To understand exactly how we achieve our final product you have to forget everything you know about concrete.
Most people are familiar with standard concrete like sidewalks and driveways. Where a foundation is prepared, A frame is constructed, the concrete is poured into the frame and finished. (This is a simplified version) In some instances the concrete is stamped to give the appearance of various textures and stained to achieve any number of looks.
How We Create Your Masterpiece
The Explanation
1. For starters each job has some type of required preparation. That can be a foundation, an armature, a scratch coat, a sculpted foam base etc. Depending on the project it can be simple or complex.
Once the preparation is completed, It's just different variations of the same process.
2. We start with a structure coat, this creates a hard structural shell for the project. On a vertical surface such as a wall we trowel on an aggressive scratch coat. This creates a bonding surface for our scratch coat.
3. When the first coat has had sufficient time to cure, we move to our carve coat. We mix together a specially modified mortar. Unlike typical concrete this mortar ends up the consistence of clay or thick mud. This allows us to apply our mix to a vertical surface up to 5 inches without having it fall off.
4. Once the mix has had a little time to set up, we use various tools to outline desired shapes, create depth, add texture etc. This process continues over a period of hours. As the concrete continues to set harder, each stage offers an opportunity to add unique details which ultimately ends up looking like natural stone or even wood in some cases.
5. After all of the shaping, sculpting, and texturing is complete, the project will be left to cure for some time. The actual time is can be dependent on a number of variables but typically a couple days to a week.
6. The final step is coloring with various stains and or paints. This is where everything comes alive. You now have beautiful and unique installation of art.