decorative forms and liners concrete with diamonds

Decorative Formsand Liners

Cutting Pictures inConcrete with

Diamonds

Polishing Concrete!See Story

How to Fix Cracks

EnhancingExtruded Walls

VOL.1 NO. 3 • FALL 2001 • $6.95

Decorative Formsand Liners

Cutting Pictures inConcrete with

Diamonds

Polishing Concrete!See Story

How to Fix Cracks

EnhancingExtruded Walls

37826 Skyridge Circle, Dade City, FL 33525800-544-8488 • Fax (813) 715-6564

www.SureCreteDesign.com

Call 1-800-544-8488 and experience the new standardsof SureCrete Design Products

TODAY!

Visit Booth #9058 @ World of Concrete

Bring your work clothes; you’ll get dirty!Bring your work clothes; you’ll get dirty!

TrainingExperience a real hands-onworkshop near you:

• Surface preparation• Crack treatment• Overlay stamping• Concrete stamping • Trowel systems -

horizontal and vertical• Spray texture• Broom finish• Chemical staining• Liquid Antiquing• Marketing

DistributionGrowing national distribution network

ServiceRegional technical support for contractors

ProductsInnovative, single component, user-friendly systems designed for workability available near you:

• Texture systems• Stamp overlay• Polymer broom finish• Chemical stains• Color hardener• Release agents• Tools• Stamps and Stencils • Sealers - Solvent and Water Base• And much more

Distributorships Available

Are you tired of competing for dwindling profits?

Let SureCrete guide you to the fast-growing decorative concrete market.

CIRCLE #56 ON READER SERVICE CARD

http://www.SureCreteDesign.com


Rock Texture MatsRock texture mats are used by pool

builders, landscapers and concretecontractors to create a natural rockimprinted surface on artificial rock projects.After wet concrete has been formed to thedesired shape and treated with release thetexture mats are pressed into the concrete,then immediately lifted off, leaving behind anatural rock imprint.

Our mats range from smooth to coarse,offering a wide variety of authentic

rock reliefs and patterns in all sizes,providing the artificial rock worker with animprinting tool that will achieve a uniquelynatural finished product.

The Rock Garden(714) 550-9352WWW.THEROCKGARDEN.ORG

Dear Readers,

Today America sees a different face on itscitizens. One that reflects appreciation ofsimpler things in life and one that seems

more quiet and now more reserved. The face maysometimes be sad or discouraged, but as we haverecently experienced, quick to show determinationand gladness at signs of goodness or acts ofselflessness. These faces may not all show the scarsof battle, or of loved ones lost, but their expressionsare the face of Americans, free, patriotic andunwavering in perseverance.

My 39 years of life have shown me that in bad,good can always be found. Through difficulties large

and small come greater endurance, and determination to make life better forourselves. It may be prompted by a competitiveness to win, but these daysstrengthen our character and our humanitarian role that best depicts the beauty ofour freedom and American spirit. It is this changing face of Americans that todayis strengthening us as a nation and the world around us.

As tradesmen, we can make a significant impact on those around us simply byour attitudes and the way we approach our jobs each day. As this country wasmade great by the hands of many artisans, our founding fathers, we must carry onthe legacy with pride through quality workmanship. Education, employers, familyand friends impart to me the necessary skills for growing my business but it is mychoice each day to do my personal best. This instills pride and that is somethingno one can ever take from us.

The trades are a good place to be. It’s hard work but it provides faithfully for ourneeds. It’s our canvas on which others can find beauty and a greater sense of self.Our quality work gives comfort to the people around us. Our hands create, whereonce there was something less. Our skills help us to better demonstrate our abilitiesto express ourselves freely in infinite number of ways that the world can marvel atand that simply give back to our country what it has so graciously given to us.

This Thanksgiving holiday will be difficult for many who are physically andemotionally hurt by these resent tragedies. However, our God did not give us amind and body for hurting one another but rather to love and encourage eachother. These are basic values and basically what we must stand for.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Bent MikkelsenPublisher

2 • Concrete Decor • Fall 2001

Fall 2001 • Vol. 1 No. 3 • Issue No. 3 • $6.95

Publisher and Editor: Bent O. Mikkelsen

Co-publisher: Ernst H. Mikkelsen

Design and Production: Stephen Stanley

National Sales Manager: Shirley Whitney

East Coast Sales: Lucas Franklin

Writers:Susan Brimo-Cox

Dave CagleElise Crain

Robert Simpson

Photographers:Tim Bottomley

Mary Logan-Wolf

Advertising Sales and Editorial:Professional Trade Publications, Inc.

1925 Bailey Hill Road, Suite IEugene, OR 97405Tel: 541-341-3390Fax: 541-341-6443

Email: [email protected]

Circulation and Administration:Professional Trade Publications, Inc.

P.O. Box 25210Eugene, OR 97402Tel: 541-341-3390Fax: 541-341-6443

Email: [email protected]

Concrete Decor The Journal of DecorativeConcrete is published four times a year (Spring,

Summer, Fall, Winter) by Professional TradePublications, Inc. Bulk rate postage paid at

Lebanon Junction, KY and additional mailingoffices.

Subscriptions:One year: USA $18.00; Canada $34.00;

Other countries $64. All funds in U.S. dollars.

For Subscriber Services:Call 866-341-3703 Toll Free

For Advertiser Services:Call 877-935-8906 Toll Free

www.concretedecor.net

ONTHE COVER: The grapes and leaves on the cover of this issue werecomputer generated by CCoonnccrreettee DDeeccoorr’’ss designer Stephen Stanley toshow one example of how cracks can be used creatively for design.

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.concretedecor.net

Concrete Decor • Fall 2001 • 3

ContentsFEATURES12 Concrete in disguise: Creative use of decorative forms and liners

make concrete look like what it’s notStructurally unbeatable,decorative forms and form-liners arecreating a timely and profitable advantage on more and morejobsites, big and small.by Susan Brimo-Cox

18 Cutting Pictures in Concrete with DiamondsDiscovering the right tools and techniques can make pictures inconcrete very fun and rewarding.Contest Winner: Cutting Pictures In Concrete with Diamonds,see page 19by Elise Crain

21 Take The Guesswork Out of Selecting Diamond BladesChoosing the right diamond blade for the job will save significanthardships and improve the qualityby Thom Fisher, Diamond Products

26 All Cracked Up!Repairing cracks properly is one thing, making them a part ofyour design concept is becoming a popular alternative.by Susan Brimo-Cox

30 Polishing Concrete: Putting a High Shine on an Old MixIf concrete were anything else it just wouldn’t have this kind ofshine and incredible strengthby Dave Cagle

DEPARTMENTS8 Contractor Profile: Mark Donaldson & Rebecca Meyers,

Skookum Floors, USANow, here’s a company with a business plan!by Robert Simpson

34 Product Profile: Slip StoneRolling along! New Slip Stone system enhances extruded walls For extruded form wall applications, decorative concrete is nolonger a stranger.by Susan Brimo-Cox

41 Advertisers Index37 Concrete Marketplace04 Decorative Concrete Tips05 Industry News24 Industry Spotlight39 Product News38 Product Profiles41 Upcoming Events

26

18

12

34

30


DecorativeConcrete Tips

Want more flexibility, speed and control whenapplying stains to concrete? Here’s a greatgarden sprayer that Marvin Dodson at Rare

Earth Labs was recently using while demonstrating the useof his acid etch stain products. Available at your local K-Mart or Wal-mart stores, this small hand held pumpsprayer has an adjustable nozzle for fine mist sprayapplication under high pressure or gentle sprinkling orstreaming action at low pressure. The only metal partsusceptible to acid corrosion is a small spring which isreplaceable and available at your local automotive supply.In fact, with regular water cleanup after every use, a singlespring will last several jobs. For the ultimate look on yournext stain job this sprayer is one heck of a tool.

— Marvin Dodson, Rare Earth Labs

The “Torpedo Groover” from SlipIndustries has become an invaluable toolfor the guys that know its advantages in

placing control joints but as a decorative handtool it has also taken on some slick advantages.As the name implies, the Torpedo Groover is longand straight. Once it is placed into the concrete itwill guide you straight from point A to point B. Itseparates the aggregate up to 11⁄2" inches deep so italso helps significantly to control cracking.Where jointers have difficulty cutting a straightpath the Groover has absolutely no problemgiving the jointer a straight path to follow.

Have fun cutting new lines in your flatwork withthe Torpedo Groover. Now the time it takes toplace joints has just become the least of your worriesand design possibilities your greatest passion.

— Slip Industries, Livitz, PA

Decorative Concrete Tips is a forum for readers toexchange information about methods,tools,and

tricks they’ve devised.We’ll pay for any we publish.Send details to CD Tips,Concrete Decor,

P.O.Box 25210,Eugene,OR 97402.We look forward to hearing from you!



Western Forms, Inc.appoints LavonWinkler President and ChiefOperations OfficerMr. Lavon Winkler accepted the position of Presidentand Chief Operations Officer at Western Forms, Inc.He will be responsible for operations of all domesticand international business units and implementingstrategic plans that enhance the growth of theWestern Forms brand and products worldwide.

Mr. Winkler brings to Western Forms professionalmanagement and a successful track record in themanufacturing and construction industries. In 22 yearsof service with Butler Manufacturing, he held positionsin Information Systems, Engineering Management,Venture Management, Regional Sales Management,and Customer Relations. His most recent positionwith Butler Manufacturing was vice-president ofButler’s Engineering division. He holds a BS in CivilEngineering from the University of Missouri and anMA in Management from Birmingham Southern.

Western Forms, Inc. is the leading aluminumform manufacturing company in the United States.The Kansas City based Western Forms has beenfamily owned and operated since founding 1955 andoffers a full range of aluminum forming products andaccessories for concrete foundations, concrete homesand precast industries.

For more information on Western Forms, Inc.please call 800-821-3870 or fax your request to (816)241-6877.

Please note these correctionsPages six and seven of the Summer issue of ConcreteDecor magazine mistakenly used four photos providedto us as reference materials. The top four pictures wereactually the work of Bomanite contractors and notthose of other quality work our Contractor Profile iswell recognized for.

HOT news about CCoonnccrreettee DDeeccoorrStarting January 2002 we will begin publishingConcrete Decor magazine six times annually insteadof quarterly. This decision will build greaterawareness for Concrete Decor as a reliable industryresource and will better serve our unsurpassed andgrowing nationwide readership.

Daily we receive calls from our readers aboutexciting new product developments and othernewsworthy events. Bi-monthly publication ofConcrete Decor will increase the flow of valuableinformation within this expanding market of theconcrete construction trade. We thank everyone forsupporting these exciting new developments.

Industry New

s


Last month Concrete Decor had the opportunity ofparticipating in a Scofield Institute training seminarin San Jose, Calif. The evening before this two day

event we enjoyed a great dinner hosted by the L.M. ScofieldCo. The sold-out event included a unique blend of both newand seasoned tradesmen to this “Interiors Workshop.”

Like any seminar that covers lots of ground in a shorttimeframe, the Scofield Institute provided its students withexcellent pre-printed guidelines for fast and effective note-taking. Several Q&A opportunities provided for activeinteraction among Scofield staff and students during everysession of this hands-on workshop. Mr. Bob Harris, Directorof Training and New Product Developments at the ScofieldInstitute, was the keynote speaker and our trainer for theseminar. Also on hand were representatives from the USFSurface Preparation Group, best known for the Sawtec andBlastrac product lines. (see their ad in this issue). Theydemonstrated new products and provided for an effectivehands-on use of their tools during the course of the event.

From surface preparation to overlay application, designcreations and implementation, the seminar offered everyoneample opportunity to physically involve themselves in all

Industry Events

Learning Opportunities,Essential to New Skills and

Improving Old Onesaspects of the overlay, design/sawcutting, staining andsealing processes. These two days of training also providedseveral tips and techniques to students that can only becomefully understood in this type of learning environment.Although the day ended at five o’clock another dinnerengagement gave everyone time to compare notes anddiscuss the day’s events.

If you want to learn valuable skills that support yourbusiness development efforts, learning opportunities likethese are essential. Thanks to the Scofield Institute andmany others like them, placing importance on education hassignificantly improved the interest there is today ondecorative aspects of concrete work as a reliable andbeautiful alternative to other product offering.

If you are considering this type of learning opportunityConcrete Decor invites you to visit us on-line atwww.concretedecor.net. Select training from the menu barand you can find a growing list of companies that offereducational training services throughout the year. Many arecompanies with extensive and proven records for providingstudents valuable tools for improving their skills, theirbusiness and level of profitability.

http://www.concretedecor.net

When Mark Donaldson andpartner Rebecca Meyers sawa decorative concrete floor

they knew instantly this was the productthey were seeking. Impressed withdecorative concrete’s cost-efficiency,durability and unlimited designpotential they were quick to recognizeits commercial possibilities. In fact theirfascination with interior decorativeconcrete flooring was so fervent theybought the company.

“My career objectives have alwaysbeen entrepreneurial, so when Irecognized the practical applications ofdecorative concrete flooring I wasconvinced I could build a companyaround it,” says Mark Donaldson,president of Seattle, WA-basedSkookum Floors USA Ltd.

Donaldson and Meyers represent anew breed of entrepreneur. They aresymbolic of Generation Y — charac-terized as ambitious, methodological andsteadfast. In 1998, despite no previousexperience in the paint or concretetrades and only 24 years old, Donaldsongave up the security of his marketing jobto begin Skookum Floor Concepts Ltd.


Mark Donaldson andRebecca Meyers

Skookum Floors,USA

by Robert Simpson

ContractorProfile

ContractorProfile

A year later Meyers threw in the toweland joined him.

“There was a project underconstruction in our neighborhood, so Istopped by and talked with theconstruction manager about decorativeconcrete flooring. By the time I left hehad asked me to bid on the project. Acouple of weeks later we got the job andthe company started,” says Donaldson.

Now, four years later, SkookumFloors has grown to become one of thepremier decorative concrete flooringcompanies in the Pacific Northwest.Their portfolio includes such highprofile projects as the VancouverInternational Airport DomesticTerminal and Coast Mountain Sports, athriving chain of retail outlets. InitiallySkookum Floors established a solidreputation in the industry whileworking on smaller 1,000-7,000 squarefoot jobs and now focuses his efforts onlarger 30-50,000 square footcommercial jobs.

“Our business philosophy has beenstraightforward-we don’t over-promiseand under-deliver and we do what wesay we will,” says Donaldson.

But maintaining these steadfastbusiness principles has not come easily,as Donaldson is quick to admit.

“The learning curve has been verysteep. In a very short time we had todistinguish our product and servicefrom the competition. We knew thekey to our success was to becomespecialists and that required investi-gating every aspect of the decorativeconcrete industry,” says Donaldson.

Product Knowledge is PowerPart of being successful in this market isknowing the various products availableand how to best integrate them into theflooring system offered. The best way toprovide value and increase profit marginis to educate prospective clients on theproducts used, how they differ from oneanother and, and which options bestmeet their needs. Understanding this,the primary challenge for Donaldsonwas finding products that would form areliable architectural flooring system-onewith durability, superior performanceand which satisfies the end user.

“We wanted to provide clients withthe best interior decorative concrete


flooring available,” says Donaldson.“There are several manufacturers whoclaim their systems are the bestperforming so we spent several hourstesting products to determine if theystood up to the claims they made.Several do not. We put in a lot of timeinto doing product research before wefinally discovered a combination ofproducts we were confident wouldprovide the best available architecturalflooring system on the market,” saysDonaldson. “The research is ongoingand we are constantly seeking anddemanding better performing products.Research is key to our success.”

Donaldson recommends keepingcomprehensive notes about every job. Itprovides him with the tools for assessingproduct performance under varyingconditions. He also uses the notes todetermine the best combination ofproducts to use on future jobs. Notesinclude everything from ambienttemperature and work conditions tototal time required on a job.

After discovering a combination ofproducts that Donaldson was confidentwould set his product apart from the

comfortable, working for a reputablecompany and remunerated well forcompany growth. “Everyone isenthusiastic about the quality of theproduct we deliver and motivated bythe company’s progress. Our employeesknow they are an integral part of areputable company and we recognizethat our ability to build the goodreputation of the company isdependent on our employees. At theend of every job we all stand back andbreath a collective sigh-we are proud ofwhat we accomplish as a team,” saysMeyers. “Without good employees wedon’t have good business.”

With product and people in placethe remaining link in Skookum’ssuccess is promotion.

The company has an impressivemarketing portfolio complete withcolor photos illustrating the versatilityof architectural concrete flooring. Themarketing materials also serve aseducational tools providing a primeron decorative concrete-advantages,


strengths and an illustration of thevarious design concepts available.

“Much of our sales effort is toeducate potential clients about thebenefits of decorative concrete. Wedesigned our marketing tools tosupport this effort while also providinga good overview of the company’sprevious successes,” says Donaldson.For those clients requiring immediategratification Skookum has designed anextensive website (www.concrete-design.com). The website opened up anew international market forSkookum. Donaldson and Meyersreceive calls daily from around theworld inquiring about architecturalconcrete flooring.

“The key to marketing is that youhave to make the call,” saysDonaldson. “After the call, product hasto stand up for itself.”

Donaldson says the most frustratingaspect of marketing decorativeconcrete flooring is confronting clientswho have had bad experiences

competition, the next phase of hiscompany’s evolution involved finding,training and maintaining employees-achallenge for even the most establishedcompanies.

In 1998, decorative concrete was arelatively new concept in the PacificNorthwest and finding employees withthe skills for the job was demanding.Both Donaldson and Meyers realizedthe challenges early on. There are nocertification standards or nationallyrecognized programs that traindecorative concrete professionals andno way to assess individual skills. Thisis a specialized profession that requiresthe careful eye of a professional painterand the technological expertise of aconcrete finisher.

“Attracting good employees requiresa good company-one that is aboverepute in every respect and promotesdoing business the right way. Thatmeans having proper insurance, payrollsystems and providing good workingconditions. It also means demonstratingmanagement’s commitment to thecompany by rewarding employees withbonuses when there is positive growth,”says Donaldson who after an extensivesearch found an enthusiastic foremanand crew.

To keep employees with thecompany both Donaldson and Meyerswork very hard to create and maintainan environment where employees are

http://www.concrete-design.com



severely harm an industry. Sooner isbetter than later,” says Walsh.

Once a project is sold,offcomes Donaldson’smarketing hat and on goeshis hard hat.To ensure a successful job Donaldsonrecommends developing a clear line ofcommunication with the generalcontractor. They should understandthat architectural concrete flooring isscheduled as part of the finishing tradesand that requirements reflect this. Itmay require educating them aboutdecorative concrete finishes and inparticular the conditions required forthe job to be a success.

“We coordinate with the generalcontractor to get the job site toourselves. Advance preparation is key.Knowing the layout and ensuring thereis proper lighting, an accessible powerand water supply and temperaturecontrol will help the job progress muchsmoother and guarantees better


resulting from poor craftsmanship.“There are several companies that offertraining programs on using theirproducts. This has resulted in severalsmall start-up decorative concretecompanies who see the opportunity tomake a fast buck. These companiesoften operate out of the back of theirtruck, provide poor quality crafts-manship and soon disappear from theindustry, resulting in a bad rap for alldecorative concrete trades,” saysDonaldson, who is frustrated by thelack of a professional certificationstandards for the decorative concreteindustries.

“Having professional certificationstandards would help to restoreconfidence in the trade. I believe if thisis an industry that is going to stayviable, standards will be requiredsooner than later,” says Donaldson.

Bob Walsh, the technical director ofthe Master Painters Association agrees.“National standards usually only resultafter industry-wide failure which can

results,” says Donaldson. Flexibility isalso important; working on tightschedules requires not having fixedhours and it may mean pouring in themiddle of the night.

Donaldson and Meyers admit theyhave faced several obstacles over thepast four years, yet remain undeterred.Their goal to be a leading architecturalconcrete floor firm in the PacificNorthwest is within sight, and at thespeed they’ve been progressing theirlong-term goals don’t look too far offeither. Long-term they want Skookumto be considered the best in theindustry. They want to see a nationalcertification program that includesinstallers across the nation and theywant to diversify the company.Donaldson and Meyers are smart,ambitious and steadfast and if the lastfour years provide any indicationwatch for them to be featured on thecover of a Fortune 500 BusinessMagazine soon.

CIRCLE #46 ON READER SERVICE CARDCIRCLE #48 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Patios, walkways, driveways andnumerous other horizontalsurfaces have been formed,

stamped and colored to look like brick,flagstone and a variety of other materialsfor many years. Indeed, it’s often a moreeconomical and hardwearing substitutefor the real thing. As a concretetechnique, it was only a matter of timebefore it began climbing the walls.

Today, use of decorative forms andliners mean vertical projects can bestructural and nice to look at. Drivedown the highway and you’re likely tosee several examples: sound barriers andbridges, to name just two.

“We do a lot of heavy highway work,”says John Toomey, project manager forNorthern Construction in Hingham,Mass. “One out of every 10 bridges [wedo] has a patterned design. Patterns, suchas exposed aggregate ribbed patterns,make them more aesthetically pleasing.”

In a project for Six Flags NewEngland, Northern Construction useddecorative forms for retaining walls andsite walls, in addition to stampedconcrete. The company used a creativeapproach for a high-end look, usingborders and different colored caps.

Mark Scott, co-owner of InnovativeBrick Systems in Boulder, Colo., says hiscompany uses form liners to createnatural-looking textures and patterns,


Concrete in disguise:Creative use of decorative forms

and liners make concrete look like what it’s notBy Susan Brimo-Cox

Phot

os C

ourt

esy

of W

este

rn F

orm

s

Phot

o C

ourt

esy

of In

cret

e

“Form liners are light and easy tohandle, and are a lot cheaper than astandard form,” says Gale Fife, presidentof Cobblecrete International of Orem,Utah. If you use 4-foot by 8-foot or 6-foot by 12-foot forms, you won’t need alot of ties, he explains. “We recommendyou stay with a smaller size and stackthem. The wall will be stronger andyou’ll have less problems.”


but also uses them for custom graphicwork. “We did a sound wall project inBaton Rouge, La., in which we pre-castsections with pelicans, water lilies andother sculpted effects.”

In Virginia Beach, Va., a 3.2-mile-long poured-in-place seawall projectwas finished in June 2000. Formed intothe vertical surface facing the beach arefish, sea turtles and dolphins, as well asthe seals of the city and the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers. But the wall is morethan just decorative and protective; it’sinformative, too! According to PhillRoehrs, coastal engineer with the Cityof Virginia Beach, “At each streetaccess the number of the street isimprinted, so you know where you areas you walk down the beach.”

Light commercial and residentialapplications abound. Exposedfoundations and ledgers, walls ofbuildings and homes, retaining andlandscape walls, and communityentrances have all been made visuallyappealing with decorative forms andform liners. For durability and beauty, atavern or winery might consider a barmade of poured concrete in a simulatedriver rock, wood or brick pattern tocomplement the interior decor.

And don’t forget, the little decorativedetails that can enhance a larger project.Cameron Morgan, general manager ofPacific Concrete Images in Laguna Hills,Ca., which manufacturers architecturalprofile form liners, points to swimmingpool edges, wall caps, stairs and pouredconcrete kitchen countertops. “Formscan be bundled for larger caps,” he says,not unlike one would stack crownmolding. His company’s polyethyleneform liners have even been used toconstruct an outdoor barbecue, completewith concrete eating bar and stools.

The uses of decorative forms and formliners are apparently limited only byimagination and engineering capability.Which specific products to use, however,are often dictated by the job.

A product for every project“Patterned aluminum forms are moreexpensive, but they are lightweight and

durable,” reports Becky Kennedy, a salesrepresentative with Precise Forms Inc.of Kansas City, Mo. And depending onhow well they’re maintained, “you canget 2,500 to 3,000 pours,” she adds. Themetal is stamped to create the pattern.Precise Forms offers two kinds of brick— smooth and textured — with deepmortars for extra detail, and a ribbedpattern. “A 3-foot wide by 8-foot tallsection weighs 83 pounds. Ten-foothigh forms are available and they canbe stacked,” Kennedy says.

Flexible forms are ideal for pour-in-place projects. With tilt-upapplications, the form liners can be aslarge or as small as the pouring bedrequires, according to David Salisbury,president of Polytek DevelopmentCorp. of Easton, Pa. “Flexible rubbermolds can also be used for architecturalelements — brackets, moldings, capitalsand more — anything that can’t bedone in a rigid form.” Flexible rubberformliners are utilized in both precastapplications as well as with GFRC(glass fiber reinforced concrete) thatcan be sprayed about 3⁄4" thick to createstrong, hollow, light weight concretecastings of highly decorative objects.

Tips of the tradeWhen working with decorative forms and form liners, there are a variety ofgeneral tips to help ensure success:● Most contractors don’t use admixes when doing this kind of work. However,

in some instances, admixes and plasticizers may be needed to meet thespecifications of the project for strength, while obtaining the cosmetic resultsdesired.

● Design your mix for the job. The size of the aggregate should be based on thestructural integrity needed.

● If doing multiple pours — especially with integrally colored concrete —make sure your pours are consistent. (See Manufacturer Profile in Winter2001 Issue.)

● Vibrating the concrete is critical. Ridges and decorative elements can trapair. Use a proper size vibrator and don’t pull it up too quickly.

● Use of sealers is a matter of geography and personal preference. Somecontractors use sealers to lock-in the color. Others say they are vitalanywhere there is direct sunlight in freeze-thaw areas. Sealer might not beused if you want a matte finish and walls that looked like they were there along time.

● Take care of your forms. Clean them well after you use them. Remember,direct sunlight may damage urethane form liners. High temperatures over140 degrees can also damage urethane form liners, causing them to breakdown and lose the integrity of the form lines.

Phot

o C

ourt

esy

of In

cret

e

to handle 200 pours per set for exteriorwalls. The initial production linersystem is in a brick pattern, but othertexture samples are being made.

Another technique — not quite amold, not quite a stamp—is showingexcellent promise. Michael Allen Sr.,owner and president of Allen & SonsConstruction Inc. of French Camp,Calif., (see Profile in this issue) says his


When it comes to form liners, youcan get any design you want —standard to custom designs. Form linersare an investment up front, but offersavings in time and labor. You may pay$5,000 to $10,000 more for a customliner, reports Scott, but nothing elsewould be like it. “On large projects, it’snot a big expense.”

“If the job is engineered and installedcorrectly, you can’t beat a poured wall,especially one with architectural effects,”touts Mike Lowe Jr., marketing directorof Increte Systems of Odessa, Fla. “Yousave in labor and total life costs. Thetextures [and patterns] are pulled off realmaterials — slate, granite, limestone,river stone. Stone is expensive, so this iswhere form liners are so cost-effective.Installation costs are less expensivecompared to veneer.” Plus you don’thave to worry about degradation orveneer delamination, he adds.

Form liners come in various grades,which have different life spans. Howmany times you need to use the formshould be considered, as well as cost. Forexample, you may only get five to 25pours out of low-reuse foam forms. If 50to 60 pours are required, you’ll need ahigher quality form. High-reuse rubberforms might be reused 100 or more times,depending on the design or pattern.

Western Forms Inc. of Kansas City,Mo., and Milestones Inc. of Hudson,Wis., have teamed up to create a hybridproduct called Monotex.™ Paul Nasvik,owner and president of Milestones,describes it as a liner and rigid form thatwork together as a system. “Theurethane form is cast into Western’srigid aluminum forms. Other formingsystems, with ties and liners that haveto marry to it, can be quite involved.This forming system eliminates themarrying problems.” Currently, thesystem is being used to build severalHabitat for Humanity homes inHouston, Texas. “The main push isworking to convey to the housingmarket that concrete homes can looklike traditional homes — and can bedone quickly and cheaply,” Nasvikexplains. The Monotex forms are said

PhotosCourtesyof WesternForms

Cou

rtes

y of

Incr

eteIf the job is engineered

and installed correctly,you can’t beat a pouredwall,especially one witharchitectural effects.

If the job is engineeredand installed correctly,you can’t beat a pouredwall,especially one witharchitectural effects.


company has developed a texturingroller system for Gomaco concreteextruding machines. Allen calls theproprietary patented process “Slipstone.”The prototype uses a special soft rubbercompound on a large roller to imprintthe design on the formed concrete as itcomes out of the machine. The processcan imprint the three surfaces of a wall— the two faces and the top — and canimprint over visqueen plastic sheeting asit unrolls over the formed concrete. Themaximum height for a plain wallextruder is eight feet-nine inches, sothat’s the height limitation to date.Community entrance walls, sidewalks,bulkheads, retaining walls and verticalcurbs are all ideal applications,according to Allen. “The reason wedeveloped the process is to becompetitive in the market. It cuts instal-lation time and you can see up to 47percent cost savings over standard formliners depending on footage.”

For wall caps, step edges and othersimilar projects, disposable forms may bejust the things you need. Bud Stegmeier,marketing manager of Stegmeier Corp. ofArlington, Texas, explains that hiscompany grinds architectural profiles intopolystyrene to create forms, which aresimple to attach to the face of a woodenform to create a decorative edge. “Theforms are flexible, so they can be pulledaway easily. Because they cushion theconcrete as you pull the forms away, theyprotect fragile corners.” The forms canalso be compressed into curves

The coloring processIf the project is in a natural setting,integrally colored concrete can help thestructure blend in. It also gives you a basecolor to expand on. Lowe observes, “Basecolor is important so you use less stain andaccent each stone rather than coloringeach stone. It saves time and materials,gives a more realistic look, and you don’thave to worry so much about chippingbecause it won’t be as noticeable.”

Which integral color you select willdepend on what architectural designyour concrete will assume, but also whatpart of the country you’re in. “You usually



Rare Earth® LabsWWeellccoommee ttoo aa nneeww,, mmoorree pprroofifittaabbllee wwaayy ooff eennhhaanncciinngg ccoonnccrreettee……

The next generation of chemically reactive concentrated masonry stainBeyond conventional acid stains, our concentrate allows you a choice of intenseor subdued color… with versatility that only a concentrate can offer. Add beautyby mixing colors of stain during application. Easily blend or match your concretesurface to surrounding rock or other materials. And with Rare Earth Lab’s patent

pending concentrate, your money is spent on product, not shipping and handling.CCoovveerraaggee,, ccoosstt,, aanndd ccoolloorr iinntteennssiittyy aarree ttoottaallllyy wwiitthhiinn yyoouurr ccoonnttrrooll!!

Assorted Stain Kit AvailableFuture Training Video and Seminars to Come

Request Information Online!www.rareearthlabs.com

800-999-4062for complete information package and color chart


want to match up with the naturalstones in the area. In the southwestthere is a different color scheme than inFlorida. In New York they have agranite stone look. In Philly, there’sbluestone. In Phoenix, stones are moreof a tan shade with a little red,” explainsRich Solomon, vice president atSolomon Colors in Springfield, Ill. Inthe north, stones are typically a darkershade than what you’d find in the south.

A technique you can use withintegrally colored concrete issandblasting. “With sandblasting,you’re not adding anything, butremoving some of the cement paste onthe surface. Sandblasting can alsoexpose some of the aggregate—atechnique that can give a good look.The type aggregate you use will playinto the color.” Solomon says.

Not everyone wants to use integralcolor, however, and integral color alonemay not provide the desired effect. So, a

variety of other methods and materialsare frequently used.

Powdered pigments mixed into arelease agent [or dusted into the mold]can provide some nice effects. Colorhardeners aren’t commonly used onvertical surfaces, but they aresometimes used by mixing them with abonding agents and hand-trowelingthem on, like a stucco. But caution isgiven with these customizedapplications that, if not done properly,it won’t adhere properly. And ifmoisture bleeds through, the colorcould pop off. In applying any surfacecolor it is a prerequisite to pressure washthe surface to remove any residualrelease agent. Sandblast if necessary.

Harlan Baldridge, manager of thedecorative concrete division of Cut &Break Construction in Medford, Ore.,prefers to mix color hardener into apancake batter consistency and thenspray it onto gray concrete. “A bonding

agent is great to use before spraying onthe color hardener,” he advises.Baldridge uses a variety of colors tocreate the effects he wants. “If a nativestone has a red basis, I’ll start with aneutral, like cream, then add a sun-baked clay color. I can add black flecksby random bursts of color. I can handrub to get some of the color off for atumbled stone look. This also highlightstextures of the stone pattern.”

At Chaparral Pines Country Club inPayson, Ariz., Gerald King, concreteoperations manager of Pace Pacific inPhoenix, and his crew appliedadditional color over integrally coloredconcrete to achieve the effect the clientwanted on some 30,000 square feet ofstructural retaining wall. “We startedwith integrally colored concrete andadded additional color by sprayingmultiple colors of color hardener,” heexplains. They made a presentationmock-up to see what the product would

Coloring Tips● Apply your color using a

randomized approach. A systemizedapproach will look too “packaged.”Apply one color at a time.

● When you start an area, finish it.Stagger areas rather than working ina straight line to prevent definitionlines.

● Highlight colors are best hand-applied, not sprayed.

● When working with reactive stains,be careful. If you start at the top andit runs, the runs will be permanent.

● When applying chemical stains,hand-held spray bottles can be usedfor detail work. Sponges can be usedto agitate the stains into the nooksand crannies of the texture. Artistpaintbrushes can be used forintricate patterns.

● Don’t want the grout joints stained?Pre-seal them with a clear acrylicsealer. It resists the stains.

● If coloring a brick pattern, use aroller to apply the color instead ofspraying to keep the grout linesuncolored.

Phot

os C

ourt

esy

of In

cret

e

You usually want tomatch up with the

natural stones in thearea. In the north,

stones are typically adarker shade thanwhat you’d find in

the south.


look like, then purchased color in largevolumes to help with consistency. “Youhave to make sure your client knows[integrally colored concrete] is a naturalproduct and that it can change.” But hepoints out that using color hardenerover it helps camouflage and maskinconsistencies.

Acid stains are also used frequently tocolor architectural concrete, but be sureto protect yourself if you use them. Wearsafety glasses, a respirator, non-absorbentgloves, long sleeved shirt, long pants andwork boots. The stains can be appliedusing a sprayer, sponges or paintbrushes.But always remember to start at thebottom of the wall and work up.

No matter what method orcombination of methods you use to coloryour project, it is important to rememberthat your release agent may affect theresults you achieve. Will the releaseagent leave a residue? Will it preventgood adhesion of color hardener? Will itreact with the chemical stain you use?Release agents containing petroleumproducts can also harm some form liners.Talk with and get recommendationsfrom the form and liner manufacturers. Ithelps to talk with other contractors thatuse these forms and learn from theirhands-on experiences.

Karl Russell, owner of R&R PouredWalls in Byron, Mich., says working


For more information aboutdecorative forms, form liners andrelated products, contact:Cobblecrete International

(800) 798-5791Increte Systems (800) 752-4626Innovative Brick Systems

(800) 413-4588Milestones Inc. (715) 381-9660Pacific Concrete Images

(949) 581-0270Polytek Development Corp.

(610) 559-8620 (see ad)Precise Forms Inc. (800) 537-0706Solomon Colors (217) 522-3112

(see ad)Stegmeier Corp. (770) 962-1719Western Forms Inc. (800) 821-3870

with decorative forms and liners is notcomplicated, but you have to payattention. “Practice up front. Don’t sella job never having done it. Make timeand practice in different temperatures.”And practice different techniques.Gaining the know-how can improvebusiness prospects and increase thebottom line, he says. Having happyclients isn’t a bad motive either.

In Virginia Beach, Roehrs reports,“I’ve heard nothing but complimentsabout our seawall. Most of the touristsare pleased with the esthetics.[Including the custom decoration inthe project] was a small additional costthat will reap dividends for years.”

concrete images like those shown above, Bald Eagleor colorful butterfly.

Company logos, family crests, pictures of pets orchildren can all be engraved. The caution is that it

may look “cool” in the beginning andthen not so cool when the householdor business has to move.

Freehand creations are good forstones and natural looking surfaces.Marvin Dodson, Rare Earth Labs(Concrete Decor, Vol. 1, No. 1,February 2001, page 42) producesconcentrated stains that provide awide variety of colors and tones. Hisdesigns are both engraved and

freehand. He suggests when not using equipment(such as Engrave-A-Crete or Kaleido-Crete) thedesign be placed using graph paper and drawn onthe concrete with chalk, soapstone, pencil ormarking pen. Designs can also be placed with ablack permanent marker since stains will not bleedacross the marker lines, according to Dodson. Thefreehand stone pattern is an excellent choice toincorporate existing cracks as part of the pattern.


The only limit to decorative concrete isyour imagination. You may have heardthat for years and it is just as true today.

Products, tools, professional training and ideas arejust waiting for you to make the mostof your opportunities.

Picture an eagle with an eight footfour inch wingspan! Darrel Adamson,Engrave-A-Crete, created this imageat a recent seminar. A line drawing ofthe eagle was scanned into andenlarged with a CAD/CAM program.After tweaking to make it just right, itwas put on a floppy disc and insertedinto a computer- controlled mill tocut a template. Seminar students used carpenter’spencils to trace the outline. Reactive stains ofvarious colors were applied with pointed brushes tosimulate feathers. DecoSup concrete dyes wereused for the flowing ribbon. After curing, thesurface was washed and a clear sealer applied. Thetemplate was returned to the concrete and, using aShark engraving tool, the cutting began. Engravingprovides a clean, crisp outline resulting in beautiful

CUTTINGPICTURES IN

CONCRETE WITHDIAMONDS

CUTTINGPICTURES IN

CONCRETE WITHDIAMONDS

By Elise Crain

Richard SmithConcreteinvolvedchildren fromInner-CityYouth Programto construct,color and sealthis project.

Ric

hard

Sm

ith C

oncr

ete.

Los

Ang

eles

CA

.

Dar

rel A

dam

son,

Eng

rave

-A-C

rete

But

terfl

y cr

eate

d w

ith th

e K

alei

do-C

rete

, Eng

rave

-A-C

rete


Cracks can be cleaned out, or made bigger, andform the skeleton for the new “look.”

When planning a concrete creation, the firstthing to look at is the concrete surface. Is itstructurally sound? Will a topping (overlay) beinstalled? Since the survival of an overlay is thebond, concrete must be clean and the overlayproperly applied if these types of creations areexpected to last. Adamson points out that thehardness of an overlay and concrete are not thesame, therefore the harder the surface, the cleanerthe cut.

A broom finish on an existing surface makes amore authentic looking brick pattern. To achievea polished marble look, smoothness is better. Thesurface can be changed before your creation by

Tri-C

o Fl

oors

, La

Mes

a C

A.

Tren

t Goo

ssen

, Sou

th D

akot

a


Star Diamond Tools, Inc.Diamond Tools and Accu-Glide Saw

Create scored lines and reachtight corners with a diamondengraving pin. Impregnated

diamond (not coated) for longlife

(800) 282-6470www.stardiamondtools.com

Star Diamond Tools, Inc.Diamond Tools and Accu-Glide Saw

Create scored lines and reachtight corners with a diamondengraving pin. Impregnated

diamond (not coated) for longlife

(800) 282-6470www.stardiamondtools.com

Score Perfectly Straight LinesScore Perfectly Straight Lines

WINNER!

http://www.stardiamondtools.com



grinding, sandblasting, polishing, shot blasting orwith an overlay.

Tools typically used include DeWALT,Milwaukee, Black and Decker or Mikata hand-held right-angled grinders and saws, Dremel typeengraving pins, the Kaleido-Crete systems, or theHarris Accu-Glide concrete saw. The Engrave-A-Crete System uses specialized electric-powered sawswith diamond blades, the Kaleido-Crete Systemuses pneumatically powered tools containing finesteel rod impactors, while the Harris Accu-Guideallows cuts with straightness of +1⁄32" over thirtyfeet. An operator can achieve up to 5,000 linearfeet of production a day with the Accu-Glide. StarDiamond Tools also has a special convex bladeused in an angle grinder to cut circles.

Crafters develop their own favorite tools andtechniques. Every experienced creator of concreteimages emphasizes the importance of quality toolsand diamond blades. Inexpensive blades becomeexpensive in the long run because they result inchipping and rough edges. These blemishes impairthe overall quality of the job. Not getting paidbecause of poor quality is one thing, what you leavebehind can be an even worse experience. Adamsonsays that achieving straight lines is as simple aspurchasing the proper equipment and diamonds

that are specifically designed fordecorative grooving. John Bernat, StarDiamond Tools, reminds us “high

More information is availablefrom the following sources:Darrel Adamson, Engrave-A-Crete;

(800) 884-2114 www.engraveacrete.comMarvin Dodson, Rare Earth Labs,

(800) 999-4062 www.rareearthlabs.comJohn Bernat, Star Diamond Tools,

(800) 282-6470 www.stardiamondtools.com

Elizabeth Anderson, Anderson Enterprises, (417) 581-4796

Ger

ald

Tayl

or, E

l Dor

ado

AR

.

Ron

Gar

amen

di, L

as V

egas

NV.


http://www.engraveacrete.com

http://www.rareearthlabs.com



of cut with less dust than abrasives.Segmented dry small-diameter blades areused on hand-held circular saws and mostright angle grinders.

Use them on concrete block,marble, softgranite, stone, tile and other materials.Drytuck-pointing blades are used on hand-heldcircular saws and small, right angle grinders.Dry tuck-pointing pins can be used onrouters and clean out mortar from mortarjoints and butt (vertical) joints.Dry tileblades are continuous-rim blades used forchip-free cutting on tile saws, right-anglegrinders and circular saws.Dry segmentedcup grinders,used on right-angle grinders,they grind all types of concrete,masonry,brick,block and stone.

Segmented or continuous-rim blade?Segmented and continuous rim blades aredesigned for the same task,but offerdifferences in speed,performance andlongevity. Segmented blades have a thickersegment and higher diamond concentrationfor longer life and greater ability to resistvery abrasive materials.They also have athicker core and open gullets, so they arewell suited for high production and heavyuse.The blade segments are laser-welded, sothey can be repaired.

However, segmented blades havedisadvantages.The thicker segment results ina slightly lower cutting speed and the opengullets make a rougher cut.Continuous-rimblade have a thinner rim and greater surfacearea that delivers aggressive cutting speedsand less dust and a smooth,chip-free cut. It’sa good choice for very hard materials suchas stone,marble and decorative edges.Likesegmented blades, continuous-rim bladesalso have downsides.The thinner rim andlower diamond concentration result inshorter blade life and wear fast in veryabrasive materials.Their thinner core and nogullets means they cannot dissipate heat asfast as a segmented blade and can warpwhen overheated.Finally, they cannot berepaired.

Your diamond blade distributor isprovided with a wealth of information fromthe manufacturer and can help withadditional blade selection tips.

Thom Fisher is Advertising and Trade ShowManager for Diamond Products in Elyria,Ohio.

Selectingthe rightdiamond blade to run

on concrete saws is the best way tomaximize your equipment investment.More and mare companies offer diamondblades.But how can a contractor choosethe right blade for the right saw?

How diamond saws cutBlade performance is a combination of thematerial being cut, cutting speed and bladelife.Changing one variable affects theothers.Aggregate hardness and size, amountof steel reinforcing (rebar) and whether theconcrete is green or cured affects bladeselection.The diamond blade segments aremade up of a mixture of diamonds andmetal powders.The composition of thebond that holds the diamonds must bematched to the hardness or softness of thematerial being cut.The simple rule of thumbto remember when selecting a blade:Usesomething hard to cut something soft andsomething soft to cut something hard.

Know your concreteThe size of the aggregate affects bladeperformance.Large aggregate makes theblade cut slower,while smaller aggregatemakes the blade cut faster.Heavyreinforcing with rebar also tends to slowthe blade and make it wear faster.The timethe concrete has had to cure greatly affectshow the material will interact with theblade.Freshly poured or green concrete issofter and more abrasive than curedconcrete.The blade will need a harder bondwith undercut protection to cut greenconcrete and a softer bond for curedconcrete.Undercutting is a condition inwhich the steel core of the blade wearsfaster than the diamond segments. It is

caused by highly abrasive material grindingagainst the core.The best remedy is tochoose a blade with under-cut protectorson the core or pol-yarc segments.

Know your saw You must know the blade specificationsrequired by your saw.Do not use bladesnot recommended by your sawmanufacturer on your saw.You can controlcutting by adjusting spindle speed. Increasingspindle speed makes the diamond blade cutharder,decreasing the spindle speed makesthe blade cut faster.Harder, less abrasivematerials require slower spindle speeds andsofter,more abrasive materials need fasterspindle speeds.Never operate blades atrotational speeds greater than themaximum RPM listed on the blade.Overspeeding can damage the blade or causeserious injury.

Know the differencesbetween bladesThere axe several types of diamond bladesfrom which to choose.High-speedsegmented blades are the most competi-tively priced on the market and make fast,smooth cutting in many materials.Theyprovide a constant depth of cut and fewerblade changes.Most come with a 1" arborwith a drive pinhole or a 20 mm arbor.Drywalk-behind concrete saw blades are idealfor intermittent cuts in concrete, greenconcrete and asphalt.They cut withoutwater and are often used in patch/repairwork or expansion joints.Dry and wetmasonry blades provide a consistent depth

Take the guesswork outof selecting diamond

bladesBy Thom Fisher,Diamond Products


quality diamond blades run smoother and coolerand always produce fine clean cuts.”

Patience is right behind imagination inrequired skills. Once a cut is made, it cannot beundone. Grinding or making other cuts toprovide balance can change it. It can be widenedor angled differently. Stain may be used to disguiseor create a diversion of the eye.

Is this art? Yes! And that is the basis todetermine fees you will charge for your work. Thetools available today allow someone with limitedskills to become an artisan. The person using thecorrect tools must understand concrete and musttry not to be affected by those who are watching.Advice from sidewalk superintendents, includingowners, must be taken lightly. If you wear earplugsfor safety, they may also provide a barrier tounsolicited advice. Dodson says, “as withanything else ‘practice makes perfect.’”

Multi-media artist, Elizabeth Anderson,Anderson Enterprises, discovered concrete as anew medium. Working on a project for Bass ProShops in Islamorada, she used INCRETE stains

CIRCLE #10 ON READER SERVICE CARD CIRCLE #42 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Nautilus was created freehand with a 4" diamond wheel.

Eliza

beth

And

erso

n an

d Pe

rry

Earr

u, O

zark

MO

.



with metal shavings and engraved fossils on thefloor, including that of a seven-foot tarpon andthe nautilus shown here.

Creativity, skill and product knowledge are thereasons you can be well compensated. You areusing special skills to add value to your client’sproperty. If you are shy about asking to be justlycompensated, your customers can interpret that aslack of confidence on your part. It is alsoimportant that your trucks, your equipment andyour workers look professional. You want businessowners and homeowners to be proud that yourtrucks are parked on their properties. One lasthint from Adamson: install ID medallions on allyour projects.

Tom

Ral

ston

, San

ta C

ruz C

A.

Cin

dy C

ollin

s, M

oulti

n A

L

Jeffr

ey G

rieve

, Car

lsbad

CA


Industry SpotlightIs it art? Or is it concrete work?By Jim Peterson,President,ConcreteNetwork.Com

Concrete is most often thoughtof as the material of choice fordriveways, basement walls,

curbs and gutters, and roadways — andrightly so. There is not another materialon earth more durable, strong, and costeffective.

The material is being looked atthrough a different set of eyes, however,by a growing group of architects,designers, contractors, and mostimportantly, buyers who are clamoringfor these concrete products and floors.

Concrete is being used as a finalinterior flooring surface in directcompetition with wood, tile, marble,and slate. Concrete surfaces can bestained, scored, sandblasted, overlayedand stamped — or a combination of theabove. While concrete is custom andbeautiful, it is also clean. According tothe American Lung Association, 26million Americans have beendiagnosed with asthma in their lifetime.Dirt that accumulates in carpet is alarge contributor to asthma problems.

Got cold feet?For many years concrete was notconsidered for some interior surfacesdue to it being a cold surface, althoughconcrete is no colder than tile. Today,buyers are opting for decorativeconcrete and in many cases handlingthe cold floor issue by using radiant floorheating systems. These systems heat theslab either by hydronic or electricalmeans, providing optimal comfort sinceit is warmest by the floor and graduallycools as the distance from the floorincreases. Conversely, forced air heatingsystems deliver heat at the ceiling line— where it is of the least use.

Your floor is your lifeSome craftsmen are literally creatingartwork on floors for their customers.David Pettigrew of Diamond D

Concrete in Watsonville, CA hascreated a floor at the 6000 square footGriffin residence in La Honda, CA.Pettigrew and his wife Catherine drewsketches for the floor designs and theimpressed Mark Griffin responded, “You can do this with the concrete?”Pettigrew’s crew of five men spent threedays just scoring the designs into theconcrete floors. Then, it was a six-weekprocess to color the floor. Dave utilizedfour treatments on this project: Microtopping, acid-etch stain, Con Color,and Plate-All — which is molten metalon concrete.

Floor artwork by Dave andCatherine Pettigrew

Gary Breaux of Surface Effects inLake Charles, LA provides custompainted floors that create the look ofmarble, stone, and slate. He can createa tiled appearance without seams orlines, providing the owner with asmooth low maintenance floor. Breauxuses epoxy resins for base and colorcoats, and then applies a non-yellowingurethane as a durable top coating finish.

Painted floor by Surface Effects

Besides flooring, concrete is alsobeing used for countertops, tubsurrounds, sinks, fireplace surrounds,wall tiles, and even furniture. SteveRosenblatt of Sonoma Cast Stone has44 dealers throughout the United Stateswho sell products such as his “WaveSink”, which won an award from theNational Kitchen and Bath Association.He also makes custom pavers, tubsurrounds, and a variety of otherconcrete products.

Wave Sink by Sonoma Cast Stone

Gary Simpson of Kaldari does a briskbusiness selling his concrete furniture atthe Festival of Arts annual event inLaguna Beach. Simpson also manufac-turers concrete countertops and doesconcrete staining for floors in the LosAngeles and Orange County area ofSouthern California.

Concrete chairs by Kaldari

The growth of concrete applicationsseems to have taken on a self-fulfillingaspect. As designers and consumerslearn of these products on the Internet,in print magazines, or see them on floors

Continued on page 41

Concrete.The remarkable new old material.

Visit our award-winning website atwww.ConcreteNetwork.comor call toll free 866-380-7754

Kitchen Countertops

Concrete Tub Surrounds

Custom Flooring

Concrete Interiors

DEX Studios

Richard Smith Custom Concrete

Find these innovative concrete products, and thousands more, in

one remarkable place. In fact, over 100,000 visit our compre-

hensive website monthly looking for information, products, and

service providers. We can give you the ideas, the information, the

inspiration, and even help you find the perfect contractor to

make your dream a reality. Discover the possibilities.

Discover the possibilitiesAmerica has rediscovered concrete. Concrete has always been

energy-efficient, durable, cost-effective, abundant, and enviro-

friendly. But it is now drawing serious attention from leading-

edge designers, architects, builders, artisans, contractors, and

in-the-know consumers. Kitchen countertops, bathroom fix-

tures, and custom floors are hot, and the future of concrete is

bright!

Special offer for Contractors: Free Web Page ($500.00 value!)Join our network of concrete artisans and contractors.

ConcreteNetwork.com will build, host, and maintain your ownpage on the worldwide web. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s FREE!Showcase your work to the world. Call today for details.


http://www.ConcreteNetwork.com


AllCracked

Up!By Susan Brimo-Cox

When it comes to concrete, are cracks inevitable?Technically, if every aspect of the original pour wasdone perfectly, perhaps not. But in the real world, it’s a

pretty safe bet that cracks are going to occur. Concrete cracks arecaused by improper sub grade preparation, a bad mix design, poorthickness control, improper curing, poorly placed control joints,temperature changes, stress loads, ground or building movement,and a variety of other reasons — singly or in combination.

Contractors are frequently called in to repair or camouflageconcrete cracks. A homeowner with a concrete driveway, walkor patio may decide that the cracks are unsightly and need to befixed. Cracks in basement or garage floors often need attention.Darryl Manuel, president of Vexcon Chemicals Inc. inPhiladelphia, observes a trend in turning older buildings —often featuring concrete floors with lots of cracks — into loftsand retail spaces. And in new retail and commercial spaces,concrete floors are often specified for their durability andlongevity, cracks not withstanding.

When it comes to crack repair and the decorative treatmentof the concrete surface, a dozen contractors have as manyrecommendations. Different kinds of cracks, it seems, requiredifferent repair techniques.

“The first thing about concrete cracks is that just about everycrack is different and how you repair a crack depends on whatyour coating is going to be,” explains A. Ray Anderson, ownerof Only Under Pressure in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Being a crack detectiveSome cracking is a one-shot deal, such as when the cracksoccurred because of curing problems or an over-size truck ran overthe slab. These are static cracks, unlikely to move. Structural andother types of moving cracks, on the other hand, typically presentongoing problems. As Tom Ralston, president of Tom RalstonConcrete Inc. in Santa Cruz, Calif., points out, “You have tohonor all structural cracks. They’ll continue to move.”

Mike Meursing, manager at Versatile Deck Coatings in LongBeach, Calif., says, “Once you locate the cracks and failures, itis important to determine the cause, otherwise your repair willbe just a short term fix.” If there is still stress present, theconcrete will crack again, but there are clues to what may havecaused the cracks, he adds. Here are some examples:● If you have a full-depth crack and the surfaces on either side of

the crack are not level it’s probably due to an unstable base.● If the slab is on a slope and the cracks run perpendicular to

the slope, it’s likely slippage is the cause.● If you observe random cracking and see or know heavy

machinery has crossed the concrete, excessive load isprobably the cause.

● Surface spalling or cracking where the rebar is locatedindicates that corrosion of the rebar is the culprit.

● Impact cracks are frequently indicated by a spall.● Freeze-thaw cycling often causes widespread and consistent

cracking across the concrete.● And, if there isn’t an apparent cause for the cracking, but

Editor’s note: A variety of informativepublications related to concrete cracksand repair are available from the PortlandCement Association, including “ConcreteFloors on Ground,” “Maintenance andRepair of Concrete Surfaces” and“Resurfacing Concrete Floors.” For moreinformation, call (800) 868-6733.

available from the Portland CementAssociation, including “Concrete Floorson Ground,” “Maintenance and Repair ofConcrete Surfaces” and “ResurfacingConcrete Floors.” For more information,call (800) 868-6733.




you notice curling on the surface or sporadic cracking, it’slikely due to shrinkage.

Prepping and repair material optionsNo matter what decorative topping you’re planning to apply tothe surface of the concrete — stain, opaque coating, bonded orunbonded overlay — you need to make any crack repairs first.The customary practice is to chisel or chase the cracks. Not onlydoes this help you clean up the edges of the crack, chasing alsoprovides a slightly larger slot in which to insert the repair material.

The size of the chasing blade you’ll need for the task dependson the width of the crack, reports Jason Root, western regionproducts specialist with USF Surface Preparation Group inRancho Dominguez, Calif. “A lot of people like to chase thecracks with a V-shape or you can use a square-edge blade.” Thetypical blade widths used for chasing random cracks are 1⁄4-inch,3⁄8-inch and 1⁄2-inch, he says, adding, “When chasing a randomcrack, a smaller diameter blade is better. The smaller thediameter of the blade, the tighter the radius you can turn.”

There are three general categories of crack repair materials,explains Ronald Borum, executive vice president of theMiracote Division of Crossfield Products Corp. in RanchoDominguez, Calif. Rigid repairs are referred to as welds and theresulting repair is rigid. These materials “replace the physicalintegrity and create a seamless substrate.” Epoxy and polymercementitious fillers are typical of this category, he says.

Products in the semi-flexible category “are used more forjoint sealing than crack repair,” Borum says. “Because they’resemi-rigid, they can tolerate some movement. They’re goodunder a coating that can tolerate some movement, providinggood support for the coating.”

Flexible repair products are most commonly used for minorcrack repair — when the crack is 1⁄8-inch to 1⁄16-inch or less —and the crack is stable. These products bridge the crack, aregravity applied or spackled in.

In certain situations, you may need to stitch across the crack.This technique generally results in a strong repair, though itmay not be pretty.

Which repair product you use is dependent on the nature ofthe crack, additional steps you’ll take to relieve any ongoingstress in the slab (such as creating additional control joints) andthe decorative coating you’ll be using on top.

Terry Collins, concrete construction engineer with thePortland Cement Association in Skokie, Ill., remindscontractors, “there’s a constant volume change happening allthe time in concrete [as it expands and contracts]. If you lay thejointing out correctly, it provides a weakened plane for a crackto follow versus a random crack.”

Repair recommendationsAs mentioned earlier, contractors use various techniques inrepairing cracks and prepping the surface for a decorativecoating. As Anderson points out, often “you just have to getout there and see what works and what doesn’t.”


Always wash out the crack with a pressure washer or blowit out with compressed air. The crack needs to be clean forgood bonding with the repair materials.

If you’re using a concrete stain, your “repair material needsto match the surroundings — cementitious is often thepreferred material,” observes Borum.

Manuel recommends using a bonding agent on thesidewalls of the crack if you’re using a cementitious materialfor better adhesion. “Feather the patch if you’re going to coator stain the surface,” he adds.

If using epoxy, be sure the material completely fills thecrack, advises several contractors. If you are filling only aportion of the crack — say the top inch or so — what youhave is an upside down control joint, and you know what willhappen — it will crack.

With epoxy, pressure-feed injection is best, reports many.Also, using a thixotropic epoxy can be advantageous. Athixotropic epoxy congeals as it works its way down into thecrack. This lessens the runoff of the material out the bottomof the crack and allows the material to fill up the crack andthen cure.

With caulk-like repair materials, Darrell Adamson, vicepresident of Engrave-A-Crete Inc. in Sarasota, Fla.,recommends using a backer rod if there’s room. “You need anice bond to each side of the crack, but the center bandneeds to be thin to be springy or stretchy [if there’smovement].” Adamson uses a syringe when applying

caulking to small cracks and he says, “If you need to scrapeexcess away, cut it up and away. Don’t smear it down with yourfinger. Or you can wait for it to cure and cut it flush.”

To prepare the top surface of the concrete after crack repairshave been made, Anderson recommends shot blasting to givethe surface a profile, followed by an acid wash to neutralize anyalkalinity and open up the surface pores to accept the coating.

“You can be creative in how you repair, [but] a good repair istaking your time. Don’t do the job in a hurry,” advises WesVollmer, owner of Alternative Finishes in San Antonio. Takethe time to talk with the engineer, he advises. “You’ll educateyourself for future jobs. Ask how you can manage cracks andwhere you should put control joints. You have to be smartabout how you do your work.”

Cracks as decorative elementsMark Donaldson, owner of Skookum Floors USA Ltd. inSeattle, says that using cracks as decorative elements isprobably a specialty or niche area, but he and othercontractors have come up with ingenious ways to hide cracksin plain sight.

A random stone look is a natural decorative effect that usesrandom cracks, observes Lee Tizard, technical sales represen-tative with Floric Polytech Inc. of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.After chasing out the cracks and applying a knockdowntexture, cut additional random cracks with masonry saw bladeto create a faux flagstone effect, he says.



Ralston devised his own variation on the random stonetheme with rave reviews from customers. Instead of creating arandom stone effect across the whole surface, he uses it only incertain areas. Ralston does not chase the cracks, but marksthem with nails and applies a 3/8-inch topcoat over the slab.Then he uses the nails as a guide to score the original cracksusing the point of a trowel or rat-tail. He carves out randomstone shapes in the topcoat (using a stick or rat-tail for a “moreauthentic looking joint”) only along one side of the cracks anddusts these with earth tone colors. He dusts the remaining areasin between with a sandstone color. In this way, the sandstonecolored areas appear to be bordered by random-laid stones.

Not everyone wants a random stone look, however.Vollmer says one of his customers wanted a more traditionaltile pattern. To achieve the look, “We laid the pattern aroundthe cracks and cut the cracks first. Then we popped chalklines and cut the rest of the pattern.”

For a more realistic look, “small spider cracking is goodfor leaves and other organic [design] elements,” saysMeursing. Additional saw cuts can help incorporate thecracks into a design.

Donaldson suggests you can garner nice effects byhighlighting a crack. “Insert color in the crack with a sprayer,allowing the color to absorb on either side of the crack.”

Other creative options include routing out cracks or spallsand gluing in marbles or filling the voids with another coloror material for an inlay effect.

As Vollmer points out, “There’s nothing you can’t do withdecorative concrete if you have an open, creative mind.”

Never say neverNo matter what your decorative effect, “Cracks can be filled,but with no expectation that they are fixed,” admonishesAdamson.

Crack repair is a big deal, but “I would never guarantee acustomer ‘no cracks,’” reports Donaldson.

“Never warranty cracks. They’re there for a reason,”exclaims Anderson.

Do you observe a common thread in these comments?That’s right — don’t guarantee that the cracks will not return.Tizard has even developed a flow chart to help keep him ontrack with concrete crack repair, including the options to get asigned release or to walk away from the project if thecustomer’s budget isn’t sufficient or the customer doesn’t wantthe cracks repaired. Otherwise, his flow chart works its waydown to varying repair techniques based on the type toppingto be used — rigid and hard or soft and flexible — and the sizeand type of crack. Creativity seems to be his only variable.

Across the board, contractors are becoming more creativewith concrete crack repair and the decorative effects they canhelp achieve. As Meursing observes, “Taking a defect andturning it into art, that’s art!” Editor’s note: Avariety of informativepublications related to concrete cracks and repair are


See us

at W.O.C.

booth #1238


PolishingConcrete:

Putting a High Shineon an Old Mix

by Dave Cagle

Right after the clerk in the orange vest, the high-polish concrete floor greets you at Home Depot.Super smooth concrete, buffed to a gloss, seems too

nice for a hardware store, much less a warehouse place.Don’t be fooled. The near-mirror finish not only looks goodand is tough, it also saves money by dramatically cutting thelabor and materials needed to clean and maintain it.

Polishing concrete is a relatively new art that is fastfinding an audience of willing contractors and manycustomers. Architects and designers who build high-techstructures, chain stores, auto showrooms, restaurants, andmany homeowners have included such floors in their plans.Even the Pentagon ponied up the dough for a spit-shinedfloor in its boot camp gymnasium at Great Lakes NavalTraining Center near Chicago.

Some customers opt for polishing to a high gloss-byremoving the top 1⁄16" of the cream. Others have thecontractors grind deeper, removing the cream and exposingthe aggregate. Some even have special rock, bolts, andpieces of glass added to the mix to be exposed duringgrinding.

Virtually any structurally sound concrete floor can bepolished to a very hard, durable, and nearly maintenance-freefinish. While the grinding and polishing add significantly tothe cost, these outlays are easily recovered in the years tocome from considerably lower maintenance costs.

“Polished concrete can still breathe to let gas and watervapor through,” said Bill Kulibert, North American regionalsales manager for VIC International. “It resists staining by fluids,oils and certain chemicals, as well as the marks laid down byforklifts and other industrial equipment driving across it.”

Kept clean, a polished floor is not slippery. However, whenthe surface has dirt, dust or water on it, these contaminantscan have a ball-bearing effect. If a customer wants anultrashiny and extremely safe floor, such a surface can becoated with various products that keep it from being slick.

Epoxies and urethane coatings commonly used to protectconcrete and give it a high gloss will eventually crack, flakeor separate, and have to be removed. Polished concretesuffers from none of these problems. If the gloss ever fades,“only the last few polishing steps are needed to bring it backto a shine,” Kulibert said.

Just

in H

ill, P

rovo

UT.

Jim Je

rrel

l, A

tlant

a G

A.

decades, ago, and whose flatness and smoothness arequestionable. These problems often mean the cost will riseand the job will be longer and harder.

Once the pour has cured anywhere from seven to 30 days,a 40-grit diamond grinder is employed, according to GregFerchaud, U.S. sales manager for SASE Company, Inc.“Typically, during the first, most aggressive steps, werecommend using diamond disks with a metal binding. Thisstep takes the longest because it is about 75 percent of thework.”

“The initial grinding is the most important,” contractorDoug Demmert of Demmert and Associates in Glendale,California, added. “It takes a lot more time than subsequentpasses, but taking that time and care is worth it. If you grind toodeeply or the floor is uneven, or if you leave some scratches,they will still be there when you finish up at 1,800 grit.”

Some grinders use diamond plugs; others use diamond-impregnated disks.

Mile Cochrane of Diamond Tool Products-Canada noted,“The plugs remove up to 4 mils at a time. A disk can removeonly 0.6 to 2.4 mils.” Virtually all of the diamonds are synthetic.


Among the downsides are the initial equipment costs.The grinding/polishing machines range upward from $3,000.The disks can range from $12 for a three-inch model to$7,000 for a set of three each of seven grits. Slabs that arenot level will suffer from exposed aggregate or areas that arenot polished as highly as others. Vertical surfaces can bepolished, but the job requires hand-held polishers and thework is very taxing. Cochrane polishes such surfaces by usinga grinder that is held to a wall by suction cups.

While estimates of the area that can be polished in a dayvary widely, most agree that a well-experienced crew canpolish several thousand square feet.

Polishing: Just Like Sanding a Piece of WoodIn an ideal world, a polished floor will be specified by anarchitect in the original plans. Then the concrete contractorwould ensure an appropriate mix is prepared and delivered.Pains would be taken to assure the floor is very flat andextremely smooth.

But construction is not an ideal world and manypolishing jobs are on slabs that were poured years, if not

Carmine Grillo, Branchburg NJ.Pete

Wag

ner,

Port

land

OR

.


Then, just like sanding a piece of wood, using progres-sively higher grades of sandpaper, finer grinding disks areemployed. The second and third steps employ metal disksthat are 100 and 200 grit, respectively.

Next, Ferchaud said, it is wise to switch to resin or plasticdisks. “The concrete has become very smooth and non-aggressive after the 100 and 200 disks which means themetal disks can’t be worn away, and thereby keep thediamonds sharp. The diamonds can become ineffective,glazed over.” When switching to resin disks, manycontractors will return to a grit one grade rougher than thetexture on the last metal disk. At this point, theywill often spread sodium silicate on the concrete tomake it more dense and harden it.

The first resin disk is about 120 grit, followed by400, 800 and 1,500.

“At this point, it is starting to look like naturalstone,” he said. “Some people will go on to 3,000grit.”

“If you miss one step in the process, you mighthave to start again,” Cochrane said. “Skipping astep means that the next disk is overworked.

Polishing will take longer and the next disk willwear more than it should.”

Knowing when to switch to the next-finer grit is abit of an art. Cochrane gauges when to change bylooking at the milky gray slurry of water andconcrete dust. “If the water is clear, the diamonds arenot abrading the floor and you probably don’t havethe right machine in terms of weight, speed, motorpower. Once you have created a slurry and the waterbecomes clear again, it is time to switch disks.”

About the only consistent problem is too-softconcrete. “We polish a lot of floors with differentaggregates and have managed to polish most of it,”Demmert said.

“Concrete that’s 40 or 50 years old can bedensified,” Kulibert added, “which will chemicallyreform it to be much harder and denser. Densifyingsaves the customer the labor and cost of laying anew pad down. Any pad can be polished, butpreparing the newly poured one will make itquicker and easier.”

Wet or Dry?The wet-or-dry question is about the biggest bone ofcontention amongst contractors, dealers, andmanufacturers. Demmert does both. “Metal disks canbe used wet or dry. Resin disks have to be done wet.Otherwise, friction will burn them out,” he said.

Cochrane insists on wet because concrete dust iscarcinogenic (cancer-causing). “By using water as alubricator, it and the dust become a slurry. The dustis not discharged into the air.”

Like so many other tools, diamond disks and plugs lastlonger when employed properly: on the right kind ofconcrete and with a little care.

Contractors, distributors and manufacturers generallyagree that most disks are good from 5,000 to about 40,000square feet. Those numbers, of course, can change dramat-ically based on the hardness and roughness of the concrete,the disk’s grit size and binding material, etc.

“Metal bond diamond disks last 10,000 square feet ormore,” Kulibert said.

“And the finer the grit, the longer they last.”

Retroplate™:Moving from Experience toTechnology

Because each slab of concrete is unique, polishing it can require alot of experience and often involves the attendant mistakes.

Advanced Floor Products in Provo, Utah, decided to develop aconcrete-polishing technology to eliminate some of the guesswork.

Retroplate,™ AFP’s patented system for using a special hardenerduring the polishing process, is the fruit of their labors.

AFP started working on the system about four years ago when acustomer in Richmond, Virginia, restored a terrazzo floor. When theshine was gone and the floor started to dust after three months, hecalled Mark Wetherell, AFP’s technical director, to help solve theproblem.

Wetherell’s background in the janitorial business came in veryhandy. He suggested exploring some of the available products in aneffort to find one that would protect the shine and eliminate thedust. “We bought some products and spread them side by side on aslab. Then we started grinding them.”

One seemed to do the trick. The area of the slab it covered keptits shine longer and controlled dusting after the other products weregone.

Since then, AFP was conducted a lot of research anddevelopment on hardening agents and completely reformulated thatoriginal product.

“Basically, we put it on steroids,” Wetherell quipped.The current densifying hardener is not sodium silicate, the

hardener of choice for many other manufacturers and contractors.Because the formula is a trade secret, AFP is tight-lipped about itsnature, saying only that it is a modified silicate.

The heart of the Retroplate™ system, the densifying agentpenetrates the concrete from 1⁄16" to 1⁄8" and reacts chemically with theconcrete salts.

“It creates crystalline growth,” Vernon Talbot, AFP’s salesdirector, said, “which densifies and solidifies the surface.”

It offers significant abrasion resistance. “On a very hard floor, theabrasion resistance might increase 200 percent. Softer concretemight increase 400 percent,” Talbot noted.

AFP distributes the Retroplate™ system only to its 60 certifiedapplicators in North and South America, Eastern Europe,Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand.

Concrete Decor • Fall 2001 • 33CIRCLE #62 ON READER SERVICE CARD

“With the resin disks, we havegotten as high as 25,000, and as lowas 1,700,” Demmert said.

Because polishing is such a newservice, it is still going through itsgrowing pains. Since each floor isdifferent-age, composition,hardness, intended use-one problemis selecting the right diamond andbinding combinations. Some 40different combinations of diamondsand soft, medium, hard or extremelyhard bindings are available.

Hardening:Necessary orWasted Money?The polishing process does not harden concrete. Since thehardness and density of each pour varies, different chemicalsare used by some contractors to ensure the concrete issufficiently solid in order to be polished. The most commonis sodium silicate.

Failing to use a hardener is a mistake in the eyes ofVernon Talbot, sales director of Advanced Floor Products inProvo, Utah. “Without a hardener, either you put a coatingover the concrete or the shine will deteriorate or ‘walk off.’”

Demmert does not use sodium silicate, feeling that is notnecessary.

HazardsJust like all construction, polishing concrete has its hazards.They include the mundane, the possibility of slipping on awet floor. If electrical polishers are used, the wiringrequirements must be met.

Because concrete dust is carcinogenic, proper precautionsmust be taken to control the dust and to protect workersfrom breathing it. Control measures include water systems tocontrol dust and vacuums to remove dust or slurry or both.

CostsThe costs of polishing concrete can range from a few centsper square foot to several dollars for materials, plus the costsof the equipment.

According to Demmert, these costs can be easilyrecovered because he is able to charge his clients 25 to 50percent more for a slab that is polished.

However, he said, “the cost of the equipment and theconsumables will keep a lot of people out of the business.”

Concrete polishing is a new trick that is still beingpioneered. If you want to try it out, Cochrane suggestsgrinding your own garage floor. “You can becomecompetent in one or two jobs, and it really helps if youfind someone who will guide you, tell you everything youneed to know.”

Pete

Wag

ner,

Port

land

OR

.

Use of RetroPlateSystem on black

terrasso at Lexusdealership in

Portland,OR.

Michael Allen Sr. had been mulling an idea aroundfor some time: The concrete goes in the front, thewall comes out the back. How to add a decorative

finish to a vertical wall as it was extruded was the question.The answer came earlier this year, and already commercialprojects are exhibiting the ingenious results.

Allen, owner and president of Allen & Sons ConstructionInc. in French Camp, Calif., learned the concrete trade from hisuncle and formed his own business in 1979. His new patent-pending invention, the Slip Stone Extruded Wall system, is theresult of years of experience and recent concerns about stayingcompetitive in the marketplace.

“Architectural finishes have always been a factor incommercial and public work projects. As the industry haschanged over the past 20 years, owners and architects havesought out different techniques and finishes. However,developers aren’t always willing to pay for decorative concretecreated with traditional methods,” Allen observes.

In May 2001, Allen began experimenting with his SlipStone prototype — a textured mold wrapped around a rollerthat was attached to one of his Gomaco machines. One of thefirst challenges was finding the right texture and mold materialto affix to the roller. Allen explains, “The key was finding a softand forgiving material that would leave an imprint. Metalwanted to indent the concrete and pop the aggregate out. Wefound that our special soft rubber compound married well withthe soft concrete.” Developing the right concrete design meantworking closely with the ready mix company.


Rolling along!New Slip Stone system

enhances extruded wallsBy Susan Brimo-Cox

Slip Stone

PRODUCT

PROFILE


Another challenge was combating the buildup of materialon the roller. Allen says, “During the experimental phase forplacing the walls, we had a buildup of cement material onthe roller which required a lot more labor and release agent.We needed to find a better way. One day, we happened tolook around our shop and came across some thin mill plastic— plastic picnic table covering.” Allen’s crew attached theroll of plastic to the Gomaco machine. As it unrolled overthe freshly extruded concrete, the textured finish rolled rightover it. He says the plastic sheeting cut labor needs by two-thirds, because they didn’t have to keep cleaning buildup offthe decorative mold. “I was able to move those extra crewmembers to other jobs. Then, after an hour — more or less— we peeled the plastic off and the perfect finish wasachieved. And we can cut deep joints and control jointsright through the plastic.”

In July 2001, two months after he began experimentingwith the prototype, Allen & Sons produced a sampleproduct for Grupe Co. and landed a $258,000 project at oneof the development firm’s new lakefront communities.Interestingly, the walls that Allen’s Gomaco machineextruded for the Grupe project were too straight. Thedeveloper wanted an Old World wobbly look, “so we had tobump the machine a little bit every now and again toachieve the look. Grupe is very pleased [with the results] andhas plans on the drawing board for another project in thenext quarter,” Allen reports.

Contrary to what one might assume, the Slip Stonesystem does not slow down the pace of the extrudingmachine, Allen says. “Speed depends on height, width andthe concrete volume you can get through the machine.Moving slowly and vibrating well is important to controlslump. Even if we use rebar, we add fiber mesh to the mix tohelp bind everything together.” And the Slip Stone systemcan imprint all visible surfaces of the extruded wall — front,back and top — whatever is needed.

On some projects integrally colored concrete is beneficial.“It depends on the final results you want. If you want dark-colored or green stones, it’s better to use integrally coloredconcrete — three pounds of base color per yard of concrete.Liquid color works best. This gives the wall an initialdarkening that you can apply stain colors to quickly.”

Allen only uses acid stains on his Slip Stone projects.“You can get so many varieties of colors. We make a 5-footto 10-foot sample wall to show colors for a client. If theclient wants to see a mortar line, we brush a light coating ofoil on the mortar lines to reduce the acid coloring on thoseareas.” Acid staining goes quickly, too. On the Grupeproject, a two-man crew achieved the desired design coloron 3,600 linear feet of wall (4 feet tall by 1 foot wide) inthree days.

Four design patterns are currently available: randomstone, stacked stone, slate and old barn board. An OldWorld brick design is on the drawing table. But, Allen says,

whatever the client wants he can make. “We cast our ownmolds right off the natural material and build the roller tofit.” A traditional brick design with straight mortar lines isnot recommended, however, because the concrete naturallywants to slump. That would result in sagging mortar lines.

The Slip Stone system is adaptable to most slip-formingmachines. The rollers are interchangeable and attach to anadjustable bracket that allows you to adjust the depth of thepattern. It takes 10 minutes to take one roller off and putanother on, Allen reports. Stacking mold designs on a singleroller offers additional possibilities — one could envision ahighway sound barrier wall featuring a scene of wavesbreaking on a beach beneath a cloud-filled sky.

For subdivision entry walls, retaining walls, watersidebulkheads, highway sound barriers and crash walls, the SlipStone system offers distinct savings in time and labor. Allenreports, “Slip Stone saves 40 percent over traditionaldecorative form systems, because you don’t have to buy formsor liners, and you need less labor. The system has beenprofitable for our firm and the future looks bright, as theindustry becomes receptive to Slip Stone walls.”

In a typical 9-hour day using traditional forms, Allen sayshis crew can produce about 36 feet of concrete wall. Usingthe Slip Stone system his crew accomplishes 600 feet in thesame time. “Our goal is 1,000 feet in a 9-hour day using aGomaco machine with our Slip Stone roller. If you look at itfrom a financial perspective, [at that rate,] producing a SlipStone Extruded Wall at $60 a linear foot is not a bad day’srevenue.” Hmmm. It’s not bad at all.

Editor’s note: For more information about the Slip Stone ExtrudedWall system and licensing information, contact Allen & SonsConstruction Inc. at (209) 983-4910. A Web site, atwww.slipstone.net, is scheduled to be online in late November.

And the Slip Stonesystem can imprint

all visible surfaces of the extruded wall

— front,back and top —whatever is needed.

And the Slip Stonesystem can imprint

all visible surfaces of the extruded wall

— front,back and top —whatever is needed.

http://www.slipstone.net


Classifieds

Reach out to contractors nationwide with theclassifieds!

Miracote DivisionCrossfield Products Corp.Video 1 — “Applying Miracote to Pool

Decks” — $29.95 — Covers: Slip ResistantKnock Down Concrete Preparation, Crack

Repairs, Jointing, Sealant and TexturedDecorative Topping

Video 2 — “Application of MirastampOverlay” — $29.95 — Covers: Primer,

Architectural Stamped Overlay, Relief Joint Cut,Coloration, Impression Stamping and Sealer.

To order these exceptional training videos,please call Miracote at 310-886-9100

See display advertisement on page 16.

Are you currently lookingto fill a position

in your organization?••••••••••••••••••

Well, why not place that jobopportunity in Concrete Decor?

••••••••••••••••••Turn to the people thatknow products best...

TheCONTRACTORS!

Tool Manufacturers

To place an ad call toll-free

877-935-8906or 541-341-3390

FAX 541-341-6443

• Classified Phone Hours8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. (Pacific Time)

Monday–FridayClosed Saturdays/Sundays/Holidays

• Classified DeadlinesPlacement, corrections and cancellations

must be made three weeks prior topublication print date. (Please call for

deadline information).

• Advertising Rates“Introductory Special”

$99.00 per column inch. This allows youup to 35 words per inch. Payment must

accompany ad material.

• Ad Sizes21⁄4" x 1" equals one column inch. All ads

must be in whole inches.

• TypesettingAds are set in 8-point Helvetica type with

9-point leading. We will set your typeexactly as you send it to us. Although weretain the right to edit your type, do notrely on us to do so! It is the advertiser’s

responsibility to ensure that all informationis correct.

We provide advice on:Product Selection, Trouble Shooting, Training,Maintenance, Installation, and much more.We have experience in:Stamped Concrete, Acid Stains, Form Liners,Overlays, Integral Color, and many more...

Call us at(813) 909-2242

www.AC-Consultants.com

www.diapro-canada.comAdvanced Diamond Tools

Toll-Free: 1.888.673.2222

It’s time to learn how to apply oneof the best and easiest concrete

polymer overlay systems!Our training facility in Colorado Springsconducts national training for ELITE CRETEtwice a month. Our instructors are highly-trained contractors with years of experience.

Learn how to apply:• Thin Stamped Overlays• Hand Carved Stone Overlays• Antiquing — stamped, handtroweled, and

more...• Acid Staining techniques for plain concrete

and overlay systems.• Spray Systems like splatter texture,

knockdowns, and custom logos.• Marketing and Start-up Tips

You will graduate with a portfolio of useful ideasand samples to promote your new skills.

Visit our web site for maps and class dates:www.elitecretesolutions.com

Or contact us by e-mail or telephone:[email protected]

(719) 574-8824

AlternativeFFIINNIISSHHEESS

• Staining concrete since 1993• References available• Acid stain floors, walls, counter tops, etc.• Decorative scoring (sawcuts)• Custom colors, color grouting• Clear coat sealers• Waxing, highspeed buffing

On the job training at your site

Wes Vollmer Concrete(210) 655-5940 Design

Specialist

www.alternativefinishes.com

Decorative ConcreteConsulting and Training

Decorative ConcreteConsulting and Training

Training Materials

http://www.miracote.com


ConcreteMarketplaceis a paid listing of quality-related products.If you would like more information about anyof these products, circle the appropriatenumber on the reader service card foundbetween pages 12 and 13 of this issue.

One 8 oz. bottle mixes with 5 gallons mineral spirits.$26.95 each (packaged six per carton)

1 (888) ADD-MIXX

Cemtec Repair & Resurfacing Products • Hoschton, GACIRCLE #04 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Advanced Polymer TechnologyArchitectural Toppings and Resinous Flooring

1-(866)-4FLORIC435-6742


Polymer Modified Cementitious CoatingsStainsResinous FlooringWaterproofing Membranes

BUBBLE GUMBUBBLE GUMLIQUID RELEASE*CONCENTRATE*

ConcreteRepair Products


Triple-S Chemical Products, Inc.3464 Union Pacific Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90023

Concrete stain is a chemical reaction with concrete minerals. To decorate patios, floors, living rooms, entranceways, sidewalks,

exteriors/interiors.

Call: 1 (800) 862-5958 • Web: www.concrete-stains.comCIRCLE #58 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Bla

ck

Dar

k B

row

n

Ligh

t Bro

wn

Bur

gund

y

Rus

ty

Blu

e

Blu

e G

reen

Gre

en

Lim

e

Tan

Ora

nge

Bric

k

http://www.miracote.com

Product ProfilesQuick Release Block FormsNEW FROM DESIGN PRO! — Duluth, MNTired of wasting excess concrete? Design Pro offers an array of decorative block forms intowhich excess concrete can be poured. Versatile V-interlock, Knob-Style and Terra-Cretelarge landscape blocks are available in sizes ranging from 1⁄4 cu. yd. thru 1 cu. yd. WithDesign Pro’s Quick Release Block Forms feature quick release clamps, welded-in rebar liftpoint insert and reinforced sidewalls on all six footlong forms to prevent bowing. Durable urethanerubber liners can create various rock and stonepatterns and last for a minimum of 100+ uses undernormal conditions. Simply place the liner into thebottom of the form before concrete placement andremove the liner from the finished block afterstripping.

For more information contact Design Pro at (888) 728-9481 or online www.designproforms.com

Decorative ConcreteSystems — Walla Walla,WADecorative Concrete Systems has designed a new roller tool toenhance the grout lines of imprinted concrete. The Delux RollerTools comes in 3⁄4", 1⁄2" and a “V” design or can be custom made to fityour imprinted pattern. They are smallenough to fit in your hip pocket. Formore information, please contactDecorative Concrete Systems at 800-938-4148 or visit their web site atwww.dcsystemssupport.com today!

Slip StoneSee article on page 34!

PRODUCT

PROFILE

Blastrac 1-5HH -Handheld ShotblasterThe 1-5HH shot blasting system incorporates a high performance, airless,

centrifugal wheel for propelling blast media in a controlled pattern anddirection. For decorative use with stencils or for other smaller ordifficult to reach access areas, the 1-5HH is an excellent tool forcleaning concrete or imparting a decorative profile to horizontal orvertical surfaces. With the optional Turbo-Vac Dust Collector the1-5HH provides operations that’s free of airborne contaminants.For more information call USF Surface Preparation Group at(888) 272-9832 or visit them online at

www.surfacepreparation.com. See their ad on page 39



http://www.designproforms.com

http://www.dcsystemssupport.com

http://www.surfacepreparation.com

Product New

s



Exaktime Releases Jobclock Time andAttendance System

Exaktime, Inc., a technology company focused onthe construction industry has introduced the

Jobclock, a hardware and software package that allowsremote job time and attendance tracking utilizing DallasInstruments’ ibuttons, Palm Inc.’s Palm Pilot and thelatest PC technology.

The heart of the Jobclock system is a small,construction grade timeclock that can be affixed and leftat the job site. Because it is weatherproof, tamper-proofand battery powered, it is entirely self-contained.Employees clock IN and OUT via miniature ibuttonsdesigned to be carried on their keychains. Thesupervisor can come to the jobsite any time of the day orweek and download the attendance records via theInfrared strobe built into the Jobclock and a Palm Pilot.Right on the jobsite they can see who has touched in,who was late, who was early and who should be thereany time of the day. Once back at the office, the timerecords can be automatically transferred into theJobclock software in a PC that can generate printedreports for any employee, crew, or job site.

CCoonnvveerrggiinngg TTeecchhnnoollooggiieess PPrroovviiddeedd tthhee SSoolluuttiioonn“The problem of time and attendance tracking in theconstruction industry is not a new one,” said Scott

Prewett, VP of Business Development at Exaktime, Inc.“The Jobclock system takes advantage of the low cost ofDallas Instruments ibuttons and the easy availability ofPalm Pilots. Contractors no longer have to second-guesshand-written employee time cards or spend time addingup hours. There is simply nothing like it on the market.”

“What I like about the Jobclock is its simplicity,” saidLou Pagano of Little Foot Construction. “It took onlyminutes to install and understand. My employees like itand my bookkeeper refuses to go back to having to readscribbled-in time cards. We even use one Jobclock totrack the use of the company’s tools.”

TThhee JJoobbcclloocckk SSyysstteemm iiss DDeessiiggnneedd ffoorr AAnnyyoonnee iinn tthheeCCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn PPrroocceessssPainters, framers, roofers, remodelers, masons, plumbersand electricians can all benefit from tracking arrival anddeparture times. A primary benefit will be to companieswho are running multiple job sites and do not have afull-time supervisor at each site.

For more information please contact Val Doran,Marketing Manager for Exaktime, Inc. (818) 901-9326or visit them on-line at www.exaktime.com.

Get your copy of the Super Stone CD

The informative, interactive CD-ROM fromSuperStone contains more than a complete catalog


http://www.exaktime.com


of quality made products, it also includes our training videos(Stamped Concrete, ChlorStain, and Super Surface). Asinnovators of decorative concrete products customers havealways enjoyed the special attention SuperStone places onservice. To learn more please give us a call at (800) 432-5037or visit us on the web at www.superstone.com.

Diamond Products Introduces Core CutCC6000D with Differential Drive

Diamond Products has announced the introduction of itsnew Core Cut CC6000D Concrete Saws with

Differential Drive to its product line. The new CC6000Dfeatures a patent-pending design with a differential drivesystem that allows for easy maneuvering by pivoting the sawon its rear wheels. No heavy lifting is required to turn the saw.

The CC600D offers these features:● 65 HP Wisconsin gas engine.● Fits through a 30" doorway.● Hydrostatic transmission with differential is totally

enclosed. No exposed chains or gears.● Differential lock provides positive drive to both rear

wheels for maximum traction.● Choice of 14", 20", 26", 30", and 36" blade guards.● Maximum cutting depth 143⁄4" with a 36" guard.● All CC6000D saws come standard with quick-release

blade shaft/flange, slip-on blade guards, quick-release 10"rear wheels, double concave roller bearings, telescopingfront pointer and three position handle bars.

● Bladeshaft tachometer standard on multi-speed saws.● Free wheel neutral on hydrostatic transmission for manual

maneuvering.● Four stage air cleaner with maintenance indicator for

maximum engine protection.

Headquartered in suburban Cleveland, Diamond Products is aleading manufacturer and distributor of diamond tools and

equipment. The company product line includes wet and drydiamond blades, diamond core bits and core drill rigs along withconcrete, wire and masonry saws. For more information pleasecontact Thom Fisher, Promotions Manager at (440) 323-4616.

Sawtec MegaChipper Quickly,Easily removesHigh-Build Coatings,Flooring Materials

Dolly mounted to reduce operator fatigue, the Sawtec™MegaChipper peels up coatings when grinding and

blasting are ineffective and is particularly suited to theremoval of all types of high-build coatings. The SawtecMegaChipper quickly removes elastomeric and deck coatings,tile mortar, heavy paints, resilient and ceramic tile, linoleumand wood flooring.

The MegaChipper is a sturdy hammer bit with spring steelblade. Powered by a demolition hammer, the blade slides underand releases floor coatings and coverings without damaging theconcrete surface. The unit has an adjustable range of motionwithin 33 to 43 degrees to provide just the right angle neededfor efficient removal. The MegaChipper is best used for smallto medium-sized jobs and to quickly clear areas next to walls,around columns, or obstructions, or in tight areas.

Sawtec, a division of USF Surface Preparation Group,offers a full-line of portable dust-free surface preparationequipment including air-powered saws; grinding equipment;tilecutting, tuckpointing and crack chasing equipment; jointcleanout equipment and dust collection systems. TheSawtec™ line also includes a full complement of standard andpremium diamond blade, cup wheels and abrasive discs.Sawtec sales professionals work with knowledgeableequipment and supply vendors and are available for consul-tation at your jobsite to help determine which tool anddiamond blade will best serve your needs.

For more information on USF Surface Preparation Groupor Sawtec, visit the expanded web site at www.surfaceprepa-ration.com or send an e-mail to [email protected].


http://www.superstone.com

http://www.surfaceprepa-ration.com





Advertiser Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page # . . . . . . . . Reader Service #

Architectural Concrete Consultants . . . . . . . . Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —Alternative Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —Arizona Polymer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02A.W. Cook Cement/CemTec . . . . . . . . . . . . . PM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04Benron Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06Blastrac/Sawtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08Chem Coat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Concrete Coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12ConcreteNetwork.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Concrete Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Crossfield Products/Miracote Div. . . . . . . . . . 37, Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Diamond Tool Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —Elite Crete Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —Floric Polytech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Golden Look International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Kelly Moore Paints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Kemiko Concrete Stains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Polytek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Quick Imprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Rafco-Brickform Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Rare Earth Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Rock Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Sawtec/Blastrac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08Scofield, L. M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Shave Away Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Simple Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Skookum Floor Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Slip Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Solomon Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Star Diamond Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52SuperStone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54SureCrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover . . . . . . . . . 56Triple S Chemical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Versatile Deck Coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60VIC International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Classified ads are on page 36.PM — Product Marketplace is on page 37.

Advertiser Indexor countertops in public places — theywant more of the products. As demandgrows — so does the amount ofcreativity and diversity of offeringsfrom concrete trade’s people and othercraftsman from outside the concreteindustry.

In some cases it is artists or thosewith architectural backgrounds orother building experience turning toconcrete as their medium, versusconcrete contractors turning intoartists. Mark Rogero of ConcreteworksStudio in Oakland, CA, for instance, isa trained architect. Fu Tung Cheng ofCheng Design in Berkeley, CA has abackground in building. Jeff Girard, ofFormworks in Raleigh, NorthCarolina, is an engineer by training.

This diversity among the applicatorand product producer communities issure to spawn an even greater numberof innovative decorative concreteapplications, to which we can all lookforward to.

About The Concrete Network(www.concretenetwork.com): Foundedin 1999, The Concrete Network servesarchitects, builders, designers, consumers,and remodelers with over 1,300 pages ofconcrete information and local serviceproviders for stamped concrete, acid-etchstaining, concrete resurfacing, and 43other types of concrete work. Jim Petersonis Founder and President.

Continued from page 24Industry Spotlight

Upcoming Events

Visit Concrete Decor atbooth #7856

Seminars: January 8-12, 2002Show: January 9-12, 2002Morial Convention Center

New Orleans, Louisiana USARegister online at:

www.worldofconcrete.com

http://www.concretenetwork.com):

http://www.worldofconcrete.com

decorative forms and liners concrete with diamonds

Documents