Category Archives: Decorative Concrete Commentary

Tack Strip Pop-Outs – Watch Them Disappear

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Ugh, tack strip pop-outs! Those pesky holes left in concrete when tack strip is removed can bring on a contractor’s profanity-laced headache and send a job south in a hurry.

This all too common problem is sometimes solved by filling the pop outs with a concrete repair mixture, usually with disastrous results.

Any repair mixture used will have a different texture and finish than the original concrete, meaning it will accept stain differently from the rest of the floor.  What were once holes become splotches of color that highlight the pop-out problem rather than solving it.

Chris Mirabal, Technical Adviser for Engrave-A-Crete, has perfected a method for repairing  pop-outs without the staining nightmare that occurs using other methods.

Chris says:

  1.  Clean out any loose concrete from around the pop-out.  Prep the entire floor surface as usual.
  2. Apply the stain to the entire area according to directions, including the pop outs.  Just ignore those holes for now!
  3. Apply the first coat of sealer and let it dry completely.
  4. Mix up some CR-530 Inside Epoxy.
  5. Pour the epoxy into the pop-out.  Be careful not to overfill or underfill.  The epoxy should be flush with the surface.
  6. Once the epoxy is dry, apply another coat of sealer to the entire floor.

The pop-outs are now filled with a clear epoxy that allows the stain color to show through and is flush with the surface.  Since no new concrete was added, the stain color/pattern is consistent throughout, including the pop-outs. The second coat of sealer provides an even finish to the floor.

Presto! The pop-outs have disappeared.

Thanks, Chris!

The Importance of Proper Eye Protection

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Remember, you only get one pair of eyes. 500,000 eye injuries in the USA every year are 500,000 too many! Some of that number includes decorative concrete installers. Many of these injuries can be avoided with adequate eye protection.

Too many contractors seem to prefer a trip to the emergency room to wearing safety glasses.  That ER trip can end in bandages, eye patches, surgery, immobility during healing, big expenses.

Your regular glasses are not safety glasses.  Safety lenses are usually polycarbonate, almost like jet windshield material and unlikely to break, even when struck hard.

Safety glasses for certain tasks may not look much different from ordinary eye glasses, others may have side shields on them.

If you wear prescription eye wear, you can get your vision correction prescription cut into a pair of safety glasses or have a quality material that is set for general use which may include bifocals for reading, but have no specific correction factor.

Frames for safety glasses are generally more “hardy,” not necessarily fashionable, but quite flexible and sturdy.

You can easily select a shape, design and size that offers you the most protection, yet still comfortable. Glasses and goggles are available from several companies who sell products in compliance with OSHA regulations and who each offer a variety of choices.

The possibility of any eye damage, either temporary or permanent, makes safety glasses a good bet.  Please protect your vision so you can see the decorative concrete art that you have created and that you’ll continue to create for many years to come.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Decorative Concrete Work Requires Hearing Protection

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Protect Your Hearing

When you are working with your beloved Mongoose™ or KaleidoCrete System® Barracuda™ or other engraving tools, are you mindful of the noise they make? Their ‘song’ is music to your ears only when filtered through ear plugs. To paraphrase lines from Red Riding Hood, hearing protection means the better to hear the sweet sounds of your family and society when the tools are not running.

The concrete cutting and engraving tools aren’t alone in the noise realm. Saws, both mechanical and hand operated, drilling, heavy machinery and more create sound at sufficient decibel levels to inflict permanent damage with repeated exposure.

Ear protection is not expensive, but hearing recovery is incredibly expensive and may be unsuccessful.

If you work alone, then you have to take the lead and responsibility for yourself — make a difference from this day on for your hearing future. You have better things to do than learn to read lips because you wouldn’t take time to get ear plugs.

When you’re working with a team, you can influence the hearing future of your employees. Be a leader and mandate ear protection for anyone working around the machinery. Choose ear plugs, pods, or muffs that are appropriate for the noise level of the tools you are using. Assume hearing is at risk. This is one time when assumption is better over done than missed.

Providing hearing protection for your team is a small perk that will be one of the most appreciated down the line when they can hear their grandchildren laugh at their tales about what a goofy boss you were.

Nips and Tucks | Remodeling With Decorative Concrete Floors

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Recent studies  show that home remodeling is growing in popularity.

And why not? Not everybody is looking to do a quick turn sale on their home. A quiet majority of us want to stay right where we are. Moving or building a new home means starting all over again. Not fun and not cheap.

Remodeling isn’t free, but it can be done in pieces until the whole is accomplished. I like to compare the process to cosmetic surgery that starts with a crooked nose or a droopy eyelid and morphs into a Barbie™ . Nips and tucks around the house could be crooked tile floors or  floors with ratty carpets transformed into sleek, unique and low maintenance decorative concrete.

Using dramatic stain choices, the color options for decorative concrete are endless…you’re hard put to find gray on the list. Concrete Resurrection Reactive Acid Stains imitate nature’s variety because every concrete floor will accept the chemical penetration differently. The new shades at Concrete Resurrection are to die for. Additionally, the Water Reducible Concentrate Stains at Concrete Resurrection bring bold colors to patterns and designs.

Yes, I said “patterns or designs”–there are templates and tools that can be used on the stained concrete to produce tour de force creations that can’t be matched with other flooring choices. Not even Aladdin’s carpet.

Room by room, floor by floor, the remodeling force moves forward with a nip here and a tuck there as time and budget permit. End result—a refreshed but familiar home for you and your family.

You can get that remodeling force rolling with the Idea Book, a free download from Engrave-A-Crete packed with dream stimulating photos of flooring creativity that began with concrete.

Do You Consider These Factors When Researching a Decorative Concrete Project?

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The latest newsletter from ConcreteNetwork.com featured some great information about designing concrete fireplaces. Suppose your customer wants their patio redesigned? Some of the basic points in the ConcreteNetwork.com articles and guidelines have application for decorative concrete in other uses and dimensions. The article discusses:

  • installations with seating,
  • zoning requirements,
  • goal – ambience or impact,
  • scale to the surroundings

Seating: A patio can have the floor engraved beautifully with concrete seating added to become a garden room. When adding benches or bases for seating, ask about the number of people who will commonly use the patio. Where is the patio in relation to shade or mixed shade? How could the benches be arranged to accommodate the support base and pole of a protective umbrella if there aren’t trees?

Zoning: Some cities will want a building permit to make these changes. A home owners association may have some design guidelines. The homeowners association can be your friend for future jobs. Consider their guidelines in the design.

Focus: Is this garden room a little place for conversation and ambiance? Or will the room host large parties and create impact? Existing concrete can be part of a cozy garden room or a flowing design to fit the lifestyle of the customer. Planning gets the atmosphere that the customer wants.

Scale: Scaling to the surroundings will be important when choosing a pattern to engrave or a color to stain. Does the home fit better with a flagstone theme, cobblestone or tile? Cobblestones in a fan design or tiles arranged on a point can give an illusion of length where the actual space is small. Will a predominance of lighter colors fit the location better than darker colors? Concrete Resurrection has acid stains that create natural stone effects or pigmented stains for bright pure colors.

By asking a few good questions and applying a few good measurements you will leave your customers with more than they asked for.