Company creates low-maintenance, authentic-looking surfaces
Joe Guida would like you to know that there’s a difference between Patterned Concreteâ and patterned concrete. Anyone can set himself up to stamp patterns on concrete, but Guida and company at Patterned Concrete Ontario have nearly 30 years of experience with the specific proprietary stamping tools, materials and procedures, developed and refined by the North American firm Patterned Concrete Industries.
“Contractors such as us are licensed by the parent company,” Guida says. “We have ongoing training, and the company undertakes research and development yearly.”
Guida is among the second generation of his family to deal in concrete. His dad started the business in the mid 1960s, and Guida and his two brothers were soon involved. His brothers still run Tri-ConConcrete Finishing Co., but Guida realized that imprinted concrete was a burgeoning area and, in 1987, he branched out and became licensed by Patterned Concrete Industries to provide its brand of architectural concrete in the Toronto area.
“At Patterned Concrete, we don’t use machine-cut stamps,” Guida points out. “We have unique rigid stamping tools made from real stone finishes.” The company offers a range of effects that include variations on cobblestone, brick, ashlar, fieldstone, boards, and just about anything else. If it doesn’t have a particular effect, it can probably be designed.
Once an effect is chosen, there are further decisions to be made, such as a herringbone layout versus running bond for bricks, or what colour variations to include. “With a machine-made paver, you’re limited in terms of colour and finish,” Guida says. “But with Patterned Concrete, we can tone and highlight the job in myriad ways. You might want to inlay granite, or to have simple banding with smooth coloured concrete that’s then etched with acid for a unique surface. There are so many different types of finish that can be created.”
The most popular uses of Patterned Concrete are for what Guida calls “outdoor room” finishes, such as pool decks, patios and entranceways. He notes that the product is easy to clean (“Simply hose it down”) and requires low maintenance. Joints can be deep for a realistic effect but do not extend all the way through the concrete, so there are no weeds.
Guida boasts that “we can install it anywhere concrete can be poured,” but he does admit that some jobs are demanding. “Estate driveways of 10,000 square feet with natural inlays and incorporating a heated snow-melt system – they can be challenging. But over the years, we’ve really learned how the system works best. We’ve got it down pat.”
