Decorative Concrete guide |
Posted: December 9, 2022 |
What exactly is it? Decorative concrete uses an overlay material that goes over existing concrete. Most manufactures have their own blend, if you will, but they all consist of a mix of Portland cement, aggregate and polymers. Consider it a protecting coating that goes over your existing concrete. It bonds to it and essentially makes them one, if you will. When installed correctly (which of course, by us, it is), it serves more than just something pretty to look at. Two things to remember when doing decorative concrete over your existing concrete; it is ONLY as good as the concrete it is bonding to AND the preparation done beforehand. Two cardinal rules that must always be kept in mind. Process Everything has a process. Period. Some are more complicated than others. But of course, everything can be broken down to a very simple element. Here’s a brief overview;
**** There’s a LOT more to it, we mean, a LOT more to it, do not get me wrong, but this is just so you get the gist of it.****
Benefits There are plenty of benefits to getting a decorative concrete overlay. Here’s to list a few and most important: Benefit #1 – Price The first and probably most important to most people is the price. It is usually much cheaper to do a decorative concrete overlay than it is to rip out and replace. Not only that, if you did choose to rip out and replace, that could also take much longer for you to be able to enjoy your patio/porch/etc. After all, the more moving parts you have, the more delays and issues you can run into. Thus, a decorative concrete overlay can not only save you some money, but some time as well. Benefit #2 – Strength Most manufactures have their own blends, as previously stated, so their strengths and data charts varies slightly, but overall, they tend to cure if not, then at around 6,000 psi after 28 days. Let’s take a driveway or a concrete patio. There’s a good chance the concrete contractor came in, formed, graded, poured, bull floated, possibly broom finished, went home. That driveway or concrete patio is most likely between 3,000 to 4,000 psi when cured at 28 days. 6,000 psi could mean double the strength. Benefit #3 – Longevity We all want the things we buy to last, right? Well, things that have to face mother nature day in, day out, tend to have a much shorter shelf life than those things that are sheltered from it. We live in the greatest (if not the greatest, then one of) state in the union known as the great state of Tennessee. How do I know our state is awesome? Look at the influx of people moving in! With that said, we have all four seasons, winter being the shortest, but still shows up to say hi for a little while. That means we have a freezing and thawing cycle. We also have a lot of rain, heat, humidity and the list goes on. Even with all that, our state is pretty awesome. A strong decorative concrete overlay will surely help protect the concrete underneath in order to maximize the life of the concrete under it. Benefit #4 – Low maintenance Most people are busy; period. We as humans like things that are easy and low maintenance. Nothing wrong with that. Instead of making it part of the “spring clean” and pressuring washing your concrete every year, just take the hose to your decorative concrete overlay and boom! It’s clean! Next task! Benefit #5 – Beauty This one is kind of goes without saying, but hey, I’ll state it anyways. Not only do we all want our things to last, but we also want them to be pretty and aesthetically pleasing. Concrete is a material that is used to build foundations of buildings, sidewalks, driveways, etc., not because it’s pretty, but because overall, it is the best bang for the buck. With that said, it is not very pretty to look at. Concrete tends to be gray, dull and dead looking; and when dirty, exceptionally ugly as well. Dirt just so happens to show really well on dead concrete. A decorative concrete overlay most definitely changes that. I mean, take a look at our work, it speaks for itself. There are many benefits to having a decorative concrete overlay, from cost efficient to protecting the concrete to its beauty. Styles Got you interest in a decorative concrete overlay? Great! Let’s talk about a few popular styles! Style #1 – Stone look
Absolutely stunning! Looks like natural stone were placed everywhere. This decorative concrete overlay is recommended by us when the concrete has a few more cracks than we like it to. Instead of trying to amend a bunch of cracks, which may come back, this one takes advantage of the cracks that are already present to make a beautiful design! When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, am I right? Style #2 – “Aged” Stone look
This one is one of our personal favorites. What makes this decorative concrete overlay different than the regular stone look are the cuts and the surface itself. What I mean by that is, if you look at the crack lines themselves, they are bit wider, the colors a bit more faded, and the surface looks more “weathered away”. With this decorative concrete design we are trying to say, “It’s been here for 50 years, but well taken care of!” Style #3 – Wood look
Also exceptionally popular, our decorative concrete wood look design is a beauty! This one is exceptionally customizable to match your preferred look. Some prefer the modern 2×8 to 2×12 planks. Some prefer the old school thin 2×4 planks. Some prefer going parallel to the house, some perpendicular. Some prefer this outside, some prefer it inside (beautiful option for the basement). Darker? Lighter? No Problem! We can match exactly what as to what you like! Style #4 – “One Piece” Wood look
Like the wood look but want something a little different? Our decorative concrete one piece wood design look is just what you are looking for! We can make it look like it was one piece cut from the tree and placed it straight in your desired area! Want knots to make it look realistic? No problem! Want a little darker or lighter to represent a certain tree? We got it covered! Style #5 – Ashlar Pattern
Our decorative concrete ashlar pattern design is also something to look at! The colors can be what you like them to be, and the size of each rectangle is also adjustable to your desires. A memorable piece of artwork for sure! Style #6 – Slate
Want something beautiful, but yet, subtle? Here it is! Our decorative concrete overlay slate design is perfect for you! This one blends in really well with the nature outside, making one with its surrounding. Style #7 – Brick
A unique beauty in its own. Whether an accent (border) around a pool patio or concrete porch, or maybe just the whole porch, our decorative concrete overlay brick design will most definitely enhance the appearance (and strength) of your surface. Style #8 – Sprayed
Though not as aesthetically pleasing as the rest, it does have a purpose. Our decorative concrete overlay sprayed texture does add grip “sand paper” like to its surface. This particular design is always recommended on surfaces that may expect to get more water on it; such as a pool patio or an inclined driveway. Sealer tends to be somewhat slick. Sure, additives can be added to reduce its slickness, but it will still be present. Thus, why this design is recommended for such said surfaces. Safety is number 1 priority! Great! Where can I get it done? Good question! And the answer to that is pretty simple; just about any concrete surface! With that said, here are some of the most common places to have a decorative concrete overlay; – Interior Concrete Overlay Everything sounds great! Now, how much is it going to cost me? Another great question! This one though, not such a simple answer. Every job is different. Thus, every job will have a different price attached to it. Some of the factors included are; – Size of project. – Style of project. – Condition of current surface (meaning, is it brand new or will it need a lot of TLC). – Is there already another coat or painting on it? – Your timeframe (meaning, do you need it done yesterday or can it be added to the current schedule?). See why this is not such a simple answer? A simple Google search and you can see that both Concrete Network’s and Home Adviser have a wide range of the cost per square foot. With that said, their range seems to be pretty accurate. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Question #1 – My concrete is badly damaged. Will an overlay fix it? – No! It most definitely will not! If the concrete is failing, has sunken, clear signs of being that badly degraded, your best bet is to rip out and replace. All things have an expiration date, and such said concrete has most definitely reached it. Question #2 – If I do have to replace the concrete, who do I call? – You need to get a hold of a trusted concrete contractor. Ripping out and replacing can be a challenge and a headache. Do not go with the cheapest in town unless you know the guy! Question #3 – My concrete is cracked. Once filled and a decorative concrete overlay applied, will it crack again? – In short, maybe. We fill the cracks with the best materials we can get our hands on. With that said, due to so many variables, those cracks may come back or, they may be formed in a different area (I want someone to tell me when has mankind ever won a fight against mother nature. This is no different) Question #4 – How long will this decorative concrete last? – This one is hard to say as there are various factors to it, but with that said, as per Home Inspection Insider, typically lasts for about 10 to 15 years, but much longer than that if well applied and well maintained. The “well applied” part I will take care of; the “well maintained” part is up to you. Since the decorative concrete overlay material bonds to the concrete that it is on, whatever happens to the concrete slab is what will happen to the overlay. Meaning, if the concrete slab fails, so will the decorative concrete overlay. Question #5 – “Well maintained?” What exactly do I need to do? – That is pretty easy. Every 2 to 3 years; 1. Clean it really well (I mean, really really well) 2. Let it dry (I mean, BONE DRY) 3. Apply two coats of sealer. Did we miss anything? Let us know at Rossi Decorative Concrete & Epoxy if you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns. Please don’t forget, follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Drop a like and share our work!
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