Stamped & Decorative Concrete Patios

Stamped concrete gets you the look of cut stone, slate, wood plank or brick from one continuous pour, with no joints for weeds to find. The pattern is pressed into the slab while it is still plastic, so timing is everything — stamp too early and the imprint closes back up, stamp too late and the texture never takes. That window is why stamped work is priced above broom-finished concrete and why it needs a crew that has done a lot of it.

Color is built in two layers. An integral color is mixed into the concrete so the body of the slab carries the base tone all the way through, then a powdered release agent adds the secondary highlight that gives stone patterns their depth and keeps the stamp mats from sticking. After the slab cures we wash off the excess release and apply a sealer, which locks the color, blocks de-icing salt and brings up the wet-look tone most homeowners are picturing.

The structure underneath is identical to any other slab we pour, and it matters just as much: compacted stone base, wire or fiber reinforcement, designed slope away from the house, and control joints cut where the slab wants to move. On stamped work we place those joints inside the pattern lines wherever possible so they read as part of the design instead of a scar across it. Stamped concrete should be resealed every few years to keep the color rich — we tell you what product to use and when.