When it is time to pick a finished surface for your patio, driveway, or walkway, it is likely that you want a product that is aesthetically pleasing, durable, and cost-effective. Stamped concrete is an ever-growing popular choice due to the fact that it can be made to mimic higher-end materials such as brick and stone pavers at a fraction of those products’ cost.
Getting professional help will probably guide you to choose the best type of concrete you want to use for your concrete project. Concrete Contractors of Macon will aid you in selecting the appropriate sort of concrete for the job. But in this article, you can also check out the things you need to know before you make your final decision, however, consider the advantages and disadvantages of stamped concrete.
Choices and Aesthetics
There certainly isn’t a lack of choices when it comes to picking a stamped concrete surface for a landscape. Stamped concrete comes in many colors, patterns and textures. Mimicking almost any surface from marble to stone to weathered lumber, stamped concrete provides an aesthetically pleasing surface that adds to the value of a home and property. Stamped concrete is a budget-friendly way to add a decorative touch to a landscape.
Installation
One of stamped concrete’s advantages is its ease of installation. It is far less labor-intensive to install a stamped concrete surface than one made of pavers, for which each paver needs to be hauled and set. Installing stamped concrete is a matter of mixing, pouring, and stamping. With the ease of installation, however, comes a large room for error.
Stamped concrete is less expensive than other paving options for two reasons. First, concrete is more affordable than stones or bricks. Second, installation costs for pouring and stamping concrete are significantly lower than brick, stone, and other installation labor costs. While it still requires professional expertise for a flawless finish, stamped concrete requires less preparation, time, and specialized equipment.
Brick, stone, and other materials are time intensive. Installation professionals need to prepare the area, the mortar and invest in costly materials for your patio. While natural slate and brick options may have more color depth, they are significantly more expensive to purchase, install and repair.
Concrete is a mixture of water and cement powder. If the mixture contains too much water, the risk of rough edges and a poor finish exist because the concrete easily adheres to the stamp. Bulging and premature cracking is a problem with stamped concrete if the mixture is too dry.
Durability
Although stamped concrete may be simple to clean and requires no maintenance to retain its patterned appearance, one of its major disadvantages is that it lacks durability compared to other finished surfaces.
It is important to be careful where you install stamped concrete because it easily cracks and scratches under a heavy load. Stamped concrete is a poor choice for a driveway and any area on which cars are driven or parked. On a footpath, walkway, or patio, stamped concrete is less likely to crack under pressure; however, it is still susceptible to cracking with weathering and time.
Disadvantages of Stamped Concrete
Cracks and Repair
When it comes to concrete and cracking, it is not a matter of if but when the surface will give way due to weather changes and settling. In a mild, Mediterranean climate, you do not have to worry so much about stamped concrete cracking due to the expansion and contraction that comes with harsh temperature fluctuations, but the surface is very likely to crack as the year’s pass.
It is difficult to match color and surface consistency when patching a normal concrete slab, and stamped concrete makes matching color and consistency on the surface even more difficult. Although it is less expensive than other surface choices, stamped concrete may end up costing you more in the long run if you are bothered by unsightly cracks.
Difficulty Matching Colors
Another con when choosing stamped concrete is the coloring. Patching concrete is an affordable option, but it can be difficult to repair your walkway or patio with the precise original color. Coloring elements are blending in each layer of your outdoor concrete area, which means that a patch may not be able to use the precise color of the original.
Considerations
Other patio and walkway surface choices, such as interlocking pavers, are more costly than stamped concrete initially but cost less in the long run because their entire surface does not have to be replaced in the event of a problem. Because each paver is an individual piece, you do not have to worry about pavers cracking from pressure or settling of the surface. As pavers begin to settle, they may loosen, which may create a trip hazard, but individual pavers are easily removed and replaced.