While walking along the street, through the lobby of a fancy hotel, or hanging out by the pool on a hot summer day, you may stop and take notice of the many decorative colored concrete slabs and artistic staining work in the area. While these beautiful enhancement techniques are employed on a regular basis these days, the art of coloring and decorating concrete is a relatively new one.
During the early 1900s, experimentation with pigmenting cement became more popular, however there was still the problem of inconsistencies between batches and a number of differing methods were being explored to remedy this situation. Then in 1915, an engineer named Lynn Mason Scofield developed an extremely successful uniform mixing technique and his new company soon became the first to manufacture color for concrete. In the midst of the roaring 20s, Scofield moved his company to Los Angeles and began selling his products (including color hardeners, integral color, color wax curing/sealers, and chemicals stains) to movie stars in the booming film industry.
Scofield’s pioneering efforts and his array of products opened the floodgates for a number of thoughtful artists, architects, inventors and entrepreneurs to begin experimenting and creating. Today, if an intricate pattern or image can be dreamed up, it can be designed, colored, and executed using these fabulous techniques pioneered by Lynn Scofield and many others who came after him.
Check out Radcliffe Painting’s website at www.radcliffepainting.com.