Rich Cofoid, DCC Council Director The Voice Newsletter September 2023

For many decorative concrete contractors, the change of seasons as summer gives way to autumn is the busiest, most hectic, and anxious time of the year. Evening comes earlier shortening our workday, and cooler weather means we have weeks, not months, left to complete our scheduled projects before freezing temps halt exterior jobs. Yessiree, busy, hectic, anxious!

When we do have two seconds to think and plan, it leaves us wondering how to keep revenues flowing to our business in the winter months. Will I be able to keep my employees busy? Will I need to lay off my crew for several months? Will those I’ve spent all year training (and who are finally getting really good at this decorative stuff) come back next Spring?  Or will I lose them to other jobs and must start all over next year?

For those of you whose decorative work is mainly exterior slabs, have you considered interior flooring?  It is a sector of our industry that has shown explosive growth over the past few years and all signs point to increasing demand in the foreseeable future. It sure solves the weather issue as you are working under roof, adding these services makes your business more valuable, and keeps your employees’ busy year ‘round.

Whether you just offer basic staining and sealing, which has been around for decades (Frank Lloyd Wright used acid stain in some of his buildings 100 years ago) or add resinous/seamless flooring to your offerings, the demand is there, and your business can benefit and grow. I’m thinking of one successful stamp company in a mid-size metro area in the South that started interior work by offering staining and sealing, which led to projects that just called for a self-leveling underlayment (no decorative involved). This work has grown to year-round projects that bring more revenue than traditional stamping business. These large projects also introduced his company to a different set of GCs that now all rely on him for most of their concrete work.

Interior decorative flooring has grown from polished concrete to polished overlays, from cement-based terrazzo to epoxy terrazzo, and from broadcast vinyl chips to an ever-expanding array of epoxy (resinous) flooring. Part of this growth is due to aesthetics; you just can’t replicate these looks with tile or carpet. Part is due to environmental concerns (more reflective floors require less lighting, hard surfaces are easier and cheaper to maintain than carpet), and part of this growth can be attributed to health concerns as indoor air quality is many times better with these products than either carpet or vinyl tile.

Manufactures have responded with expanded offerings, new technologies and chemistry, and promotional efforts directed toward not just architects, but interior designers as well. Don’t just think basements and garages but hotel lobbies, restaurants, office buildings and retail stores. Along with new products comes new training classes by many of these same manufacturers.  So, if you find yourself with those precious few seconds during this season to think and plan, I urge you to consider adding decorative interior flooring to your company’s offerings.