Finishes

A Broom finish is a concrete technique used to create a slip resistant surface. It is not only functional but can also be a form of art. Decorative effects can be created into the concrete by running the broom texture in various directions.

Exposed concrete or exposed aggregate, can be compared to a piece of granite or marble in the interior of your home that has been polished. In concrete, the natural and earthly beauty can be seen in the form of decorative aggregate. This is done by exposing the tops of the stone, while the rest remains permanently embedded in the concrete.

A growing trend in concrete products is stamped concrete. It is a popular option to transform concrete surfaces as it can replicate textures of stone such as slate, flagstone, tile, and brick. There are a lot of steps involved in stamping concrete, and only a short window of time in which to get them done before the material hardens. To do the job successfully, concrete finishers must be experienced, organized, and well prepared for the job.

Coloring concrete is a practice that has been used since the early 1950’s. Color for concrete is not a dye or paint. It is a process of adding pigment to traditional gray cement base mix or stained by chemical application. This technique allows finishers to achieve a range of earth toned colors. Finishers must be familiar with integral color, how it works, factors that affect final color, and the methods for fixing colored concrete issues to become an expert in of decorative concrete.

The most basic type of concrete finish is the hand finish. This technique creates a smooth surface by the using screeds and steel trowels. Once the concrete has been tooled with a screed, concrete finishers use steel trowel to smooth the surface. A good concrete finisher has learned to prefect this technique, through years of training and experience.

Power trowels are most commonly used to smooth large concrete slabs, when a hand finish is not feasible. Power trowels resemble industrial fans with the blades sitting directly against the concrete surface. They are used to get the slab to a hard and with a level finish. Sounds simple enough; however, timing is key when using this equipment, as rushing the process can limit the porous nature of the slab and extended the drying time required.