Boulder Crete Inc.

Boulder Crete Inc. has carved itself a niche that is rock solid. From concrete countertops to furniture to water features, the British Columbia decorative concrete company is ready to grant any concrete request that comes its way.

The mantra of owners Al Schultz and Brent Burbine is laced throughout their web site and is the basis for the range of their exquisite decorative concrete products: "Years of concrete experience have taught us there are no boundaries to beautiful concrete."

And the pair, which serves primarily from the border of Mission and Maple Ridge to Vancouver, North of the Fraser River West and North Vancouver to Whistler and up the Sunshine Coast, has hordes of gorgeous, innovative concrete productions to show for it.

Neither Schultz or Burbine had a construction-related background growing up. Instead, it was something they pursued on their own; their foundation in the concrete business is packed with mainstream, gray, concrete projects.

"Concrete got in our blood Here we are 25 years into it," said Schultz.

Schultz and Burbines focus shifted gears about five years ago when the pair steered from run-of-the-mill concrete projects to more creative and decorative endeavors.

"It was basically us wanting to explore new avenues and through seeing new ideas cropping up in magazines and the like," Schultz said.

And the renewed focus has brought with it plenty of benefits.

"Its a lot more rewarding at the end of the day," said Burbine. "You can see that youve created something beautiful Plus, its a lot less back-breaking."

While the company showcases a broad range of products and services on its web site, they consider their specialties to be water features and countertops.

"We keep our minds open to new and different things, especially things that are really personalized," Burbine said.

Concrete countertops in particular are gaining popularity in the British Columbia area; and the pair is convinced the main surge of requests for countertops is yet to come.

"Theyre starting to take off. Were getting more and more of a response for them. Their popularity is moving up the West Coast. Were waiting for it to hit here hard," Schultz said.

Boulder Crete can create a range of looks for its countertops including beautifully polished or striking textured surfaces. They integrate a variety of edge options and offer a range of colors and coloring methods.

Other types of products gaining status in British Columbia include stamped and acid-stained products. Water features are also mounting in popularity, especially as ponds and waterfalls are becoming increasingly present and available in garden centers, the pair said.

Boulder Crete uses Techstone Systems, a product from Boulder Image Canada, for its water features. Techstone is a lightweight, high-strength, polymer-modified mix that is used to build the bulk of a structure. It provides excellent insulation properties in waterfall and spa construction.

A specially formulated polymer-modified grout mix is then used to coat over the filler mix. The product offers watertight integrity for all pond and water feature structures. A silicon and acrylic stain replicates the color of stone and comes in 11 colors.

Boulder Crete also uses another product from Boulder Image Canada Eurostone Systems, which is a high-strength polymer-modified grout mix used to base or skim coat over existing concrete, Kool-deck, or masonry surfaces. The base mix has a self-leveling quality that limits trowel marks on the surface.

The primary use of the Eurostone base mix is for skim-coating a clean, sound concrete surface in order to achieve a grout line color for patterned Eurostone surfaces. A special mix is used to replicate stone texture over concrete.

In addition, a special tape is part of the system. It is used to create the patterns that mimic stone, tile, or slate. Eurostone says it has resolved many of the shortfalls often associated with tapes, including the tape disintegrating and shedding fiber hairs, grout bleeds beneath the tape, unrealistic-looking grout lines that are too even or neat, and leaving glue residue.

Eurostones taping system is designed specifically for the decorative concrete industry. The products can be used to replicate almost any patterned surface affordably without the high cost of stencils or stamps.

"Its a pretty interesting material," said Schultz. "Its strong and versatile."

Boulder Crete uses Techstone in conjunction with stamping or Eurostone for many pool deck projects because it offers a non-slip, decorative surface.

But the product isnt just for the pool area. Boulder Crete used Eurostone Systems on one of its most recent interior projects a medieval-themed barber shop called Brutes and Brats. Overlayments, stamping, and staining were all integrated into the project.

The neck cradles of the five individual sinks were each fashioned in their own unique stones, a signature touch, they say.

The owner of the shop relayed her ideas to Schultz and Burbine and they came up with the finished, built-in concrete sinks, and thin polymer overlays placed over existing concrete and over wood to look like tile and flagstone floors. They textured the sides of the shops cabinetry to look like stone, and finished cabinet drawers to match.

Boulder Crete also crafts custom furniture everything from coffee and end tables to lamps to planters. Theyve created tables with smooth and textured edges in a variety of custom colors, edges, and leg details whatever look the customer is striving for.

And when it comes to acid staining, Boulder Crete Inc. offers a wide variety of patina acid stain colors. They also use an acrylic-staining process with custom-made colors. Their acrylic coloring process is designed for interior use only on concrete floors, countertops, and furniture.

The company doesnt face much competition.

"Some are doing countertops. Some are serious and some arent so serious," said Schultz.

In the meantime, Boulder Crete will continue its reign as the leading decorative concrete company in British Columbia as they wait for the decorative concrete wave that they expect will swell up the Pacific Coast any day now.

Says Barbine, "There are still a lot of people here who have never even heard of decorative concrete."

Not for long.

Boulder Crete
Al Schultz & Brent Burbine
12084 232st
Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6T3
(604) 467-1044
(604) 467-7524 FAX
Send Mail Now - Click Here
www.bouldercrete.ca

Michele Dawson writes each week on one of the contractor members of The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). She has written about the home building industry for several years and was on the public affairs staff of the California Building Industry Association.