We’ve all seen it at one point or another, that one shrub along the sidewalk getting too long that it starts to block the sidewalk, or that one tree that’s too tall for its own good that when there is a strong gust of wind that it looks like that it will topple over any time. At those time, most people would just take the chainsaw, or axe and cut up whatever seemed to be the problematic part of the shrub or tree. Yet we’ve all seen it before, the awkwardly cut-up shrub, that ends up growing back really quickly and it becomes worse than before! 

Trimming or pruning down trees or shrubs mean more than just cutting off the top and calling it a day, not only will it leave it aesthetically worse than before once it grows back, but it also worsens the health of the tree or shrub and may endanger other people and property. 

Trimming? Pruning? The art and science. 

As people would normally cut down branches of trees and shrubs to avoid them causing damage or be a nuisance, proper pruning which is the act of cutting down branches to achieve certain purposes, whether aesthetic or economical can be seen from landscaping to farming in which trees of certain types are trimmed down only in specific seasons in order to efficiently allow the trees to bear fruit and not hinder each other with their growth in plantation sites where the leaves can cover sunlight of adjacent trees, or collide with each other. And also, the process of tree pruning requires various tools for precision in the craft. These are; 

• Chainsaw – generally used for thicker limbs, but may shred smaller limbs of the tree/shrub. 

• Pole-pruners – either shears or a saw which is attached to an extendable pole which allows the reach of farther and smaller limbs. 
• Pruning Saw – for the cutting of somewhat large limbs which need more delicacy than which is offered by the use of the chainsaw. 
• Hand Shears – typically used for delicate cutting of small branches. 
• Lopper shears – Allows more leverage for branches which the hand shears have difficulty in cutting. 

Also, the position in which a cut is to be made differs in its purpose, whether to allow the growth of more fruits to lowering the odds in which another limb would grow on the same limb. Wrong cutting of limbs would hinder the tree’s/shrubs natural protective mechanisms which would allow the entry of pests and disease into the tree. 

With all the various care and meticulous care required in the proper trimming and pruning of trees and shrubs, there are professionals in which are ISA (International Society of Arborists) certified which certifies them in proper care and maintenance of trees. Improper pruning may lead to property damage in the long run, and also may pose a danger to one’s self as improper practice of cutting and pruning of trees may lead to parts of the tree falling overhead. 

Need to get professional work done for your backyard, park, or any other form pruning? Springfield Tree Service has professional Arborists which can provide quality work for all tree trimming Springfield IL and pruning needs.  

We’ve seen bricks, rocks, and a mixture of them from classic architectural marvels such as The Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal or simply at the backyard of someone’s house, or even the sidewalk you walk on every day. The aesthetic and structural importance of bricks have stuck with us a long time, not only for their ease of usage at the time, but also the unique texture they provide in landscaping which allows for diverse and contrasting spaces. 

Yet the advancement of modern building materials used in the design of interiors and exteriors of structures and spaces allows the advent of other materials such as concrete, stucco, and even hard wall for more streamlined and flatter surfaces. Yet the aesthetic of laying stones and bricks is still replicated with modern methods. One of them is concrete stamping. 

Concrete Stamping, mimicry is the best compliment. 

As concrete is a somewhat malleable building material while still wet, it allows it to take the shape of various shapes and textures to some extent with the proper techniques used. One of them is concrete stamping.  

Concrete stamping is usually done to mimic the shape of laid bricks or stone of various shapes and sizes. Patterns are made with a mold with the surface shaped to reflect the desired, and stamped per segment of the still malleable concrete. Older concrete stamps utilize a roller-style stamp, although this lack the capabilities of more meticulous designs which mimic stone and is more limited to simple brick patterns. 

Not only the shape can be mimicked but the color of the concrete can be changed in order to further customize and copy their traditional brick and stone counterparts. Concrete can be colored by adding integral liquid, acid stains, color hardener, and powder. And to allow the surface to have a contrast of colors as seen in the grout present in brick laying, a color release can be applied to the concrete which not only serves to add another color to the concrete, but also to prevent concrete stamps explained earlier from sticking to the concrete.  

Once all the laying, preparation and final stamping is done to the concrete, the concrete polishing Miami is also sealed with sealer to protect the surface from future weathering, chipping, and apply a close to real texture of the desired surface as the various kinds of sealers offer varying types of finishes from rough brick-like textures, to smooth stone-like to mimic stone roads and various varying textures. 

With the various steps and process in applying a stamped concrete surface to a pavement or wall, the design and textures are not only limited to classical brick and stone, but more modern and meticulous designs can be implemented in a similar manner with the usage of various stamps which creates a unique surface that would either blend in the landscape, or standout as a centerpiece of the space.  

Today, we are greeted by various building and flooring surfaces, from simple flat hard wall, the very concrete walls which surround your home or apartment, the pavement in which cars drive by, or the sidewalk you walk on every day.  Each of them uses various materials for their own purpose whether to create a certain texture or aesthetic, or in structural purposes in which the weight of the material has to be taken to consideration, or maybe even the friction required for vehicles to go through to meet certain safety standards. Yet some surfaces might not be what you think they are.  

With modern materials, there are means of mimicking surfaces, from laid bricks to stone floorings, which one means to do so is concrete stamping. Which is the art of stamping over concrete which is malleable in order to create a desired surface. For such task specific tools are used which allow for efficient and quality work. There are: 

• Concrete Stamps – are pre-shaped plates which are either pressed, or rolled over the wet concrete in order to achieve the primary shape. Comes in various shapes, sizes, and patterns. 
• Texture Rollers – Are similar to a skin mat or a paint roller. It is rolled over the stamped concrete in order to provide each surface with their desired texture. Commonly used ones are the slate and stone textures, yet there are many other textures to use. 
• Touch-up Mat – With the large surface area the concrete stamp can cover, there will be areas in which require re-doing. And the use of a touch-up mat would allow consistent surface shaping along the entirety of the surface. The surface of the mat should be the same initially used on the texture rollers and stamps. 
• Detail Chisel – this is commonly used in surfaces which require the showing of grout, or to deepen the grooves of a surface in case some manual detailing will be required. 
• V-Jointer – typically used for surfaces with grout detailing. Is slid between the two large stamped surfaces to further emphasize grout in the desired surface.  

• Tamper Tool – commonly used in conjunction with either the larger concrete stamps, or the touch-up mat which allows for further force to be applied in order to leave a great texture on the surface and further set the grout lines. 
• Sealer – Is a liquid commonly sprayed over the finished stamped surface in which not only protects the concrete from future wear and damage, but also allows the surface to have a smooth surface desired, either, a smooth stone surface, wet-look, or many other finishes. 

The above tools are for primarily creating the surface of the decorative Concrete Charlotte NC. Other things such as color and many more are to be case-specific depending on the your desired surface as surfaces can be of familiar brick, slab, or stone, or even made to look like wooden planks in surfaces where traditional wood wouldn’t be suitable such as a poolside in which water could weaken and seep into the wooden fibers.