The color came out blotchy, much darker than you expected, or it looks nothing like what you wanted. That is the risk you take paying extra for a finish, and it is the part we slow down on.
Decorative concrete is color and texture on a patio, entry, walkway or pool deck: integral color, stains, stamped patterns, exposed aggregate and colored overlays. We go through colors on site, next to your house and your existing hardscape, before you sign anything.
Then we seal it with the right product for Denver sun and reseal on a schedule, because a finish that fades in a year is not the one you paid for. Fixed written price after we measure. Call (720) 782-8086.
Three stories come up again and again from people who paid for a decorative finish somewhere else.
You picked a color from a small chip or a photo. Then the slab came out so much lighter than you expected, or the second section is clearly different from the first. We choose colors with you on site, against the house it has to sit next to, and integral color runs through the whole slab rather than sitting on top.
It looked rich when it was sealed. A month later it was cloudy, white, or flaking off like paint. That is usually moisture trapped under the sealer. New pours cure before the first seal, and we never seal a wet slab.
The sun at 5,280 feet is harder on surface color and on sealers than the sun almost anywhere else. We use UV-stable sealers and put decorative work on a two to three year reseal, not the four or five years you read online.
Most color disappointment starts with choosing from something small, indoors or on a screen. A whole slab in open Colorado sun reads differently. Here is how we close that gap:
Customers regularly mention the pattern and color help in their reviews. For patterns, see stamped concrete.
UV at this elevation breaks sealers down faster and fades surface color faster than the same product would at sea level. A UV-stable sealer and a real schedule are what hold the color:
Cloudy, blotchy, white or peeling sealer almost always comes from putting it on at the wrong time:
More detail on products and timing on our concrete sealing page.
A film-forming sealer gives decorative concrete its depth, and it can be slick when wet unless something is added for traction. We add grit to the sealer on pool decks, walkways and steps. If grip matters more than gloss, exposed aggregate and textured finishes are naturally slip-resistant. For decks around water, see pool decks.
Most stamped and decorative concrete runs $12 to $22 per square foot installed. It costs more than a plain broom finish and far less than natural stone or pavers. What moves the number:
You get a fixed written, itemized price after an on-site measurement. A second color or a border is on that price before you sign, not an upgrade added later.
Color only lasts on concrete that lasts. Denver runs roughly a hundred freeze-thaw cycles a winter, the roads are treated with magnesium chloride, and summer brings hail and intense sun. Under every decorative finish we pour an air-entrained mix on a compacted base with steel or fiber reinforcement and control joints at the right spacing, sloped away from the house so water does not sit in the surface.
Deep patterns hold dirt and grit in the low points. If low upkeep matters more than texture, a shallow pattern, integral color with a broom finish, or exposed aggregate is easier to live with.
We have poured stamped and decorative concrete in the Denver metro since 2010, as a licensed and insured Colorado contractor with 20+ stamp patterns to choose from.
We'll measure, talk through your options and hand you a fixed written price. No pressure, no hidden charges.
Surface color slowly fades in strong sun, and Denver's elevation speeds that up. A UV-stable sealer and a reseal every two to three years keep the color looking right. Integral color runs through the slab, so wear does not expose gray underneath.
Usually moisture trapped under a film-forming sealer: it went on a wet slab, rain hit it before it cured, or the concrete was too new. We let new pours cure before the first seal and do not seal a wet slab.
Every two to three years for most exterior concrete, toward two for decorative surfaces and south or west exposures. Early fall is the best time.
A glossy sealer can be, so we add grit to the sealer on pool decks, walkways and steps. Exposed aggregate and textured finishes are naturally slip-resistant.
Get a free on-site quote this week. Honest pricing, no pressure, work backed by a warranty.
