Steps to Hiring the Right Contractor

SIMPLE STEPS TO ENSURE YOU ARE HIRING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR

Please try and use these items as helpful ways to ensure you are hiring the right contractor. Through our years of experience in working in the concrete field, we have found out through many clients that there is not only competition for work out there but there are also con-artist waiting to take advantage of the average home owner with no education in the concrete field.

Stamped concrete has become increasingly popular and is not something you can just take a seminar on to learn how to do. Stamped concrete is an art and requires education, experience and talent to achieve. It is concerning as a business owner that this type of behavior is taking place, which is why I am posting this to my site for my customers and other potential customers to read. I want to ensure all customers will be comfortable before hiring a contractor in any field. Among the many different things you need to worry about as a home owner the last thing you want to worry about is getting ripped off for your hard earned money so please try and follow these steps before you hire anyone:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Please check with your local township, city or state to confirm your contractor is licensed.

 

• Please be sure to have your contractor give you a contract, outlining all of your handicapping needs in order to ensure everything gets completed.

 

• Please ask questions: any contractor should be able to answer any questions you may have in order to help you feel comfortable with the decision you are making in the money you are spending.

 

• Please ask for referrals of existing clients, especially if you still feel un-decided about your decision. Upon retaining permission from previous clients to be contacted, contractors should have no problem providing you with referrals of clients that you are able to speak with and/or go and see.

 

• Please be aware of contractors offering guarantees. Specifically against things like cracking. Unfortunately concrete contractors can provide all the necessary steps to prevent cracking which most of the time works but it is not possible to promise no cracking. It is impossible to predict how the earths surface will move each day and how it will react to the different climates of weather we endure, so please be aware of anyone who tries to promise such things like this.

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO CONSIDER ON YOUR SELECTION OF CONCRETE WORK

• Don't be afraid to request something outrageous. Do you have something really over the top in mind for your concrete patio walkway, flooring, etc.? Maybe you want an unusual color scheme or a geometric design. Don't be afraid to share your ideas. We love the opportunity to be creative.

 

• Expect (and embrace) imperfection. Concrete is not a manufactured product that comes off an assembly line, so some minor imperfections are to be expected as discussed above regarding possible cracking. In fact, many people are lured to decorative concrete because of these imperfections, they like that it can give the work character, such as the mottled colors of a stained floor or the original appearance of the individual stones quarry stone.

 

• The work will take some time. Because of the hand craftsmanship involved, the decorative concrete installations often take several days or longer to complete, depending on the complexity of the project. To create a custom concrete look, we sometimes need to make templates, build the forms, place and cure the concrete, add color or stain and then polish and seal the surface. All this takes time, but your patience will be rewarded.

 

• Don't neglect to maintain your concrete. Concrete is extremely durable, and we can seal it to make it stain-proof and weather resistant, but that doesn't mean it is care-free. Regular cleaning and a little "TLC" will help continue to keep it looking good for many years to come. There are many low maintenance "how to tips" for maintaining the concrete selection you decide to choose. We provide you with "Care Instructions" after the work is completed but please feel free to ask about them in advance.