What’s decorative?

Is this architectural concrete or decorative? Credit: Scott Systems

One of the most enjoyable things I do is talk with decorative concrete contractors. Either they write in to describe some of their work or we notice their work someplace and then I get to talk with them about what they did and how they did it. The Concrete Network then runs these interviews as short case studies (check out the Current News section on the Contractor News page). Talking to all these contractors gives me the opportunity to learn what’s going on in different parts of the country and to get a big-picture perspective on this business.

What keeps this interesting is the incredible enthusiasm of most decorative concrete people. I guess when you’re riding on top of a wave like this, you better be enthusiastic. Nimble, too, if you want to maintain your balance.

And nimble is a good description of the business today. The field of decorative is growing and evolving very rapidly. Even the term “decorative” is being used to describe work that once was called “architectural” or “aesthetic” or “form-lined.” At its meeting last week, the American Concrete Institute agreed to abandon the other terms in favor of decorative.
For contractors, what this means, is that there are doors opening. The public is beginning to accept the idea of decorative concrete like never before and new applications abound. If you have something you’d like to tell the world about, let us know. Keep on your toes and don’t fall off that wave!