While I typically advocate for the wonders and joys of decorative concrete applications, I think it should also inform the other side of the coin: no matter what the stamp’s color or design reflects, it’s still concrete. Your new patio may look like a beautiful chalkboard, but it is not. It is concrete. What does this mean? Well, it means that although concrete has unlimited design options and can be adapted to almost any design, mimicking many other building materials; has minor limitations. An experienced decorative concrete contractor knows this and will install the concrete in accordance with industry standards to better prevent cracks or color mishaps.
That being said, these issues do crop up on occasion. Let’s start with the cracks in your new stamped concrete pool deck. First, expansion joints are cut into the concrete to prevent cracks from occurring. However, everything from heavy loads traveling over stamped concrete to settling of soil underneath the concrete can cause a crack regardless of expansion joints. Proper joint trimming should and will alleviate this problem in most cases. Second, when concrete cures, it shrinks. This can also cause cracks and even the most experienced concrete contractor who cuts the best expansion joints in the world will not always win that battle. Finally, a somewhat common “side effect” of stamped concrete is fine cracks that form around the lines made by stamping tools once the surface begins to harden. This is called “scabbing” and will usually occur due to the sun and wind. Obviously, the sun and the wind will accelerate the hardening of the concrete surface. Another reason that crusts form is due to the color of the concrete. Darker colors, as we all know, attract the sun’s rays and absorb heat. Stamping tools with deeper grout lines to create designs like random stone or slate patterns often exacerbate scabbing. Many people feel that these fine cracks add to the appearance of the stamped concrete design, giving it an “Old World” look. This aged look generally lends itself to the overall design. These blemishes are generally considered attractive. Although cracks can be repaired, the end result of the repair tends to be much more obvious than the unrepaired crack.
Let us now color the setbacks. Actually, “mishaps” is not the correct word here. A “mishap” would happen by accident. What I am referring to here is customer acceptance of the finished color in their new concrete. Depending on the concrete staining method (and there are quite a few), different factors come into play for the concrete contractor to mix the customer’s chosen color. However, as a customer, there are a few things that are required of you to make sure you are getting the color you want. A good practice would be to look for photos of finished and colored concrete patios. Alabama. They show the color you are striving for and send it to your contractor. However, it is critical to understand that there are variables related to the staining or staining of concrete that can affect the color result. Sometimes the stars align and the particular color turns out exactly as envisioned. And then there are times when this is simply not the case.
For example, here are some conditions that can, and most of the time will, cause color variations:
- The client is not available during color mixing. This will be a problem because if the customer is not present to approve the color prior to installation you may end up with a beautiful new colored concrete patio in too dark or too light shade, or just plain wrong. It is important that the customer is present during the color mixing to ensure color happiness.
- Working with concrete requires more than one truck loaded with concrete. Color will vary slightly from batch to batch. This is to be expected and should be understood from the beginning.
- The color of the finished concrete does not match the sample chip or color chart. Never expect the end result to fully match the sample chip or color chart. Samples are just that: samples. The sample cards and color charts are meant to be more of a guide to color. Mixing the color of concrete is not an exact science and should not be thought about. After all, even the best decorative concrete contractor in the area is human!
- Laying concrete at different ages. Placing concrete at different ages will cause a slight color variation. This should be taken into account during larger concrete projects, although it should be no more than a slight variation.
Keeping all of the above in mind, as well as understanding that workplace conditions and seasonal weather issues can affect the bottom line, you should have a happy customer in the end. However, an owner who is not aware of these things, but has a clear idea of what he wants in terms of color, may end up disappointed. The contractor doesn’t want that, and the owner certainly doesn’t want that. Understanding from the beginning that color variation is normal should keep the customer happy until the end.
Obviously, no one wants to spend their hard-earned money on a particular job that they consider imperfect. As with any significant home improvement purchase, proper research on decorative concrete applications will teach you what to expect in terms of installation, appearance, design, maintenance, and repair. The most important aspect of this article is the desire to make the customer happy by keeping the lines of communication open between you, the homeowner, and your concrete contractor; as well as preparing you with important knowledge to consider when designing your concrete project.