Decorative Concrete
Beautiful, right?
Here at Rossi DCE, we place quality as our #1 focus in everything we do!
This decorative concrete is beautiful, stronger, easier to keep clean, and will last much much longer.
And it goes without saying, increases the value of your property.
Right now, You probably have a version of what’s in the image below.
Even though it may be new, it’s bland, it’s boring, dirt shows really well,
the joints may or may not have been done well, and list goes on.
And how exactly did we get from that boring concrete floor to this beautiful, stronger and longer lasting piece of art work?
With our decorative concrete service, of course!
Decorative concrete OVERVIEW
Table of Contents
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
In just about everything that you do, there is a process to ensure that your task is successful. Decorative concrete is no different.
There may be more than one correct and effective way to do a task, decorative concrete included, but this is how I go about it.
Wondering how to do decorative concrete overlay? Here’s a brief overview;
- Prepare the surface.
The concrete needs to be prepped in order for the decorative concrete overlay material to adhere to it. Have you ever tried to stick tape to a dirty surface?
No good, right?
This is no different. That’s why this is probably the most important step. - Lay down the material.
Time to play!
Once the surface is cleaned and ready to go, time to go to work!
Time to lay down the decorative concrete overlay and do well, the decorative part of things.
Then wait till it dries.
Depending on the design, a second layer is needed to accomplish the look of that design. - Lay down the color.
Sweet!
The decorative part is done!
Now on to the color!
Sometimes it is hard to visualize until I’m done with this step.
If they haven’t yet, this is when most people will go “wow! That’s awesome!” - Seal it.
Time to ensure the longevity of your investment. Time to seal it!
Two coats of a good sealer and boom!
Job is complete!
*****
There’s 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.
Contact us today to get a quote on your decorative concrete project!
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 our number 1 priority!
There are many styles decorative concrete styles to choose from, from our famous “aged” stone look to our popular wood look.
Contact us today to discuss which decorative concrete overlay style fits best for your desired location!
Also, if you have a style in mind that you do not see on this list, no problem! Give us a buzz today to see how we can make it happen!
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;
– Outdoor Concrete Overlay places
– Pool decks.
– Driveways.
– Sidewalks / Walkways.
– Front/back concrete patios/porches.
– Interior Concrete Overlay
– basements
– man-cave
Want decorative concrete on a concrete surface not mentioned here?
Give us a shout today to see how we can make it happen!
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 floor coating 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.
Want to know exactly how much your decorative concrete project will actually cost?
Contact us today so we schedule an estimate and get you a real number!
Final Thoughts
If you read the whole decorative concrete article, great! We hope we were super detailed and informative.
if you kind of skimmed through it, that’s fine too, we’re sure we’ll go over everything in detail when we give you a quote for your project.
Please check our service areas to make sure we service your area and if not, what to do to get us out there!
Either way, if we missed something here, or there is something else that you’d like to know, please feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience so we can clarify your question(s) for you.
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, will you do it?
– No, we will not. We do not pour concrete.
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.
Don’t feel like doing it?
Simply contact us and we’ll gladly do it for you!
Did we miss anything?
Let us know if you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns about our decorative concrete service.
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Also, don’t forget to check out our other services!
| Concrete Resurfacing |
| Pool Deck Resurfacing |
| Epoxy Floor |
| Metallic Epoxy Floor |
| Garage Epoxy Floor |
| Self-Leveling Concrete |
| Sloping Concrete Cap|
| Seal Concrete |
| Reseal Concrete |
| Grind and Seal Concrete |