Home: Stamped Concrete Patterns

Guest Post: Fantastic Stamped Concrete Patterns For Your Home

Whether you’re moving into a new home or looking to give your current home a facelift, you know the outside matters as much as inside. Your landscaping creates the first impression when someone comes to your home. It can also help you relax and enjoy your backyard more. But landscaping isn’t just bushes, trees, gardens, and grass. It also includes your driveway, walkways, patio, and other hard surfaces.

Stamped concrete is an excellent material for all of these areas. You might think that concrete is useful but boring, but in reality, it can be transformed into a beautiful surface. With stamping, it’s given color, depth, and design as it takes on the appearance of other materials. At the same time, it’s generally more cost-effective, easier to maintain, and longer lasting.

Let’s have a look at some of the great designs that stamped concrete can come in as well as some places you can use it. Remember that these are only a couple of examples - there are many more styles and potential uses available!

Red Brick Walkway

Brick is a traditional building material for houses, but it also looks great for flat surfaces. However, it can be costly. Corners tend to break off, too, and it can become uneven as the ground under it settles and changes during the seasons. That not only creates a bad look but also a tripping hazard. Not to mention that it’s difficult to shovel snow off of it!

With stamped concrete, though, you can match the look of your home with the look of real brick and the wherewithal of poured concrete. The dye added to the concrete can match any shade of brick you want. Since it’s a poured surface rather than individual bricks, it’s less like to break, too.

You can add this look to your home and business to achieve a classic look that’s also easy to maintain!

Cobblestone Driveway

While red brick is classic, cobblestone hearkens back to a time long ago in the Old World. Less elaborate partners were also common in streets in the colonial cities of the East Coast.

But genuine cobblestones are bulky, not to mention pricey. While they’re pretty hard to break, they do often become uneven over the course of time.

If you love the appeal of the old European cities, this is the perfect look for you. The workmanship was incredible and that’s imitated perfectly with this stamped concrete pattern.

You’ll have a fantastic design to enjoy year-round and be the envy of your neighbors!

Stacked Bond Pathway

If you’d like a more modern look, stacked bond might be just what you’re looking for. “Stacked bond” refers to blocks that are placed one on top of the other with no staggering. It contrasts with running bond, where bricks are laid offset by ½ so they are staggered. Running bond actually creates more support. Stacked bond relies more on mortar to hold it together and isn’t used as often in buildings.

While stacked bond is more difficult to build walls with, its lack of self-support doesn’t matter in flat surfaces. The long, straight lines of the joints create a clean, crisp feeling. It can even feel inviting as it points straight to your front door.

Quarried Stone Garden Path

Looking for a less-structured pattern? Stamped concrete with a quarried stone pattern creates the feeling of a simple, unhurried life. Reminiscent of a country cottage, this look features the irregular shapes that stone hewn by hand would have.

Laying a path with real hewn stone is tough. Stones have to be matched up carefully since they have irregular shapes. Grout can be laid between them, sometimes creating huge spots if the stones don’t line up well. If laid without grout, they may slip out of place or become uneven.

However, you can get the magnificent look of quarried stone without the hassle with stamped concrete. Designed with stones that line up perfectly,  you’ll also never have to worry about them getting out of place.

Wood Pool Deck

Wood looks great in so many different places, but it has a lot of drawbacks. It wears out much more quickly than stone or other materials. It can rot. Nails or screws can work loose over time. And then there are the splinters! All those make it an unlikely candidate for a pool deck.

But going back to the first point, it really would look great there, right? Whether you like the rustic look or want to feel like you’re on the deck of a pirate ship, a pool deck made of wooden planks sounds awesome.

And that may be the most surprising style of stamped concrete. It can be stamped and dyed to look like real wood, right down to the grain. It’ll definitely raise eyebrows while protecting your toes from irritating and painful slivers!

Conclusion

When you’re looking to spruce up your walkways, patios, driveways, and even pool deck, stamped concrete is a fantastic choice of material. It’s long-lasting, easy to care for, and less of a burden on the wallet than many alternatives. The many stamps and colors allow you to choose something that will make your home more attractive to all who visit it.

Biography

Bill Michaels is the digital outreach specialist at Patterned Concrete. The company is a pioneer in stamped concrete since 1972. From its Toronto beginnings, the company has grown to have franchises in various cities throughout Canada and the US. More franchise opportunities are available as well!