Stamped concrete
Stamped Concrete Patios, Walks and Driveways in Bridgeport
We pour colored concrete, press a stone, brick or slate pattern into it while it is still soft, then cure and seal it for a patio, a walk or a driveway.
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm. We answer or call back the same working day.
- $12–$21Typical stamped patio, per sq ft
- 40–60%Less than the stone it imitates
- FreeOn-site estimate
Stone looks, poured in place
Stamped Concrete in Bridgeport
Stamped concrete is fresh, colored concrete with a stone, brick or slate pattern pressed into its surface, and we pour it for patios, walks and driveways on residential and commercial properties.
Most people call it "patterned concrete" or "fake stone". It goes down as one poured slab, so you get the look of laid stone from a single pour, with the color running through the concrete instead of painted on top.
The estimate is free and on your property, and we quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after.
Patios
An outdoor floor behind the house in the pattern and colors you pick.
Walks
A front or side walk that reads as laid stone or brick from the street.
Driveways
A driveway with a border or a full pattern, poured for the weight of a car.
Business entries
Walks and entry slabs at storefronts and small commercial lots.
Where the color comes from
Colors and Patterns
Stamped concrete takes its color from pigment mixed through the concrete, a color hardener on the surface and a release agent that antiques the pattern.
In the mix
Integral color
Called "integral color", this is pigment added to the wet mix, so the color becomes part of the cured concrete and does not disappear at a chipped edge.
On the surface
Color hardener
A "color hardener" is a colored powder worked into the top of the fresh concrete, which sets the main color you see on the surface.
In the pattern
Release agent
The "release agent", often called the antiquing or accent color, keeps the stamps from sticking and leaves a second color in the pattern's low lines for depth.
Patterns
- Cut stone
- Slate
- Brick
- Tile
You pick the pattern and the colors on the estimate, and both go into the written quote.
From the base to the sealer
How Stamped Concrete Is Poured
We pour stamped concrete in the same order every time, and the timing between the steps matters as much as the pattern you pick.
- Prep the base
The ground is dug out and the "base course", the compacted gravel under the slab, goes in at the depth the dig calls for.
- Pour and color
The concrete is placed and leveled, with integral color already in the mix or a color hardener worked into the top.
- Release
When the concrete reaches the right plasticity, firm but still workable, the release agent goes on so the stamps lift clean.
- Stamp
The stamping mats are laid in sequence and pressed in so every line of the pattern sets clearly, right out to the edges.
- Cure and seal
A curing compound goes on after stamping, and once the slab has cured the surface is sealed.
Most stamped concrete problems come from a rushed installation or poor prep. Good stamped work needs a clearly set stamp, even edges and a proper cure, and the trade's guides for placing, finishing and curing concrete come from the American Concrete Institute.
What it typically runs
How Stamped Concrete Is Priced
The price of stamped concrete is set by the size of the job, the access, the materials and the preparation the ground needs, and here is what a stamped patio typically runs in Bridgeport.
Reinforced slab
$12–$21
per square foot for a stamped patio with steel in the slab
Un-reinforced slab
$10–$19
per square foot when the pour goes in without reinforcing
- SizeThe square footage and the shape of the area.
- AccessHow close the truck and the tools can get to the pour.
- MaterialsA plain slab costs less than stamped work in several colors and patterns.
- PreparationWhat comes out first and how deep the base has to go.
Against the real thing, stamped concrete typically costs about 40–60% less than the natural stone it imitates.
The exact price comes from the estimate on your property, quoted in full before we start.
Rainy days
Sealing and Slip Resistance
Freshly sealed stamped concrete can be slick when it is wet, so a non-slip additive goes into the sealer.
- Fine silicaMixed into the sealer to give the surface tooth underfoot.
- Polymer gritKeeps its grip when the surface is wet.
Tell us where people walk most, the back steps, a sloped walk, around a pool, and we talk through grip on the estimate.
Before you hire anyone
Choosing an Installer
Before you hire for stamped concrete, ask to see finished work and check that the patterns are crisp and the edges even.
- See finished workAsk for the installer's portfolio and look at the pattern lines and the edges, not just the color.
- Ask what goes under itAsk how the base is dug and compacted, since the prep decides how the slab holds up.
- Ask about the sealerAsk whether a grit additive goes into the sealer where people walk.
- Ask about trainingStamped concrete installers may hold ACI or ICPI certification, so ask what training the crew has.
- Get the whole job in writingWe quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after, and you can ask the same of anyone.
From a neighbor
Word From a Neighbor
Angel is very easy to work with and cares about his work along with fair prices.
- Free, no-obligation estimates
- We answer or call back the same working day
- We show up when we say we will
- We clean up when the work is done
Patio, walk or driveway
Price Your Stamped Concrete
Tell us the space and the look you want, and we come out, measure it and put the whole job in writing.
- The whole job quoted before we start.
- Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.