News
Decorative concrete ideas: Six ways to spice up your next concrete project
Concrete has been around for what seems like eons, and it’s as functional and durable today as ever. That doesn’t mean it has become boring, though. Consider these six ways to add visual appeal to your next concrete project. Stamped concrete: For the beauty of a paved...
Project feature: A concrete patio befitting a gorgeous view
Whatcom County homeowners in the Semiahmoo area reached out to us recently with a desire: Their property has gorgeous views of the water, and they wanted a concrete patio that would expand their outdoor living space and enable them to take advantage of that incredible...
Custom Concrete helps create signature fountain in Bellingham
According to the City of Bellingham, Fountain Plaza once served as a watering hole for animals and livestock traveling through the area. Later, when streetcar lines were built, the plaza became the focal point of a new commercial area just north of downtown. Today,...
How to keep your driveway ice-free this winter
As we have reported in the past, deicers can damage concrete. They work by dissolving into a brine under the ice that loosens the ice’s hold on the concrete, and while the method is effective, the brine contains chemical compounds that can harm concrete surfaces....
Custom Concrete helps beautify city, improve safety with Samish Way projects
This summer and fall, Custom Concrete Contracting has been working with Colacurcio Brothers Construction Company to make major transportation improvements in Bellingham. CCC has helped with needed traffic and pedestrian improvements to Samish Way, Maple Street and...
How to rainscape with pervious concrete
What is rainscaping? “Landscaping” is a term we’re familiar with: It’s the use of plants, rocks, soil and other materials to beautify a yard or parking lot and increase its usability and value. Rainscaping takes landscaping a step further, making use of landscaping...
Tools of the trade: concrete finishers
If you have any familiarity with concrete, the steps might seem pretty simple: dump some concrete mix into a bucket, splash in the right amount of water, stir it up and pour it into the hole or mold. It might sound simple, but properly laying concrete is much more...
Project feature: Parking lot construction benefits Bellingham community health clinic
Behind Sea Mar Community Health Center’s building on Cordata Parkway in Bellingham, part of a winding dirt road called Columbine Drive served as an overflow parking lot for employees. During the Pacific Northwest’s rainy seasons, the area would be a muddy, mucky mess...
Cast concrete vs. stacked stone retaining walls
This concrete retaining wall in Bellingham uses exposed aggregate concrete for a different look. Do you live on a hilly or sloped property? Undulating lots certainly are common in Whatcom County. One way to regain yard space for playing, relaxing, parking or many...
Where can pervious concrete be used?
Pervious concrete is an excellent surface for parking lots, driveways, roads and alleys throughout Bellingham and Whatcom and Skagit counties. What’s more, the usefulness of pervious concrete extends to a great many additional uses. Many situations that could benefit...
Project features: A variety of recent concrete work
With the multitalented concrete technicians and finishers on the crew at Custom Concrete Contracting, our team gets called on to do a variety of work throughout the Pacific Northwest: roundabouts for local governments, pervious concrete driveways for residential...
How to create concrete steps
Ever wonder how concrete steps are created? Custom Concrete Contracting crews recently completed a large set of concrete stairs here in Whatcom County, and the project is instructive for sharing the process. Here are the basics of how to build concrete stairs: Prepare...
Project feature: Help with widening of College Way in Mount Vernon
Down in Mount Vernon, Custom Concrete Contracting has been busy installing sidewalks and curbs for an ongoing project to improve College Way beneath Interstate 5. The project is to widen College Way to add lanes and ease congestion at that oft-crowded intersection. If...
How to avoid stormwater drainage problems on your property
If you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for any length of time, you know how wet things can get during the winter — well, to be honest, for most of the year. All that rain, of course, can lead to many potential drainage problems. Heavy rains, melting snow, pockets of...
Deicers can wreak havoc on concrete
Most deicers are terrible for concrete. With winter weather approaching here in Whatcom County, homeowners should be careful to limit, as much as possible, the use of deicing chemicals on concrete. This is especially true of new concrete, but all concrete is...
Is pervious concrete more expensive?
Over its lifetime, pervious concrete can be a much more inexpensive option than traditional concrete, even though the installation cost of pervious is typically higher than that of traditional concrete. The money savings are because pervious concrete can lower the...
Project feature: Whidbey roundabout project in the books
This photo and the photo above show Custom Concrete crews installing a different roundabout in 2016. This summer, drivers on Whidbey Island in Island County began using a new roundabout at the intersection of State Route 20, Banta Road and Northgate Drive. Custom...
Concrete 101: How to ensure quality concrete in cooler weather
Fall has arrived, and that means that here in the Pacific Northwest, as we know, cold winter weather is not far behind. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that cold weather changes how we pour concrete here at Custom Concrete Contracting. As it should. But...
Workforce development: One path to building a great team
When businesses are in a hiring mode, it’s often not very likely that they’ll easily be able to find the highly trained workforce they’re looking for. Those workers either already have jobs or, if we’re talking about careers in the trades, there just aren’t that many...
Project feature: Hilly driveway, off-street parking in Bellingham
To do concrete flatwork well requires experience and expertise. Especially in challenging situations, both can come in quite handy. Consider this residential driveway we installed not too long ago in Sudden Valley near Lake Whatcom. Because it was on a hill with a...
Concrete 101: all about rebar
Rebar, or reinforcing bar, is a common feature of many concrete applications. Its primary purpose is to increase the tensile strength of the concrete, helping it resist cracking and breaking. With greater tensile strength, concrete is better able to resist breaking...