Microtop Flooring!

We teamed up with Charles Cudd DeNova again. This time for a Microtop floor on a home that is featured in the Parade of Homes. The floor was a beach sand color added to a gray based concrete. We then stained the floor with a Mission brown and highlighted it with a Walnut to create a contrasting look. The floor was sealed with a super clear coat and wax.

Take a pictures below! What a great option other than tile and hardwood.

http://www.concretears.com/

Decorative Project of the Year

Three of Concrete Art's projects were choosen to be in the running for the Concrete Construction Decorative Project of the Year. (1) Dreamhome, (2) Karvekrete and (3) Target Field.

The CC DOY of 2010 is voted on my a committee and by Readers Choice voting. To view the projects up for the award and to vote visit http://ascribehq.com/concrete-construction-decorative-poy/awards/2010.

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See the entry the entries below.

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CaringFor Your Interior Concrete

How to care for you Interior Concrete Applications:

• Think of your interior concrete application as a hardwood floor in terms of maintenance and care.
• Use a neutral floor cleaner when cleaning. Make sure to follow the manufacturers dilution guidelines when mixing. By using more cleaning solution, you could leave a milky film on top of the concrete.
• Most interior applications we provide have a solvent-based acrylic sealer on for a base and then a water-based acrylic floor wax on top of that. The reason for the use of the wax is to provide a maintenance coat, which can periodically be top-coated to freshen up the appearance.
• Any sort of floor wax can be used to do this. We use a product from Zep companies that can be found at Home Depot, called High Traffic Floor Finish. If you choose to do this yourself, you need to make sure the floor is clean by mopping with the neutral floor cleaner and make sure it is dry. The wax can be applied with applicators, which can be found at Home Depot as well. It has a light ammonia odor so you do not need to leave the dwelling after the application.
• Typically we recommend applying two coats during the process to provide added protection. The wax typically dries within 30 minutes and the second coat can be applied as soon as you can walk on the surface. Let the floor cure for 12 hours prior to moving furniture back in the space. Avoid sliding furniture as it could scuff and scratch.
  

The Do's and Don'ts for Exterior Concrete

Exterior Architectural Concrete Maintenance and Do’s and Don’t’s

Do’s:
1. Wash your concrete regularly when dirty with a pressure washer
2. Use just water to clean (don’t use any detergents or chemicals)
3. Have your concrete resealed every 2-3 years depending on traffic patterns
4. Use non-corrosive snow and ice melting agents
5. Hire an experienced snow removal company
6. Use a sealer recommended by Concrete Arts (typically a solvent-based acrylic)
7. Sometimes sprinkler systems will leave white spots on your concrete (a chalky appearance will be evident). This is hard water stains. A good way to remove this would be to use a product called Xylene. This can be purchased at any hardware or home improvement store. Spray this on the affected areas with a garden sprayer and the spots should disappear.

Dont’s
1. Use salt or any chloride product to melt snow.
2. Use an ice pick to remove ice
3. Spray fertilizer or other lawn maintenance items on concrete
4. Let your sealer wear completely off
5. Use any cleaning solutions to clean unless compatible with sealer
6. Reseal it with a non-recommended product (typically home improvement centers do not carry the appropriate products). Contractor supply business such as Brock White, CMI, or Cemstone Contractor Supply can provide you with the right stuff.

Metropolitan State University - Law Enforcement Center

Metropolitan State University just erected a new facility for its Law Enforcement Center. They choose to incorporate polished concrete throughout the main level's entry way, hall ways, and gathering areas.

The polished concrete was colored Slate gray and seeded with specialty aggregates:

• Rib Mountain Red
• Violetta
• Imperial Gray
• Mother of Pearl

They also incorporated Polished Concrete precast stair treads. The stair treads were created to consist of the same color and aggregate to show a continuous look.

Carly Dus

Concrete Art

http://www.concretearts.com/

Exterior Stamping

Concrete Arts did a very unique project this summer at a residential home in St Croix Falls. This beautiful lake home decided to get creative on its siding and used a LifeTime Floors product Karvekrete. The siding was combined with some traditional elements but also created a fairy like castle structure using a Seamless Old granite stamp on the upper elements of the house, a Castle Stone stamp on the base and tower of the house, and a soldier course stamp around windows.

Take a look below at the photos. The home looks absolutely gorgeous and I guarantee there is not another home like this. It has its complete own uniqueness with a beautiful elegance.

Carly Dus

Concrete Arts

http://www.concretearts.com/

New Look to Website

Concrete Arts Web Page

http://www.concretearts.com/

We have finally improved the Concrete Arts website. The new website is a clean and easy site to navigate through with more pictures than ever. Each of Concrete Arts' systems are broken up and then categorized into jobs. Take a look and as always comments are welcome!

Carly Dus
Concrete Arts
http://www.concretearts.com/