ForConstructionPros.com

Jim Nielsen, Contributing Writer

With homebuilding down in most parts of the country, concrete contractors are looking for ways to expand their businesses. Many are adding decorative concrete to their line-up of services or expanding their current decorative offerings. Before venturing into uncharted territory you should attend a training session through a product manufacturer or by other means to obtain basic knowledge about the products and services they offer. Overselling your performance capabilities can be hazardous!

To keep decorative work profitable and to maintain a high level of quality, you need to know what you're doing. A lot of defects that don't show up in gray concrete stand out in decorative concrete. And because customers pay a premium price for decorative concrete, they expect a premium product.

One of the pitfalls for many contractors branching out into decorative concrete is difficulty with sealers. Sealers can be tricky, but if you're aware of the problems that can arise and why those problems happen, you'll be able to avoid them. This article will help you seal it right the first time.

Minimize your risk
Before you even pick up your sealing roller or sprayer, there are a couple things you can do to minimize your risk when it comes to your decorative concrete jobs. One thing I suggest all contractors do is keep a job log. I use a spiral-bound notebook to record details about every job I perform. Write down the names of your colors, stamp patterns and sealers you use. Record the workers who performed each job, the weather conditions and anything else that might affect the results of your project. If problems with a job do occur, a job log can help you determine the cause of any problem.

Determine the type of sealer you are going to use on your job - waterborne or solventborne. Some important considerations to keep in mind: Will the odor from a solventborne sealer be an issue? Is a pigmented sealer required? Will there be a maintenance program? Glossy or matte finish? What are the owner's expectations?