Stamped concrete services in Mountain View CA - a stone look with grip underfoot
Tired of a plain gray patio or shifting pavers? We pour and stamp a slab that looks like slate, brick or stone.
Stamped concrete looks like stone. It still needs a solid base.
Our stamped concrete services in Mountain View start with flatwork, the flat poured slabs like patios and walkways. We press a texture and color into the concrete while it's still soft, so it reads as slate, brick or natural stone. Most of what we stamp is patios, pool surrounds and concrete sidewalks, since a garage floor usually does better with a smooth finish.
The pattern gets the attention, but I care most about what's underneath. If the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, is raked level instead of dug out and packed, the slab settles and cracks run right through the stone look. When a budget's tight, I'd rather you pick a simpler pattern than skimp on the base, because a bad base can't be fixed without tearing out the pattern.
The price moves with the size of the area, how much digging and base work it needs, the pattern and how many colors you want. The schedule turns mostly on the weather, since we pour and seal in a dry stretch, and your written estimate gives your own figure. We're fully licensed and insured for this work in California.
When is stamped concrete worth a call? Look for these.
A cracked, sinking or puddling slab
When your old patio or walk is cracked, sinking or holding water, it's usually coming out anyway. That's the time to choose a stamp, since we press the pattern into new concrete while it's still soft.
Pavers that rock and sprout weeds
Brick or pavers that heave, wobble underfoot or grow weeds in the joints usually mean the base under them has moved. A stamped slab gives you a similar look in one piece, as long as the base is right.
Faded, patchy or slick stamped concrete
Fading, patchy spots or several shades of color, most of all when it's wet, mean the sealer is wearing off. A slab that turns slick in the rain is due too, before somebody falls.
Here's how a stamped concrete job goes. It starts with a visit.
After you get in touch, I come out myself, walk the area and ask a lot of questions, like where the water goes when it rains and how you'll use the space. We look at patterns and colors together, and I'll steer you toward one you'll still like years from now, not just this summer.
Then I send a written estimate covering the base work, the pattern and colors, and the sealer. It includes grit mixed into the sealer for grip, because a trade association for concrete contractors says slip resistance has to be handled when sealer first goes on and at every reseal.
We plan the pour and the sealing around a dry stretch. Our lead hand runs the crew, and I check in at the key steps, like the base and the stamping. Plan to park somewhere else after sealing, since that association says to keep cars and furniture off for 24 hours or more. Then we clean up and walk the job with you.
Planning a stamped concrete patio? Tell us about the job.
Tell us the area's size, its use and the look you want. We reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free written estimate, no obligation.
(650) 447-1063We're based in Mountain View. We stamp concrete nearby too.
We're based in Mountain View and pour stamped concrete there and in many of the cities around it, including Sunnyvale and Cupertino.
The Santa Clara Valley stormwater program advises pouring in dry weather, with time to cure before rain. Curing is the stretch fresh concrete needs to harden. The program also says fresh concrete is toxic to fish and can't legally go into a storm drain or creek, so we watch the forecast and keep our washout out of the gutter.
Questions about stamped concrete? Here are straight answers.
Read through the answers below on looks, upkeep and hiring. If your question isn't here, call (650) 447-1063 and I'll talk it through.
What does stamped concrete look like on a Mountain View patio?
It looks like slate, brick or natural stone, pressed into a poured slab while it's soft and colored to match. The color often comes from a color hardener, a powder of cement, pigments and fine aggregate that colors and toughens the top. We'll look at samples together so you can picture it in your own yard.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
One trade association's rule of thumb, from an older guide, is every two to three years for busy areas in strong sun and four to five years for lighter traffic or indoor areas. That association also says to reseal only when no rain or condensation is expected for 12 hours afterward.
Will a new stamped concrete patio crack like my old one?
Concrete can crack, so the goal is to control where it does. We dig out and pack the base so the slab doesn't settle. We also cut control joints early along the pattern's lines, so they blend in. Those are planned grooves that give the slab a place to crack.
Who is allowed to install stamped concrete in California?
A licensed concrete contractor, which the state licensing board describes as one who forms, pours, finishes and installs flat concrete work. Unless the whole job comes in under $500 for labor and materials and isn't part of a bigger project, it needs a license. State rules also cap a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or ten percent of the price, whichever is less.
Who is responsible for concrete runoff from my property?
You are, as the property owner, even when the mess comes from a crew you hired, according to the stormwater program. That's a good reason to ask any contractor how they'll handle washout, and I'll walk you through our cleanup when I come out for the estimate.
Planning a stamped patio or walkway? Call our Mountain View crew.
Call (650) 447-1063 or use the form, and we'll set a time to look at how your yard drains before you pick a pattern.
Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
