Decorative Concrete 101

Bye-bye basic grey: Decorative Concrete is one of the hottest new trends for patios, floors, entryways, counter tops, pool decks and more. No longer simply a utilitarian medium for construction, concrete has taken on a new life. Today’s home and business owners appreciate the value, versatility, and beauty of concrete. That’s right, we said beauty! Concrete has gone from drab to fab, and is an affordable way to express your unique style throughout your home or office, from the indoors out. Ranging from expansive new homes with elaborate concrete driveways to budgeted one-room remodels showcasing a stunning, stained or overlay concrete floor, the attraction is continuing to grow when it comes to using concrete for decorating.

Ground Up Builders can help you achieve the Decorative Concrete designs you desire. We’ve compiled a list of Decorative Concrete options to help you discover the treatment that’s best for you and your project!

Stamped Concrete  -  for new construction and renovation projects.

Adds texture and color to concrete making it resemble stone, brick, slate, cobblestone and many other products found in nature including wood, fossils, shells and more. Rubber imprinting tools (stamps) are impressed into thin pre-mixed concrete overlay material shortly after it is placed to create natural stone or brick textures. Available in a wide range of colors.

• limitless possibilities
• great durability
• lower cost than natural products

Acid Staining

A chemical reaction involving a mixture of water, mineral salts and a slight amount of muratic acid which creates new earth tone colors on the concrete surface. Due to inconsistencies in the surface level of concrete floor, acid staining creates a variegated or mottled appearance that is unique to each slab. Acid stains generally come in only about eight or so neutral colors.

Water Based Staining

Water based stains are a "coating" that bonds with the concrete, giving an opaque color with a translucent effect. There are many variations of water based stains that have come into the decorative concrete industry. Some are polymer based, acrylic and epoxy.

Concrete Dyes

Offer a limitless palette for residential and commercial concrete applications. Dyes are nonreactive and impart color by penetrating concrete or other porous cementitious surfaces They may be used on such projects as sound/retaining walls, bridges, countertops, floors, and many more. Dyes provide more vibrant colors such as yellow, blue, and purple, and are often used in conjunction with acid stains to produce a variegated look and, in most cases, complement the already stained floor. With dyes, almost any color is achievable. It's a great enhancement for stain giving you a wider range and vibrancy of color, and introducing color layering.

Overlaying

Useful on new and existing (sound) concrete applications, indoors and out. Although cement-based overlays have been around for decades, many of today's systems blend polymer resins with cement, sand, and other additives to improve performance, wear resistance, and aesthetic qualities. Polymer-modified overlays can be applied in layers as thin as a credit card or up to several inches thick without delamination or failure. They adhere well to existing concrete and resist damage from salt, chemicals, UV exposure, freeze-thaw conditions, and abrasion. Many of today's decorative overlays use acrylics or acrylic blends because these resins provide excellent bond strength and UV resistance.

Polishing

Concrete can be polished with Mechanical grinders and diamond pads of increasing grit sizes. Diamond pads come in many grit or mesh sizes. Common sizes start with 6 grit and can go up to 8500 grit although concrete can only maintain a shine of about 800 grit, it can be helped by adding a concrete hardener such as sodium silicate or lithium silicate which will allow concrete to hold a 1800 through 3000 grit shine. The work is accomplished in multiple stages by passing over the concrete with successive grit diamond pads until it has a hard-glassy finish. Both acid stains and concrete dyes can be used during the polishing process.

Engraving

Existing concrete can be remodeled by cutting lines and grooves into its surface. Geometric patterns, straight or curved lines and custom designs can be cut directly into the surface of the concrete creating the look of tile, flagstone, cobblestone and many other common surface patterns. This is usually achieved using tools like an angle grinder fitted with diamond blades, but is more effectively accomplished using specialty tools designed specifically for cutting designs into the concrete.

Form Liner

Concrete can be cast into unique and detailed designs using a urethane form liner, which acts as a mold. Once the concrete is set, the form liner is stripped from the hardened concrete surface. The concrete is permanently textured with the pattern of the form liner. These are often seen on sound/retaining walls, building exteriors, and bridges.

Ground Up Builders can help you achieve your Decorative Concrete dreams! Give us a call today for a free estimate at 615-326-5790.

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