Wohlwend Concrete Blog

Add Some Decorative Concrete To Make Your Home Pop

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One way to spice up the look of your property is to add some decorative concrete. It is an inexpensive and durable means of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your home and all that immediately surrounds it. Adding decorative concrete to your Edina (or areas nearby) home with fanciful designs will add to the eye-pops that occur from those who pass by your house.

Decorative concrete is perfect for all of your outdoor areas in leading to decks and patios. Below, we offer just a few of the many reasons why adding decorative concrete can be a source of joy at house:

  • Maintenance: A great reason to go with decorative concrete is its durability and low maintenance. A wooden deck will last roughly 15 years, with the proper care which includes annual waterproofing and supporting structure checks to ensure stability. Another common problem with the wooden deck is that it attracts insects like ants, bees and termites. If you were to opt for a decorative concrete deck, all you need is to perform water sealing application every couple of years. Otherwise, routine clean-up will keep your decorative concrete looking great!
  • Price: Concrete, being cheap as compared to other building materials, will last for multiple generations with only simple routine care. If you are pondering the addition of a new deck, walkway, or porch, consider decorative concrete.
  • Stability: Concrete can handle a lot of weight (think a hot tub). Wooden decks will splinter and get hot. Decorative concrete patios will stay cool and will not burn your bare feet. Another great thing about decorative concrete is that it does not get slippery when wet.
  • Versatility: Concrete is a very malleable, thus it is ideal for stamping decorative designs. Its malleability also means that it can be used in many ways around the home. Stamped decorative concrete can be used for decks, driveways, patios, porches and sidewalks. Designs stamped into concrete will improve the look of your house and add your own sense of style. From short walkways to large pool decks and patios, stamped decorative concrete can reflect your own personal taste that runs through how you decorate your own home.
  • Heat: Decorative concrete does get hot, being exposed to the sun all day. Just how hot depends on the colors involved. You do not have to worry about burning your feet though. Just another bonus of the aesthetic wonderment that will be adding decorative concrete to your home.

If you would like more information on decorative concrete in Edina or surrounding environs, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610, or you can contact us and set up a Free Estimate.

Resurface Your Residential Concrete

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If you are like most, your basement has probably seen better days. They tend to get worn and beaten up over time, especially if water in the basement is an issue. Your residential concrete lower-level surface will be in need of a revamp or two over time. The professionals at Wohlwend Concrete of greater Minneapolis can help with a residential concrete resurfacing of your basement.

Going the concrete resurfacing route will place a narrow layer of cement strewn superimposition containing bonding agents over your existing concrete. The job can be tedious and something of a headache. Call Wohlwend Concrete to see the job through!

Please enjoy the benefits of concrete resurfacing below:

  • Affordability
    Residential concrete resurfacing is a very affordable means of fixing that lower-level floor. It is cheaper in every way over alternatives—labor and material notably—all adding up to an attractive residential concrete resurfacing. The same goes for any concrete that you would need to resurface be it a patio, a driveway, you name it.
  • A Time Saver
    A resurfacing carried out by a professional tends towards leveling out on its own. Smoothing the surface is done with relative ease and in short order. An even distribution covering the entire surface area will solve all issues.
  • Eye-Opening
    You can do a lot with a fresh layer of concrete. If you want to get fancy, you certainly implement some level of design into your new residential concrete surface. You can do all sorts of things with it, put patterns in, stamping, even adding color.
  • Prevention
    Current residential concrete resurfacing is done with a blend that is substantially more resistant to breakdown than the blends of the past—certainly more so than the era in which your lower level was laid out.
  • Boost Resale Potential
    A residential concrete resurfacing is a wise choice to make for your home. Should you choose to sell it one day, a nice new surface in your lower level not only passes the test of interested eyes, but it also adds value—future resurfacing would not have to happen any day soon.

If you would like to hire a residential concrete specialist in the Minneapolis area, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610, or you can contact us and set up a Free Estimate.

Be Ready for Your Concrete Driveway

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A concrete driveway is strong and lasts, all while costing a reasonable price. Concrete driveways can be customized also, far exceeding the decorative capabilities of your standard blacktop driveway. Follow these steps to make sure your future driveway is ready for its concretion. Be sure to allow ample time for the curing process. Wohlwend Concrete can handle all of these tasks and more for you!

Advantages of a Concrete Driveway
Low-maintenance, concrete driveways offer a lot less in the way of hassle and difficulty. Calling for an occasional hard wash and an annual resealing (preventing stains and increasing overall weather resistance) concrete driveways, if installed and maintained correctly, will last 25-50 years.

Cost
Concrete driveways are less costly—both at install and in maintenance—than a standard blacktop drive.
A rough estimate places your cost from $4-10 per square foot (depending on a few factors; complexity of the job, special decorative concrete finish, etc.).

Technical Specs
Look into local code requirements regarding measurements and minimum compressive strength and have your contractor pull any necessary permits before you build a concrete driveway. Typical width for a one-car drive is eight to nine feet, or 15-18 feet for a two-car driveway. The concrete and its base should be at least four inches thick. Make sure the drive slope toward the street is ¼ inch per running foot for necessary drainage.

Site Prep
Preparation is necessary for a concrete driveway. Once cleared of vegetation, wooden forms will be placed along the edges of the site. Followed by a base of compacted gravel, the reason for this effort is to ensure that your driveway will be level and well-drained.

Concrete Mix
The amount of concrete required is determined not only by the length and width you require, but the girth of your slab as well. A crew of experienced concrete workers will spread the mix, reinforce with steel bars or mesh, and finish the surface.

Curing Process
Your concrete driveway will need to go through its curing process (setting up) prior to intended usage. Allow for one week to pass in advance of your driving on the fresh surface. Seal the driveway after one month passes and do not park any large vehicles on it for the same timeframe. During warm weather, spritz the concrete driveway lightly with a hose occasionally to keep it moist.

If you would like to learn more about concrete driveways in St Paul and the surrounding areas, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610, or you can contact us and set up a Free Estimate.

Common Masonry Contractor Terms

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As a masonry contractor serving Bloomington and the surrounding areas, we are often called to homes or businesses that are experiencing problems with some type of brick or stone work or they want a new patio, walkway or retaining wall installed. No matter what kind of masonry work you need done, we can help.

In this line of business, there are certain words we often use that you might not understand. In order to clarify, here are some of the masonry terms we use the most and what they mean.

Anchor

A metal piece that is used to attach building parts to masonry or masonry materials.

Bat

Another name for a piece of brick.

Bed joint

This is a horizontal layer of mortar that a masonry unit is laid upon.

Buttering

The method of placing mortar on a masonry unit using a trowel.

Flashing

A thin and waterproof metal material used to prevent water damage, to offer water drainage and to help prevent other water-related issues. The flashing is placed in mortar joints and through air spaces in masonry.

Pointing

The method of troweling mortar into a joint after the masonry unit is laid.

Tuck pointing

Defective mortar is pulled from in between the masonry and then refilled with fresh mortar.

Waterproofing

The prevention of water and moisture flow through a masonry material.

Weep holes

These are openings that we place at the level of flashing in facing material in order to help moisture escape.

While these are just a handful of the terms you might hear our masonry contractor use, we will gladly explain what needs to be done in plain words when you call us for assistance. We realize that not everyone is familiar with masonry and all it entails, so we will take the time to talk to you about what is going on with your particular project. Our owner will personally inspect all job sites, so you also get that additional peace of mind.

Masonry and what goes into it can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be, especially when you hire a masonry contractor from Wohlwend Concrete. Contact us today to learn more about masonry and all we can do for you and your home or business.

If you would like to hire a masonry contractor serving Bloomington and the surrounding areas, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610, or you can contact us and set up a Free Estimate.

Get Ready for Winter: Repairs to Residential Concrete

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With winter coming, it is more important than ever to make sure all of the concrete at your home is in a good state of repair. After all, you don’t want someone to fall and hurt themselves because your concrete steps or sidewalk is in bad shape. Not only is it a liability, but it is a preventable accident that doesn’t have to happen. And if your concrete sidewalk is sloping toward your house, that could also give melting snow and ice a clear path to your home’s foundation, which could then lead to problems like flooding and cracks to your home’s foundation. Wohlwend Concrete specializes in residential concrete in Golden Valley and the surrounding areas, and we can think of several types of common repairs we do to residential concrete this time of year.

Repairs to residential concrete this time of year range from smaller ones, like repairing cracks in the concrete using sealer. We can also help with bigger problems, like gaps between where your residential concrete meets brick or a similar type of material. These gaps should be sealed so no one inadvertently steps in them and gets a foot stuck (depending on how big the seam is) or simply trips where the concrete should be but is missing. This is especially important if there is already ice on the concrete, which presents a slipping hazard in and of itself.

If your residential concrete steps or sidewalk is in really bad shape, you should call us as soon as possible to get them fully replaced. You don’t want to be walking in or out of your home this winter, step on them and have them give away, especially if the weather outside is particularly snowy and cold. And you definitely don’t want a family member or anyone else to fall and hurt themselves on your concrete steps or sidewalk either.

Even if your residential concrete sidewalks or steps are still in good shape, keep in mind that you should never use de-icer that contains salt on them. A de-icer like that will cause the ice to melt, but the water can get into your concrete seams and then refreeze. The expanding and contracting water can cause your concrete to crack and break, which could then present a new hazard during the winter or the following spring.

If you would like more information on residential concrete in Golden Valley, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610 or contact us to set up a Free Estimate.