By Robert King — Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — A new company offers homeowners an effective way to put a durable and decorative surface on concrete.

Winchester-based Blackwater Design Concrete Coatings has been operating since March. The company uses a spray to coat existing concrete to make the surface more durable and create patterns and logos in any color the homeowner wants.

"We just wanted to bring a cost-effective product to the area and a cost-effective way to decorate concrete," said Eric Cvechko, a co-owner and operator of the company.

Cvechko and Christopher Hall, another co-owner, said the product is different from stamp concrete.

"Stamp concrete is new concrete that you have to put down," Cvechko said. "Our product, we can go on existing concrete and coat it so you can get the same look without putting new concrete down."

Before the coating is applied, any cracked concrete must be fixed cosmetically. While Blackwater agrees to do that, it doesn't guarantee the coating will prevent future cracking.

"We can't guarantee that our product isn't going to crack on top of it," Cvechko said. "We can take a crack that is three inches and get it down to like a hairline crack. It might take a year for that to crack again or it might take 10 years."

"Once concrete cracks, it is going to continue to crack," Hall added.

The coating, a mix of acrylics, color pigments and other materials, is usually sprayed on to the concrete surface.

Blackwater can create any color or pattern the customer wants. "You can more tune it to their needs," Hall said.

The coating is also resistant to oil, rust and mildew, Cvechko said.

Once it is applied, the maintenance is minimal.

"This product is about six times more durable than concrete," Hall said.

Cvechko and Hall spoke of one client in Frederick County who had to repaint his pool patio roughly every year. After applying the spray coating, he now only has to power-wash the patio once a year.

A coating job usually takes about a week. Prices vary depending on the extent of the job, whether coloring or logos are requested, and if concrete repairs are needed.

Blackwater offers various types of spray coating.

Acrylic spray coats are used to restore old or damaged concrete.

Acid stain is a method used to turn concrete into a surface resembling marble.

"Unlike paint, acid stain reacts with the minerals present in the concrete, giving it the look and feel of natural stone," according to information on the coating.

Interior coats are highly scratch-resistant and offer easy cleanup.

Clear coating is used to make concrete surfaces mildew- and stain-resistant, and colored acrylic seal is a coating that adds a colored look to concrete surfaces.

"It is much more durable and permanent than paint and stain," the information reads.

Blackwater also uses an epoxy coat that is mainly used for industrial jobs such as showrooms.

The company can also use a thin stamped overlay concrete to restore the surface to resemble a realistic stone, brick or tile look, and acrylic coats restore damaged surfaces to a decorative finish.

A majority of Blackwater's business is from residential homeowners and the rest is industrial or commercial.

Not only does the coating protect concrete and make the home more beautiful, it can also drive up a home's value, Cvechko said.

"If you've got a carport that's all cracked up and have painted it three or four different colors and it looks unsightly, we can come in and fix it and spray it, and it is more of an entrance and selling point," Cvechko said.

For more information on Blackwater Designer Concrete Coatings, call 535-7440 or 686-6903. The company's Web site is located at www.blackwaterconcrete.com.

*Contact Robert King at rking@nvdaily.com.