Decorative concrete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stamped Concrete in various patterns, highlighted with acid stain)
Decorative concrete is the use of concrete as not simply a utilitarian medium for
construction but as an aesthetic enhancement to a structure, while still serving its function as an integral part of the building itself such as floors, walls, driveways and patios.
The transformation of concrete into decorative concrete is achieved through the use of a variety of materials that may be applied during the pouring process or after the concrete is cured, these materials andor systems include but are not limited to
stamped concrete, acid staining, decorative overlays, polished concrete, concrete countertops, vertical overlays and more.
Contents
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! Stamped Concrete
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" Concrete dyes
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# $cid Staining
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% Water &ased Staining
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' (verlaying
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'.! olymer cement overlays
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'." Stamped overlays
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* +poy coating
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- olishing
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+ngraving
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/ Form liner
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!0 1eferences
Stamped Concrete
Stamped Concrete is the process of adding teture and color to concrete to make it resemble stone, brick, slate, cobblestone and many other products found in nature including wood, fossils, shells and many more. This limitless array of possibilities combined with great durability and lower cost than natural products makes Stamped Concrete an easy choice for new construction and renovation pro2ects.
The installation consists of pressing molds into the concrete while the concrete is still in its plastic state. Color is achieved by using 3ry Shakes or Color 4ardeners, owder or 5i6uid 1eleases, 7ntegral Colors or $cid Stains. $ll these products may be combined to create even more intricate designs.
Stamped Concrete may be used on driveways, patios, commercial roads and parking lots and even interior floors. Stamped concrete is a desirable finish to concrete areas, however with time and wear the color dyes fade and the surface looks patchy and unpresentable. There are many re8coloring options which can completely restore and re2uvenate the color and presentation of faded stamped concrete.
Concrete dyes
Concrete 9dyes9 take many different forms and compositions and can be used on both residential and commercial concrete applications, including soundretaining walls, bridges, countertops, floors, :!; etc.
+arly concrete dyes consisted of generic printing inks that were dissolved in mild solutions of alcohol and applied to concrete surfaces to add a wide array of color to plain gray concrete. When alcohol8based dyes are eposed to sunlight, the color either lightens or fades out completely. Therefore, alcohol8based dyes were more prevalent in interior applications where direct sunlight or other forms of ultraviolet <=>) lighting was not present.
?anufacturers later began dissolving the same printing inks in different carriers, such as acetone, lac6uer thinner and other solvents, hoping to achieve increased penetration levels. 7n addition, => inhibiting agents were added to new dyes to help with the => instability issues. 4owever, slight fading <'8@ per year) still occurs when the dye is eposed to direct sunlight.
Colored concrete can be obtained from many ready mi concrete companies and many have color charts available.
Acid Staining
$cid staining is not a dyeing or pigment8base coloring systems, but a chemical reaction. $ miture of water , mineral salts and a slight amount of muriatic acid is applied to the concrete surface. This chemical reaction with the eisting minerals
Chemicals commonly used in acid staining include 4ydrochloric acid, 7ron chloride and Sodium bicarbonate.
Water Based Staining
Water &ased Stains are similar to acid based stains in the sense that one can still achieve a translucent look like acidB some stains are able to achieve an opa6ue color andor a translucent effect. The main difference is that acid stains react to the
concrete and change the physical make up of the concrete material, whereas water based stains are more of a 9coating9 that bonds with the concrete. There are many variations of water based stains that have come into the decorative concrete industry that perform in a number of different ways. Some are polymer based, acrylic and epoy.
Overlaying
Concrete overlays date to the !/*0s when chemical engineers from some of the larger, well known chemical companies began to eperiment with acrylic paint resins as modifiers for cement and sand mies. The result was a thin cementitious topping material that would adhere to concrete surfaces and provide a newly resurfaced coating to restore the worn surface. Concrete overlays lacked the long8 term performance
:";
characteristics of acrylic resins. $crylic resins provided good
=> resistance, but lacked long term water resistance and adhesion characteristics needed to provide a long term and permanent solution.
Polymer cement overlays
Construction of a polymer cement overlay to change asphalt pavement to brick teture and color to create decorative crosswalk and traffic calming in high8 pedestrian area.
olymer cement overlays, consisting of a proprietary blend of ortland cements, various aggregates and polymer resins, were introduced over "0 years ago. The purpose of adding a polymer resin to the cement and aggregate is to greatly increase the performance characteristics and versatility of conventional cements, mortars and concrete materials. =nlike conventional cement and concrete mies, polymer cement overlays can be applied thinly or thickly without fear of delamination or typical product failure. 7n addition, polymer cement overlays are much more resistant to damage from salt, petrochemicals, =>, harsh weather conditions and traffic wearing.
(riginally intended for use as a thin surface restoration material for concrete substrates, polymer cement overlays were introduced into the architectural concrete and commercial flooring industries in the early 0s. Subse6uently, its use
in these industries has become standard. olymer cement overlays are regarded as economical in providing long term, durable renovation without the need for costly and continuous repairs associated with deteriorating concrete surfaces.
olymer cement overlays are used for interior and eterior applications ranging from
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Skim coatbroom finish concrete resurfacing D 1estore and protect damaged, pitted, flaking and stained concrete back to the look of a new concrete surface.
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Concrete regrading E leveling D 1epair and level concrete surfaces that have settled.
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+isting substrate redecorating and renovating D $lter the appearance of eisting concrete or wood substrates through applying 9thin stamped9 or 9thin stained9 overlays, creating new tetures, colors and designs. For use on commercial or resident pool deck, this fre6uently takes the form of 9splatter tetures9 or 9knockdowns,9 in which polymer cement is applied to the eisting concrete substrate in a moderately tetured finish
Stamped overlays
1ubber imprinting tools
Epoxy coating
$pplied over acid stained, dyes andor overlays to seal and protect. Some epoies are also colored.
Polishing
Concrete can be polished with ?echanical grinders and diamond pads of increasing grit siAes. 3iamond pads come in many grit or mesh siAes. Common siAes start with * grit and can go up to '00 grit although concrete can only maintain a shine of about 00 grit, it can be helped by adding a concrete hardener such as sodium silicate or lithium silicate which will allow concrete to hold a !00 through #000 grit shine. The work is accomplished in multiple stages by passing
over the concrete with successive grit diamond pads until it has a hard8glassy finish. &oth acid stains and concrete dyes can be used during the polishing process.
Engraving
+isting 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 also be cast into uni6ue and detailed designs using urethane form liner . These pro2ects can be seen around the =nited States and the world, usually on soundretaining walls, building eteriors, and bridges.
Generally, this process starts with the sculptor, who creates the design to be used in the concrete using clay, polyurethane or wa. When the original art is complete, a cast is made using synthetic li6uid rubber, and from this cast, form liners are produced in the reverse image of the original.
The form liner then acts as a mold for the concrete to be formed against. (nce the concrete is set, the form liner is stripped from the hardened concrete surface. The concrete is permanently tetured with the pattern of the form liner.
Architectural & Decorative Concrete Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world. (ne special subset is called architectural and decorative concrete, which refers to a substance that provides an aesthetic finish and structural capabilities in one. This material is made to be seen. Whether creating broad epanses or minute details, concrete permanently captures the chosen look. $chieving an architectural or decorative appearance usually re6uires that something different be done to the concrete. Whether that involves special forms, special finishing techni6ues, or special ingredients, the variety of effects is almost unlimited.
(riginal art by Carolyn &raaksma, 3enver, Colorado Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world. (ne special subset is called architectural and decorative concrete, which refers to a
substance that provides an aesthetic finish and structural capabilities in one. This material is made to be seen. Whether creating broad epanses or minute details, concrete permanently captures the chosen look. $chieving an architectural or decorative appearance usually re6uires that something different be done to the concrete. Whether that involves special forms, special finishing techni6ues, or special ingredients, the variety of effects is almost unlimited.
White Portland Cement: A Key Ingredient
White cement concrete is a brilliant architectural material. Whether plain or pigmented, it allows for a broad spectrum of colors 8 from bright whites and pastels to saturated colors. 7t can be tetured, patterned, or shaped to almost any form, allowing architects to be truly creative in their designs. 7magination becomes architectural reality with white cement.
What makes white cement so architecturally appealing is its versatility. 7t can be used for
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Cast8in8place concrete
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recast concrete
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Tilt8up concrete
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1epair and retrofit applications
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?asonry and mortar
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Stucco finishes
Good Looks and More From large to small items, structural to decorative members, white cement is the key to good looking concrete and masonry construction. $ versatile appearance allows white cement concrete, which is pigment8friendly, to fit in with any environment. &eyond aesthetics, its light color offers energy efficiency and safety.
These 6ualities can be used to advantage for
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&ridge parapets and barrier medians
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5ight reflective floors
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+posed architectural concrete
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City streetscapes curbs, gutters and planters
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5andscaping
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&uilding accents
Whether inside or outside, white cement concrete provides a hard8wearing, durable surface that stands up to heavy use.
echnical As!ects o" Designing #ith White Cement Concrete White portland cement has essentially the same properties as gray cement, ecept for its color. $n important 6uality control issue in the industry, the color of white cement depends on raw materials and the manufacturing process. ?etal oides, primarily iron and manganese, influence the whiteness and undertone of the material. White cement is manufactured to conform to $ST? C !'0, Specification for Portland Cement . Types 7 and 777 are the most common, but Types 77 and > are also produced.
?i designs for white or colored concrete are formulated with respect to the following ingredients, paying particular attention to the resultant effect on color
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Type and color of cement
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Type and dosage of pigment
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Type and dosage of chemical admitures
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Type, gradation, color, and cleanliness of fine and coarse aggregates
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Type and dosage of supplementary cementing materials calcined clay, slag, white silica fume
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Consistent proportions, especially maintaining a uniform water8cement ratio
7t is always recommended to develop a mi design and build sample panels in advance of starting a white cement concrete pro2ect. That way, mitures can be refined and improved and material usage can be optimiAed. The mockups serve as
references for color and surface appearance during the construction phase of the pro2ect.
References
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Fo, Hoanne
Sioux City Journal .
3owns, Stacy <$pril !0, "00). 9aving the way for concrete despite freeAe8
thaw
cycles,
driveway
Chicagotribune.com.
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