stamped concrete - Looking for contractor

[ExtraSlow]

I'm thinking that I'll be getting some stamped concrete done next summer. What I want is a walkway down one side pf my yard. About 90 feet in length, width varies from three to six feet.
Wondering who's good to work with and has reasonable prices. Someone who can help in the design of the walkway would be helpful, as it's kind of complex since it touches the house, the garage, existing sidewalks and a fence. Plus I'd like it to blend in with the look of the place. I'm no designer.

So, who have you used, who to avoid, and suggestions are all welcome.
I'll try to post up a sketch soon-ish.

[s_havinga]

Give Chad a call, him and his partner Clint contract out and do a huge portion of A-1 Cements Stamped and exposed job's. I used him this fall to do my exposed pathways and they turned out great! You can reach him at 403-542-1089

[blueToy]

No need for sketch . How about doing a search ?

To give you more contractors , here are my top three favorites .

1) Greco and Sons Concrete .
- third generation residential concrete specialist . The owner actually does all the work himself still after taking over from his father 28 years ago . They book up fast , but it's because their work is second to none .

2) Concrete Innovations .
- second generation . They do small commercial as well , and have recently started doing custom interior pieces .

3) Tora Concrete .
- twenty five years in business , but after he finishes his lay-over projects this spring he may be retiring , so it's a wait and see with them .


None of these guys do bulk commercial or piece work . They haven't been in the business by doing cheap work , or they don't do this as a side project for cheap . They are licenced , bonded and insured . I believe all three have websites as well to see some examples of their work . All three can also be classified as Artisans .

One more thing . Stamped concrete , although very popular because it looks good , can be very slippery when wet , or in the winter . Just a FYI .

[A790]

Originally posted by blueToy
One more thing . Stamped concrete , although very popular because it looks good , can be very slippery when wet , or in the winter . Just a FYI .

The concrete itself isn't slippery (it's concrete after all), it's the sealer that's applied that makes it slippery. If it is an issue, use a sealer that has a lower solvent percentage (more solvent = shinier, less solvent = less shiny, also less slippery). If you want a shiny/glossy look, add a non-slip additive to the sealer before you apply it.

Most sealers are a 14-18% solvent, meaning that they are a semi-gloss finish. Higher percentage sealers, such as 24-30% products, will be shinier. Personally, I'm not a fan of mirror finished driveways/pathways, so I always tried to push the lower percentage solvents whenever I could... they also cost less

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING FOR NON-SLIP ADDITIVE, as sand/silica sand, etc. will break down the sealer and cause it to last far less time than it should. Most non-slip additives are around $10, and that will cover a gallon of sealer or so.

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by blueToy
No need for sketch . How about doing a search ?

I did search, and I didn't see any useful info.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm willing to pay more for someone who's going to do a good job.

Also, what's piece work?

Also, good tip about the slippery surface. I've seen stamped concrete that was very shiny, and was terribly slippery.
I don't want it shiny at all. I want it to look like bricks when it's done.
Actually, come to think of it, is real brick typically more expensive then concrete? If it's done by a pro, does it stay pretty level or would it be prone to sinking and such?

[gonadatron]

I paid $9.50/sqft to have a patio done in stamped concrete this past summer. I was thinking of doing it in brick pavers, just to save some money. Just for the pavers, you're looking at $3.00- $5.50 sq/ft, plus grade prep and anything else, ie tool rental. For the little I was going to save in money, it wasn't worth the the time that I didn't have.

I'm more than happy with the concrete work, the contractor matched the dye to the house, looks awesome.

Also, if you do go with stamped, it will require upkeep. It should be sealed every year or two, as with any concrete surface. That will keep it looking new for almost forever.

Pavers should never sink or shift IF installed properly. It's all about the grade prep.

[blueToy]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow

I did search, and I didn't see any useful info.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm willing to pay more for someone who's going to do a good job.

Also, what's piece work?

Well , its all out there somewhere .

Since this is a car forum :

Some folks are happy to pay a little extra for a good quality product , like say a top end BMW , MB , .. ?
Some folks are just happy to get a Hyundi or Kia . A lot cheaper , but basically , fourwheel transportation . Will get you from point A to B etc . Concrete is the same . Some do a cheaper job , use cheaper concrete , or don't know the proper way to either do the base or do the forming . The thing about concrete is that you don't see the bad jobs till a lot longer down the road . If you plan to keep the house for a long time , or are just picky about everything in life , looking for a contractor that has a good long history , and LOTS of references , is probably most prudent .

Piece work is what you find in new housing . The builder gets a company that does tons of work cheaply . These companies don't do the best job , they just do whats adequate to sell the house and looks good . They do it fast , and they supposedly make their money by doing 2-8 homes in a row . It's like assembly line concrete . This is how lots of contactors get into the business because the builder promises them lots of work if they can do it fast and cheap . Unfortunately , a rushed job , whether you're building a sidewalk or a Veyron , isn't always the best thing for the customer .

[idriveabox]

Originally posted by s_havinga
Give Chad a call, him and his partner Clint contract out and do a huge portion of A-1 Cements Stamped and exposed job's. I used him this fall to do my exposed pathways and they turned out great! You can reach him at 403-542-1089

OP, I can vouch for A-1 Cement having known the owners for 20+ years. I can also say that Clint will do a great job.

Give them a call. Feel free to PM me with questions.

[blueToy]

Originally posted by idriveabox




Give them a call. Feel free to PM me with questions.

Extra Slow ..... give them all a call and get a written estimate . Now is the perfect time as they are slow , and they pre-book their work .

Also , there are lots of other companies other then the ones here in the yellow pages . Call them all and get quotes and written estimates . Just be leery of the fly-by-nighters .

[ExtraSlow]

Old thread bump.

Been going over this with the wife, and seems like exposed aggregate would suit us better than stamped. Probably match with our house better.

I've contacted the companies listed above for quotes, but if anyone has other suggestions for a contractor for exposed aggregate, let me know.

I'm probably too late now to get this done early in the season, but I would love it done this summer.