Olsen and Sons Construction

Just as Gayland Olsen built a strong foundation from which his two sons have grown from infants to children to men, the trio is watching concrete mature from driveways to decorative floors and countertops to what son Roy Olsen predicts will be the next biggie — homes.

Olsen and Sons Concrete, based in Wildomar, California has more than 80 years of experience in concrete. Gayland Olson began a concrete business in Tacoma, Washington, in the 1970s. And as teens, brothers Ray and Tom always knew their summer plans would include concrete.

The brothers both went on to college and ultimately found themselves in San Diego, where they teamed up, creating their own concrete company, now based in Riverside County.

About three years ago they persuaded their father, who was still in Washington, to head south and join them in the business, complete with the new company name.

"Today we do primarily high-end residential," Roy Olsen said. Some of the communities catered to include Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, and La Jolla, where the median price of homes sold in April 2002 was just over $1 million, according to DataQuick, a provider of property and land data.

The company's services include architectural flatwork — exposed aggregate, colored concrete, stamped concrete, concrete staining, acid-etched finishes, sandblasted finishes, and interlocking concrete pavers.

Stamped Driveway Stained Design Stained Stairs

They also create architectural monuments and walls, like benches, signs, and planters. And they offer a full line of masonry services — block, brick paving and veneer, stone paving and veneer, and tile paving and veneer.

They do a lot of outdoor work, like 8,000-square-foot homes with a lot of hardscape.

This time of year brings in a lot of outdoor projects. Olsen and Sons use their coloration process to create stone and rock effects to integrate with outdoor water features and pool or spa areas.

Pool Deck Pool Deck

"Many people are looking to connect the old with new," Olsen said. Accordingly, Olsen spruces up the old concrete by adding color to it, perhaps adding a waterfall and a new section of staining.

"A lot of people want to tie in with their existing spa or waterfall," Olsen said.

But their work isn't restricted to the out of doors.

"We do some interior staining, mostly scoring and staining. A few countertops," Olsen said, saying they've had to learn along the way.

However, it wasn't the learning curve that comes with the evolution of the decorative concrete that was the most difficult part of starting the new company just a few years ago.

"The biggest challenge was finding experienced workers," Olsen said. "With a long-standing building boom in San Diego, a lot of guys already had work."

Little by little, Olsen and Sons Construction has built up its staff, and now always has between 15 and 25 employees on the payroll.

And as the staff has grown, Roy Olsen said he's seen attitudes about concrete evolve and mature, much to his delight.

"We're getting a lot of inquiries about staining," Olsen said. "People who have been in their house for 10 years and want something a little more unique than carpeting."

Olsen emphasizes that homeowners want something one-of-a-kind. And the fact that stained floors are moving from restaurants, trendy retail stores, and offices to the home is a great sign of things to come.

"I think the stained floors today are a pretty good indicator. They're hitting the residential market. They're starting to trickle down to the meat and potatoes of the everyday homeowner ... It's a bright future for us concrete guys."

One of the reasons for the rise in popularity of acid-stained floors is because of the available range of colors, Olsen said.

"Through our coloration process, there are unlimited possibilities ... You can add different things to achieve different effects, like realistic stone effects," Olsen said.

Beyond the stained floors, Olsen sees something else looming on the concrete horizon: insulated concrete forms and concrete houses.

ICFs are forms or molds that have built-in insulation for accepting reinforced concrete.

"There are a lot of benefits," Olsen said.

Benefits for the builder include reduced construction time, the capability of ICFs adapting to any architectural design, and the ability to replace insulation material.

There are numerous advantages for the homeowner as well. Energy costs are reduced because of the tremendous thermal mass of the exterior wall envelope. Concrete homes will be naturally warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Some in the industry say it takes 44 percent less energy to heat a concrete house and 32 percent less energy to cool than comparable frame houses.

In addition, concrete houses are safer and healthier. There are no CFCs, HCFCs and no wood to rot and mold.

Outside noises are eliminated and landfill construction waste is reduced to less than 1 percent. And, important to those in tornado- or hurricane-prone regions, concrete houses provide safe shelter.

>"It's a better building," said Olsen, who has built a few ICF homes. "Right now it's a matter of contractors specing it out. People aren't educated about it."

Olsen said concrete homes are very popular in Europe; he expects demand to pick up in the United States.

"I think we'll be seeing more here in the next five or so years, especially as people continue to be energy-conscious and there is an emphasis on 'green' products," he said.

So, whether it's a stained floor that sings out in vibrant hues of blue or copper, a sturdy ICF home, or an inviting concrete walkway leading to a welcoming waterfall, concrete is strongly standing its ground, Olsen says.

"I think concrete — because of its newfound flexibility — is going to be the building product of choice, particularly because it's attractive and durable," Olsen said.

Olsen and Son's Construction, Inc.
Deanna Olsen
22586 Raspberry Lane
Wildomar, CA 92595
(909) 678-0688 Office
(909) 678-3246 FAX
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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.