We Take A Look At Your Concreting Options For Your Cairns Property.
The things you can achieve with concreting these days are pretty cool, in our opinion. A lot of people underestimate the variations available with using concrete finishes. Gone are the days of just plain concrete, although they still do have a purpose. Today I want to look at the different styles of concrete finishes that can enhance the style and look of your property.
This is especially the case with concrete driveways, you have a number of options that can get confusing. So today we are going to look at the different finishes you can have.
Concrete is well now for its strength and durability. You don’t need to look for the proof of this, building and bridges that need to have solid foundations are a great example of it.
But there’s another side of concreting that allows for that individual and modern touch, and that’s the variety of finishes you can create. In today’s world, there’s no other material with so much variation. And it’s something we are very good at.
So we have put together a little guide on the best concreting finishes.
Smooth Surface
We’ll start off with the basics of all concrete, the smooth finish. I’m sure you are very familiar with this finish. And although its a smooth finish it does take some skill to master, thankfully we have a number of years under our belts and have mastered this.
We get what is called the screed which is pretty much a long piece of wood, it’s dragged along the surface to get the desired finish we are after. Then we finish with a trowel to get all the little lumps out of the concrete to finish things off.
Edging.
Edging is a great way to enhance the look of your concrete. By edging around the edge of the concrete you can give it a neat look. It’s also a way to strengthen the concrete. It’s done in a way that creates joints in the concrete that strengthens the area. In the process, it also makes it less prone to cracking in those areas.
Broom Finish.
Not always the finish you see nowadays, especially around the home. It’s done to create a non-slip finish, which makes total sense, you’ll see it more in and around public areas. It’s a bit of an older finish, these days we have a number of other better looking finishes that will create the same effect.
Exposed Aggregate
Talking about modern finishes. The popular and non-slip go to finish you’ll find around a lot of homes now is the exposed aggregate finish. It’s a way to add a non-slip textured finish to the concrete that also gives it an attractive looking finish that world very well in and around the home.
It’s very popular with driveways, paths and around the pool areas. The finish is done by washing the top layer away once laid to expose the aggregate finish. You can choose a number of rocks to suit your home. Quartz, granite, basalt, and seashells are also an option, but not as popular
Salt Finish
Not the most popular finish, something you might find around pools. A pretty simple process that obviously involves spreading salt onto the wet concrete to give it that non-slip finish. The salt creates little holes in the concrete that is a low-cost option to create a textured non-slip finish
Stamped
Another very popular option. Stamped being the natural looking finish that gives you the look of materials such as slate, bluestone, tile and brick finish. The process is done by laying a stamped pattern over the concrete with the finish you want while the concrete is wet and stamping in the finish.
This is an option that can be a lot cheaper than actually using the material mentioned above. Generally a lot less labour costs involved. Again this is just giving you options to think about. It’s showcasing what you can actually do with concrete.
Stencilled
This is another option very similar to stamped concreting. Stencilling is different from stamped concrete as we get a stencil pattern and roll it over the top of the concrete then you get a roller to apply the pattern to the concrete.
This finish allows you to create different looks. Again as above this gives you options to consider without the need to pay for the materials I mentioned above. The big benefit of doing things this way is the durability of the concrete. No need to worry about cracking tiles. But as I said this gives you options. And that has to be a good thing.
Coloured Concrete
Pretty self-explanatory with this one. All we do is add colour to the concrete to give it a stylish look and finish.
There are two ways we add the colour
Pigments: This is the process of adding pigmentation to your concrete mix before it is poured. Pigmentation is typically limited to earthy colours (red, brown, green and grey) and you have to ensure the concrete is well sealed in order to maintain the vibrancy of the pigmentation.
Painted Concrete: This is done in the same way that you would paint a wall. Once the concrete has cured then painted, it will last for as long as you keep the concrete sealed. There’s a number of variety of colours to choose from and you can team it with stamping or stencilling for an utterly unique look.
Polished Concrete
This is a little different as it’s probably the better option for any concrete that you may have indoors. When finished in this way the polished concrete gives off an amazing finish that gives you a look like no other. It’s easy to maintain and can offer great value. It’s also a non-slip surface.
Our Final Thoughts
That’s our mini guide to concrete finishes. There’s always new finished appearing all the time so we always make sure we are on top of the new finishes and looks.
If you want to give your home a modern and stylish concrete finish and looking for a professional Cairns concreting team, give us a call, we’ll be more than happy to assist you with your concreting project.