Friday, June 17, 2011

Lighting Your Decorative Concrete

The benefits of utilizing garden lights are that you can return to your home during the evening to a welcomed treat. The illumination created by these lights is soft yet radiant and therefore enjoyed throughout the evening, night time, and early hours of the morning. Even during the daylight hours, you garden will look complete with decorative lamps and lights. If your light begins to not turn on during the night hours or it starts to dim overall, you can simply replace the small battery packs. Adding garden lighting means that you create a stylish look for your garden or yard. You can complement the existing landscape by illuminating key facets such as a small garden, bench, or fountain. With an unmatched radiance after the sun goes down, you can draw the eyes of visitors and those who pass by to the scenery your yard offers. You can utilize LED garden lights recommended by your decorative concrete contractor or concrete company to cast dancing shadows upon sculptures in your garden, to create dynamic trajectories, or to draw out the natural beauty of your well cultivated garden. A pool can be majestically emphasized with proper LED garden lights recommended by your decorative concrete contractor or concrete company, a hidden path or fountain can be utilized at night with layered lighting effects as well.

Another benefit to LED garden lights recommended by your decorative concrete contractor or concrete company is the security it offers. This should be the primary concern of your garden, particularly when arranging your lighting designs. You should test your LED garden lights recommended by your decorative concrete contractor or concrete company for weather resistance. No matter your design, your selected LED garden lights can provide safety, security, and the knowledge that any daytime party can run long into the night.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Concrete Dreams Come True

The popularity of stamped concrete overlay has continued to grow with the development of alternative decorative concrete techniques used in conjunction with the stamped concrete overlay. Using acrylic or latex stains has become a great way to achieve the color that you want in either your business or in your home. This type of stain creates a natural look that emulates wood or paint. There are many different colors, shades, and tints. No matter what color or shade is used, you have control over the amount of transparency. With more layers you can create a darker color but with fewer layers you can alter the opaqueness of the product’s results. Relying on clean concrete surfaces, using an acrylic or latex stain means that a deep bond is created. There is no wash down phase required after the application of an acrylic or a latex stain; however, the application can take place through mopping, ragging, or rolling the stain onto the concrete surface. These stains are a single color, as opposed to the multi-faceted outcomes of chemical reactions; therefore, to achieve the desired realism and depth, you need to focus on adding multiple layers and combining multiple colors.

Another great way to complement your decorative concrete or stamped concrete overlay is through the use of an aggregate finish or an acid stain. With an acid stain, there is a chemical reaction taking place which means that the color hues and depth will vary based on the reaction between the stain and the concrete. Therefore, if you have different slabs of concrete upon which you are applying the stain, then you will find different levels of color on each slab.