Stamped Concrete Patios Popular and Easy to Manage!:

A great way to add value to your home is by adding an outdoor living space as an investment in your home and your lifestyle. Adding footage to your house does not have to be under a roof, as patios are growing into full size rooms complete with furniture, fireplaces, and kitchens. Stamped concrete patios blend the materials of your home with the nature around it, which make them a perfect transition from indoor to outdoor.

Any look is possible with stamped concrete. It is, simply, concrete that is patterned or textured to look like brick, stone, wood, tile, slate, or other various materials. It can also follow patterns like herringbone, basketweave, cobblestone, or custom designs like fanning or symbols. When deciding on your patio layout, consider breaking from the normal open, square concrete block. Making a pathway to a gate at the side of the yard or a garden in the back makes your lawn more accessible and utilized. Keep growing tree roots and flourishing plants in mind, as they may interfere with your traffic later.

The process of stamping starts with dying the concrete mix a base color that reflects what the concrete will be imitating, such as reddish brown for clay tile or blue gray for granite. This coloring can be integrated into the concrete mix, or can be applied just after the concrete is poured by throwing color hardener powder over the area and letting it absorb. The second step uses an accent color to bring out the texture of the stamping. Using this color release agent prevents the texture mats from sticking to the wet concrete. It will accentuate the shadows and design of the stamp, but much will wash away after being pressure washed, leaving the primary color to be the most prominent.

Thirdly, the concrete is stamped, using polyurethane or metal stamps shortly after the concrete is poured. Metal stamps were used since the 60's and could not texturize the concrete well, so the polyurethane was developed to make the exact replica of other materials. When done by an experienced stamper, it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between stamped concrete and the real material just by looking at it.

Stamping concrete has become increasingly popular among homeowners because of the ability to take elements from surroundings and other buildings and apply it to the patio or driveway. No longer is there only a paved blacktop or commercial looking concrete, but now creative features are being taken outside the home and onto the seemingly least artistic parts of the architecture. The outdoors become an extension of the indoor living spaces and provide more room to relax, entertain, and casually unwind.

These luxurious patios become even more well-dressed when accessorized with pieces such as built-in seating, outdoor kitchen stations, a fireplace or hearth, dining areas, water fountains, lantern lighting, flower beds, and decorative accents. Patios are no longer furnished with Adirondacks or wicker. Now there is patio furniture that is as comfortable, stylish, and plush as indoor furniture, made with special fabrics that resist weather damage. Your favorite interior décor has an equal for the outdoors, and can be replicated for the new "backyard room". Stamped concrete can even be covered with outdoor mats under a patio table as a formal dining room table would sit on an antique rug.

Stamped concrete patios are the affordable way to give the facade of natural stone, wood, or brick without worrying about the maintenance or cost. For a stunningly beautiful, completely custom designed driveway or patio, concrete allows you to choose your color, texture, and shape to make a warm appearance that reflects and accents your homes style.