Decorative Concrete Designs Finds Niche Putting New Spin on Ancient Product

Elliot Davis, owner of Decorative Concrete Designs in Ocean Springs, grew up in a construction family. Back in the middle 1990s, he decided to find a specialty. He became intrigued with decorative concrete, and believed there was an increasing demand for the product.

"I saw there was a need from a growing market with casino development coming in, and more people moving in from California, Nevada and Florida who desired the decorative concrete," Davis said. "People coming in wanted something different besides the plain concrete. I saw the decorative concrete and I felt that was my niche. I went to the World of Concrete, a trade show held every year in Las Vegas, to find out about the latest products coming out. I felt with skills, training and experience, we would be able to deliver those goods they were requesting."

Davis credits the casinos with changing the culture of the area. With many people attracted to work and live in the area because of the growth in the casino industry, it increased demand for products not as well known before the casino boom.

There are several reasons for the popularity of decorative concrete. There isn't much natural stone in the area, and it is more economical to go with stamped or stained concrete rather than real stone. And decorative concrete is very versatile. It comes in many different colors and can be made to match just about any kind of decor. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish from real stone.

"I have 30 different colors, and the imprint that is made into the concrete is actually made from real stone like Pennsylvania blue stone and Arizona flagstone," Davis said. "Those imprint tools we have are made from the natural stone. You take the imprinted tool and place it on the concrete before it gets hard."

Decorative concrete can seem like a work of art when it is well done. Davis said it takes a combination of being an artist and a good craftsman to produce the finest work.

Concrete is also popular because of its strength and durability. During Hurricane Katrina wooden boardwalks along the beach were uprooted. The wood not only bashed into people's home, causing major damage in some cases, but the boardwalks now have to be replaced. Some local cities on the Coast are considering concrete boardwalks as a safer, more long-lasting alternative to wood.

Davis, who has three crews working for him, has done a board- walk of stamped concrete more than a quarter-mile long in Bossier City, La. The Louisiana Walk is along the Red River.

Decorative Concrete Designs had the first showroom on the Coast available for customers. The showroom is useful for potential customers to pick out the different patterns and colors. The actual installation is done on the site of the project.

During Katrina, some homes flooded that had concrete floors installed by Decorative Concrete

Designs. The company came in and stripped the floors, cleaned them and resealed them. Because customers had lost so much, Davis didn't even charge for redoing the floor.

"When we finished, those customers' floors looked brand new like the day we did them," Davis said.

In addition to homes, Decorative Concrete Designs has done some work for casinos and some public work. Decorative concrete was used at the new Biloxi High School and the Mississippi State University Extension Center on Popps Ferry Road in Biloxi.

Although floors and sidewalks are most common, decorative concrete is now going vertical. Back splashes and fireplace mantles can be done with decorative concrete, as well as countertops. A new application is a product that is applied over sheetrock to make a surface like a Venetian wall.

"Since the storm with a lot of houses being raised up off the ground, we are getting more and more requests for the vertical concrete that goes on the side of the house as an alternative to brick or stucco," Davis said.

A lot of people think of concrete as being very low cost, and in some cases it is. But when it is customized, prices can be higher. Decorative Concrete Products has prices ranging from an average of $3.50 per square foot up to $15 or $20 per square foot depending on the application. It varies from job to job. The top-end product is expensive because of multiple steps needed to achieve the effect desired.

Davis, who does work along the Gulf Coast from Alabama to Louisiana, has some tips for people considering hiring a decorative concrete contractor:

* Make sure the person has experience and training.

* Look at some of their work.

* Check references.

* Make sure they are licensed and insured.

"Believe it or not, that has been a big thing around here because a lot of people are hiring companies that don't have insured workers," Davis said. "Homeowner's insurance has to pay for the hospital bills or any other additional costs if the contractor doesn't have workman's comp. It is very important to get someone who has workers' comp insurance."

Copyright Mississippi Business Journal Jun 25, 2007

(c) 2007 Mississippi Business Journal, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.