Designer Concrete - the WOW Factor

Regular concrete can give a home an industrial look, but new designer concrete methods create an environment that just says WOW! With contemporary acid staining methods, stamping techniques to give patterns from bricks to cobblestone or even to match the local rocks, and even epoxy toppings for a designer look can create a look that is just stunning and very durable.

Concrete has been around since Hector was a pup, but stamped concrete is a newer design concept which began back east in the 50’s. It is finally coming into its own as an upscale designer treatment with the invention of more technically correct stamping tools which make it hard to determine if an item is really paved with slate, for example, or stamped with a concrete pattern.

Stamped patterns can look like slate paving stones; elaborate brickwork, natural stone work, even an English cobblestone street. Unlike its unrealistic predecessor, that looked more like cookie cutter shapes, new stamped concrete creates realistic designs in your luxury homescape. The new polyurethane stamps are molded to mimic natural, organic shapes and designs. One very nice way to use stamped concrete is in a backyard waterfall or indoor fountain.

If you think decorative concrete is just for driveways, patios, and swimming pools; you are wrong. The products and designs are used inside luxury, quality homes on counter tops, floors, basins and frameworks around fireplaces and windows; as well as a host of other architectural accent uses. In fact, I have personally seen stamped concrete used for cabinets in luxury El Dorado Hills homes, and in the yards of a few Folsom and Cameron Park homes.

Acid staining can turn a typical concrete floor into a natural stone look a like. It not only is cheaper but is a much better surface than carpet for people with allergies. In upper-end homes using radiant heat, it is also more efficient since no floor covering is used.

And if you don't like the stone look, you can even make your living room floor look like a Persian Rug. It can be accomplished with architectural concrete products. Any custom design your mind can conjure from medallions, tiles, borders, and corners can be attained with the use of concrete.

Through the process of concrete overlays and toppings, there is no limitation on the look you can achieve. Floors can be ultra smooth or have that rough hewn feel of chiseled stone. Color and texture are no longer problems in any décor.

Some stunning graphics and patterns can be created with the new thin-set epoxy terrazzo toppings. They are only 1/4 to 3/8 thick and are a great way to resurface an older floor/patio. The modern-day terrazzo is excellent for muli-colored patterns and designs because the epoxy resin can be colored/tinted, like paint, to achieve an unlimited spectrum of colors.

One proviso in the details of enhancing your luxury home with designer concrete is, of course, to get a qualified, as well as referred, concrete contractor. Use your network of friends to get referrals or ask the contractor for his own referral list including photos of his work. You can also ask an experienced Realtor for any contacts they may have; particularly ones that specialize in the luxury home segment.

You don’t want your home to be just another expensive piece of property; you want it to have the luxurious look and feel of expensive marble, slate, or onyx. You don’t want just ordinary, you want your home and property to say, “Now this is quality.”

Take a look at your outdoor and indoor living space today and consider what luxurious possibilities designer concrete might give to your home.

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