Moving from Masonry to Decorative Concrete

While Bohemian Stoneworks is known for unique, custom concrete pieces, its menu of services isn't the only thing Miller hopes the company will be recognized for. The company has taken significant steps to make its business more sustainable.

"We recently moved our business from a rural location to a warehouse in town," Miller says. "At this location we cannot discharge any of the production waste water, so we researched water recycling systems and built one ourselves," he adds. "We now have a total production water recycling system."

The company also uses calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) in its concrete which has lower embodied energy and a lower carbon dioxide discharge than regular cement, Miller says. Another way the company saves is to use little to no steel reinforcing. Instead, Miller uses glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) which allows him to pour the concrete thinner and use fewer raw materials. And to make sure the employees are working in a healthy, safe environment Bohemian Stoneworks also uses lithium silicate densifiers and sealers with lower VOCs.

What's to love about decorative concrete?

Miller loves that decorative concrete always challenges him with interesting designs and the task of figuring out how to make it work for the customer. He says the appreciation he sees and receives from his clientele is another one of his favorite things about working in the decorative concrete industry. For Miller, it's rewarding to see a happy customer who has been involved in the process from the beginning.