Thoughts on Stamped Concrete for backyard

[Nickshu]

I'm getting bids on re-landscaping my backyard, including an "outdoor living space", pergola, gas firepit, built in grill and gas pizza oven, low voltage lighting...the whole deal.

I currently have a concrete slab deck about 16'x12'. Landscaper is proposing jackhammering it up and installing a stamped concrete deck about 25% larger than what I have. I am on a fair amount of bentonite (expansive soil), house is built on 54 caissons with a floating floor basement due to this soil type. Current slab deck is poared pretty thick with rebar and in 3 1/2 years has not heaved at all.

I have heard mixed things about stamped concrete...it's slippery when wet, you can't shovel it, you have to seal it, if you scratch it then it has to be repaired, it chips easily, etc. Also I am concerned about it heaving. Any opinions/experiences to share??

[Evans, Marv]

I have stamped concrete as a garage apron, entry way, and patio. My take on your current slab is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I'd just find a way to enlarge it the 25%. First, stamped concrete is not slippery when wet (at least mine isn't - the surface isn't smooth), you can't shovel over it, you do have to seal it and reseal it, it scratches but so does regular flat finish, it doesn't seem to chip any easier than a regular finish. That's just my experience. I have a so-called "granite slab" pattern finish with the recesses tinted. The parts that are not directly exposed to the sun & weather stand up for a few years without needing attention. The portion in the front of the garage, which is exposed directly to the sun and weather, needs attention in about half the time as the other parts. The original sealer will wear off on the high points and dull over time for those portions mostly protected from the elements. You can do a light application with a roller with Xylene to melt the sealer and reestablish the finish with reapplication of sealer occasionally. Parts exposed to the elements will have to be cleaned & resealed, and you'll know when it needs it. Others here will probably know more.

[JavaBrewer]

May I suggest pave stone? No such worries about cracking or maintenance. Better looking and probably cheaper.


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[GWN7]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

.

I have heard mixed things about stamped concrete...it's slippery when wet, you can't shovel it, you have to seal it, if you scratch it then it has to be repaired, it chips easily, etc. Also I am concerned about it heaving. Any opinions/experiences to share??

Young guy on my crew installed it. The colouring used can be added two basic ways. Added to the top of the concrete after it's poured (before stamping) or mixed in the concrete on the truck. The mixed in the truck adds a little more $$ to the cost as you use more dye and some concrete supply companies charge more for clean up, but if you chip it down the road you won't notice it as much as a chip on the top added method.

[stomachmonkey]

You can do stamped over existing patio using a skim coat. Done in my hood all the time.

It can be slippery depending on your finish just like if you put the wrong finish on what you have now.

The annoyance for me is your chairs never sit level and are a pain to slide around. Outdoor area rugs help.

Personally I'd go stained concrete.

And should be no need to dig up what you already have.

[cnielsen]

We did a stamped/stained concrete garden patio area. Looking forward to spring so we can finish the landscaping.

[Craig T]

Perfect timing for this question....I'm doing interlocking pavors as we speak. Here's why...

Eight years ago I was faced with your exact same situation. We re-landscaped our entire back yard, with outdoor living area, fireplace, and a rock formation pool. We decided to go with stamped and colored natural granite-look concrete to tie into the rock pool. They put a cool product in the sealer called "Sharks Skin" to keep if from being slippery when wet.

For two years I loved it. But, the sealer wore off quickly and it looked faded and terrible...and DID get slippery when wet. It was surprisingly expensive to reseal, done twice in five years. The natural contours in the stamp hold water and developed algae or some type of moss.

Then the cracks started. Most in expansion joints, but not all. With concrete, it's not IF it cracks, just where and how bad.

Last week I had a major irrigation issue and had to tear out my front patio and walkway (1200 sq ft). I went with pavors without a seconds thought. This picture is from this morning. They started yesterday and should finish today

[stomachmonkey]

Pretty Mastiff.

Looks about a year old?

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Pretty Mastiff.

Looks about a year old?

Thanks Stomachmonkey. I swapped the pic. Tank's getting a big head.

[Happy911]

Most of my front and back yard is patterned concrete.

It's not slippery
It doesn't chip (any more than any other surface)
I shovel over it. WTF else I going to do when you get 10 feet of snow in a season
My driveway and front path experience no cracking
My backyard has a few cracks from settling around the pool (but his summer) I'm going to get them filled and matched so they'll be "less" visible

At the end of the day, I think it looks good and is a less expensive alternative if you are covering large areas.

[cnielsen]

I agree. I've done pavers on my parents patio and it has held up very well. I wanted to do pavers again on my little walkway /patio but it posed a problem with the walkway being sloped and curved. Concrete was much easier in that application. I'm happy with it but we'll see how it holds up over time.

[Craig T]

There's clearly pro's and con's to both products. I don't think its a debate to be won or lost. It's simply a matter of opinion.

Soil, weather, traffic, and other factors affect the durability and look of stamped concrete. In my application it didn't work so well. Earthquakes and shifting soil caused the cracking. baking SoCal sun and salt water system caused the fading. Pavers shift and move, so a better choice at my house.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by Craig T

They put a cool product in the sealer called "Sharks Skin" to keep if from being slippery when wet.

For two years I loved it. But, the sealer wore off quickly and it looked faded and terrible...and DID get slippery when wet. It was surprisingly expensive to reseal, done twice in five years. The natural contours in the stamp hold water and developed algae or some type of moss.

Interesting, my landscaper mentioned Sharks Skin specifically as what they use to seal it, with sand particles embedded in it for slip resistance.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by Craig T

There's clearly pro's and con's to both products. I don't think its a debate to be won or lost. It's simply a matter of opinion.

Soil, weather, traffic, and other factors affect the durability and look of stamped concrete. In my application it didn't work so well. Earthquakes and shifting soil caused the cracking. baking SoCal sun and salt water system caused the fading. Pavers shift and move, so a better choice at my house.

Where I live with all the expansive soil doing pavers would be a nightmare I think.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Pretty Mastiff.
Looks about a year old?

According to my computer screen:
-The OP posted at 8:00 PM, and edited his post at 8:03 PM.
-No pics of the aformentioned beautiful dog were ever posted, as far as I can see.
-?

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

Current slab deck is poared pretty thick with rebar and in 3 1/2 years has not heaved at all.

Leave it alone.

What about concrete staining/waxing?
There is some beautiful examples of artwork out there.

[wdfifteen]

+1 on getting concrete with the color mixed in instead of added to the top. If you go with stamped concrete, make sure to use an experienced contractor. The contractor who did mine did a terrible job. He did a 16x24 area in one pour. The first part that he stamped was too soft and it's got low spots (mud puddles when it rains) in it. By the time he got to the end the concrete was too stiff and didn't take the stamp very well. I only paid him half, pending him coming back to fix the stamping problem. Of course as soon as he cleared out of my driveway he disappeared forever. In less than a year it developed cracks and it's going to have to be jack hammered out and re-done. If I was in your position, with the experience I've had, I would go with pavers.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

+1 on getting concrete with the color mixed in instead of added to the top. If you go with stamped concrete, make sure to use an experienced contractor. The contractor who did mine did a terrible job. He did a 16x24 area in one pour. The first part that he stamped was too soft and it's got low spots (mud puddles when it rains) in it. By the time he got to the end the concrete was too stiff and didn't take the stamp very well. I only paid him half, pending him coming back to fix the stamping problem. Of course as soon as he cleared out of my driveway he disappeared forever. In less than a year it developed cracks and it's going to have to be jack hammered out and re-done. If I was in your position, with the experience I've had, I would go with pavers.

The problems stated above are not at all uncommon. In 2003 we moved into a brand new home community that non of the homes had finished front or rear yards. Just driveways, dirt, and fencing. Many of my neighbors, estimating 12 or so, went with some sort of stamped concrete and/or concrete with pebble finish. Three of them had the jobs torn out and replaced shortly after install. Two others had continuing problems with finish and colors. In the 10 or so years a close friend of mine has needed to refinish his stamped backyard patio 3 times. The darker finish coat tends to be hot on the feet and slippery when wet. The surface irregularities traps dirt and is difficult to clean. He really hates it now.

Paver stones are not fool proof either but if problems arise they simply lift out and can be reset and compacted again. Some of our major intersections in town are done with pavers. Tons of traffic, heavy equipment, trucks - no problems. If you want to alter something, or add to the layout, again no problem. The only REAL negative I experienced with pavers is that the sand bed they are set in (on top of a compressed base of course) is a natural environment for ants. During the summer months it was a constant war fought with a pump sprayer and ant killer. I can say that I NEVER had issues with colors, cracking, or buckling.

There are tons of design options with either material. It all depends on your taste and lifestyle. Post some pictures of what you're starting with and what you end up with. Good luck.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by john70t

According to my computer screen:
-The OP posted at 8:00 PM, and edited his post at 8:03 PM.
-No pics of the aformentioned beautiful dog were ever posted, as far as I can see.
-?

Just shows that ya can't believe everything you read on the Internet

A "quick edit" immediately after a post (don't know the exact time limit, but seconds...not minutes) will not show the post as having been edited. Don't feel bad....when I first read the comment earlier, I was scratching my head and looking back through the pix...going "What dog?"

[Craig T]

LOL! I put up the dog pic first, then immediately swapped it with a picture I thought was more appropriate. It did not show the edit because the swap was within a few seconds. I'm surprised anybody saw it at all.