What this covers
- Stamped patios and walks
- Fire pit patios and circle patterns
- Curved borders and landscape curbs
- Seat walls with poured caps
Where to spend on decorative
Stamping and decorative borders add steps to a pour, so they usually cost more than a plain broom finish. Our advice: put it where people sit and look. A backyard patio, a fire pit circle, the front walk.
Keep broom finish where cars park. NRMCA recommends a broom finish on outdoor surfaces for better traction.
Why color can vary
Even plain concrete can come out uneven in color. NRMCA’s discoloration guide lists the usual causes: changes in the mix between loads, uneven use of admixtures, short mixing time, and finishing at the wrong time. Hard troweling after the surface has stiffened, which it calls trowel burning, leaves dark spots.
The same guide says concrete with a higher water to cement ratio is generally lighter in color. That is one more reason to keep extra water out of the truck.
What the work looks like
The round patio at the top of this page was stamped and built around a stone fire pit. Another job paired stamped circles with curved borders down a garden walk. Curved landscape curbs, bands cut around a planter, and seat walls with a poured cap change how a yard looks without stamping the whole slab.
Recent stamped concrete work
Where Tim pours stamped concrete
Questions people ask
Does Tru Concrete do stamped concrete?
Yes. Stamped and decorative work is on Tim’s service list.
Why does new concrete look blotchy?
NRMCA lists changes in the mix, uneven admixtures, short mixing and finishing at the wrong time as common causes. Hard troweling a stiff surface can leave dark spots.
Should a driveway be stamped?
That is your call. NRMCA recommends a broom finish on outdoor surfaces for traction, which is why many homeowners stamp the patio and keep the driveway broomed.