Vol. 11 No. 3 - April 2011

Is the solution to polished concrete maintenance educating the customer on proper procedures, or is it developing better sealers to provide the customer?

This is not intended to be comprehensive or complet list, but here are a few things to think about when you are beginning any project that involves solvents.

After an afternoon spent walking around the Rocketown campus, Jason Geiser and his team saw a great opportunity to not only enhance the area but also showcase the unlimited possibilities of concrete.

Fu-Tung Cheng announced the 2011 winners of Cheng Concrete’s annual Circle of Distinction Design Challenge at the 2011 Concrete Decor Show & Spring Training, in Nashville, Tenn.

There are clients who will say, “I’d just die for a floor like that!” But, of course, there’s no decorative concrete worth dying for. So, do as I say, and not as I did. Please, be careful out there.

When Shawn Halverson first tried his hand at concrete installation, he didn’t intend to make it his livelihood. He got into structural concrete in high school after meeting a contractor who was working on a house for Halverson’s parents, and at the time, he viewed the job as a temporary gig.

You basically have two ways to make more money in decorative concrete — you can increase sales or reduce the cost of doing business. Businesses in times like these have a tendency to become paralyzed when becoming proactive would be the best option. One good way to become proactive is to consider a team approach.

In 2005, race-car driver Dan Wheldon received the first-place title at the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (also known as the Indy 500) and, along with it, the 2005 Indy 500 Pace Car, a new Corvette convertible.

Surface preparation is a commonly used term in the decorative concrete industry. An argument can be made that it might even just be the most used term in the industry. We hear or read about it most often when dealing with overlays and stains. Grind, scarify, acid etch, etc.

A Nashville youth center gets a decorative concrete makeover as part of the 2011 Concrete Decor Show.

For the past three years, decorative concrete artisan Jeff Kudrick has been developing his own sink and countertop molds and decorative concrete tools under the brand name Infinicrete, using them regularly in high-profile projects and distributing them through manufacturing companies Cheng Concrete and SureCrete Design Products.

SurfEtch from Butterfield Color is a water-based mild surface retarder that, when used with fresh concrete, exposes the sands in the concrete for a unique decorative finish. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, it can add slip resistance and is solvent-free. Best of all, it’s easy to apply for even the beginning contractor.

The substrate that is used in a work of art has a lot of control over the finished product. Polished concrete is no different. We have seen the beautiful pictures of floors that show fantastic color, reflectivity and clarity. What we don’t see are the shots of poorly finished column block-outs or spalled control joints that were cut with dull saw blades.

Custom rock features and hardscapes built from glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) are high-end features added to landscapes at luxury homes or commercial developments.

After three years of spilled milkshakes, splattered ketchup and oversquirted mustard, the carpet in the dining area of the Fuddruckers in Modesto, Calif., had to go. Franchise owner Kevin Bidlack considered replacing it but knew the fix would be temporary. Three years later, he’d have to do it again.

This luxe look is achieved by overlaying several super-thin coats of microtopping and dye, resulting in a finish with subtle depth and a sexy sheen.

After listening to suggestions from contractors and distributors, Brickform, a division of Solomon Colors Inc., has redeveloped its popular Pro-Dye as a liquid formula.

Plenty of people have hobbies — the businessman who dabbles in winemaking, the social worker who paints with oils, the cop who gardens. But decorative concrete as a hobby?

Proline Concrete Tools receives a lot of requests for custom stamps, but rarely do the patterns end up turning into a nationwide trend.

Back in early 1990s, the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park wanted to emulate cracked mud found in the Serengeti Desert and Proline was up to the task.

When Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida wanted to create a new ride inspired by the popular Disney-Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life,” the theme park called on Brickform, a division of Solomon Colors Inc., to create a seamless texture skin representative of a dry lakebed. That was nearly one decade ago.

Perched on a hilltop amidst the tropical rain forests of the “Big Island” of Hawaii, the Hi’ilani EcoHouse commands a view out across the Pacific Ocean that you have to see to believe. It’s your typical island paradise home. But when it comes to cutting-edge carbon neutral design and ecofriendly concrete construction, it is anything but typical.

The Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame was established to honor individuals and companies who have gone beyond the call of duty to help promote decorative concrete as a thriving business and a constantly evolving art form. These individuals’ achievements and their commitment to excellence and innovation have helped the decorative concrete industry grow.

There are few things more frustrating about making concrete countertops than dealing with bug holes. They seem to always show up and are seemingly just about impossible to fill completely. You think you’ve got them all filled, only to have bug holes show up after final polishing.