Stage 1 Renovations Helensvale

Posted by Ben Walker on October 8, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Helensvale
Project Size: 40sqm (Stage 1)

This was the first section of refurbishment works at this Helensvale home which we will be bringing everything up to a more modern appeal than it currently is.

This section here is a bit of concrete we needed to pour firstly to fill an area that was only road base stones and was a bit of a water pool area when it rains.

So all new falls were accounted for and a side section also completed so a new water tank can be installed by others.

From here, we are planning to return in December to start resurfacing works to the main driveway and rear patio area, then returning after that to complete the remainder of the house surrounds roughly working out around 250sqm of resurfacing and 40sqm of new concrete.

A quick broom was all that is needed on this installation, not a finish we complete normally, typically opting to choose a highlighted stipple finish, but given the fact we’ll be back to basically remove this surface again before applying our new surface, there was no need for anything fancy in the interim.

Thanks to our client for their work so far, I’m looking forward to seeing you again later in the year.

Driveway Refurb Upper Coomera

Posted by Ben Walker on October 4, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Upper Coomera
Project Size: 125sqm

Our clients for this project have just moved up from Sydney into their investment property. As you can imagine, renters can be a nightmare sometimes and our clients were left with plenty of work cleaning things up after coming back.

Last on the list was of course the driveway.

Here we were confronted with a full plain concrete driveway with an extension on the side to widen it. The concrete was in relatively good condition with only minor epoxy crack repairing needing to take place towards the top.

So after repairs were completed, the surface was completely clean and primed and the first coating applied in white. The grinder was then brought out to remove any high spots and unwanted lumps, followed by a little bit of hand rubbing back and we were ready to go with out top coatings.

Our client decided to go with a diamond pattern of 800mm throughout with a taped border 100mm in, which gave a lovely result to finish the job off. Out the back was existing resurfacing in the Blue Mountain colouring, so of course we kept with the same colour profile through, simply just adding a white and graphite fleck at the end to break things up.

Two solid coats of acrylic sealer to finish off and another happy client to put on the list.

As always, thank you to our clients on this project, we love the results we achieved and wish you all the best with the future.

Subtle Stain Stamp Revamp Robina

Posted by Ben Walker on October 2, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Robina
Project Size: 220sqm

Now that title is a mouthful!

Back at it again this week with some more revamp stamp work. This time we came across our client here who has just moved up from Sydney into their new house and have come across nearly acres of stamped concrete which was originally completed in kind of a pink tone of sorts (basically horrific).

A couple of good things were working with us here, firstly the old colouring wasn’t exactly really bright and still significant, so this almost gave us a pretty even base colour to work with to recolour as we wanted to. Most of the time revamping stamped concrete like this, we run into sections that are still coloured really well and other that aren’t. This project however saw basically the same dull pink tone throughout the whole surface area.

Now the idea behind this project’s finish, was to recolour everything to a light charcoal range of colouring, and given the fact as I stated before the concrete was basically a single tone throughout and had pretty much diminished back to concrete colour, I was very confident in changing the overall colour. Most of the time however, this process isn’t used to change the overall colour, instead reverting back to the tinting process to bully the old colour out.

After custom mixing my primary colours to achieve the base colour I desired, I made sure the colour saturation was significant enough in the spray application as to not wash out and run. I went through the whole project with a first run of the light charcoal with also applying wet on wet full black colouring so as to blend in with the charcoal and deposit freely into the low spots of the old stamped impression.

After a full coating and given the fact we were after a full colour change, I decided to apply a second mist coating again whilst again applying the full black over toning.

This second coat really did the trick and saw the black over toning actually blending more into the charcoal being wet on wet, turning the jet black into more of a dark charcoal appearance.

Then after two full coats of full acrylic sealer, we saw some wonderful, yet subtle colour tones shining through the new driveway and patio which consisted of the main, light charcoal with medium deposits of dark charcoal in the low sections and spotted, darker black tones to give a more realistic appeal overall.

I absolutely love working with this product when revamping stamped concrete. I’m an old school concreter and stamped concrete is one of my favourite finishes, and to see old stamped jobs come back to life in beautiful two and three tone applications really makes my heart warm.

I’m a little disappointed my potato phone camera hasn’t quite caught the varying tones of the finish, I’ll try to return another time with a better quality camera and see what magic I can work.

As always, a massive thank you to our clients on this project. We even stopped half way through when they weren’t so confident we were achieving the results we were after, but after trusting in my judgement and waiting for the finished result, I loved seeing the big smile on your faces!

All finished here for now but we will return to complete the pool surrounds after the pool installers have finished refurbishing works.

Stamp Revamp in Contrast

Posted by Ben Walker on September 25, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Tallai & Tugan
Project Size: 40sqm & 124sqm

I decided to put both of these projects into a single article, as they give a fantastic comparison for the different revamp applications for old stamped concrete.

The first set of photos is the traditional method of rejuvenating stamp, the following, is my new custom (still a work in progress) method of utilising the existing colours still available, and added new colours to give a true, multi tone appearance to that once beautiful, now worn out stamped finish.

Apart from all the standard preparation of the areas, the applications where applied with two full coatings of high grade acrylic sealer, leaving wonderful finishes to these homes and really making the entrances shine again.

Exposed Makeover Runaway Bay

Posted by Ben Walker on September 17, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Runaway Bay
Project Size: 82sqm

Our client for this project found us online and like what they saw. After having a bad experience with their previous contractor, they decided to hunt around for a little bit better quality and service. So after receiving our quote and also looking over some of our previous work, we were all booked in and ready to start.

Existing on the driveway was pavers, which the client put an add on Gumtree and had them picked up by other people in need quite quickly. Part of our job description was not only installing the new exposed aggregate driveway, but also removing the existing brick fence at the front to allow for the installation later of a large, double opening gate making parking access for both vehicle and caravan.

So after spending a day on the machine knocking down the wall (and over filling the skip……whoops….sorry Earthfleet), we were all ready to go with the installation of the new concrete.

Off to the parking side is an easement section with GCCC sewer access. Basically I can’t change the heights of this, so I just customised the levels and falls to accommodate it in the new surface.

As with all my work these days, I’m quite happy to break my pours down into smaller sections, allowing not only more time to make sure we complete a better finish, but also allowing for proper construction joints at high percentage break points. This one obviously being straight down the middle as shown in the photos.

Back we came after the first section and completed the final pour today of the main driveway section, all control joints tooled into the concrete to make sure we catch the cracking and everything hosed off with near perfect precision.

Honestly, I don’t mean to blow our own horns……but damn we do some near perfect exposed. Spotless!

As always, our clients here were not only great to work with, also your hospitality was perfect and your patience waiting the 5 or 6 weeks for us to get there was worth it in the end. All the best with your new renovated home, it’s a perfect spot for living the good life.

I Used to be Exposed!

Posted by Ben Walker on September 12, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Eagleby
Project Size: 65sqm

Our client for this project presented us with an old exposed concrete driveway. Still in reasonable condition, but was certainly worse for wear and in dire need to a make over.

This project was really cool to me. We do a lot of custom finishing, intricate one off designs that in their own element are really really cool….but I’m a mellow bush kid with simplicity at heart. Our client was after an off set tile pattern with Oatmeal colouring and minor flecking. I love it. Even if the pattern is a nasty bugger to tape down properly.

Given that the existing exposed was fairly washed out, a little extra care and attention was required in preparation…..along with heavily modifying our products to strengthen them to the point they’ll do the job correctly. Approximately 6KG of material weight is added to each 20KG bag application…..which of course….makes my off sider unhappy every time he has to lift it…..Pucker up princess.

After two thick coatings of this nature, I was happy with the overall smoothness of the surface. Keeping in mind, going over exposed aggregate is never a perfect application. My main priority is product strength, then doing everything I can to make things look pretty afterwards.

As you can see from our results in the before / after pic, we’re damn good at making old exposed disappear and in it’s place a brand new, off set tile design that is perfect for the brick home attached to it.

A Man of the Sea

Posted by Ben Walker on September 10, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Gaven
Project Size: 70sqm

Having already completed work for our client here just before last Christmas, it was nice to return again to see the installation of his new pool area that he seemed so excited about in previous talks.

For his previous work, it was a new patio concrete resurfacing, which, given the adjoining colour schemes of the house, we needed to use colours that blended and match the existing design. However, this section was different. This section is designed to place close to his heart. Being an ex Navy man and currently roaming the high seas with our Australian Border Forces, the idea behind this pool area (at least seemed to me), to create an area where he most felt like home. The deep blue pool shell with flickering highlights, followed by the lush green grass areas (still to come), and finally onto our section of the work.

Our guideline here was to create….sand. A beach if you will, to co-exist with the deep blue pool and almost creating an island like appeal in the area. I decided to go with Ocean Sand as our main colour, this is by far the most natural colour we have and I use it for many applications, from custom sandstone, to paint matching and of course…sandy designs.

I followed this up with just the slightest flecking of Off White and Sandy Beige, not wanting any of these flecks to really stand out and contrast, but rather add to the natural appeal and give the appearance of a sandy beach.

I don’t know, but you ask me, it worked out perfectly.

Thanks again to our client, your business is greatly appreciated and we hope to see you again for the next project.

Proud To Be A Part

Posted by Ben Walker on September 7, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Canungra
Project Size: Pad Footings x2

This week has been an ass. I’ve had to put back two resurfacing projects and delay them because of the rain, which in turn, means I also need to delay the projects that are starting next week….and further down the rabbit hole we go with each day lost. But we were able to salvage some face at the end of this week with a great little project out at the Kokoda Military Barracks at Canungra where we were doing our part to install commemoration signage for our fallen countrymen during the Vietnam war.

Now, I’m a bit of a history buff, taking special interest in Military History throughout the ages, so just being at this lovely memorial section of the base, being able to go through and pay respects to the men and women who gave everything for our country, was really something special.

Our clients for this project are installing commemorative display signs at the entry to the Australian Army Training Force Vietnam area. This signage is being completed by http://classicalstone.net.au/ and will eventually consist of them adding to our base that we put down with a full marble starting piece, followed by a sandstone main frontage with bronze (I believe) wording to add further to an area that is already filled with lovely things to remember our fallen soldiers by.

Our job was relatively straight forward on this project. Each pad footing only being 3.0m x 1.0m, with a 2.4m x 0.5m upstand plinth that the main signage will sit upon. We spend around 3-4 hours getting the ground dug out, having to level the areas first before finally digging out footing piers on both ends.

From there, 12mm deformed rebar was tied together at 250mm centers throughout, creating a full cage setup within both the bottom section of the pad footing and also the upstand plinth at the top. Being a pad footing for a rather heavy weight to go down on, we didn’t stuff around with the concrete, instead choosing to pour 32MPA concrete at around 60 slump (very dry), to make sure there were no intollerances in the structural strength that was placed.

This of course made it difficult to float correctly, leaving a few bar bones spots on the side of the plinth, but as our friends at Classical Stone will be leveling before placing the stone one, as well as using sandstone blocks to cover the faces, our work didn’t have to be overly neat and clean, just needed to be exact with measurements and as strong as we could make it. Which we excelled at.

A big thank you to our clients for this project….as always. We’re very happy to not only do your work, but to also have the opportunity to give something back to our fellow countrymen who gave it all for us.

New House Package Helensvale

Posted by Ben Walker on August 31, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Helensvale
Project Size: 124sqm

Our client for this project contacted us well in advance before hand over from their builder. They sought us out for the custom finishing we can provide, that not only comes with great customer service, but is a little different to everyone else in the design aspect of things.

After several meetings, we went through several different sets of pricing and approaches to what we can provide, then after blending everything together, decided upon putting in a standard “Uluru” aggregate for the driveway and side pathway, then pouring plain grey on the patio and front entrance way, that would then be custom resurfaced to add that little bit of pop to those areas.

We began work breaking everything down into sections as we do. We do this because smaller sections allow for a better quality of workmanship, per section. So on the first day of work, the concrete curbing was cut out and removed, all areas were sub-graded and roughly 10m.cub of fill was placed throughout to raise levels if needed, but also to supply a better base for the new concrete.

A nice easy day followed this to get the plain grey concrete poured on both the patio and the entrance way. A little fun fact on this day, for some reason, for the first time in 20+ years, I forgot to bring some of my main concreting tools……But these areas were to later be custom resurfaced, so all they needed to receive was what they got, a flat screed and back on with some kick boards to hand rub out the surface ready for spraying.

Next section to be completed was the side and front pathways, only a small section, but being all wheel barrow work, ended up taking a relatively long time to complete. If we were to add this section to the main driveway, we would have been biting off too much to maintain the quality of workmanship, so we cut things off here for the day, made allowance for dowel joints, to see us returning the following day to pour the main driveway.

From here, I returned to acid clean all the exposed as I do with all my exposed work as part of the package and at the same time acid cleaned the plain grey sections to prep them for their new surface coatings.

A full white base coat was applied to these areas, then a 600mm tile pattern taped on which was then surfaced with my custom design utilising Fossil, Truffle and Riversand, finally finishing everything off with two coats of High Grade HiBuild Acrylic Sealer.

A big thank you to our wonderful client on this project. It was a real pleasure working with you and I’m really glad you love our designs as well.

Stamp Revamp Pacific Pines

Posted by Ben Walker on August 30, 2018 with 0 Comment

Project Description

Location: Pacific Pines
Project Size: 160sqm

We were contacted on this project by our clients son who lives in Melbourne. He got onto us through our website advertising, and I was happy to hear about what kind of work they required. I’ve been working for a while now customising the staining process to bring back to life the miles and miles of old stamped concrete throughout the Gold Coast. So when we decided to go ahead with this option, my little smeagol thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and I’ve been waiting in anticipation to start this work very keenly.

After the concrete had it’s thoroughly cleaning process completed, we came back to site to try and figure out what blended colours we were going to work with that we already existing, to not only revamp the style that was already there, but add a new custom appearance to it all, not to just bring back to life the old stamp, but create something new with the blended appearance.

The existing colours where an old terracotta type tone with what appeared to be a black release agent tone that was originally used. The only problem was, under the patios the concrete stamp was still in pretty good condition, however the remainder that was out in the weather, had lost a lot of it’s colour and release agent appearance.

So we began work applying and blending our colours, taking note to keep the darker “midnight” tones in the lower points of the stamp (as it is originally), whilst allowing the new “Saxon brown” to penetrate thickly into the porous surface.

After getting all the colours in, moving them around and blending as much as we could, we finished the application off with 2 coats of HiGrade Acrylic sealer to really bring out the shine of the new colours.

Now it might just be me, but I freaking LOVE this revamp application. I’ve been stuck for years in the mindset of doing a single colour, “tint seal” option that brings old stamp up like paint…..and to be honest….looks cheap and nasty. It’s taken a while getting this design right, and to be honest, it’s still a work in progress, but for a bit of extra money and employing the right person, that old stamped mess you had poured 30 years ago can once again look like the decorative piece it was meant to be.

Thank you as always to our lovely client here. A true pleasure working for such a great person. It’s so easy to do well for friendly people.