Precast Concrete

A discussion about Concrete Walls, Fireproof Fencing, Security Fence and Aluminum Fence

Beautiful Project Integrating Custom Palisters and Artisan Precast Concrete Fence

Our customer’s architect used SmoothCrete for a distribution warehouse perimeter wall. To integrate the precast concrete wall with surrounding properties, custom pilasters were built creating a beautiful, customized solution. The modular design of the concrete fence panels made changes in topography and integration with the custom pilasters a breeze. This provided a very cost effective solution that also looks terrific.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Precast Concrete for Walls and Fences

As more and more contractors, developers, architects, cities, homeowners are looking for more cost effective ways to build projects, concrete walls and concrete fences are gaining rapid acceptance. Everyone wants to create an aesthetically appealing project to increase likelihood of sale, to enable hire rents, or to simply create a more valuable project.
Whatever the reason, using precast concrete provides two great benefits - it is cost effective and it looks great. For example, FenceStone is a product that resembles hand-laid ledgestone. It is precast and assembled at the project location. This saves time and money and greatly reduces the speed of installation. This approach is more cost effective than building a wall of stone or the common practice of building a concrete block wall and then applying stone or fake stone to the facade of the wall. It also greatly reduces the cost which enables the buyer to have an expensive looking walling option for a fraction of the price. Architects value this option as they can wrap a project in a great looking wall at a great cost. Artisan Precast (www.artisanprecast.com) has a great line of precast concrete to check out.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Concrete Fence Advantages

The growing popularity of precast concrete fences and concrete walls is a logical progression as construction evolves in both design and cost engineering. Concrete fences such as FenceStone and WoodCrete employ a post and panel system that enables fast and cost effective erection of walls. These concrete fences are being employed in a wide variety of projects from residential developments to industrial centers. A concrete fence can be built to 20 feet in height without the continuous foundation requirements of typical concrete block walls. It is estimated that a precast concrete wall uses 55% less concrete in the foundation than a typical concrete block wall.

Unlike monolithically poured precast, these walls are warm and inviting. They give the appearance of authentic stone, brick and wood - especially when integrally colored. Products like FenceStone can be installed with a 3 or 4 man crew and light equipment. If your project involves a wall - whether 50 feet or 4,000 feet or more - you must seriously take a look at precast concrete walls and fences.






Popularity: 46% [?]

Green Walling Products Save Time, Money and Look Great

There are lots of options for building perimeter walls, view barriers, retaining walls and the like so how do you sort them all out? The standard default is still concrete block (CMU- concrete masonry units) but there are other products that may be better.
Products like FenceStone (a precast concrete wall system) from Artisan Precast (www.artisanprecast.com) have a number of benefits that include a number of greener features. The list is long but according to my resident paint expert (formally of Sherwin Williams) one of the great benefits of precast concrete walls is that they are integrally colored with iron oxide pigments and this is a big deal. Since the color is added to the mix in liquid form during the manufacture of the precast concrete fences there is no need for on-site staining or painting. This eliminates the release of VOCs at the job site which can be inhaled or released into the atmosphere. Our resident paint guru also notes that painting concrete is a less durable approach to coloring as it can lead to “chalking” if not done correctly. Artisan’s products use recycled material to replace some of the Portland cement which also yields a more environmentally friendly concrete.






Popularity: 37% [?]

Returning from World of Concrete Show

You wouldn’t know the economy is having a problem if you attended the concrete show this week. It was packed and many of the exhibitors were reporting good sales – especially some of the larger equipment makers. Now, it might be they were putting me on a bit but one of the vendors shared their unit sales with me and they were impressive. We didn’t exhibit at World of Concrete and probably won’t next year. We find it a great show for learning more about concrete technologies and ways for us to provide a better experience for our customers. One of the things that struck me at the show was that there were fence companies, mold companies, material suppliers and so forth - but none of those things alone make a great concrete fence company or guarantee a good product and experience for the customer.
Anyone can buy precast concrete forms (some awfully bad ones and some terribly expensive ones!), and anyone can call themselves a fence company but it takes a lot more than that to be the kind of company that customers ultimately desire. We’re specialists in designer concrete fencing and walls that look like wood, brick, and stone. We make the molds, we make the product at a National Precast Concrete Association Certified plant and we ship that to installers or we also do the installation.
To make all that happen requires a level of sophistication, professionalism, expertise and service orientation that few can deliver. That is what sets us apart. I think that is why major national brands and large national and regional construction firms are coming to us more and more. They trust us and they like working with us. At the end of the day, they want to know that they can count on us and if we meet or exceed that expectation then we become an invaluable partner for years to come.






Popularity: 45% [?]

Concrete Fences Versus Plastic or Vinyl - Which is Better?

There are lots of choices when it comes to putting up a fence - whether for a single family home, ranch or large public works project.  Plastic or Vinyl fences look pretty good and they are very cheap.  They come in lots of designs and you can find lots of companies to install them.  You can even do it yourself.  But it is hard for me to endorse using these materials in fire or hurricane prone areas.  Maybe I am old-fashioned but I like to think that when I build a wall it is going to last a long, long time.  I don’t want to worry about a fire melting it or having it blown away in a hurricane.  One of the great things about precast concrete fences is that they last - they won’t catch fire and the post-and-panel systems such as Artisan’s systems are rated for seismic code 4 events and wind loads to 14o mph!  Now, that is the kind of fence I want to build..and we do.  This is just one of the reasons concrete fence and wall systems from Artisan are in such high demand.






Popularity: 30% [?]

Are You A Fence Company or A Concrete Mold Company?

The fact is we are both.  Artisan Precast is primarily a concrete fence company but we are more than that.  Yes, we do have a terrific reputation for installing beautiful concrete walls and fences.  But we also sell our material to others - fence companies, contractors, cities, homeowners and others who install the product themselves.  But, we also design and manufacture our own concrete molding systems which sets us apart from others.  In our facility we design, develop and manufacture concrete molding systems for our own use to make our beautiful precast walls and fences.  In certain cases, we sell those molds to companies in other countries who want to replicate our concrete fence product in their markets.  We think that making our own molds gives us a better understanding of the product and makes us better at what we do as a fence company.  It also means we always have the latest and best molds to produce a superior looking product.  It also means that selling molds is not primarily what we do - our primary focus is providing a superior concrete fence product to the market.  So, if someone wants to buy molds from us, it’s not a hard sell.  We think the concrete forms we make are the best in the market and offer the user the most flexible concrete fencing system available at a fair price.  So, if that is important to the buyer then we have what they need.  But our mold business is not driven by sales of molds but rather by creating and making molds that work for us as a fence company.  Because at the end of the day we want to be known by our friends and clients as having the best looking, most cost effective, fastest-to-assemble fencing system in the market.






Popularity: 29% [?]

Using Precast Concrete Fencing Systems as Retaining Walls

There is tendency for architects, engineers and builders to use concrete block as the default option for retaining walls.  The reality is that there are many precast solutions to accomplish this same result.  The advantage of precast concrete walls such as that made by Artisan Precast (available throughout the U.S.) is that you can accomplish the functionality of retaining soils while providing an aesthetically superior appearance. 

Widely available products such as FenceStone, BrickCrete and WoodCrete, to name just a few, provide the rich appearance of stone, brick and wood without the need for costly veneers as the texture is cast into the product.  These precast post-and-panel systems are available in a wide variety of colors to match any project.  Appropriately configured, these  systems can retain up to 7 feet of soil while providing the architect, engineer or developer an expensive look at a fraction of the price of real stone or brick.  The other benefit of post-and-panel precast wall systems is that they do not require a continuous foundation which saves substantially on labor costs and installation time.






Popularity: 24% [?]

Fencing That Installs Quickly and Is Very Durable

One of the many advantages of concrete walls and fences is that certain systems install very quickly. I am not talking about these massive precast panels weighing thousands of pounds that you see on highways and the like. I am talking about post-and-panel systems like that offered by Artisan Precast. These systems assemble quickly because the components are easily handled by 2 or 4 person crews and you do not need to trench the entire foundation as you do with typical concrete block walls. These post-and-panel systems require that footings or piers be dug at typically 5 foot intervals into which posts are set. These footings are then filled with ready mix concrete and rebar and once the concrete sets the panels are slid into place. These post-and-panel systems have the added advantage of easy replacement in the event of damage. Folks, installing this fence is a no-brainer.






Popularity: 20% [?]

Precast Concrete Walls - Good For Building High Perimeter Walls?

In fact, precast concrete is ideal for building high perimeter walls. Good post-and-panel systems (like that at Artisan Precast) can be built to 20 feet high. The components can be assembled to any height up to that and they look great. They can mimic brick, wood, or stone and they provide a very rich ambiance. These aren’t the monolithic precast panels that look industrial and pretty much like poured concrete. These systems were designed from a landscaping perspective to complement the landscape and structures. You can order these materials in several great standard colors or you can even customize it. If the precast concrete vendor can not color your concrete with integral color (using iron oxide pigments) then you might want to find someone else. A great benefit of concrete walls and fences is that the color inside means no painting or staining and little if any fading. Post-and-panel systems are being used at utility sites, residential developments, commercial centers, and just about anywhere you would traditionally see a concrete block wall. Just a great building material.






Popularity: 10% [?]