System and method for restoring and aesthetically enhancing concrete surfaces
View Patent ↗A concrete surface beautification and/or restoration method enables the use, or incorporation, of cracks in the surface of an existing or newly formed concrete slab as part of the beautification/restoration process. Initially, temporary marking lines are imparted in an artistic manner upon an upper surface of the concrete, intentionally extending from ends of, or otherwise intersecting with, the existing cracks and optionally existing concrete surface expansion joints and relief cuts, to subsequently create an aesthetically-pleasing natural random surface pattern, such as a natural stone appearance. Specialized chipping hammer bits may be employed to cut, chip and/or route along both the existing cracks and the temporary marking lines to create an even, generally uniform carved visual appearance (e.g., replicating the look of a natural stone surface).
1 . A method for creating a desired pattern in an exterior surface of a concrete body using a conventional chipping hammer, comprising steps of:
imparting a line design in the form of a series of temporary marking line segments upon the exterior surface of the concrete body;
providing a plurality of chipping hammer bits each having a blade body at a distal end of a shank, and securing an attachment end of the shank of a selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits to a working end of the conventional chipping hammer, wherein the blade body of the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits terminates at a bottom edge having a bottom edge length;
resting the bottom edge of the blade body of the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits upon the exterior surface of the concrete body such that the bottom edge length of the bottom edge of the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits is disposed upon, and aligned with, a selected one of the series of temporary marking line segments of the line design; and
manually manipulating the conventional chipping hammer, via a chipping hammer handle, to effect movement of the bottom edge of the blade body of the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits along the selected one of the series of temporary marking line segments, thereby excising concrete from the exterior surface of the concrete body along the selected one of the series of temporary marking line segments to create a groove there along,
wherein an operator of the conventional chipping hammer selectively varies the width of the created groove and/or the roughness of an upper edge of the created groove by manually tilting the conventional chipping hammer vertically and/or laterally to thereby vary the angle of the blade body with respect to the exterior surface of the concrete body, while simultaneously moving the bottom edge of the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits along the selected one of the series of temporary marking line segments.
2 . The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the concrete body includes a surface crack length therein, the method further comprising steps of:
integrating the surface crack length into the series of temporary marking line segments of the line design to form a contiguous line pattern comprised of the series of temporary marking line segments and the surface crack length; and
creating a groove along an upper portion of the surface crack length, contiguous with the groove created along the selected one of the series of temporary marking line segments.
3 . The method recited in claim 2 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits comprises a mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit.
4 . The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit further comprises a convex mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit having a tapered blade thickness for enabling the operator of the conventional chipping hammer to controllably vary the respective width of a mortar joint impression being imparted in the concrete body surface.
5 . The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit further comprises a raised, straight-edged, uniform width mortar joint impression portion projecting downwardly from the bottom edge of the blade body.
6 . The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit further comprises a convex, blunt nose mortar joint impression bit having a raised, concave, variable width impression portion extending outwardly from the bottom edge of the blade body.
7 . The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit further comprises a vertically-angled, tapered blade body thickness for enabling the operator of the conventional chipping hammer to controllably vary the respective width of a mortar joint impression being imparted in the exterior surface of the concrete body along the surface crack length.
8 . The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit further comprises a dual-function, angled, inwardly tapered, variable width, flat bottom chipping hammer bit capable of imparting a mortar joint impression in the exterior surface of the concrete body, and further capable of widening the surface crack length.
9 . The method recited in claim 3 , wherein the mortar joint impression chipping hammer bit further comprises an adjustable/variable width, bi-directional chipping hammer bit.
10 . The method recited in claim 2 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits further comprises a radial tip chipping hammer bit.
11 . The method recited in claim 2 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits further comprises a multi-rock intersection edge removal chipping hammer bit.
12 . The method recited in claim 2 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of chipping hammer bits further comprises an angled, inwardly tapered, concave bottom chipping hammer bit for creating formal, jagged, straight edged geometric shapes imparting a natural slate stone look in the exterior surface of the concrete body.