A sturdy and smooth finish on concrete looks nice. However, you will not get the desired outcomes if you simply pour the concrete and wait for it to cure. If you want to produce a beautiful result, you’ve got to have the right tools, techniques, and skills.
A professional concrete company can help you achieve your desired results. A common type of concrete finish is a smooth surface. However, you should know that there are other forms of concrete finishing out there.
If you’re planning to pour concrete into your property, here are several concrete finishing techniques you should consider. If you don’t know how to do these things, consider hiring a concrete contractor.
Staining Concrete
Just like pigments, concrete contractors use different staining products to provide color to your concrete. One of the most well-known techniques is the use of acid. A concrete contractor can achieve subtle and non-bright colors through this technique.
You can get a huge variety of colors if you want to use acrylic or water-based staining. Once the stain is applied, the contractor will typically install a seal over the concrete to ensure it protects the surface.
Coloring Concrete
To ensure that concrete matches the background of the property, a concrete contractor can add color to it. Usually, they can achieve this by adding stains and pigments. The pigmentation method is quite easy.
Usually, the concrete contractor will directly add the pigments to the concrete mix before pouring it. You can pick from a huge variety of available colors. However, you’ve got to keep in mind that there is a chance of water infiltration in pigmented concrete. That is why you’ll have to periodically seal the concrete to ensure you prevent water infiltration.
Broom Finish
Concrete contractors usually apply this finish to make the surface slip-resistant. They can achieve this by leveling the concrete, troweling, and placement. Once they create a smooth surface, the contractor will drag a broom through it while the concrete surface is still wet.
Edging
The contractor can perform this technique by offering round and beveled edges while finishing concrete. You can use this to create joints to avoid cracks and other problems.
Forms of Concrete Finishing
There are different coating and texturing methods when it comes to finishing concrete. You can categorize them into the following:
- Concrete Painting
Rather than using regular satin stain, contractors use formulas such as epoxy stain. They’ve been made specifically for this purpose.
- Seeded Aggregate
You can usually use this for driveways. The contractor will finish the concrete and add small colorful stones on the surface.
- Washed Concrete
This is a very common concrete finishing used in sidewalks. This is particularly true in urban communities. The reason for this is that it offers a high-traction surface.
- Stamped Concrete
This is perhaps the most popular type of concrete finishing available. Concrete contractors will have to use layers of coloring agents and imprints to produce different textures. If you’re planning to add concrete to your property, you should consider installing stamped concrete.
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