North Shore Aggregate

Antique Concrete Finish

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 17:42:02 +0000

Over the last few years our clients have been enjoying new concrete with an old finish. At North Shore Aggregate we have developed a process of mechanically aging new concrete. This all started when were on a job in Evanston, IL. The landscape architect was looking to match the look of some existing concrete on a project. We thought for a while on how we could achieve this result. We then began to make samples using different types of concrete mixes and finishing methods. Boy did we make a lot of samples. Eventually we developed a concrete mix design and finishing method to make freshly poured concrete look like it was poured decades ago. Instead of allowing nature to weather the concrete, we speed up the process. The result is a beautiful antique looking finish. Our antique concrete is perfect for individuals that don’t like the look of new bright white concrete. Send us an email or give us a call and we can install your new project with antique concrete.

What is Exposed Aggregate?

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 16:42:15 +0000

Often times I am asked “what is exposed aggregate?” Exposed aggregate is a type of concrete finish. To understand how the finish is produced we should first dissect the composition of concrete. Ready mix concrete is generally a mix of sand, cement, water, and aggregate or stone. The ratio of theses elements is adjusted to meet the specific needs of a project. For exposed aggregate the aggregate amount is increased and the type of aggregate is change to meet the desired finish. For example, if you want a pea gravel exposed finish, all of the aggregate added to the ready mix concrete is pea gravel. Once you have the proper exposed aggregate mix design the concrete is poured. After the concrete is poured it is treated much like regular concrete, it is struck to grade(meaning leveled off), then bull floated(smoothed with a large magnesium float), then edged and hand troweled(this makes sure the surface is flat and edges are sealed). After the concrete is finished it is allowed to partially set, then a surface retarder is sprayed on. The surface retarder allows the concrete under the surface to continue to harden while the surface does not. This is very important because we only want the surface to be able to wash away. After the concrete hardens to a specific point, the surface is ready to wash. We then, using a water hose and brooms, will begin to wash away the top layer of concrete. By washing the surface away we have exposed the internal aggregates of the concrete mix. This is where the term exposed aggregate comes from.

We have poured thousands of exposed aggregate patios, driveways, and walks. It is a great alternative to traditional concrete for a variety of reasons. Lets discuss why. A regular broom finished concrete driveway looks great the day you pour it. It is a large white area that looks like a great big canvas. Unfortunately this canvas usually doesn’t get painted with a beautiful picture. Instead it gets covered with leaf stains, oil drips, surface pits, and hairline cracks. First and foremost exposed aggregate is a very aesthetically pleasing finish. With an exposed aggregate driveway these common occurrences are much less noticeable. Since there are so many stones visible in the surface if one was to pit away you would never notice it. Because the surface is more stone than concrete oil drips and leaf stains are much more difficult to see. If the concrete does crack it is very hard to see the crack because of the busyness of the exposed aggregate finish. I have seen exposed aggregate driveways and patios we poured 20 years ago that look as good today as the day we poured them.

Blog Intro

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:40:35 +0000

As North Shore Aggregate approaches the start of our 27th season I am writing our first blog post. As I am not a writer by trade, I hope you will bear with me. To start I will give a quick back round on myself. My name is Andrew Wiegand and I am one of the owners of North Shore Aggregate. I lived in the Chicago area from age 1 until I was 8. Then work took my family to sunny Palm Desert California. I spent the next ten years of my life growing up in a very loving household. After high school I attended San Diego State University. In 2000 I moved back to the Chicago area to begin my career in the concrete business. My journey in the concrete business began in the mid 1990′s when I used to come visit my family for summer break. To make some extra money I began to labor for my uncles John and Frank Krupp. I was undersized and intimidated by the other workers. Here I am a 15 year old kid trying to keep up with grown men. I did not let it discourage me. I found the work to be very rewarding. Not just for the extra cash that helps any high school kid but I found the feeling of real accomplishment. I continued to work every summer until 2000 when I decided to make it a career. I studied under my uncles to learn the delicate nuances of forming and finishing concrete. They taught me everything they knew. After a while my ambition and persistence got the attention of my uncles. In 2007 I bought in to North Shore Aggregate to become an equal owner with my uncles. Now the three of us continue to run North Shore Aggregate.

In the future of this blog I will do the best to answer all questions that our customers have. Using our collective expertise I will do my best to write on topic informative posts. I hope that you will find this a valuable location for gathering information on your concrete questions.

Thank you for reading,

Andrew Wiegand- Co-owner