Home Construction Improvement

Stamped Concrete

By Todd Fratzel on Driveways, Foundations

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Stamped Concrete Surfaces

Recently I had a reader ask me what my thoughts and experieces were with Stamped Concrete. Stamped Concrete is textured and/or colored concrete that resembles stone, cobbles, pavers, and other decorative pavement surfaces. The process of stamping concrete must be done at the time the concrete is placed while it’s still “soft” before it fully cures.

Uses For Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete is extremely versatile and functional for a variety of uses. Stamped concrete is used for walkways, driveways, garden borders, landscaping features, patios, pool decks and even flooring in houses and commercial buildings.

Stamped Concrete Options

The beauty of stamped concrete is the flexibility in design and color. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of stamped concrete patterns to choose from. Patterns include: brick pavers, cobble stones, random stones, flagstones, and even numerous wood grains.

Once you’ve selected a texture or pattern you can also choose different colors. The concrete can first be tinted with a concrete pigment. You can also stain the concrete with a variety of colors. Basically you can color concrete most any color to fit the application.

I recently saw a commercial floor with wood plank patterns that was stained to looks like an old wide wood plank floor! This type of stamped concrete floor is becoming very popular for commercial buildings and even basements of new homes. This can be combined with radiant floor heat for a dramatic functional finished floor.

Stamped Concrete Performance

Stamped Concrete provides a long lasting durable pavement or flooring system. When properly cured and sealed stamped concrete can last for 50 years or more. Stamped concrete is much more durable than masonry walks, drives and flooring surfaces.

Cost of Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete costs vary widely depending on the complexity of the pattern and selection of colors. For a single pattern with a standard gray color you can expect to pay between $6 and $12 per square foot. More complicated patterns and mixed patterns with multiple colors can cost as much as $20 per square foot. Additional costs can be expected for sub-base preparation and access issues.

Stamped Concrete References

If you’re looking for more information on stamped concrete then check out: Bob Harris’ Guide to Stamped Concrete (Paperback) and Concrete Secrets Stamped Concrete (Stamped Concrete DVD).

Photo Credit: Pedro Guaro