You want your home to stand out from others in your neighborhood but aren't sure how to achieve that effect. Utilize decorative concrete to make your home more appealing. The following information will help you understand this pavement option and why you should let professionals handle the installation for you.

Types of Decorative Concrete

The many types of decorative concrete on the market include these options:

• Stamped – Uses molds to press a texture directly into the wet concrete
• Stained – Colors the surface with a stain after the concrete dries
• Colored – Mixes various dyes in the wet concrete to create unique colors
• Overlay – Applies a new top layer to the concrete floor for extra protection
• Polished – Utilizes a chemical densifier to improve concrete appearance

In some instances, you can mix and match these techniques to produce unique effects. For example, you could stain stamped textures to change their color to match your home. You could even add an overlay to a stamp to enhance its structure. The only limit is your imagination.

Unique Ways to Use Decorative Concrete

Now that you understand the types of decorative concrete available, you should grasp how to use them. Thankfully, this pavement can be utilized in a variety of creative ways. For example, Concrete Network suggested some – but not all – of the unique use concepts listed below:

• Stamping kitchen floors to create unique textures
• Adding vertical overlays to walls to provide a handsome style
• Coloring garden stone pavers to match a home's exterior surface
• Pressing small designs, like animals, into counters to emulate a homey style
• Enhancing outdoor concrete steps with strength-boosting overlays

Many of these methods not only enhance the look of your decorative concrete but also boost its strength at the same time. As a result, this investment is a good one because it will help enhance the life of your concrete decorations and provide improved curb appeal to your home, should you decide to sell it.

Reasons Professional Help Is a Great Idea

Decorative concrete is different than regular types of paving because of its unique aesthetic nature. As a result, DIY installers can make a myriad of mistakes that may adversely affect the quality of their pavement. For example, repair website Do It Yourself warns against many concrete installation mistakes, including problems with the:

• Mixing – Too much or too little water in your mix is likely to cause your decorative concrete to cure poorly, which can negatively affect its overall look.
• Expansion cracks – All concrete needs expansion cracks to avoid cracks due to temperature-related slab changes. Unfortunately, DIY installers may not place these essential elements properly.
• Reinforcement fibers – Strong decorative concrete utilizes a myriad of fibers – such as glass or metal – to improve its strength. Adding too few may compromise your decorative concrete.
• Curing – All concrete needs to cure for at least 24 to 48 hours. However, amateurs may not cure it appropriately by installing on rainy or chilly days, which affects concrete quality.

Other problems, such as the poor implementation of stamps and other decorative concrete tools, may also affect your slabs. As a result, even homeowners who have some experience with pouring concrete should probably let a professional handle their decorative concrete jobs.

We Can Help You

Trying to install decorative concrete on your own is not generally a wise decision. The risk of mistakes is too high even for advanced amateurs. So if you're interested in decorative concrete and need help with installation, please contact us at Star Paving Company today to learn more. Our professionals will give you the insight that you need for the best paving job you can afford.