Concrete or cement is a versatile construction material that is used worldwide for commercial, residential and industrial uses. The main reason for using concrete is the strength it gives. The three components used in concrete is the Portland cement, aggregate of rock or sand, and water. The cement and water paste coats with the rock/sand aggregates. The hydration of the paste when hardens gives the strength to the concrete. But the key to the strength depends on the proportion of the three components used. When more water is used, the mixture becomes more fluid, making it easy to mix, work with and easier to create a finished look. But the increased concentration of water makes the concrete weaker. The ideal mixing ratio of concrete is 10-15% Cement: 60-75% rock/sand aggregate: 15-20% water.

Concrete Finishes

The basic type of concreter is the smooth finish that is achieved using screeds and trowels. The concrete finishers use the screed to level out the concrete surface immediately after the concrete is placed on the wall. The long piece of metal or wood on the screed is pulled and pushed to remove the excess concrete and fill up the gaps. The trowel is used manually or mechanically to smooth and fine-level the surface of the concrete. This type of concrete finish is called slick troweled concrete which can be generally found in garage floors, basement floors, warehouse floors and covered front porches. It is a time-consuming process as the concrete should be hard for the mason to walk, kneel and use the machine trowel to achieve the smooth finish. And when the concrete becomes hard, there is limited time to conceal the surface. Slick Troweled Concrete is easy to clean and it can be swept and mopped easily.

Stamped cement finish is commonly referred to as the texture or imprint concrete. It is the type of concrete that resembles the brick, natural stone, tile or wood, where colour hardeners are used to colour it to achieve the stamped pattern.

Stencilled concrete is a decorative stamping used to create a flexible design pattern. It is used in conjunction with staining concrete or resurfacing.

The broom finish is achieved by using special broom bristles to create light or coarse surface. It does not give a fancy finish but ensure non-slip surface and hence used around the swimming pools for safety purpose.

Rock salt finish is another type of finish that is used for swimming pool decks. It is done by applying rock salt to the top of the wet concrete and then washed away. It leaves small holes on the surface.

Polished concrete gives a smooth, and high-gloss finish. It is durable and easy to clean. Stained concrete is the colour finished concrete that mimics marble, natural stone or wood. The epoxy coating gives the metallic, decorative chips or mosaic-like terrazzo.

Stucco Veneziano sources superior products of polished plaster and decorative wall finishes across the UK and overseas. Our products are environmentally friendly and affordable. We offer the perfect finishes of cement, Istinto Concrete, also known as Cemento Naturale, which is achieved through a combination of Istinto and two coats of beeswax. Get in touch with us for more information on this innovative cement finish and place your order online for delivery to your doorstep anywhere in the UK.