Parade of Homes featuring the best of new homes in Manitoba, Canada
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"They are dry-stacked tiles with no grout in between the lines." Countertops are custom-made, hand-finished and sealed prior to installation. They're competitive in price with other standard materials and can accommodate all types of sinks, including drop- in, undermount and apron front. Imagine a kitchen countertop with a "river" of coloured glass snaking across a pebbly finish. The river look is achieved with aggregate additions like glass and stones. "We physically grind and polish the top to reveal the little river of stone aggregate in the mix," Jolicoeur says. Concrete can even be used to make a gorgeous bathroom vanity with an integral sink. Wall panels are another option. "We can do larger pieces to clad fireplace surrounds and really thin concrete hearths to match floor heights," he says. There are few limits to the design uses for decorative concrete. "Once clients have an idea of where they want concrete for a design application they can give me a call or visit our new website," says Jolicoeur. "I can go and meet them on-site with their designer and go over options from there." For on-site work, your contractor will need the services of a ready-mix concrete supplier, who will provide the right mix for the application and ensure the formula yields a durable, weather-tough product. Dan Scherger is the sales and quality assurance manager at Building Products & Concrete Supply Ltd., and he knows all about mixing concrete for a variety of applications. "We supply ready- mix concrete to builders of all kinds: Residential, high-rises, roads and bridges and for every aspect of construction," says Scherger. Once upon a time, most residential driveways had a broom finish — as in literally wiped with a broom to create tiny ridges — but today, homeowners are more likely to go with an exposed aggregate surface. "That's where that grey slurry of cementitious material is washed off the surface of the concrete, which exposes the aggregates, and it looks quite nice," he says. WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT CONCRETE AND WE CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING WITH IT. 649 Archibald St. | Phone (204) 237-4509 | classicfireplaces.ca BRING THE BIG VIEW OUTDOORS Cont'd on page 120 Parade of Homes Spring 2018 119