I am considering starting a business with the focus being on stamped concrete driveways and other applications. I have done the research and it sounds great but all I hear is the positives of the business and I was wondering if anyone knew some negatives of the business.
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Negatives? It's hard work, you go to bed every night and wake up every day watching the weather reports, you'll start early most days...
Any suggestions to someone who has little to no knowledge about concrete work but is highly motivated to learn. I am considering taking classes but is that enough, I have a basic knowledge on how to mix concrete and have done a foundation in a building class but other than that I really have not even gotten my feet wet
Work on a concrete crew for 2 years. See if you still like it.
The problem is I can't work for penuts for 2 years.
You say you're a painter? If someone proposed starting a painting company...with no experience...but was a good businessperson...and was signed up to take a class, what would you think of that idea? Would your eyebrows go up a little?
Flatwork is a profession in itself. Stamped surfaces is a part of that profession. You might be able to gain a rudimentary understanding of how to do stamped flatwork by attending a few classes, but there's no way you'd be able to compensate for a lack of experience, any more than that would be painting contractor could.
Think about it.
Who's the cat that won't cop out, when there's danger all about?
http://www.asmallwoodworkingcompany.com
Do you have concrete experience? Most concrete guys really know their stuff for a good reason. It is not easy and just about anything can go wrong.
And stamped crete is the creme of the crop.
There is definitely a market for it though. The stamps seem awfully expensive, a big up front expense.
Just some thoughts to bump your thread.
Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
I have no concrete experience, I am a drywall guy/ painter trying to change my buisness due to the high request in the area that I have seen for stamped concrete and only 1 dedicated company that does stamped concrete. How big of a crew will I need.
I am considering taking a class in Las Vegas for interior exterior applications. 500 bucks for the first 300 for the second
That is crazy was it due to the stamp that you bought or the technique that was used to apply the stamp??
I am very good with dealing with customers who are not satified with colors or finishes I am a painter. I write great zero lability contracts, I am intrested in stamped concrete because I already have done garden paths in brick and have a great clientel for finished surfaces.
I really have not thought about that situation of unhappy customers with permanent concrete surfaces.
I'm a huge fan of concrete... not much i haven't tried to cast or finish in concrete... very little i haven't read... and nothing i won't try...
BUT it's always been on my dime and I'm the one that lives with the results....
is it hard to stamp concrete? depends what you think "hard" is... just getting the flatwork done with no custom finish is a job for someone with experience... and you want to get the flatwork done, time everything perfect and stamp it and have it turn out the color and design you've sold to a customer? WOW...
you get one shot with concrete.... as a painter you can quit at anytime and finish at anytime as long as it's not a 2 part paint.... if you don't like it... you are out what? the cost of the paint?
with concrete i have been alone on a jobsite many nites until 2-3 am for a pour that just needed time before you could finish it...
stampings isn't hard... getting it to look like a picture is.... you can get a great look but don't plan on it always being the look you had in your minds eye...
I'd be the last here to tell you... don't or you can't just know what you're dealing with is not forgiving... it's not easy... and the profits you picture might not be there... there is nothing cheap about the stamps, the color, the grouts, the sealers ect...
there is more info on the web than you could read in a lifetime about setting, coloring and stamping concrete...
p
You have no excuse for not getting your feet wet. Start stamping concrete!
To say you want to get into it without concrete experience is like saying you want to devote your life to taxidermy without ever seeing a dead animal.
Since you have no experience with flat work start doing that every chance you get to build experience and competence. Volunteer on a saturday afternoon to do 10 sqft of sidewalk if you have to. Get a part time job on the best concrete crew you can find.
Come over to our jobsite next week and volunteer to finish the basement! :-)
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Thanks for all the advice honestly I am intimidated by the whole thing now. I think I am going to try and get a part time job with a concrete crew. I now realize how ridiculous and full of myself I really am to say that I can get into the highest level of concrete without even doing the basics. So if anybody wants a hard working entry level concrete employee in Charleston SC let me know. The amount of responsibility and timing to finish a section of concrete in a stamp or without a stamp is something that didn't even cross my mind. Thanks to every one for saving myself from a huge mistake and investment. Although I am still very interested I am going to take a much more cautious approach to the business.
Also I am curious how much you can get per foot for stamped concrete?
There are lots of people who own succesfil businesses without any knowledge themself of how to perform the work. BUT, you need to have alot of capital and hire good experienced crews.
I have a friend that has a very succesful concrete business that does stamping along with just about everything crete. In fact I used to work gor him 20 years ago (why my back is shot now). He is in his 60's now and does no hands on work (even though he could). He rarely even makes it in to the office, but he has a great office and field staff....50 people.
The $ you have to put up to play in that market is substantial. You have to be able to do all of the grading and forming before you even think about pouring the crete. As was mentioned before, I can remember working through the night many times when I was on a concrete crew. I can also remember tearing out and re-doing a few slabs, you have to be able to eat that, the HO or GC is not going to pay for you or your crews mistakes.
My advice would be to see if you could find an existing company to buy out that already has experienced crews.
You have to be able to control the guy with the concrete truck . If he dumps too much water in the mix you will have a lot of fun. If he wets his chute over your pour area the fun will be a little more intense.
A small pour in the shade is easy , a large one in the sun lots of fun. Stamping has a very small window of time to get a good finnished product. Starting too wet pulls up surface , not getting stamped quick enough will leave some faint depessions . you need a large crew that wants too work and has a lot of pride in their work.