Concrete - The Choice of Most Builders

Dear Readers,

As you explore this new issue of Concrete Decor, you’ll find that interest in concrete as an architectural finish is growing both vertically and horizontally. Concrete is gaining vertical ground in the U.S. as a preferred “green” building material that offers the best in aesthetics, durability and long-lasting finishes. See our story on the use of reactive stains on tilt-up walls. Horizontally, the term “decorative concrete” (and its wide range of applications for new and existing concrete) has spread overseas and is now becoming a buzzword in foreign markets too. For obvious reasons, concrete with color and texture is getting noticed more and more every day.

Just last month, while I was running off to Italy to cover a training event at Ideal Work, our contributing writer Doug Carlton was in Beijing at World of Concrete Asia, where he gave a decorative concrete seminar to an enthusiastic group of contractors from 75 countries. See Carlton’s Corner. My travels last month also took me to Mexico City for a visit to World of Concrete Mexico. Here too, it is apparent that the use of concrete in construction is growing, due both to its structural integrity and its ability to add beauty to its surroundings.

There’s no denying the fact that concrete, a substance with both staying power and sex appeal, is the preferred choice for many builders around the world. It’s our opinion that this is not simply a building trend, but rather, an environmentally responsible solution for generations to come.

As always, it is Concrete Decor’s sincere pleasure to be of service to your business as well as a tool for exciting your sense of creativity.

Sincerely,
Bent Mikkelsen