Stamped Concrete in Binghamton, NY

Stamped concrete is a regular concrete slab finished to look like something else. While the surface is still workable, we press patterned mats into it, add color and later seal it, so a patio, walk or border reads as slate, flagstone, cobblestone, brick or wood plank. Binghamton homeowners pick it for a stone look without hundreds of separate pavers that can heave in a hard winter and without sand joints that sprout weeds.

Where it works best

• Back patios, often with a border in a second color
• Front walks and entries, especially on older brick or stone houses
• Driveway borders, adding pattern at the edges while the lanes stay plain
• Pool decks and fire pit areas, with a textured pattern and grit in the sealer

We usually advise against stamping a whole driveway or a steep walk in this area. Deep texture holds packed snow and makes shoveling harder, and sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than a broom finish.

How the color works

Most stamped jobs use two colors. The base color is integral, mixed in at the batch plant, so it runs through the full depth and a chip does not show gray. Before stamping, a release agent is spread on the surface so the mats do not stick. It settles in the low spots of the pattern and leaves them darker, which gives the varied look of real stone. The sealer on top deepens both colors and protects the surface.

Picking a pattern

Ashlar slate, a mix of rectangles in different sizes, is a popular patio choice because it looks like cut stone. Random stone and flagstone patterns feel more natural next to gardens. Running bond or herringbone brick suits many of Binghamton's older houses. Wood plank works for small areas next to a deck. At the estimate we bring pattern samples and color charts and talk about how the pattern lines up with doors, steps and the house.

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Snow, salt and sealer

Stamped concrete faces the same winters as any slab, with one extra weak point: the sealer. Where people walk most, sealer wears thin, and once it is gone, water and salt get into the colored surface. That is when stamped concrete fades and begins to flake. We pour stamped work on a compacted stone base with air-entrained concrete, hide control joints in pattern lines and seal after the cure. Keep salt off stamped concrete entirely and use sand for grip.

New slab or overlay

A sound, level slab can sometimes take a stamped overlay, a thin patterned topping, instead of being torn out. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide lists stamped overlays at $7 to $15 a square foot for a single pattern and $15 to $20 for more complex designs. An overlay cannot fix a slab that has sunk, heaved or cracked through, because those cracks come back through the new layer. In that case a new stamped slab is the better buy.

Keeping it looking good

Sweep, rinse and wipe up grease or food spills before they soak in. Reseal every few years, or sooner on walking paths, whenever water stops beading or the color looks dull. Stamped concrete that is resealed on time keeps its color for years.