In the past when someone mentioned concrete, people rarely got excited. Concrete was usually seen as dull in appearance, somewhat expensive, and an unwise choice for a paving material given the harsh abuse of mother nature. When it came to flatwork around the home, home-owners usually ended upsettling for asphalt driveways and hoped they could afford traditional masonry for their sidewalks, patio or pool deck. Thanks to new advances, concrete is quickly redefining it’s role in the residential marketplace. Today, concrete can be made more durable with overlays applied in a wide variety of finishes and colors offering the homeowner endless design possibilities. With new tools and practices it can even acquire the look and feel of brick, slate, tile, or cobblestone for a fraction of the cost of the real material. Builders and homeowners alike are now realizing that concrete overlays can add tremendous value, flexibility, and curb appeal to their projects while allowing them to stay within budget.
“A homeowner can now have that brick or stone looking driveway and still have enough money left over to enjoy it.” says Jody Smith, Concrete Artisan & Owner of Overlay Solutions, LLC a company that specializes in decorative concrete installations in the Charleston / Summerville SC area. This material is being looked at in so many new ways. Not only are we getting more calls from general contractors, but now we’re getting just as many calls from homeowners, architects and designers asking us to consult on new design possibilities. It’s an exciting time to be in this business. ”Builders and developers of large commercial projects have long taken advantage of the beauty and flexibility of decorative concrete. To these budget-conscious professionals, it is seen as a perfect alternative to traditional masonry due to the savings in material costs, installation time, and overall maintenance. “Anyone who has been to Disney World, Six Flags Amusement Parks, or Las Vegas has probably walked all over those old cobblestone streets, slate and brick sidewalks for hours on end, never realizing it was actually concrete,” says Jody Smith.
Unfortunately, people in our area have been slow to pick up on these advances. They’ve been hesitant to use concrete creatively given the abuse it can receive during a harsh winter. Smith says this is unjustified. “Decorative concrete can be stronger and more chemical resistant than ordinary concrete with a higher cement content, advanced reinforcement materials, surface hardeners and protective sealers. Using these materials and proven cold weather placement techniques, there is no reason why a professionally installed concrete job here should not last as long as it would in any other climate.” In the past, decorative concrete was usually limited to a mason scoring a flagstone-like design, or embedding sticks, leaves and even coffee cans into the surface to achieve a desired effect. Today, the leading edge of concrete is a process called thin stamped overlays or decorative overlays. This involves stamping or impressing three-dimensional pattern tools into a polymer cement material with molds made from actual brick or stonework. When the stamping is complete, the product is then stained and sealed, highlighting the colors and providing greater stain and weather resistance. The result is a surface that combines the beauty of masonry with the durability of concrete. There are over 40 different colors to choose from, ranging from natural earth tones to bright pastels. Pattern choices include slate, brick, granite, cobblestone, tile, flagstone, and more. Although thin stamped overlays are a little more expensive than ordinary concrete work, a savings of more than 50% over masonry costs are common. Thin stamped overlays can also placed in a fraction of the time and there are no individual units that will shift or allow grass to grow in the joints. Feel free to call Overlay Solutions, LLC at (843) 871-7747 for more information.
