About Mark and Concrete Specialty Supply
MARK BALDERAS is shown here in his Concrete Specialty Supply store in Battle Ground. Photo courtesy of FH Browne.
Mark and Jennifer run a family owned business that has been in Battle Ground since 2012. Mark has over 20 years of experience in the industry. Their two sons, Jacob and Nathan also help in the business.
Concrete Specialty Supply provides supplies for everyone from contractors to DIY homeowners. They always try to get what the customer is needing, even if they have to find it and bring it into the store for that customer.
An article from The Reflector (local newspaper) by FH Browne sums up who they are and what they believe in.
Concrete Specialty Supply (CSS), located in the old LL Gun store on 219th St. just east of Dollar’s Corner, is indeed the source of most of the concrete supplies, tools, and decorative concrete products either a do-it-yourselfer or contractor needs for patios, driveways, porches or any other ways that concrete is used in construction.
Mark Balderas, who has 18 years experience pouring concrete and selling concrete products, has opened CSS to supply the needs of local contractors and homeowners, and his store offers up the latest in colorings, tools, concrete saws and drills, float poles, squeegees, trowels and brooms, patching and sealing materials, and a wide variety of stamp patterns.
The stamp patterns and colors are the latest ways of treating concrete for decorative walkways, driveways, patios or porches. The stamping process can add texture and design to ordinary concrete and when tinted or colored, contractors can duplicate just about any surface or material.
Stamps and coloring are available to turn your patio or walk into fieldstone, brick, cobblestone, flagstone, slate, bluestone, or orchard stone, and even include patterns of state maps, wild animals, leaves and various artistic designs. And Concrete Supply has catalogs featuring a whole rainbow of colors, from bright red, to yellow, amber to purples, blue to cordovan leather, bronze to brown.
Like asphalt cement driveways, walkways, patios and porches need care and suffer the same ailments as other paving surfaces. Cracks and potholes must be repaired otherwise rain, snow, blowing dust and debris, hot summer temperatures and freezing winter temperatures all work to destroy your concrete.
When cracks are discovered, or potholes suddenly appear, it’s best to patch them immediately and the range of patching techniques and materials is amazing. Additionally, Balderas has catalogs and videos, including videos on stamping and staining techniques, that he’ll let customer’s use that will help them take care of repairs and keep their concrete looking great.
While not able to provide cement contracting himself, he has a list of contractors he recommends.
“I wouldn’t suggest anyone that I haven’t worked with, and who hasn’t completed their jobs on time and to the 100 percent satisfaction of their customers,” he said. “In this business there are some shady folks out there, but I make sure anyone I recommend is the best and will complete their jobs on time, and to the satisfaction of the people who hire them.”