by Meeshka Brand | Oct 20, 2017 | Concrete
It’s been a very, very busy 3 months since our last blog post in July. On a personal level, we’re moving house! We’re feeling stretched to the max, getting our new space ready while still minding the details involved with taking care of our clients, yet we’re incredibly grateful for the possibilities that lie ahead.
So what have we been up to?
Remodeling our new home has given us the opportunity to try our hand at interior concrete, working with a product manufactured by Elite Crete Systems. Colby’s been eager to learn interior flooring first-hand after seeing it when he attended World of Concrete, an industry event dedicated to all things concrete.
Interior concrete flooring w/ Elite Crete. Colors used were Charcoal Pearl over a Light Gray base, with Titanium accent.
He installed this product in three different rooms, getting better and gaining confidence each time. Next up is the floor of our office, and it will be the biggest floor that we’ve tackled yet.
We hope to offer this interior concrete service and product to customers in the future. Progress photos of the concrete floor in our office soon to come… watch this space!
—
Thanks for reading our blog. Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC is a Kitsap County landscaping company that offers landscaping, decorative concrete and lawn maintenance services to homes and businesses across Kitsap and Pierce counties.Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.
by Meeshka Brand | Jun 14, 2016 | Concrete
Decorative concrete is a popular choice among homeowners who want to add a functional yet aesthetic element to their landscaping. Concrete is versatile, durable and affordable in comparison to pavers or flagstone.
We offer our clients an array of stamped textures and patterns that resemble the look of natural materials. When homeowners choose to “dress up” their concrete, stamped decorative concrete offers an unlimited amount of customizing options to create a final product that is truly unique.
A few months ago in Kingston, we wrapped up a full service landscape design and installation project that included decorative concrete. Our client chose a stamped pattern called ‘Arizona flagstone.’ Despite the risk of cracking, decorative concrete is an attractive alternative to natural flagstone because of its long-term durability and savings in cost.
Forms have been placed, concrete has been poured and is ready for the stamping process to begin.
This decorative concrete patio, pathway and step connects the gravel driveway with various parts of our client’s property. Whether he needs access to his shed or staircase leading to the top floor of his home, the concrete provides easy access.
This is what the concrete looks like after stamping has occurred.
The Arizona flagstone stamp offers the look of flagstone with varying sizes and shapes, and also the texture. There are high and low points with stamped concrete.
The staining process, or post-coloring process, is complete
Antique coloring (the darker color in the photo above) adds depth and contrast to the appearance of the concrete by settling into the low points.
The accent color selected is the lighter beige color you see here.
To further customize his concrete, our client opted to add an accent color to some of the “stones.”
Concrete after the sealant was applied
A few weeks after the concrete was poured and finished, we applied a sealant. The sealant enhances the color and protects the concrete from surface damage, corrosion and staining, which will improve its overall performance and appearance.
Interested in decorative concrete for your home? Give us a call at 360-697-3215 or email us at info@northwestcl.com for a free estimate. We look forward to hearing from you!
—
Thanks for reading our blog. Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC is a Kitsap County landscaping company that offers landscaping, decorative concrete and lawn maintenance services to homes and businesses across Kitsap and Pierce counties. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.
by Meeshka Brand | Feb 7, 2015 | Concrete
This Port Orchard project, consisting of stamped concrete steps and a patio, was poured and finished in January. That’s right, January.
True, this past January was warmer than most. But we completed this project last January. And the winter before that, we completed this one. We pour and finish concrete year-round, and the clients who are willing to take the risk are rewarded with a substantial winter discount.
Our client wanted the shape of his stamped concrete steps to be round instead of square. It was a good call; the round steps work well with the curved shape of the patio.
Forming up steps such as these takes a good amount of preparation, as you can see in the photo below.
Wood stakes support the forms to prevent them from bowing out as the concrete is poured and hand trowelled.
The forms were removed on the same day as the pour as the concrete is still wet enough to customize. Here you see Elias texturing the concrete steps with a Roman slate texture mat.
Below is the final product after all of the finishing and texturing was complete.
We returned to this site the following week to pour and finish the patio. The body of the patio was stamped with an Ashlar slate stamp, while the border was textured with Roman slate.
Our client opted to go with gray concrete instead of adding integral color. Because the color of his house is light blue with white trim, we agreed that gray was the right choice.
Antique coloring was added for contrast and a marbling effect. We applied more antique coloring to the border, again, for contrast, so that the border appears darker and adds definition.
If you’re looking for a concrete contractor to help you install stamped concrete steps at your home or business, give us a call at 360-697-3215 to set up a free consultation and estimate. We’d love to hear from you!
—
Thanks for reading our blog. Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC is a Kitsap County landscaping company that offers landscaping, decorative concrete and lawn maintenance services to homes and businesses across Kitsap and Pierce counties. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.
by Meeshka Brand | Sep 10, 2014 | Concrete
Over the previous week, one of our concrete projects was featured on the home page of ConcreteNetwork.com. This site is the go-to resource for homeowners and concrete contractors all over the country, offering the latest in trends, products and training.
As a small business and landscaping company based in Kitsap County, naturally, we were very excited when we heard the news!
Read the full article below, or click here to read it on ConcreteNetwork.com.
“When the design of a concrete patio is conceived with the landscaping firmly in mind, beautiful things happen. That was the case for this backyard patio project in Silverdale, Wash., a collaborative effort by Northwest Construction & Landscape LLC, a company specializing in the installation of stamped concrete patios, driveways and walkways, and landscape architect Emily Russell of Russell Design Source, the designer of the formal backyard garden.
The goal of the project was to totally transform the backyard by reducing the lawn area, much of which was saturated and mossy, and better utilize the space by creating a courtyard patio that that the homeowner could use for family gatherings, entertaining and relaxation. Because of budget concerns, the homeowner opted for decorative stamped concrete rather than a mortared flagstone patio, saving more than $5,000. “I always let homeowners know that we can do either for them, but to me, going with concrete is an easy choice to make because of the cost savings,” says Colby Brand, president of Northwest Construction & Landscape.
In addition to the stamped concrete patio, the project included concrete steps to allow a smooth and easy transition from the inside of the house to the outside and a curved concrete walkway on the side of the house to connect the backyard to the front yard. Brand suggested using an ashlar slate pattern for the entire project to mimic the pattern used in Russell’s conceptual design. To more closely replicate the look of flagstone, the concrete was left a natural gray with antiquing color added for greater realism. The shape of the 647-square-foot courtyard patio was designed to enhance the formal landscape plans. Instead of a conventional rectangular shape, sections of the concrete bump out into the garden beds against the backside of the house to tie the various elements together.
Brand says his company has worked closely with Russell on several landscaping projects, a collaboration that has worked quite successfully. “Emily has an excellent sense of design and creates plans that are easy for us to read and execute. It’s a great situation for us and the client, as they know exactly what they’re getting from the beginning,” he says.”
—
Thanks for reading our blog. Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC is a Kitsap County landscaping company that offers landscaping, decorative concrete and lawn maintenance services to homes and businesses across Kitsap and Pierce counties.
by Meeshka Brand | Jul 5, 2014 | Concrete
We offer three concrete finishes for patios, driveways and walkways: broom finish, exposed aggregate and stamped or decorative concrete. With all of the customization options available – for example, coloring your concrete to match your home’s trim, or, opting for a stamp pattern that resembles your chimney’s veneer – concrete’s popularity has grown over the years.
Broom finish – also referred to as brushed finish – is the most basic option of the three. It’s less labor intensive than the other two finishes, and therefore the least expensive. Broom finish involves pulling a purpose-made broom over the surface of the fresh concrete, once the concrete has been levelled. The resulting texture varies, depending on the hardness or softness of the broom that’s used. A hard or stiff broom results in a coarser texture, while a softer broom achieves a lighter texture. The texture, in turn, determines what kind of traction the finish will give, an important factor we consider when constructing a concrete driveway.
Broom finish concrete by Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC
Exposed aggregate concrete is a common finish for sidewalks, walkways and driveways. The concrete mix used for this finish contains a specific amount and type of aggregate such as pea gravel. After the concrete has initially set, the exposed aggregate surface is revealed through a process that involves washing away the surface of the concrete with brooms and a water hose. Washing away the top layer of concrete exposes the internal aggregates of the concrete mix, hence the term “exposed aggregate.” Our exposed aggregate concrete estimates always include a line item for an acid wash treatment, which brightens the pea gravel stones and removes the milky film from the surface.
Exposed aggregate concrete by Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC
Stamped concrete, or decorative concrete, offers the most customization options in terms of pattern and color. Stamped concrete replicates more costly materials such as flagstone, tile, brick and even wood, adding an artistic touch to a patio or driveway. Stamps and texture mats are placed and arranged in a specific manner, so that the pattern remains consistent to the eye. The mats are tamped as they are placed so that the concrete is imprinted with the pattern. For consumers who desire a more dynamic look, borders can be added to the design, and color can be added to the concrete mix or applied after the concrete has been finished.
Ashlar slate concrete by Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC
If you’re interested in meeting with us to discuss your concrete patio or concrete driveway, give us a call at 360-697-3215 or email us at info@northwestcl.com.
—
Thanks for reading our blog. Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC is a Kitsap County landscaping company that offers landscaping, decorative concrete and lawn maintenance services to homes and businesses across Kitsap and Pierce counties.
by Meeshka Brand | Dec 12, 2013 | Concrete
This backyard patio and walkway project was completed in October. The patio features a random stone stamped concrete border and an ashlar slate stamped concrete body. The ashlar slate stamp was also used for the walkway. We love stamped concrete projects, and if you keep up with us here on our blog, you already know that!
Lawn and an existing exposed aggregate patio were removed.
Elias is shown here using a float on the concrete.
The concrete has been stamped and is ready for color.
Pinto was applied as the color for the body. Mission Brown was applied to the border.
The completed concrete patio and walkway.
We pour concrete year-round and offer winter discounts. Book your project for February and save money!
—
Thanks for reading our blog. Northwest Construction & Landscape, LLC is a Kitsap County landscaping company that offers landscaping, decorative concrete and lawn maintenance services to homes and businesses across Kitsap and Pierce counties.
