Stamped Concrete in Waterloo, IA

Stamped concrete is regular concrete that is colored and pressed with textured mats while it is still soft, so the finished slab looks like stone, slate, brick or wood plank. It gives a patio, front walk or pool surround a custom look without the cost or the hundreds of joints of laid stone. We pour stamped concrete for homes across Waterloo and the Cedar Valley.

Where stamped concrete fits

Stamping makes the most sense where people see it and walk on it: backyard patios, front walks and entries, landings in front of steps, and borders around a plain slab. It can go on driveways, but a driveway gets the most salt and plow wear, and decorative finishes there need more upkeep. A common middle ground is a broom-finish driveway with a stamped border or a stamped front walk that ties into it.

How color is added

Color usually goes in two layers. Integral color is mixed into the whole load at the plant, so the slab is colored all the way through and chips do not show gray. Then a color hardener or a powdered release is spread on the surface before stamping. The release keeps the mats from sticking and leaves darker color in the low spots, which is what makes a stamped surface look like real stone instead of a single flat shade. The last coat is a sealer that brings out the color and protects it.

Patterns

• Ashlar slate: rectangular stones in mixed sizes, a popular all-around pattern.
• Random stone or flagstone: irregular shapes for a natural, rustic look.
• Cobblestone and brick: small units in rows or herringbone, good for borders and walks.
• Wood plank: boards with grain texture, often used near pools or as an accent.
• Seamless texture: stone texture with no grout lines, simpler and easier to keep clean.

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Stamped concrete and freeze-thaw

Stamped concrete has a deeper surface texture than a broom finish, and the sealer is what keeps water and salt out of it. In a place where January averages about 18 degrees and the ground freezes and thaws many times a winter, that sealer matters. We use air-entrained concrete, cut control joints into the grout lines of the pattern where we can so they blend in, and seal the slab once it has cured. Plan on resealing every few years, and clean it with a gentle wash rather than a high-pressure blast, which can wear the color.

Sealers can be slippery when wet. On walks and steps we add a fine anti-slip grit to the sealer so the surface keeps its grip in the rain.

What to expect on the day

Stamping is a timing job. The crew has to press the mats while the concrete is firm enough to hold a pattern but soft enough to take it, and that window changes with the temperature and wind. Large slabs are poured in sections so every part is stamped at the right time. Edges are hand-tooled where mats will not fit.

Call (319) 481-5867 to see color and pattern samples and get a quote for your project.