Decorative concrete in Aurora CO - a look that fits your budget and upkeep
Plain gray concrete that looks tired? We pour color, texture and stamped finishes sized to your budget and how much upkeep you want.
What decorative concrete is and where it goes
Decorative concrete is concrete finished to look like more than a gray slab. Color mixed in or stained on, texture, exposed stone, stamped patterns, polishing and sealers all fall under it. In Aurora we use it on patios, walks, pool decks and driveways, the flatwork around a house, and on floors indoors.
If you want a pressed stone or brick look, that's stamped concrete, one kind of decorative work with its own page. Indoors, polish usually goes on a new or existing slab, and if the floor has to be poured first, that's concrete floor installation. Decorative work is the finish, and getting the slab right underneath it is its own part of the job.
The price moves with the size of the area, the ground under it and how detailed the finish gets, since every added color, border or pattern is more hand work. The schedule turns on the weather and on curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength before you use it. My written estimate lists what's included and what isn't.
What decorative concrete can fix around your house
A plain gray slab
Color mixed into the concrete or stained onto it takes a patio or walk from flat gray to a tone that goes with your house. Mixed-in color runs all the way through, so a chip shows the same color underneath instead of bare gray.
A yard that doesn't tie together
Texture, borders and exposed aggregate, where the top is washed back to show the stone in the mix, can link a patio, walk and pool deck so they read as one space. We keep the design as busy or as simple as you want it.
Bare concrete floors inside
In a basement, shop or garage, polishing and sealing turn a bare slab into a finished floor that's easy to sweep and keep clean. If the slab itself is in rough shape, we'll talk about whether it should be replaced before we finish it.
A new finish, a new slab or both
If your slab is sound and you just want it to look better, a stain or sealer can change it without tearing anything out. If it's cracked, sinking or pooling water, a new finish won't fix that, and I'll tell you so, because a pretty top over bad prep is money wasted.
A cracked or worn-out patio usually needs concrete patio construction first, and we can color or texture the new pour. On a sloped yard, a flat patio may have to start with concrete retaining walls to hold the ground back before any finish goes on.
Not sure which one fits your yard? Send a few photos through the form below, and when I come out I'll tell you plainly what I'd do and what I'd skip. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
What to settle before we pour
Spend on the base first
The subgrade, the dug-out and packed ground the slab sits on, is hidden the day we pour, so it's the first thing people want to trim. I'd rather lose the bid, because a nice finish over a soft base settles and cracks with the dirt.
How much upkeep you'll do
I walk you through what each finish takes to keep up over the years, since the fancier designs need more care. Then you pick the look that fits your budget and the upkeep you'll actually do, not the one that photographs best.
Joints and pour timing
Control joints are shallow cuts that tell the slab where to crack, so we cut them on time and plan them into the design. We pour early in the day, and I'll ask you to wait for better weather, because a hot midday pour leaves a weak, dusty top.
Decorative concrete work around Aurora
In Aurora, the city issues permits for structures once plans have gone through every department for review. Aurora also spans Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas counties, so we check with the city or county office for your address, and when your job needs a permit, we get it before work starts.
Decorative work usually goes on patios, walks and pool decks, where a plain slab has gone dull or a new pour should match the house. Tell us what's there now, where water sits after a storm and the look you want. We're based in Aurora and work across the cities around it, including Centennial and Parker.
Questions Aurora homeowners ask about decorative concrete
How much does stamped concrete cost around Aurora, CO?
Stamped concrete in the Denver area usually costs about $8 to $25 per square foot, according to one cost guide. One pattern in one color costs less and is easier to keep up, while borders, inlays and several colors cost more and need frequent care to keep their look. Your Aurora price comes in our written estimate.
How often does decorative concrete need to be resealed?
For stamped concrete, one cost guide advises resealing every two to three years, so count that upkeep as part of what the finish costs. Separately, one sealer maker says a penetrating sealer, which soaks in and leaves a natural look with no shine, typically protects for 5 to 10 years when it's properly applied.
Can I use deicer on a new decorative concrete patio?
Not the first winter. Industry guidance says to hold off on deicers until the concrete is a year old, so plan on shoveling and skipping the deicer for that first season. We'll go over the timing with you when the job's done.
Will decorative concrete hold up to freezing and thawing in Aurora?
It can, if the mix is right for it. The city rates Aurora as subject to severe damage from weathering, and ready-mix industry guidance says concrete exposed to freezing and thawing must be air-entrained, mixed with tiny air bubbles that give freezing water room. Ask about the mix before the pour, and I'll tell you what's going in.
Why do patios and driveways crack and heave in Colorado?
Expansive clay, ground that swells when wet and shrinks as it dries, is a common cause. The state's geologists say cracked and heaved sidewalks, patios, driveways and garage slabs are very common signs of it across Colorado, and they advise keeping water from ponding near foundations or slabs. That's why I check the base and where the water runs before we talk finishes.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license in Aurora?
Call the city at 303.739.7420 or use its contractor licensing lookup. Aurora requires contractors to hold the appropriate license to build, alter, repair or add to any building or structure. We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to check before you hire us.
Tell us about your decorative concrete job
Send the rough square footage, photos and the finish you want. We reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free written estimate, no obligation.
(720) 500-8526Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM