impressiverestorations.com Blog

We have this friend… He’s a single father of two boys. Bought an older home and has been fixing it up for the last few years. This past week they got to the shower and called in Impressive Restorations.

The old shower was a fiberglass surround and tub all-in-one. It had some damage, but Dad fixed it with some fiberglass repair and they put it in anyway. The old tub was only 21 inches wide. with two teenage sons it was only getting smaller. We decided to help them with that. We tore out the old and rebuilt the shower from the studs out. Replumbed and added a rain shower head above. Hand troweled several layers of concrete, and hand colored it to look like marble. The new shower is now 32 inches wide, with a built in seat, and shampoo cubby to hold all those hair products. Now they have a Spacious Manly Shower that is Totally Custom made!

[caption id="attachment_61" align="alignnone" width="107" caption="Before Fiberglass Shower/tub Surround"][/caption]

To see even more Impressive Restorations Before and After Photos… Please visit our Flickr web photos Here

Please log in to our Merchant Circle page to clip this coupon, good until Sept. 1st. Join our mailing list to recieve special offers by email!

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Impressive.Restorations.405-824-5910

[caption id="attachment_53" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="Concrete Kitchen Backsplash Closeup"][/caption]

We love repeat Customers! Really we do. We love working with them to make their homes or businesses customized to their specifications. What we do is art, and our very special repeat clients understand that they will find what we do no where else. We can adjust color until it becomes exactly what you want.

This kitchen makeover was inspired by the Tuscan look in kitchen popular now. If you do a google search on that, you will find lot’s of photos of travertine, tumbled travertine backsplashes etc. What they don’t tell you is that natural stone is very porous, not very sanitary in a kitchen. Nasty things can hide in there. The look is very pretty and old world. So we at Impressive Restorations replicated that look with materials that are earth friendly and kitchen friendly. Solid surfaces that dare germs to hide in them. Our faux stone is three dimensional, and individually colored like the real thing. The shades in this kitchen were chosen by the Lady of the House and make this space inviting and comfy. After having done the kitchen floor, the front entry and now the kitchen countertops and backsplashes… they want a bid on the back patio. Can’t Wait!

[caption id="attachment_48" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="Beautiful Retreat Backyard"][/caption]

Hot enough for ya?”- Concrete Supplier.

“Why? Can you make it Hotter?!”- Jorge, Impressive Restorations Fearless Leader.

Yep, it’s swimming pool season, and in this weather we don’t mind a dip ourselves. Recently some former clients and very good friends called us in for a finish to a large backyard project. This included resurfacing new and old concrete to unify it in texture and tone, as well as adding a decorative element. The areas included over 1,000 sq. ft. of patio and fireplace area, in addition to the pool deck. To finish, all of the patios and pool deck were sealed with Non-Slip Sealer. The results are just gorgeous.

This home is located in the Highland Park neighborhood in Moore, OK. These folks are good friends and support us in many ways. They are happy to give references. Just call Impressive Restorations for references, or a free estimate at (405) 824-5910, or email at info@ImpressiveRestorations.com

For More Photos Please Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/impressiverestorations/

[caption id="attachment_42" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="Planter Along North Wall"][/caption]

Most of our fans and clients know about our craftsman style techniques in decorative concrete. Many don’t know that we also have some masonry skills. It’s hard work, but satisfying. We recently finished several planters for a homeowner who already has Impressive Restorations concrete work done on their driveway and walks up to and including thier front porch. Impressive Restorations crew installed three large brick and Ada stone planters to match the house, and the Faux brick and stone we already installed in concrete. From the street I dare anyone to tell… Which is Real? Which is Faux?!

We have heard it thousands of times, right? Word of Mouth is the best advertising. Of course it is. Who would you trust more? Your brother/best friend or the yellow pages?

Our latest series of jobs fall under this catagory. It all started a year and a half ago. With a seemingly simple job. We leveled a back patio so it could be enclosed and used as a game room, complete with pool table and shuffleboard. Impressive Restorations crew fought with the weather, (it was January!) and products til we got what we wanted. A level surface with intense color for the homeowners. It was so worth it. The finished product has been “free” advertising for us ever since. These folks also being friends makes it even better. Well, you know how it goes… they showed it to friends and family, and because of that one job, we have gotten to work on their Mom’s house, kitchen floor and front porch. From that we worked on another daugther’s place, front porch, back patio, indoor pebble shower. And from them we have met several other friends who want bids. We have done a friends front walk and entry, as well as their back patio.

So the chain grows, and so does our family business.

Who needs the yellow pages?!

Sometimes we do work that even we are jealous of. This job was one of those “I wish we had this at home” kind of jobs. The homeowners had cracked tiles on the floor of the shower, and along the outer ridge. They knew that the shower pan leaked, and wanted it all replaced and the plumbing pressure checked. They had seen pebble stone showers in Hawaii, and loved the idea. We sourced several stones, and these are the ones they chose.

We at Impressive Restorations, and the homeowners love it. They were a breeze to work for, and all are happy. Thanks Eddie and Angela!

One of the biggest differences between Impressive Restorations and the local competition is technique. There are many companies that will do a simple stamped overlay, with a spray stain application, seal it and charge you good money for it. While there is nothing wrong with that, it is very limited in the effects you can create.

In contrast Impressive Restorations crew/family members use hand application methods to control the surface textures. On first coats we use a squeegee to ensure smooth finishes and most importantly for leveling purposes. Following that, when we have a level surface, we use a hand trowel to control closely the application of texture coats. Using this hand work gives us may different effects and finishes. One example is a hand applied faux stone we recently used on a front porch. The “stones” were given a rougher texture, that we used to our advantage during the drying phase to give the stones a “burnished” look. This makes the raised part of the texture part of the design by darkening the concrete in those high areas. The effect is very realistic in person. You do not get this effect by using a stamp.

[caption id="attachment_26" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="After Tuscan "Tile" Concrete "][/caption][caption id="attachment_24" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="Before Brick Pavers and Mortar"][/caption]It's funny, you bid a job, give an estimate and start to work. You never really know what you are getting into until you get into it... so to speak.

On a recent job the crew set to work to remove a kitchen floor of brick pavers and mortar. Around 300 sq. ft. We were told by the homeowner that they put it down 12 years ago or so, themselves. The pavers were only supposed to be a quarter of an inch thick. We assumed they would come up pretty easily. Notice the word "assumed." When we got to work, we took a demo hammer drill, various hand tools, and the four of us got to work.

Needless to say, the homeowner was mistaken in the depth of the pavers, the mastic used to put them down with etc. After this photo it took all four of us two full days with two demo hammers and tenting off the rest of the house etc. We basically pulverized the pavers and mortar. It was a pain, but well worth the effort in the end. We then had a clear slate to do our designing thing with. We decided on an 18 in sq. set on diagonal design. The finished look of the kitchen is to take on a "Tuscan" theme. The homeowners trusted our decisions for color etc. We really had fun with our color process. No one can match it, and that's not braggin' cause it's true. We hand colored these faux tiles in many colors with the resulting unduplicatable look. Needless to say it was all worth the extra time in demolition work to have this as the finished product. The homeowners are so happy with it that they want us to do their front porch, back patio, and their daughter's house!

This is a great review Impressive Restorations received from a Merchant Circle client today. Just thought we’d share. You can also find Impressive Restorations on MerchantCircle.com. It’s a great way for small businesses to share information, and for prospective clients to learn about your work, or services. We’ve found great friends of Impressive Restorations through this channel already! See you soon at ImpressiveRestorations.com, or at MerchantCircle.com!

“You will be impressed *****
Is your driveway a mess? Or is it time to change the look of you walkways, patio or front porch? Whether it’s commercial or residential, Impressive Restorations knowledgeable and trained staff will find the right design and look for whatever your needs are! Go online to www.ImpressiveRestorations.com and check out their photo gallery, you will be impressed! While you’re there find out how to get a free quote. Impressive Restorations specializes in decorative concrete, concrete resurfacing, custom color overlays, custom texture, concrete countertops, epoxy floors, to name a few. For all of your concrete needs, go online to www.ImpressiveRestorations.com, you will be impressed!”

April 22, 2009 by Every Little Thing or not