A patio you can stamp, color, or leave plain
Broom, brushed, or stamped to look like stone, brick or plank. Charlotte, Indian Trail, Waxhaw and Rock Hill.
What stamped concrete actually is
It is a real concrete slab with a texture pressed into it while it is still plastic, and color worked in either through the mix or across the surface. The mats come in stone, slate, brick, cobble and wood plank patterns. Done well it reads as the material it is imitating from anywhere except a foot away.
It is on our Google profile as one of the things we do, it is printed on the crew's shirts, and a customer describes a stamped patio poured as part of a larger walkway job. It is not a sideline.
Why the timing is the whole job
A stamped slab has one window. The concrete has to be firm enough to hold the impression and soft enough to take it, and that window is short, it moves with the weather, and it closes for good. Miss it early and the mats sink and distort. Miss it late and you get a shallow print that looks like a pattern drawn on a floor.
Which is why stamping is the part of concrete work where crew size and rehearsal matter most. Everything is laid out before the truck arrives: mats in order, release agent ready, the sequence walked through. Once the pour starts there is no pausing to work it out.
Color, and how it holds up
Integral color goes into the mix at the plant, so the color runs all the way through the slab. A chip does not show grey underneath. Broadcast color hardener goes onto the surface and gives a denser, harder wearing top with richer color, and it is the usual choice on a stamped patio.
A release agent in a secondary tone is what gives stamped concrete its variation, so it does not read as one flat sheet of color. Then it gets sealed, and the sealer is not optional on a stamped slab. It carries the color, keeps the surface from taking stains, and it is the thing you will need to redo every couple of years to keep it looking like it did in the first month.
Plain patios are not a lesser option
Not every patio should be stamped. A broom finished or a smooth brushed slab, cut with clean joints and edged properly, is a good looking surface, it costs less, and it needs almost nothing done to it.
If you have a covered porch or a screened area where the surface stays dry, a smooth trowel finish is on the table, which it is not out in the open. Ask us what suits the space rather than assuming stamped is automatically the upgrade.
Getting the fall right
A patio needs to shed water away from the house, normally about a quarter inch of drop per foot. Flat looks fine on a drawing and holds a puddle in real life, and against a foundation or a door threshold a puddle is a problem rather than a nuisance.
On a patio that steps off a deck, sits below a downspout, or runs across a slope, that fall is worked out before the forms go up. It is exactly the kind of thing a customer on our profile was describing when they wrote about wet areas being identified and runoff planned before anything was poured.
Not sure this is the work you need?
What 21 homeowners said
Every quote below is a real review, word for word, from our Google profile.
At the recommendation of our neighbor we used Ivan and company @ I.V Concrete Services to have a much needed driveway installed. The guys were on time, maintained an open line of communication with us throughout the process and did an absolutely phenomenal job. This is by far the best looking concrete work I have ever had done.
I am very happy with the work that IV Concrete services provided. They were able to complete a massive driveway within only 2 days. Very good finish and didn't skimp out on material thickness. Ivan is great to work with. Very reasonable prices for the work provided.
They did a fantastic job to help decide on the right solution for two walkways that are at declines at different heights. They then poured the concrete the way it was specified with the higher strength concrete mix. Grading was done very well on a sloped lot and areas of water were identified for the right runoff to ensure longevity and mitigate any erosion. Price was very competitive over other bids.
They arrived on time, communicated clearly about the process, and took the time to understand exactly what I wanted. The quality of their work exceeded my expectations. The concrete was smooth, perfectly poured, and looks fantastic. Not only was the job completed quickly, but the attention to detail really stood out.
Hired IV Concrete to do a pad for a shop. Awesome work, great finish, great job overall. Left no mess behind, extremely clean job. Ivan is a pleasure to work with. Cant wait to work with him again in the future!
If you need concrete work done, this gentleman did what he said for the price we agreed and completed job on time. Owner is a perfectionist as well as honest and humble.
Think you have a problem up there? We will look at it, free.
Stamped is meaningfully more than a broom finish, because of the color, the mats, the release, the sealer and the labor it takes to get the impression right in a short window. We price both on the same estimate so you can look at the two numbers next to each other instead of guessing.
Sealed stamped concrete can be slick when wet. A grit additive mixed into the sealer fixes it and it is standard on anything around a pool, on steps, or on a slope. Ask for it.
Every two to three years in this climate, sooner if it takes full sun all day. Resealing is a straightforward job you can have done or do yourself. Skipping it is what makes a stamped patio look tired at year five.
Not by stamping it, no. Stamping happens in wet concrete. What you can do over sound existing concrete is a stamped or stencilled overlay, which is a different product with a different lifespan. If your existing slab is cracked or moving, an overlay just hides the problem for a season. We will tell you which one you are actually looking at.
We photograph the work and show you. If patios and stamped concrete is not what you actually need, we say so and quote the work that is.
We cover concrete driveways, patios and stamped concrete, slabs and foundations, sidewalks and walkways, concrete repairs and leveling and concrete cutting and removal. Every one of them has its own page with what is included.
Get a free onsite estimate.
Tell us what you need poured. We come out, look at the ground, and give you a real number.