Ed the Concrete Man
Welcome to Ed the Concrete Man — the show where cracks get fixed, floors get fancy, and concrete finally gets the attention it deserves. Hosted by Ed Rivas, Founder & CEO of Concrete & Epoxy by CSI, this podcast is your go-to destination for expert advice and top-quality surfaces in North Dallas and the greater DFW metroplex.
From driveways and patios to epoxy flake floors and garage coatings, we cover everything concrete. Whether you're working with a mystery slab, planning a backyard makeover, or dreaming up decorative concrete features, Ed and his team bring the skill, experience, and tools to make it happen.
If you're ready to transform your space, contact Ed for a free in-home consultation or visit us online to get started. Let’s turn your concrete vision into something built to last.
To learn more about Concrete & Epoxy by CSI visit:
https://www.CSIUS.net
Concrete & Epoxy by CSI
972-292-8057
Ed the Concrete Man
Saving Your Slab: How to Transform Aging Concrete Without Demolition
Can You Install New Concrete Over My Existing Slab?
Are you staring at a cracked, stained, or just plain ugly concrete surface and dreading the thought of a complete tear-out? Before you rent that jackhammer, listen to what Ed Rivas has to say about the remarkably effective alternative that could save you thousands.
In this enlightening conversation, Ed reveals the truth about concrete resurfacing – a process that can transform aging, worn concrete into beautiful decorative surfaces without the mess, expense, and disruption of demolition. He breaks down the critical difference between cosmetic hairline cracks (which are merely aesthetic) and serious structural issues that might require more extensive repairs. You'll discover how concrete overlays apply a surprisingly thin layer—less than a quarter-inch thick—that won't create awkward transitions with surrounding areas yet delivers impressive durability with 4,000 PSI strength.
The creative possibilities might surprise you most of all. Ed describes how these overlays can be stamped, carved, and colored to mimic expensive natural materials like stone or travertine, giving homeowners endless design options. He shares a real customer success story where resurfacing saved a homeowner thousands after removing an outdoor kitchen left damaged concrete by their pool. Best of all, most residential projects take just a couple of days from start to finish. Whether your concrete concerns involve a driveway, patio, pool deck, or garage floor, this episode offers solutions that blend practicality with outstanding aesthetics. Ready to transform your tired concrete? Ed's expertise proves you don't need to start from scratch to get stunning results.
To learn more about Concrete & Epoxy by CSI visit:
https://www.CSIUS.net
Concrete & Epoxy by CSI
972-292-8057
you're listening to ed the concrete man, the only podcast where cracks get fixed, floors get fancy and concrete becomes cool. Hosted by ed revis, founder and ceo of concrete and epoxy by csi, serving up solid advice and even more solid surfaces across north dallas, whether it's your driveway, patio, garage or mystery slab, we build and beautify concrete and we've got the trowel marks to prove it.
Speaker 2:Is your old slab looking rough and you're wondering if you need to tear it all out? Good news Ed's got options that'll save you time, money and a whole lot of mess. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host slash producer. Back in the studio with Ed Rivas, founder and CEO of Concrete and Epoxy by CSI. Ed, how's it going today?
Speaker 3:Doing pretty good, sofia, how are you today?
Speaker 2:I'm doing well, Ed, and that's great to hear, so can you inform our listeners? Can you install new concrete over existing slab?
Speaker 3:Yes, I mean technically, it's not installing new concrete. There are certain materials that are like mixed with concrete, that you can utilize to resurface concrete. So if you have a concrete that doesn't look that good, it may have some hairline cracks, which hairline cracks are nothing other than static. If your concrete is too solid and you want to make it look good, we can use a resurfacing. Also, a lot of people know them as overlay or stem-decorated concrete. We can make it look like new or even better than that.
Speaker 2:Are hairline cracks an issue in the long run?
Speaker 3:They're not. Hairline cracks happen typically because of the movement on the concrete, the concrete stress. So there is a shrinkage and the hairline cracks are not just aesthetic, they're not going to affect the strength of your concrete.
Speaker 2:And what's involved in assessing whether my slab is structurally sound.
Speaker 3:If you have cracks in your concrete and those cracks are bigger than, like I will say, six inches. If you have a headland crack, it's not a problem, but if you see that it's like I'm sorry, I don't mean to say six inches, half inch, if they're bigger than half inch and you start seeing like the rebar inside and all that, that's a major problem because it may start cracking even more. That is when you can think that there is something wrong with the structure of your concrete.
Speaker 2:Understood Now how thick is new concrete layer when it's installed over an old slab.
Speaker 3:An overlay or a decorative resurfacing concrete is only about a, not even a quarter of an inch. So some people worry about, oh, if I do this because we do it a lot like in pool decks they say, oh, so my concrete now is going to be higher than the rest of the areas and now it's really not going to be even noticeable, because it's very thin, it's very resistant, it gives you 4,000 PSI but it's not really thick. It's a thin layer of concrete mix.
Speaker 2:Can you stamp or color the new concrete overlay?
Speaker 3:Most definitely. Actually, most of the applications that we do with resurfacing concrete is like decorative. You can make it look almost anything. You can make it look like stone, you can make it look like travertine, you can make it look many different ways, because that's a material that we're actually going to lay the material and then we can carve in any way that you like, any shape.
Speaker 2:Now, how long does this kind of project typically take, from start to finish?
Speaker 3:It depends on the actual size of the project, but let's say a regular patio that is 304 hundred square feet is a couple days job.
Speaker 2:Now, does that depend on how you want to decorate the new overlay?
Speaker 3:If yes and no, it's more related to the size, because I mean first you have to put the first layer of the material and it has to dry, and then next day you do the coloring and then you have to seal it. Also Now, like I say, a regular size, you can do any shape, and it's still a couple of days. Now, if you start getting into something bigger, then of course increase the timing, but an average body of four or 500 square feet is a couple of days.
Speaker 2:Now, what kind of bonding agents or overlay systems do you use?
Speaker 3:I mean there are different materials that you can buy. The material that we use is a mix of cement with stone and you have to create a certain profile on the base concrete. We watch it very well. If there is not enough profile, we have to grind it to come up with some profile. So the material really grabs to the bottom one. If there is not enough profile, we have to grind it to come up with some profiles.
Speaker 2:So the material really grabs to the bottom one. That sounds like a lengthy process, is it?
Speaker 3:I mean, if you don't know how to do it, maybe, but we're experienced, we've been doing it for a long time.
Speaker 2:So we find a way to make it more like easy for us Any final words that you have on.
Speaker 3:If you have any concrete that you think may need it doesn't look that good or you're not sure if it needs to be redone, give us a call and we can give you a free estimate. We can go and assess the actual project or your project and we can give you an honest opinion if you really need to redo it, or we can do a resurfacing for you and it's very durable.
Speaker 2:Now. Are there any other signs that the concrete needs to be redone?
Speaker 3:I mean, if you have a big opening, bigger than a hairline crack, you may have to redo the concrete. But if it's just something thin as a hairline crack, you may have to redo the concrete, but if it's just something thin as a hairline crack, we can do the resurfacing. Now sometimes you see, like your power wash it too hard and you see little rocks and things like that. That's when you probably want to do a resurfacing to make it look nicer.
Speaker 2:Do you have any stories of clients who came across that same issue? Do?
Speaker 3:you have any stories of clients who came across that same issue? Wow, do we have time for that? I have so many clients that we can help with that.
Speaker 2:During the last few years Just a quick story to share.
Speaker 3:I mean the other day I went to a client that they used to have a kitchen on the pool and the patio next to the pool deck. So the concrete on their kitchen, when they remove it, it was completely bad, it was looking pretty bad. So the client called me, thinking that they need to like demolish the concrete and redo it again to make it look like even or nice. And we were able to save them a few thousand dollars because instead of redoing the concrete we were able to do a resurfacing and make the whole area look nice and even.
Speaker 2:Wow, thank you for those helpful insights, ed. We'll catch you on the next episode. Have a fantastic rest of your day.
Speaker 3:Thank you, sofia. It's good talking to you and to the audience.
Speaker 1:That's it for this episode of Ed the Concrete man, because boring concrete is so last season. Want your space to shine and not crack. Call Ed at 945-400-4362 for a free in-home consultation or visit csiusnet. From driveways to patios and everything in between, if it's concrete, we've got you covered. Until next time, keep it smooth and let Ed handle the heavy stuff.