Concrete offers durability and affordability for both exterior and interior hard surfaces and with different concrete finishes it can also turn into attractive surfaces that impart natural beauty. Decorative concrete finishes can range from simple stained concrete or exposed aggregate to elaborate stamped patterns that can imitate the appearance of natural stone slabs, brick or tile pavers or even a variety of wood. Several colouring methods can be used to make concrete more interesting and realistic.
However, the most impressive effects are created when different concrete finishes are combined. In doing this, one must ensure that all the elements like colour, pattern and texture will relate to each other well. Here are some of the most common concrete finishes, including ideas on how to combine them with other finishes:
Broom Finish – this is the most widely-used type textured concrete finish and is done by stroking wet concrete with a broom. The resulting texture could be coarse or light depending on the broom bristles. You can dress up broom-finished concrete by bordering it with stamped or stencilled concrete. For a more dramatic effect, you can use contrasting colours for the broom-finished area and the borders.
Stained or Coloured Concrete – this is typically created using an acid-based stain that reacts chemically with the concrete to change its colour composition. The colours produced are usually rich earth tones with a marbling effect. Stained concrete will look great with various textured and patterned finishes. For example, if you have a plain coloured concrete driveway, you can saw cut or engrave patterns into it to make it more interesting.
Stamped Concrete – this is done by pressing a concrete stamp on newly-poured concrete to imprint a pattern or texture usually resembling natural materials like stone, slate, brick or tiles. Contemporary patterns include wood, marine life, plant life, and so many others including customized stamps. Stamped concrete has a 3D effect that produces a very realistic look. You can add a band of stained concrete to a stamped concrete walkway to create a nice contrast of texture.
Stenciled Concrete – this makes use of tear-resistant paper stencils to imprint a pattern on wet concrete. There’s a wide array of concrete stencil patterns and textures to choose from for excellent decorative concrete combinations. You can add stencil brick circles to a slate stained driveway or a border of stenciled knot pattern over an acid stained concrete floor to add interest to a room.
Exposed Aggregate – in this finish, different techniques are used to expose the aggregates (i.e. stones, sand, pebble) in the concrete’s surface creating a distinctive look. Exposed aggregate concrete can be placed next to smooth textured concrete to create contrast or they could be stained to make certain areas stand out.
Those are just some of the things you can do with decorative concrete finishes. The first step to designing that winning combination is to be familiar with all the different concrete finishes available. Look at pictures to see how each concrete finish looks like so you can see what you like and what will work for your project. Explore how different concrete finishes can be combined. Look at portfolios or online image galleries of professional concrete contractors to see what’s possible.