I'm a concrete contractor and I speak to lots of people out estimating and considering work with my business. Many times people think stamped concrete is completely unique of regular concrete and it's an entirely different product. This is somewhat true, but the basics of both are the same and they are usually specified the same, when used in exactly the same application. For instance, if stamped concrete or regular concrete is used for a driveway, they'll generally be the same thickness and have the same design strength.
Regular concrete can be your everyday concrete found in sidewalks, driveways, patios, roads, and anytime regular pavement is constructed. It's generally positioned on some type of gravel or native soil base that's compacted. The area is then formed with lumber or manufactured forms. Reinforcement is usually installed in the bottom which is usually rebar or wire mesh. The concrete is specified to a desired thickness that is designed for its application. For instance, a driveway that handles car and light trucks is normally poured four inches thick. The concrete mix can be specified which is usually a 4000 psi mix within areas which have severe winters. That is the strength the concrete reaches in 28 days. Concrete is positioned, striked off, bull floated then gets a non slip finish, such as a broom. From then on, the concrete is cured with either water and burlap, or the simple way with a membrane forming curing compound.
Stamped concrete is quite similarly placed to regular concrete. Generally all the steps are the same except the finishing steps. The concrete is also colored that is usually added to the mix. It is also colored with a color hardener, but most contractors use an intrinsic color. After bull floating is when things the process changes with stamped concrete. Some contractors go one step further and trowel the concrete to find the concrete really smooth. We use air entrained concrete inside our area due to harsh winters, which isn't said to be troweled so we usually just obtain it smooth as you possibly can with a magnesium bull float. After the concrete sets to a desired hardness, the concrete is imprinted with the rubber like stamps. Check out the post right here which is an antiquing colored release, or liquid release agent is used to keep the stamps from sticking to the concrete. Some contractors will put curing paper on the concrete to cure it till the next day when the concrete will be washed and sealed with a high gloss sealer which is also a membrane forming cure.
So in summary stamped and regular, there is not much difference between the two apart from what they appear to be on the surface. Many people they think stamped concrete is simply not as durable as regular concrete and that's not the case. The thing that could make it less durable may be the texture of the stamped concrete. In an environment that gets snow, stamped concrete will get damaged by snow removal equipment like snow plows.
