Concrete is the oldest and most common construction material in the world. It is economical, durable, and has high mechanical strength, which can withstand extreme weather environments. Construction companies produce concrete 10x more that of steel. On the other hand, such materials like steel or polymers are more costly and less abundant.
The projected value of the concrete market by the year 2020 will reach USD 652.7 billion. Concrete technology is developing fast, and high-performance concrete is now available in the market. Concrete is not merely for sidewalks these days. The development of decorative styles is already revolutionizing home décor.
As such, decorative concrete is strikingly beautiful in pool surroundings, garden paths, mall flooring, kitchen walls, and bathrooms. Although elegant, installing decorative concrete is a delicate process and requires critical planning. It is also preferable to install at the lowest cost possible.
There is a time where decorative concrete has only a few finishes, such as colored concrete, acid-etch, stained, and stamped patterns. Today, possibilities are endless for any surfaces, whether horizontal or vertical. Here are some of the most popular decorative concrete finishes.
Popular Types of Concrete Finishes
1. Stamped Concrete
Way back 70 years ago, Brad Bowman – the father of stamped concrete – introduces texturing and embossing on the pavement. He makes it possible to design concrete, making it look like a brick, wood, slate, or flagstone through a set of tools. He also patented the utensils required in imprinting such decorative styles.
2. Acid Stain
Acid stain is the most popular and attractive because of its elegance and ease of application. Acid stain creates a smooth, colorful, and glossy finish to the concrete. You can commonly see this in art halls, museums, hotels, cafés, and luxury houses. However, a variety of colors can be limited but shows the absolute beauty of concrete in the most artful way. It is also easy and fast to clean.
3. Trowel-on
Contractors do this by artistically troweling a thin layer of wear-resistant to mimic and replicate the pattern of a ripple stone fish. This coat is tinted in a wide variety of color tones perfect for any decor in your home or driveway. Troweling is often used for a smooth and dense hard-troweled surface. Trowel concrete guarantees high resistance to abrasion, chemical agents, diverse weather conditions, and water penetration.
4. Knockdowns
Knockdowns are best for the classy grey or aged concrete appearance. It is the combination of “knockdown” and troweling the texture with rollers or stamping tools. Preparation includes careful inspection of the surface if it is clean and free from existing coatings. Then, the contractor knocks down high points appearing on the surface of the flooring and pouring new cement.
5. Honed aggregate
A type of finish ideal if you have children. They use a machine to grind down exposed aggregates until the desired finish. The smooth finish tends to add a modern style. It is entirely frictionless and cannot hurt children playing and running around. The popularity of honed aggregate finishes grew over the years, and it used for swimming pools, alfresco areas, and internal home flooring.
If you want to construct your home in a more pleasing and elegant appearance, consider choosing from the above-mentioned list. With these modern techniques used, you can transform concrete floors in any way that you imagined. Also, keep the space in mind when opting for the best type of concrete finish that suits your preferences.
I appreciate that you explained how elegant, the process of installing decorative concrete is delicate and needs careful planning. I’ve always wanted to build a patio in our house so that we may occasionally eat outside, and I’ve finally made up my mind to do so soon. While I seek for Decorative Concrete Installation services to get in touch with for the project shortly, I’ll have to keep your advice in mind.
I had no idea that while choosing the best concrete finish for your needs, the area should be taken into consideration. I’ve always wanted a concrete walkway in my backyard that looked like wood but was more durable. I’ll be sure to get in touch with a concrete contractor to see what kind of ideas we can come up with now that I know I can accomplish it using stamp concrete.