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When it was time for finishing with the Whiteman 3-ft. riding power trowel, special composite finishing blades were used.

"They are plastic composite which allows us to finish the concrete smooth, but not burn the surface, to allow for easy acid staining," Hausz explains.

Because these blades are expensive and can only be used once before they wear out, he would only recommend them for jobs that need this type of special treatment. For the final finishes, he is using sealers from Polymer Science Corporation, as he has found they go farther and are more durable.

Decorative concrete work is Hausz Concrete's specialty and that is a large part of the reason why the company was hired for this job. In addition to acid staining the floors, they also built what Hausz describes as "a phenomenal set of steps." The 38 steps are 9 ft. wide and were stamped to look like natural stone.

Lessons learned

Dealing with the force of nature and with uncooperative workers who are not under your control are things that can happen to concrete contractors on any construction job. Finding successful ways to work around these problems are the marks of a construction professional.