Decorative Concrete

   Concrete used to be the ugly duckling in the building industry. But in recent years, big breakthroughs were made in the concrete world, and that once not-so-attractive product has turned into a material to be swooned after. Sure it took us awhile to figure it out - only 7,000 years or so. But now that we have, who has time to count? We're too busy gawking.
    At least I was during my trip to Advanced Concrete Enhancement where I saw first hand how decorative concrete is made, and more importantly the stunning result. Blayde Penza, the owner of Advanced Concrete Enhancement, showed me around his shop and taught me the many advantages and disadvantages of concrete. Luckily, the good far outweighed the bad.
   


Decorating with Concrete

    While there are many reasons to decorate with concrete, nothing beats its versatility. Concrete can literally look like whatever you want - wood, leather, old stone. You name it. It can pretty much be done.
    The secret to concrete's versatility rests in the fact that it's poured. As Blayde explained to me, concrete is simply the combination of water, sand, cement and some type of rock or gravel. That mixture is poured into a form where it stays until it's dried into the shape you desire.
    But it's not just shape that is limitless. You can get decorative concrete in almost any color you can imagine. That's just another benefit of being a poured material. Most concrete contractors offer standard colors. But if you don't like any you see, you can always ask to go custom and have a beautiful, new color made just for you.
    To further enhance the interest factor of your decorative concrete, you can have shells, rocks, broken glass, anything put into the mold before the concrete is poured. Once the concrete dries and is flipped over, the item you placed in the mold will be inlayed in your concrete.  
    So with endless shape, color and inlay options, decorative concrete can look good in any style and in any room. The challenge is deciding what you like best.



Where to Use Decorative Concrete

   As Blayde pointed out to me, decorative concrete can be used anywhere in the home. After all, there are actually houses made entirely of concrete, according to Blayde. But as much as I fell for concrete during my visit, I wouldn't recommend using it everywhere in your home, and neither does Blayde.
    "Although [concrete] can be used everywhere it may not be practical to use everywhere," Blayde said. "Use concrete where the application suits it the best."
    So instead of using decorative concrete wall panels opt for faux painted walls instead, and save decorative concrete for:

• Countertops
• Sinks
• Fireplace Surrounds
• Floors

    And after touching decorative concrete, you may decide you just have to have a concrete countertop. Concrete countertops are unbelievably soft and smooth. So soft that you won't ever want to stop touching them. I didn't.



Hiring a Concrete Contractor

   While choosing the right color for your decorative concrete may seem like the most important choice you make, in reality it's which contractor you choose. When selecting a contractor, you're not just picking between who's price is better. You're deciding whether you want a happy or horror story.
    Concrete is prone to crack, stain and warp. Good concrete contractors have developed methods of production that ensure their concrete won't do any of those things. In fact, they improved upon concrete so much they guarantee their decorative concrete won't crack, stain or warp. But the only way to get those guarantees is to go with a good concrete contractor.
    When looking at the concrete contractors in your area, Blayde suggests looking for a concrete contractor who has:

• Experience in the decorative concrete field.
• Previous customer testimonials.
• A showroom with samples of his or her work.
• An open door policy so you can visit at anytime to check the progress of your job.
• Your mix design on file in case you chip your concrete countertop.
• Set guarantees that state your concrete countertop won't crack, stain or warp.
• A shop where he or she can precast your concrete.

    Finding a concrete contractor who meets those criteria will ensure your endeavor into decorative concrete ends as a happy story - just like the ugly duckling.


Photo Credits: Advanced Concrete Enhancement