstay of many contractors in the shotcrete industry, a number of shotcrete artists are taking the concrete medium to new levels of creativity and usefulness.

Compatibility Issues Between Stained Concrete And Salt Chlorinated Swimming Pools

Does chlorine affect decorative concrete?Scott Cohen, artisan and construction defect expert witness, whose company The Green Scene makes decorative backyards and pools in Southern California, has observed problems around salt-chlorinated pools too, but he is far from certain that all salt pools are problematic.

How to Build Concrete Fire Pits Safely

Concrete fire pit displays in front of a smooth as glass swimming pool during a sunset.As a contractor with extensive experience with all types of outdoor fire features, and as an expert witness in situations where something’s gone terribly wrong, I’d like to share some of the basic guidelines I use to maximize both safety and enjoyment of buidling concrete fire pits.

New Green Space Trumps Upcoming Political Debate

The 10-acre Cleveland Public Square was expanded and modernized to incorporate vast green space and unique concrete designs.The newly overhauled project took a decade of planning and is a destination that is exceptionally walkable and livable. Designed by landscape architects at James Corner Field Operations, this sleek and modern project includes more than 2 million pounds of custom precast concrete from Tectura Designs.

A Grand Fountain Becomes Retail Space Centerpiece

a grand, European-style fountain, more than 16 feet tall with four falls.The Streets at SouthGlenn, a sprawling new shopping destination in south Denver, boasts a block-long urban park with a brick fireplace, tall "legacy trees," gardens and cafes, and a centerpiece: a grand, European-style fountain, more than 16 feet tall with four falls.

Creating the Look of Stones with Concrete on a Residential Pool Deck

Faux stones around a pool deck - Concrete Decor MagazineLast year, a homeowner in Augusta, New Jersey, went into a masons’ supply store looking for a fix for his pool deck. The pavers installed 15 years ago had settled. The deck wasn’t draining properly, and his homeowner’s insurance company had identified the paver portion of the pool deck as a hazard.

Construction of the Concrete Waterfalls at the Wynn Las Vegas

Complementing all the glitter and glam are concrete creations that make heads turn. A 144-foot-tall mountain peaks above the resort's sprawling 192 acres.Complementing all the glitter and glam are concrete creations that make heads turn. A 144-foot-tall mountain peaks above the resort’s sprawling 192 acres.

Dirty Job's Mike Rowe on a Decorative Concrete Job Site for a Day

Mike Row and Richard Smith pose for the camera after a dirty job spreading concrete color hardener.When Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs show called Richard Smith Custom Concrete about sending host Mike Rowe out to a decorative concrete job site for a day, Rick Smith rubbed his hands with glee, thinking to himself, "We're gonna get this guy filthy!"

Decorative Concrete Takes Center Stage in Westminster, Colo.

Decorative fountain in city center in Denver, ColoradoIn suburb located northwest of Denver a new park sits on 9 1/2 acres of open land across from its city hall. Built to give the community a gathering spot where children could play and families could stroll, take in art and view live performances.

Enjoy Limitless Possibilities with Concrete Waterfalls

This conceptual rendering of a residential pool with a 30-foot infinity edge waterfall was created by Lakeland Co. for a Sandpoint, Idaho, client using 3-D computer modeling software. Below: Construction of the Sandpoint, Idaho, pool project as planned in the rendering. Massive footers and rebar were required for a water feature of this size at this location.These days, homeowners who fall for waterfalls may be able to get exactly what they have in mind. Thanks to decorative concrete, options are almost limitless.

A Palm-roofed Outdoor Living Area and Concrete Kitchen in Los Cabos, Mexico

Concrete sitting area that is complete with a concrete firepit.As for Hileman’s original vision of using actual coco logs in construction, remember “termites” and realize it is nice to fool Mother Nature — and human guests — in the name of maintenance.

Working Roman Aqueduct Built in Homeowners Backyard

Relief design in the side of a roman aqueduct shows a horse and a roman soldier.This working Roman aqueduct, completed in the fall of 2005 for a home in Dove Canyon, Calif., wasn't built in a day.

Plaza Uses Decorative Concrete to Educate People About Water

Concrete MosaicLocated in the East Bay District of Olympia — Washington’s capital city — the East Bay Public Plaza celebrates a theme of water stewardship with interactive water features that re-create natural shoreline, streambed and wetland areas.

A Formed Concrete Circle Made for Wedding Ceremonies

Seeing a finished construction project put to good use is something any contractor welcomes.Seeing a finished construction project put to good use is something any contractor welcomes.

11 Proven Concrete Color Recipes

11 ways to color your concrete, step by step how-tosStep-by-step instructions and useful tips from people in the industry who have experimented enough to know what works.

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