Element 7 Concrete

Element 7 did the stained concrete in our new home. The initial stain and finish was okay, but a year or so later when it was time to maintain the floor, I called repeatedly, left messages, and got no response. This was my experience. Concrete floors stain easily even when they are sealed, and it is very costly to keep them looking good. Just FYI.

If you’re reading this review, it’s very likely you’ve read my reviews on Barefoot Pools and H and H Tile and Plaster. I want to make clear that Barefoot Pools is responsible for the pool, pouring of the deck, the stone-​veneered retained walls and pool equipment wall. H and H Tile and Plaster is responsible for the pool plaster and Texas Etch and Score is responsible for the stained pool deck and patio. Like the pool plaster company, we found and commissioned Texas Etch and Score Inc. ourselves. These companies have nothing to do with Barefoot Pools. Let that be clear so the appropriate folks get the proper credit they deserve.
My husband and I met with the owner, Cory Hanneman, late 2008. Had I not been left so thoroughly disenchanted by the entire pool building process, I would have commissioned Cory on the spot: he was professional, well-​spoken, and clearly wasn’t some fly-​by-​night, subcontracting, make-​a-​quick-​buck yahoo. But I was so traumatized by the entire pool building fiasco that I spent another 8 – 9 months interviewing stained concrete contractors before committing to Texas Etch and Score. My only regret was that I didn’t hire them sooner.
We stained ~1,000 sq. ft. of decking and another ~300 sq. ft of the patio and redid the underpinning along the house and steps. I had a few requests: 1) I preferred uniformity over the mottled look which is inherent in staining concrete, and 2) I could not stand the chocolate chip effect (concentrated amount of stain collected/​dried in the divots of the salt-​finish we had). His response: «That’s not how we roll!»
It was funny and sarcastic but he was dead serious. Good enough for me. So the job commenced a few weeks later.
His crew was professional, arrived on time, worked efficiently, respected my property and took extreme care to work around the pool without getting any chemicals in the water. They came and went, did a bang-​up job and left in two days. All that was left for me to do was to enjoy my new deck — such a refreshing and satisfying experience compared to our experience with other contractors I’ve reviewed on this forum.
I highly recommend them and will have them back the second we resume the plethora of backyard projects we’ve postponed. Contact him or me, directly, if you would like more pictures.