Stamped Concrete and Regular Concrete - What's the Difference Between Them?

I'm a concrete contractor and I speak to many people out estimating and looking at work with my business. Often people think stamped concrete is completely unique of regular concrete and it's really a completely different product. This is somewhat true, but the basics of the two are the same and they are usually specified the same, when used in the same application. For instance, if stamped concrete or regular concrete can be used for a driveway, they'll generally be the same thickness and also have exactly the same design strength.

Regular concrete can be your everyday concrete used in sidewalks, driveways, patios, roads, and anytime regular pavement is constructed. It's generally placed on some form of gravel or native soil base that's compacted. The area is then formed with lumber or manufactured forms. Reinforcement is normally installed in the base which is usually rebar or wire mesh. The concrete is specified to a desired thickness which is designed for its application. For instance, a driveway that handles car and light trucks is normally poured four inches thick. The concrete mix can be specified that is usually a 4000 psi mix within areas that have severe winters. That's the strength the concrete reaches in 28 days.  https://beaumontconcretetx.com/  is positioned, striked off, bull floated then gets a non slip finish, just like a broom. From then on, the concrete is cured with either water and burlap, or the easy way with a membrane forming curing compound.

Stamped concrete is very similarly placed to regular concrete. Generally all the steps will be the same except the finishing steps. The concrete is also colored that is usually added to the mix. It can also be colored with a color hardener, but most contractors use an intrinsic color. After bull floating is when things the process changes with stamped concrete. Some contractors go one step further and trowel the concrete to get the concrete really smooth. We use air entrained concrete in our area because of the harsh winters, which isn't said to be troweled so we usually just get it smooth as possible with a magnesium bull float. Following the concrete sets to a desired hardness, the concrete is imprinted with the rubber like stamps. A release agent that is an antiquing colored release, or liquid release agent is used to keep the stamps from sticking with the concrete. Some contractors will put curing paper on the concrete to cure it till the very next day when the concrete will undoubtedly be washed and sealed with a high gloss sealer that is also a membrane forming cure.

So to conclude stamped and regular, there isn't much difference between your two other than what they look like on the surface. Many people they think stamped concrete is simply not as durable as regular concrete and that's not the case. The thing that could ensure it is less durable may be the texture of the stamped concrete. In an environment that gets snow, stamped concrete will get damaged by snow removal equipment like snow plows.