Stamped Concrete and Regular Concrete - What's the Difference Between Them?

I'm a concrete contractor and I speak to lots of people out estimating and considering work for my business. Many times people think stamped concrete is totally unique of regular concrete and it's really an entirely different product. That is somewhat true, but the basics of the two are the same and they are usually specified exactly the same, when used in exactly the same application. For example, if stamped concrete or regular concrete can be used for a driveway, they will generally be the same thickness and also have exactly the same design strength.

Regular concrete is your everyday concrete found in sidewalks, driveways, patios, roads, and anytime regular pavement is constructed. It's generally placed on some type of gravel or native soil base that's compacted. The area is then formed with lumber or manufactured forms. Reinforcement is usually installed in the base that is usually rebar or wire mesh. The concrete is specified to a desired thickness which is created for its application. For instance, a driveway that handles car and light trucks is usually poured four inches thick.  Find out more  can be specified which is usually a 4000 psi mix here in areas that have severe winters. That's the strength the concrete reaches in 28 days. Concrete is positioned, striked off, bull floated then gets a non slip finish, such as a broom. From then on, the concrete is cured with either water and burlap, or the simple way with a membrane forming curing compound.

Stamped concrete is very similarly placed to regular concrete. Generally all of the steps are the same except the finishing steps. The concrete is also colored which is usually added to the mix. It is also colored with a color hardener, but most contractors use an integral color. After bull floating is when things the procedure changes with stamped concrete. Some contractors go one step further and trowel the concrete to get the concrete really smooth. We use air entrained concrete inside our area because of the harsh winters, which isn't said to be troweled so we usually just get it smooth as possible with a magnesium bull float. After the concrete sets to a desired hardness, the concrete is imprinted with the rubber like stamps. A release agent which is an antiquing colored release, or liquid release agent can be used to help keep the stamps from sticking with the concrete. Some contractors will put curing paper on the concrete to cure it till the next day when the concrete will be washed and sealed with a higher gloss sealer that is also a membrane forming cure.

So to summarize stamped and regular, there isn't much difference between your two other than what they appear to be on the surface. Lots of people they think stamped concrete is simply not as durable as regular concrete and that is just not the case. The thing that could make it less durable is the texture of the stamped concrete. Within an environment that gets snow, stamped concrete will get damaged by snow removal equipment like snow plows.