Engrave-A-Crete Takes a Cutting-edge Approach to Decorative Concrete
By Juliet Farmer
For over a decade, the Engrave-A-Crete system has been helping contractors transform existing, plain gray concrete without the application of messy coatings or overlays. The system has been used to renovate driveways, walkways, patios, sidewalks, businesses, stores, basements, garage floors, and even concrete walls and ceilings
The Engrave-A-Crete process is in the concrete rather than on it. It involves application of penetrating acrylic or chemical acid stain to transform the color, and then engraving a permanent pattern into the concrete with patented cutting tools. Contractors can use the technology to make ordinary concrete look like brick, tile, polished marble, flagstone, fieldstone, ashlar slate or cobblestone.
Circular, arched, or straight patterns are possible. And with the use of special templates, it's possible to cut borders, custom logos, and hundreds of other designs into the concrete.
Darrel Adamson, owner of Engrave-A-Crete, has always been inventing things. He first started working with concrete as an apprentice carpenter, doing basic forming, pouring, and finishing. Within three yean he was promoted to commercial construction superintendent. He soon went on his own as a remodeling contractor and specialized in commercial concrete sawing and drilling, along with designing equipment to improve the work he was doing.
In 1990, Adamson thought of a way to cut patterns into existing concrete. Using his expertise in concrete sawing and drilling combined with his decorative concrete knowledge, he designed the prototype tools on which the Engrave-A-Crete system is based.
Adamson started tinkering with the concrete cutting or "grooving" tools he had invented, and then took the equipment out to test it. "The tool designed for linear brick cuts didn't perform well, but the tool for radial brick cuts was great, so I combined the two and that worked," he says.
The pattern is cut into the concrete with a unique diamond saw blade mounted in the engraving machine. Operating the machine is a coordinated action, with the operator guiding and propelling the engraver while the engraver and its tracking system help guide the operator. The process can be used on interior floors or exterior slabs, in both commercial and residential settings. Size of the project is unlimited. The patterns can carry on and repeat for thousands of feet.
Tools of the Engraving Trade
One of Engrave-A-Crete’s popular products is the Mongoose 411, which allows the operator to saw beautiful patterns and designs into existing concrete with little effort. It makes fast, accurate straight cuts as well as perfect circles.
The Mongoose has a spring-loaded head-just press down to cut, then let up and the blade pops out of the cut. The vacuum port makes for dustless cutting and connects to most standard shop vacs. The precision front guide/pointer flips up out of the way to cut closer to walls. To align the Mongoose for a cut, simply place the front and rear pointers on a chalk line and go. Cutting depth is adjustable on the fly with a turn of the screw.
Engrave-A-Crete's Super-Compact 2500-D is an all-in-one precision engraver that can cut concrete into ashlar slate, circular brick, brick, tile, cobblestone, and other intricate patterns. The strong, lightweight machine is powered by a 15-amp, 8,500-rpm electric motor. The engraver package includes a circular/arc tracking system that moves around a center pivot and a 48-inch straight/linear tracking system. Also included in the package is a 4.5-inch-diameter by 0.375-inch-wide diamond engraving blade.
Another system, KaleidoCrete, can be used by itself or in conjunction with the Engrave-A-Crete System to remodel slabs, walls, steps, risers, stoops, porches, and ceilings. The KaleidoCrete system works with reusable plastic templates that will flex over most bumps in the concrete. Thousands of patterns are available, including some novel categories such as Medieval, fruits and veggies, Egyptian, patriotic, animals, and sports themes. Custom templates in any size are another option, and can be made from any photograph, line drawing, logo, or other artwork.
"KaleidoCrete is comparable to sandblasting, but without the mess. It can cut deeper and faster than sandblasting, and you can reuse the templates, which makes the system much better, more profitable, and less messy," says Adamson.
One of the major components of the KaleidoCrete system is the Mochton Stylus Shark concrete engraver. Weighing less than 12 pounds, the Shark is made of billet aluminum and heat-treated alloy steel. The tool's sharp teeth bite into concrete to leave a detailed cut. To reduce the chances of marring the surface, the Shark has strategically placed plastic cushions. The teeth are reconfigurable to adjust to different cutting needs, and it works well with the plastic templates. An integral air node blows cutting debris out of the openings of the template.
When it comes to touching up or adding extra details to the engraved pattern, the Wasp Concrete Engraver -another of Darrel's inventions is a handy pneumatic tool. The Wasp's name is inspired by its reciprocating carbide stylus cutter, called a Stinger.
"The Wasp is like a microscopic jackhammer. I've seen people do amazing things with it. It's like a concrete pencil," Adamson says.
A major advantage of both the KaleidoCrete and Engrave-A-Crete systems is that most of the time a job doesn't have to be completed all at once. And both the KaleidoCrete and Engrave-A-Crete systems are standalones, so one can be operated without the other. For cutting brick, tile, or cobblestone patterns, the Engrave-A-Crete system is best. To cut a wide range of decorative or graphical patterns and letters, KaleidoCrete is recommended.
"I enjoy designing equipment and processes that result in interesting things. I design our tools to do different things that I perceive to be better, faster, different," Adamson explains. "They have to be a good tool and a good process for all concerned."
As for Adamson's advice to those using Engrave-A-Crete's equipment? "Go tell somebody about your services. That's what makes a good contractor," he stresses. "We see somebody that has every right to succeed-they've got all our tools, they have the money for marketing, and they have everything going for them, but they will not get out there to find customers. You've got to get out the door."
