Anchoring Wood to Concrete

Bob Schmidt shows you how to anchor wood wall plates to concrete during your basement remodeling renovation project.

Five Tips to Enhance Your Pool Deck Before Summer Arrives

With summer just around the corner, it's likely your pool will be getting used more frequently. If it needs some freshening up, the Concrete Network offers five easy tips to spruce up a pool deck without having to tear out and replace it. Oftentimes, just simple fixes can give your pool deck a fresh, new look.

One of the biggest trends in outdoor design today is a decorative concrete pool deck, a colored, textured and inviting area surrounding the pool that does more than provide a an area for sunbathing and barbecuing. Concrete pool decks are now given nearly as much attention as the interior design of the home.

Below is a sample of the many tips you can find on enhancing an existing pool deck before summer arrives:

1. Planters and foliage. With the addition of colorful planters, pool decks can be given a fresh, new look. Exotic foliage surrounding pool areas can transform plain backyards into tropical oases. Exotic plants and flowers can also soothe the senses with exotic aromas.

2. Storage containers. Hard to come by storage space can be easily remedied with a lightweight storage container. Pool supplies and toys can be conveniently stored in these containers that often double as a seat bench when closed. Pool decks will look clean and free from clutter.

3. Liven up the mood with music. Outdoor, all-weather speakers can bring the party outside. Wireless speakers offer relatively easy installation, and often they can be concealed in planters, or are made to look like rocks that fit in with the surroundings.

4. New furniture. Tables, lawn chairs and other furniture pieces can provide a comfortable sitting area for guests to dry off after a cool dip in the pool. Lawn chairs provide a nice seating area for relaxing and reading by the pool.

5. Apply a decorative stain. A plain, gray concrete patio can be transformed into a colorful work of art with decorative concrete stains. Although a more advanced tip, contractors can be hired to complete a project in just one weekend. Custom colors can be created to match the existing home's exterior or the surrounding landscape.

These are just a few of the many factors to consider when enhancing your pool deck. Browse through the site's concrete pool decks section for many more tips and tricks.

Read more about concrete.

Established in 1999, The Concrete Network's purpose is to educate consumers, builders, and contractors on popular decorative techniques and applications. These include stamped concrete, stained concrete floors, concrete countertops, polished concrete, and much more. In 2007 The Concrete Network Website had over 11 million visitors researching decorative concrete.

The site excels at connecting buyers with local contractors in their area through its Find a Concrete Contractor service. The service provides visitors with a list of decorative concrete contractors throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is fully searchable by 23 types of decorative concrete work and 202 regional areas throughout North America.

Photos courtesy of Davis Colors; photo by John Siskin.

Source: PRWeb

How to Fix Contrete Cracks

Don shows how you can use a concrete repair epoxy to repair cracks or holes in your drive or walkway.

Craving Concrete Countertops? You Can Do it Yourself

Do you love the look of concrete countertops, which is the hottest trend in kitchen and bath design, but the cost of professional installation puts them beyond your budget, and you’re not sure if you’re up to the task of doing it yourself? Don’t despair. With planning, practice and a new crop of DIY-friendly materials, you can install your own concrete countertops.

“Concrete countertops are absolutely a do-able DIY project,” says Fu-Tung Cheng of CHENG Concrete, a top concrete designer. “In fact, you don’t even need a power tool.”

Concrete countertops are cropping up in high-end kitchens across the country. Designers love the beauty and warm profile of concrete. Consumers savor the durability and customization. The materials needed to make concrete countertops are relatively inexpensive compared with other high-end countertops like granite or natural stone. Until recently, however, labor costs of professional installation made concrete one of the most expensive types of countertops.

“Homeowners can really add to the beauty of their homes by designing and installing concrete countertops,” says Shawn King of Sakrete, a leading manufacturer of concrete mixes and masonry products since 1936. “Sakrete’s 5000 Plus eliminates many of the problems contractors have typically encountered when installing these countertops, such as cracking, warping and shrinking.”

As with any home improvement project undertaking, be sure to educate yourself before getting started. Here’s a primer on the basics you should know about concrete countertops:

1. Concrete countertops can either be poured in place, right on top of cabinets or cast elsewhere and then installed on the cabinets. With either method, the first step is to start with a sturdy frame into which the concrete is poured – the concrete form.

Start out by measuring your space to determine the size and shape of the form. To construct the form, many experts recommend a coated particle board that will not stick to the concrete after it has cured. Openings for sinks, faucets, cook tops, etc. may be required. This is accomplished by placing smaller, appropriately-sized molds to create voids for these fixtures or hardware.

2. Once the form is completed, it’s time to mix and pour the concrete. Common problems include getting the mixture just right, and cracks that develop as the concrete cures. Using a pre-mixed, consistent blend of concrete will yield the same visual results as more complicated mixtures, with the added benefit of less risk for errors. Sakrete 5000 Plus mixed with CHENG Pro-Formula concrete additive, virtually eliminates cracks, chipping and unevenness – both as the concrete cures and when it’s done, and only requires the addition of water.

3. To further enhance the strength of a custom countertop, reinforcing materials such as diamond lath or reinforcing rod can be used. Then, pour the concrete over the materials. This will further reduce cracking during curing and result in a stronger finished product.

4. Finishing is the final step, and a critical one; the ease of working with Sakrete 5000 Plus and the consistency of the mix simplifies this job. The skill used to tamp, screed and trowel to the finished appearance is the big pay-off.

5. Countertops should cure for at least 48 hours before removing the form. As with any job using concrete, the more slowly the water evaporates from the concrete, the stronger the finished product will be.

Finally, if you need more incentive to install a concrete countertop consider this: whether you hire a contractor or do-it-yourself, countertops are a “green” project. By installing your own countertop, you conserve the energy consumption and pollution associated with mass producing and shipping manufactured countertops. Also, you can boast a unique, one-of-a-kind product in your home.

To learn more about do-it-yourself concrete countertops and Sakrete 5000 Plus, visit www.sakrete.com or www.concreteexchange.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How To Set A Timber Post

Cement Australia shows you how to set a timber post.

Making Concrete Garden Ornaments

A celebrated teacher has gathered the tried-and-true techniques used by sculptors and folk artists, and tailored them for low-tech surroundings. Work with molds; form over armatures; model or carve with concrete; and treat concrete surfaces with mosaics, embedded objects, incising, and coloring. For dazzling outdoor embellishments, craft a Birdbath, Little Lady Fountain, and more. Twenty-five projects in all.

Available at Amazon.com.

Driveway Repair

Tim Carter, of http://AsktheBuilder.com, demonstrates really simple ways to repair either blacktop or concrete driveways.

How To Install Concrete Strike Anchors

This video shows how to install concrete strike anchors.

Concrete Countertops: Design, Form, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath

At first, the idea of using concrete for kitchen countertops has the same appeal as using cardboard boxes for cabinetry or dining on the floor. Naysayers are in for a surprise as architect Cheng elevates this pedestrian building material to a new level, using it to create beautiful and functional countertops. They are a far cry from rough sidewalks, having polished surfaces that can be colored or have interesting objects cast into them. Cheng shows the entire process: design considerations, mold-making, concrete selection, installation, and maintenance, all using straightforward instructions supplemented by excellent illustrations. Showing an innovative use of a common and inexpensive material, this title should be part of comprehensive public library home improvement collections.

Available at Amazon.com.

Building Concrete Countertops

A step by step guide to fabricating beautiful concrete countertops by hand.

New Concrete Colors Semi-Transparent Concrete Stains from Seal-Krete Offer Simple Beauty and Protection for Concrete Floors

Convenience Products, maker of SEAL-KRETE brand products, introduces new Concrete Colors semi-transparent stains for concrete surfaces. SEAL-KRETE Concrete Colors are available in four (4) pre-mixed colors, a tint base, and a clear low-lustre sealer. A range of 30 colors is available with base tinting. Concrete Colors were developed to provide a premium decorative finish and exceptional protection to bare horizontal or vertical concrete surfaces. A 20% solids content means Concrete Colors is durable, long-wearing, resistant to stains, oil, gas, salt and chloride, and extends the life of concrete surfaces. Concrete Colors penetrate deeply into concrete surfaces, and depending on the porosity, can be applied to achieve a variety of different looks. Adding a topcoat or sealer will add gloss, without it Concrete Colors stays low-lustre for an aged look.

“There are a number of concrete stains available now, but none that offer the simplicity, the range of looks, and the strength and protection that comes with SEAL-KRETE Concrete Colors,” says Tim Franklin, Product Development Manager for Seal-Krete. “Like all SEAL-KRETE products, Concrete Colors have a high-solids content to add protection with your beautiful finish. You don’t get that with any other stain,” says Franklin. Larry Pennock, Vice President of Sales and Marketing says, “These products are just so easy to use. You can use sprayers, rollers, brushes, a mix of colors - even stencils, and still get a great finish. Not many other stains actually increase the life of the concrete,” says Pennock. “These products represent an easy-to-apply system for the DIY audience as well as the emerging DIFM customer. We want to make it simple, and we have.”

SEAL-KRETE Concrete Colors are water-based, low odor, with 20% solids and less than 100 grams VOC per liter. The line is available nationwide in one and five gallon containers. Seal-Krete is a Convenience Products’ brand, a division of Clayton Corporation, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, please visit http://www.seal-krete.com/.

Source: PRWeb

Concrete Countertops DIY

Join Fu-Tung Cheng in this step-by-step instructional guide for creating beautiful and functional concrete countertops for kitchens and bathrooms. Fu-Tung’s approachable style combined with his 20-plus years as master designer and craftsman offer easy-to-follow, proven methods for bringing your own concrete countertops to life.

The carefully presented process — designed and tested by Fu-Tung Cheng — takes the guesswork out of concrete countertops.

The result? Concrete counters with a minimum of time and energy — plus valuable skills that will allow you to express yourself with this remarkable and versatile material.

Available at Amazon.com.