Decorative Concrete

Decorative concrete is a great way to spruce up your landscaping and hardscaping.

Decorative concrete is a fantastic way to add something extra to your landscaping and hardscaping. It’s less expensive than natural stone hardscaping and patio pavers, and you have a surprising number of options available to match your personal style. Here are some of our top tips for using decorative concrete in your hardscaping.

What Options Are Available?

Decorative concrete is available in many different styles and patterns, including:

  • Natural stone, like slate and fieldstone
  • Brick
  • Cobblestone
  • Seamless slabs without joint lines

The most popular colors of decorative concrete are grays, deep greens, tans, deep reds, and other colors that mimic natural stone.

Is Decorative Concrete Realistic?

Decorative concrete is surprisingly realistic and can easily trick your neighbors into thinking you have much more expensive hardscaping. To make the patterns look more realistic, professionals weave in streaks of dry-shake color and surface-applied color to mimic natural materials. Many people also forget that decorative concrete won’t have moss and weeds growing through the cracks like patio pavers, so in many ways it actually looks nicer than the real thing.

Is Decorative Concrete Long-Lasting?

Decorative concrete is incredibly durable and long-lasting. It’s very resistant to cracking, as long as you treat it properly during the winter and summer months. If you do have a cracking problem, decorative concrete is very good at camouflaging small cracks. It also does a great job of holding onto color over time, especially if you properly maintain it.

Is Decorative Concrete Slippery?

Decorative concrete is textured thanks to the stamped and painted surface, so it offers more slip-resistance than traditional concrete surfaces. However, on rainy or wet days, it can be a little slippery just like the natural stone hardscaping it mimics. If you choose to use decorative concrete in a high-traffic area like the pathway leading up to your front door,  there are several different ways that you can further texturize the surface.  

Professional Landscape Design for Your Home

Rhine Landscaping has the tools to make your yard beautiful throughout the year, so trust us with all of your landscaping and poolscaping needs. We have the expertise and knowledge to complete any and all of the landscaping projects on your list. For more information about our services, visit us online or give us a call at (410) 442-2445. For more tips on how to keep your yard and pool looking great year round, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Houzz.