Stamped Concrete in Colorado Springs, CO

Stamped concrete gives a patio, entry or border the texture of flagstone, slate, cobble, brick or wood plank, while staying a single continuous slab. Crews imprint the fresh surface with rubber texture mats, color it in two layers, and seal it once it cures. In a city that sits below Pikes Peak, with red sandstone formations like Garden of the Gods on its west side, a stone-textured patio suits the setting. It also avoids two complaints people have with pavers: individual units shifting out of line, and joints that collect weeds and sand.

Why one slab can be an advantage

On ground that moves, a paver patio moves piece by piece, and a stamped slab moves as panels between its joints. Neither is immune to the swelling soil the Colorado Geological Survey describes, but a stamped slab built on a compacted base with good drainage gives you fewer edges to trip on and nothing to re-sand. Pavers do have one advantage: you can lift and relay a section. We are happy to talk through both.

Color, in layers

Base color. Pigment is added to the concrete at the batch plant, so the slab is colored all the way through and a chip does not expose gray.

Accent color. A colored release powder or liquid is applied before stamping so the mats lift off cleanly. Some of it stays in the recessed grout lines and textures, giving the darker, varied tone that reads as real stone.

Sealer. Applied after the cure, it deepens the color, adds sheen and keeps water and grime out of the surface.

Warm tans, buffs and russets blend with the local landscape; grays and charcoals suit slate patterns and modern houses. We bring color charts to the estimate.

Patterns and layout

• Ashlar slate: rectangles of several sizes; reads as cut stone and suits most patios
• Random flagstone: irregular shapes; looks natural beside native plantings and rock mulch
• Cobble and brick: running bond or herringbone for borders and older homes
• Wood plank: small areas next to a deck or hot tub

We line the pattern up with the house wall and doorways so it does not look crooked from inside, and we hide control joints in pattern lines.

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Sealer and the sun

At about 6,000 feet the sun is intense, and sealer is the part of a stamped slab that takes the most wear. When the sealer is gone, water and de-icer reach the colored surface and the color dulls and starts to flake. We use a sealer suited to outdoor exposure and leave you a resealing schedule. Most patios need a fresh coat every few years; walking paths and full-sun areas sooner. Keep rock salt off stamped concrete altogether.

Places we would not stamp

We usually talk people out of stamping a full driveway or a steep walk. Deep texture holds packed snow and makes shoveling harder, and a sealed decorative surface is slicker in wet weather than a broom finish. A plain driveway with a stamped border or apron gives the look without the trade-off. On steps and pool surrounds, we add anti-slip grit to the sealer.

Overlays on an existing slab

If your current patio is sound and level, a stamped overlay, a thin decorative topping, may be an option. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide lists stamped overlays at $7 to $15 a square foot for a single pattern and up to about $20 for complex designs. An overlay copies whatever the slab underneath does, so heaved, sunken or cracked-through concrete should be replaced instead.