Decorative concrete (interior and exterior)

Do you want to know more about decorative concrete? tells you more about the different types of concrete and gives you its decorative advice

What is decorative concrete?

Concrete decor projects are one of the new trends in vogue for walls, floors, bathrooms, counters, pool terraces and more. Whether they are spacious new houses with developed concrete alleys or one room renovations with tinted concrete floor, the attraction of concrete for decoration is constantly growing. Concrete is no longer smooth, gray and boring, it is now considered a beautiful decorative element. The owners, manufacturers and designers of today recognize the value of the use of concrete in their design and projects. Decorative concrete transforms traditional gray concrete into a hot brown floor, slate appearance patios and unstruity-resistant exterior kitchen counters, to name only a few. Decorative concrete allows you to decide which shade choose in your rooms. The progress made in products using concrete and pigments for it, the different textures and possible patterns have made concrete the most versatile, most durable and economical material on the market. Get an idea of ​​how decorative tailor-made concrete can be used in your home or business.

The different types of decorative concrete available

Waxed concrete

The waxed concrete has a lustrous and shimmering finish. The design possibilities for waxed concrete are large. You can choose almost any color, create patterns or incorporate aggregates or interesting objects in concrete before polishing. The waxed concrete is popular because it is resistant and easy to maintain. The waxed concrete of East Ecological Components and gives a new cachet to your living rooms. It is more easy to pose with the ready -to -use kits already dosed according to the surface to be treated. In addition, the essential tool kits are available at a low price to make the design easily. Printed concrete

Printed concrete, often called textured concrete or stamped, reproduces stones, such as slate, tiles, brick and even more natural and unexpected elements like wood. The wide variety of textures and colors make it famous to embellish the different parts of your home. Standed concrete can also be used as follows: To obtain a similar look for kitchens, bathrooms, entrances, family rooms or basements in new houses. To make a paving easily. The printed concrete elements give a second youth to the walls, existing surface floors.

Smooth concrete

The most basic concrete finish type is a smooth surface created by the use of screeds and truelles. Immediately after the installation of concrete in the formwork, concrete finish uses a screed to level the surface of the concrete. The screeds are often made up of long pieces of metal or wood which are pulled and pushed on the surface of the concrete to remove excess concrete and fill the holes in the surface of the concrete. Once the concrete has been machined with a screed, concrete finish uses truelles to smooth and finely level the surface of the concrete. This can be done by manual or mechanical means. To smooth the concrete manually, a hand trowel, generally composed of a flat steel blade with attached handle, is pushed and drawn on the surface of the concrete. Electric truelles are available and are generally used in major commercial and industrial projects where the use of hand truelles is not possible. Electric truelles resemble large fans whose blades are based directly against concrete. These motorized truelles are available in an accompanying driver version and in accompanying driver version.

Concrete deactivated

Deactivated concrete is today one of the most popular decorative concrete. Very aesthetic, it is regularly used, whether by individuals or the public authorities. You will find concrete for disabled in gardens, terraces, alleys and city centers: sidewalks, pedestrian areas … The technique of implementing deactivated concrete is specific. This method allows, according to your choice, a more or less grainy appearance, which makes all the charm of the concrete disabled. This concrete gives the impression of having a gravel driveway without the drawbacks! And yes, with the deactivated concrete, finished the gravels that disperse without stopping. It is therefore a concrete that has everything to please, both aesthetic, easy to maintain and durable.

Our opinion: In terms of advantages, we advise you to use waxed concrete which remains the best value for money, sustainability and environmental values.

How to do outdoor colored concrete?

You can use colors to color concrete, such as food colors or tin tints. The method to color the concrete in this way is to add the color to the water before mixing it with a dry concrete mixture. The addition of a food dye will not make the color of concrete as concentrated as with a fabric dye. This is the same principle that is used for our kits on where the dosage of the chromia is already provided to avoid disappointments.

Where to buy decorative concrete?

Specialized companies offer decorative concrete whether in store or on order (online), although this concrete is sought, we do not really recommend it for a renovation, prefer a waxed or printed concrete

What choice between marked and printed concrete?

Each alley is somewhat different from the other and each can serve a completely different lens. So which of these options should you choose? Discover it by examining these two concrete choices more closely for your new garage entrance.

Fate of concrete blocks

The paving of concrete blocks appeared in the 1970s, with a limited choice of colors and styles. Since then, the market has developed massively and the industry itself has developed at the same time.

Today, a whole range of products and styles are available to you, traditional models with contemporary models. You can now choose from a variety of colors, textures and materials to create your perfect aisle.
The pros and cons of the paving of blocks

Block paving provides an attractive and durable finish to complete any property. With the amount of choices available to you, there is really some for all tastes and all desires. Therefore, the most obvious advantage of CBP is its aesthetic aspect. The material is also extremely durable and will last a very long time with appropriate maintenance.

The trip is also relatively simple, if you need to lift a section of your aisle and/or move it. The areas can be reinstalled with a minimum of effort, so you don’t have to worry about the possibility of having to ruin all your work.

Self -loving pavers can also be provided in permeable version, so that it is not necessary to deploy additional drainage efforts.

The only major CBP drawback is the use of an incorrect basic material. If your alley seems to sink or move, it is a good sign that the basic material is unsuitable. This should not be a problem if you call on an experienced and professional coating company.

Concrete printed

In comparison, concrete printed with patterns is relatively new in the sector, but the trend is more and more popular. The process consists in pouring a layer of concrete on an appropriate base, then applying a color before making it harden.

The wet concrete is then applied a matte pattern in order to create the desired effect. The main objective of this material is to reproduce another and therefore provide a more interesting finish to ordinary concrete.
The pros of printed concrete

This is a very popular alternative for many people due to the magnificent finish and the image it provides. The biggest advantage may be the ability of this material to quickly cover large areas in the field. Compared to CBP, the peak offers as many design options, but the finished product can sometimes lack aesthetic appeal if the patterned carpets are not aligned correctly.

The main drawback of printed concrete is that it can be subject to occasional cracks, which can become a problem if you let them develop over time. Particular attention must also be paid to drainage because the peak is not permeable.

Without adequate drainage, your alley does not comply with the planning rules for the coating of the gardens and if maintenance work is necessary underground, you will have to tear off the peak and cover it again once finished.

The sealing product used should be reapposed every 2 to 4 years, in particular on a high traffic aisle. This choice of material is therefore not the most durable and will require a certain frequent level of maintenance. This sealing product can also make the surface slippery in cold weather, which makes it slightly dangerous for the elderly and children.