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 Surface
Chic
Concrete -- it's the newest
trend in decorating
by Christa Martin
Concrete--It's
more than just a slab of cement. Think hip, affordable and
versatile. It keeps you toasty and it's easy to clean. Yes,
this is the same stuff that sidewalks are made of.
Concrete has become a popular
substance in the decorating market-it's being poured into
bathrooms, kitchens, swimming pools and more. But here's the
catch--don't try to self-install a concrete anything (countertop,
floor, etc.) unless your skills are, well, concrete. Otherwise,
you'll be the humble owner of an enormous mess and you'll
have to call the guy you should have called in the first place:
Tom Ralston, a guru in the ways of concrete and the owner
of his own large business here in Santa Cruz, aptly called
Tom Ralston Concrete.
Ralston is a third generation
man of concrete, sort of a "Superman" in town, whose
company offers an elaborate assortment of would-be concrete
products. "Would-be" because his crew comes in and
creates anything (fireplaces, private underground parking
structures) for anyone from Carmel Valley to Portola Valley.
"It [concrete] has a raw
sort of look and an air of uniqueness to it that you can't
attain with tile or slate," Ralston says.
Most jobs start at about $5,000
-- a typical price estimate for installing an interior concrete
countertop that can look like granite, marble or flagstone,
without the bumps and grooves found in those more expensive
products.
Another perk is the radiant heat
systems found in concrete floors. This trend rose to popularity
in the 1990s, Ralston says, as the design became familiarized
by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In such floors, tubes
are strewn through the floor and connected to a water system
that, when heated, in turn heats the home, from essentially
the feet up. This style of heating a home is 40 percent cheaper
than electrical means, Ralston says.
"It's an efficient way to
heat a home when compared to forced air heating and bug poop
floating around yaw house [from the vents]," Ralston
adds.
This construction type of guy
is anything but gruff. He's personable and breaks down the
"art' of concrete quite simply to the confused. Ralston,
both a businessman and an artist, designs much of the work
his company produces--he's a creative type at the core, someone
who also plays the piano and writes poetry,
The business was handed down to
him from his father when the junior Ralston was 37, but in
all honesty, he didn't have any idea what he was getting himself
into. Fueled by hard work, passion and years of jackhammering
and construction jobs for his dad, Ralston brought the company
to the next level. He's now 52 and completely jazzed by his
work and the increased technologies that the concrete business
has seen, including creating estimates for clients. In years
past, estimates were tedious work but now, he turns on a computer,
sets a job plan on a grid, and clicks away with something
that vaguely resembles a pencil, which offers up measurements,
by which he can dictate a price quote. The company is doing
well with a usual 12-15 jobs/day and a gross income last year
of $4.5 Million.
At the offices in the downtown
Santa Cruz area, everything is a showcase of concrete: portions
of the driveway, the internal office counters and floors,
Giant slabs are outside: the Italian light gray model, the
sand finish (a light wash), blended acid stains on one piece,
shards of beach glass and sea shells decorate another.
Many locals have walked all over
Tom Ralston Concrete--the company's work can be seen on the
floors of the restaurant Costa Brava and the clothing store
Pacific Trading Co. (both on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa
Cruz).
But remember, "Concrete has
its limitations," Ralston says. "It wants to variegate,
and it wants to crack; it's not a perfectly precise medium.
It's not advisable for people to do It themselves."
Tom Ralston Concrete is
at 241 Fern St., Santa Cruz. For more information, call 426-0342
or visit www.tomralstonconcrete.com.
From Good Times magazine,
March 27, 2003
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