Nebraska Contractor Shows How Decorative Concrete Helps Revitalize Downtowns and Promote Community Pride

Todd Rose is on a mission to rid the world of plain, drab gray concrete. He is working to increase awareness among city and municipal planners about the benefits of decorative concrete and the role it can play in revitalizing a community's image.

The owner of Todd Rose Decorative Concrete of Lincoln, Neb., says many forward-thinking architects, landscape designers, city planners and traffic engineers are using decorative concrete to make a lasting impression and even turn a few heads in their communities.

"Decorative concrete is part science and part art," Rose says. "It's a growing industry that involves using eye-catching stained or stenciled patterns on concrete to produce a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing design. It's durable, cost effective and easy to maintain."

He says decorative concrete is increasing in popularity among community planners for use on pedestrian crosswalks and sidewalks, landing areas, courtyards, streets and roadways, and a host of other exterior and interior concrete surfaces.

"Cities can use it to make their cityscape look attractive to potential businesses and newcomers," Rose says. "Whether it's for landing areas, crosswalks, main street intersections or parking lanes, we are seeing a trend of cities incorporating decorative concrete into their strategic planning and revitalization efforts."

"Decorative concrete can be used to help revitalize a downtown area, spark economic growth and provide a renewed sense of interest and community pride. It's perfect for a rural community seeking a fresh, new look or restoring a vintage look and aesthetic sense to the town's main street."

To achieve these effects, concrete surfaces can be stamped, stained, stenciled, sprayed or dyed to match almost any surface, all with virtually unlimited pattern and texture selections.

"We can take plain concrete and make it look like marble or stone. Decorative concrete can be applied over existing concrete and masonry in a variety of patterns, borders and accents on both flat and vertical surfaces."

Rose explains that chemical stains are applied to existing concrete to penetrate the surface, creating beautiful colors and designs. New concrete can be colored and stenciled with a host of patterns and textures to create unique and virtually maintenance-free designs.

Typically installed at a lower cost than traditional materials, Rose says decorative concrete offers lower maintenance costs over the lifecycle of the product. Clear wax or sealers are applied after the staining or stamping process to enhance and protect the concrete surface.

Read more about how the Terra Centre project was created. The Terra Centre project won first place for stenciled concrete in the American Society of Concrete Contractors 2008 awards. View a slideshow of the award winners.

Todd Rose Decorative Concrete, Inc.
Lincoln, Ne 68507

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