While I usually embrace the wonders and joys of decorative concrete applications, I feel I must also report on the other side of the coin: no matter what the color or design of the stamp reflects, it’s still concrete. Your new patio may look like a beautiful chalkboard, but it’s not. It’s concrete. What does this mean? Well, it means that although concrete has unlimited design options and can be made into almost any design, mimicking many other building materials; has minor limitations. An experienced decorative concrete contractor knows this and will install it according to industry standards to best prevent cracking or discoloration.
That said, these problems do arise 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 moving over stamped concrete to ground settlements under the concrete can cause cracks, regardless of expansion joints. Proper cutting of the joints should and, in most cases, will alleviate this problem. Second, when concrete cures, it shrinks. This can also cause cracking and even the most experienced concrete contractor cutting the best expansion joints in the world will not always win that battle. Lastly, a somewhat common “side effect” of stamped concrete is the formation of hairline cracks around the lines made by the stamping tools once the surface begins to harden. This is called “crusting” and will usually occur due to sun and wind. Obviously, sun and wind will accelerate the hardening of the concrete surface. Another reason crusting occurs 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 such as random stone or slate patterns often aggravate crusting. Many people feel that these hairline 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 imperfections are generally considered attractive. Although cracks can be repaired, the end result of the repair tends to be much more apparent than the unrepaired crack.
Now let’s move on to coloring mishaps. Actually, “mishaps” is not the right word here. A “mishap” would happen by accident. What I am referring to here is customer acceptance of the finished color on their new concrete. Depending on the method of staining concrete (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, a few things are required of you to ensure you are receiving the color you want. A good practice would be to find photos of finished colored concrete patios, et. paraca that show the color you are striving for and send it to your contractor. However, it is key to understand that there are variables related to the coloration or tinting of the concrete that can affect the color result. Sometimes the stars align and the color of the concrete turns out exactly as you imagined. 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 customer is not available during color mixing. This will be a problem because if the client is not present to approve the color prior to installation, you may end up with a beautiful new colored concrete patio in a shade that is too dark or too light, or just not right. It is important for the client to be present during color mixing to ensure color happiness.
- Concrete work requires more than a truck load of concrete. Color will vary slightly from batch to batch. This is to be expected and should be understood from the start.
- Finished concrete color does not match sample chip or color chart. Never expect the end result to completely match the sample chip or color chart. Samples are just that: samples. The sample chips and color charts are meant to be more of a guide to color. Mixing concrete colors is not an exact science and should not be considered as such. After all, even the best decorative concrete contractor in the area is only human!
- Placing concrete at different ages. Placing concrete at different ages will cause slight color variation. This should be taken into account during larger concrete projects, although it should not be more than a slight variation.
Keeping all of the above in mind, along with understanding that job site conditions and seasonal weather issues can affect the bottom line, you should have a happy customer in the end. However, a homeowner 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 certainly the owner doesn’t want that either. Understanding from the start that color variation is a normal thing should keep the customer happy all the way.
Obviously, no one wants to spend their hard-earned money on a particular job that they consider imperfect. As with any major home improvement purchase, proper research on decorative concrete applications will educate you on 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 the concrete contractor; as well as prepare you with important knowledge to take into account when designing your specific project.