What is concrete made of?
Concrete is the mixture that results from blending cement, sand, stone, water and admixtures.

What controls the strength of concrete?
The primary components that control the strength of concrete are the water and the cement contents. These two components are commonly referred to as the water/cement ratio. While properly graded sand and stone, and their relative amounts can affect the overall strength of the mix, the water/cement ratio has the greatest effect on the strength of the mix.

Why does concrete crack?
All concrete cracks. It has to crack because it contracts during the drying, curing, hardening process, and the bond between the cement paste and the aggregates is not strong enough to withstand that stress. The best way to prevent unsightly cracking is to put joints in your concrete every 2 ½ to 3 times in feet the depth of your structure in inches (4" slab should have joints every 10 to 12 feet). Control Joints formed or sawed into the concrete will minimize random cracking. This will enable the cracks to occur in the control joints, which should be approximately ¼ the concrete thickness. Uneven shifting of the substructure or subgrade can also cause cracking. This is a structural failure, as opposed to improper curing or jointing as mentioned above.

What is the difference between poured concrete foundations and block foundations?
Poured concrete is three times (3x) stronger and resists water infiltration better than block. Poured concrete also offers a faster building cycle than block.

What are the wall heights that can be poured?
Standard wall heights are normally 8' and 9'. However, special heights up to 22’ may be accommodated.

What is the difference between damp-proofing and waterproofing?
Damp-proofing does not provide a permanent barrier where waterproofing does. Additionally, damp-proofing does not offer a guarantee against water infiltration where waterproofing can offer up to a lifetime guarantee. Waterproofing is a thick membrane applied to the outside face of the foundation. It remains pliable throughout its life.

What are the different kinds of concrete?
Concrete mixtures are designed for specific strengths and with certain ingredients. Most residential concrete is designed for 3000 psi with a ¾” maximum stone and a 5” slump. Commercial and industrial concrete is typically 4000 psi or higher with a ¾” or 1 ½” maximum stone and a 3” slump. Mixes can also be adjusted depending on how they are going to be placed, the time of year they are being placed or special applications.

Can concrete be poured in cold weather?
Yes, however extreme cold & extreme heat present additional challenges with concrete. Additives will be placed into the concrete to compensate for these conditions. During the wintertime we use heated mixing water and accelerating chemicals in the concrete mixture. Placement of concrete can be done safely as low as 15 degrees at the time of placement. The use of such additives may cause an additional expense.

What exactly is stamped concrete?
Concrete is poured into a specific area or set form such as a sidewalk then when the concrete is still in a plastic stage, a rubber imprinting pattern mat is aligned and pressed into the concrete creating the selected pattern.

What are the advantages of stamped concrete?
With Stamped Concrete the possibilities are endless - a big variety of stamp patterns are available and each may be used with a variety of colors to achieve your desired result. You will also save significantly over cobblestone, slate, pavers, stone, tile, or brick, especially labor cost which is much higher with those other materials.

What are the restrictions for where Stamped Concrete may be used?
Essentially Stamped Concrete can be used anywhere, including places you would not be able to use the materials it mimics.

How is color added to the concrete?
There are two methods used to add color, one involves dissolving bag of dye into the concrete mix tinting the whole load and the other method involves a similar method but is cast on to the surface only to a depth of 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep.

Stenciled concrete?
Stenciled concrete patterns can be used to do grout lines and a textured roller can be rolled over the top of the concrete creating a texture in the concrete for a specific textured look.

How long does the color last in the concrete?
The color for stamped concrete is mixed into the cement before it gets poured out. It will last as long as the concrete itself.

Does the concrete need to be resealed?
We recommend that sealer applications be reapplied every 12-18 months. Resealing will keep the look of your concrete as if it were new. It will also prevent any mold, mildew and moss of slimming build up from adhering to the concrete.

Can any of your applications be done over my existing concrete?
YES! We can pour out new poured in place stamped concrete over your existing concrete surface as long as the existing concrete has not shifted. In order to pour out new concrete over the existing we would need a clearance depth of 4 inches. The other option that we offer as an alternative to pouring out concrete is our concrete overlay. Concrete overlay is designed to update the look of old concrete. concrete overlays can be stamped, colored, stained and etched. The design ideas with the overlays are endless.