Stamped & Decorative Concrete in Gainesville, FL

Stamped and decorative concrete gives a patio, entry or pool deck the look of stone, slate or brick without hundreds of separate pavers. Stamped concrete starts as a normal slab. While it is still soft, we press textured mats into the surface, add color, and seal it once it cures. Decorative concrete also includes integral color, exposed aggregate and saw-cut patterns. In Gainesville, where many homes from the 1970s and 1980s have plain gray slabs, it is a common way to update an entry or back patio.

Where it works well

• Back patios and lanai extensions, often with a border in a second color
• Front entries and walks, especially on brick or stucco homes
• Pool decks, with a textured pattern and grit in the sealer for grip
• Driveway borders, with plain concrete in the lanes where tires run

We usually advise against stamping a whole driveway or a steep walk. Sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than broom-finished concrete, and Gainesville gets a lot of rain.

How the color works

Most stamped jobs use two colors. The base color is mixed into the concrete at the plant, so it runs all the way through and a chip does not show gray. Before stamping, a release agent in a second color goes on the surface. It settles into the low spots and gives the pattern the shading of real stone. The sealer on top deepens both colors. In full Florida sun, lighter colors stay cooler and fade less noticeably than dark ones.

Choosing a pattern

Ashlar slate, a mix of rectangles, looks like cut stone and is a common choice for patios. Random stone and flagstone look more natural near planting beds. Brick patterns suit older homes, like the Victorian and Queen Anne houses in Gainesville's northeast and southeast historic districts. At the estimate we bring pattern photos and color charts and talk about how the pattern lines up with doors, steps and the house.

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Other decorative options

• Exposed aggregate: the top paste is washed off to show the stone. Good grip and it hides dirt.
• Integral color with a broom finish: color without the pattern, easy to keep clean.
• Saw-cut patterns: tiles, diamonds or borders cut into a plain or colored slab.
• Stamped overlays: a thin patterned layer over a sound old slab. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide lists stamped overlays at $7 to $15 per square foot for one pattern and $15 to $20 for complex designs.

Sealer is what keeps it looking good

Stamped concrete is only as good as its sealer. Sun, rain, pool water and foot traffic wear it down. When the sealer is gone, color fades and the surface gets dull. We seal after the cure, use anti-slip grit where people walk barefoot or on wet days, and leave you a resealing schedule. Control joints are cut along pattern lines so cracks hide in the design.

Overlay or new slab?

An overlay works on a slab that is solid and level. It will not fix a slab that has sunk or cracked through, because those cracks come back. If your old patio has settled or broken, a new stamped slab on a properly compacted base is the better choice, and we will price both when both are possible.