When you choose to install a concrete slab in your yard or home, it can provide you with an attractive and durable surface for many years. Choosing the right finish for your concrete surface can improve its appearance and durability, and provide additional traction. Here are some recommendations for choosing and creating the right look and utility for your concrete surface:

Texture Treatment

Although your concrete will be made of aggregate and cement, you can give it a finish that sets it apart from a traditional concrete slab. Texturing the surface with a broom or similar tool to rough up the surface of the concrete can improve the appearance of the concrete and help prevent accidental falls. A smooth concrete surface that becomes wet can cause accidental slips when you walk across it, and a broom-textured surface will give your shoes the extra grip they need.

You can also have your concrete's surface stamped to look like cobblestones or bricks for an exterior surface, and wood planks or tiles on interior concrete surfaces. If there is a look you want for your concrete surface, talk to your concrete professional about various stamps to change the appearance of your new concrete's texture and pattern.

Polish

Concrete can also be treated to resemble a smooth and polished flooring, such as marble or granite. This type of finish is mainly used for interior surfaces.

After the concrete is poured, the surface of the concrete is smoothed using progressively finer floor grinders containing diamond abrasives. During the smoothing process, your concrete polishing technician will add chemical hardeners, which are pushed into the porous surface of the concrete. These hardeners help to protect it from water intrusion and make its final polished surface durable against wear and scratches.

Color

You can also hire a concrete professional to add color to the surface of your concrete. This can be completed by staining the concrete with concrete pigment stain or altering its appearance with an acid stain.

Concrete pigment stains are added to the wet concrete mixture prior to its being poured into a slab. An acid stain can be applied onto concrete that has been previously poured, as it stains the surface of the concrete. It is important to remove any sealant from existing concrete before you apply the acid stain, as a sealant will prevent the stain from adhering. Then, be sure you follow up any staining of your concrete with a sealer to protect the concrete color from damage.

For more information, contact local concrete finishing services.