Styled concrete imitates pricier surfaces
Published 10:40 am Wednesday, March 3, 2010
If you’d love a slate patio, but think you can’t afford one, don’t worry: You don’t have to install a plain concrete slab.
Faux finishing for patios, driveways, stairways, curbs and even garage floors has come a long way in recent years.
Brent Tangen, owner of Concrete Creations of Smokey Point, will be at the Everett Home &Garden Show this weekend to explain.
Tangen offers a wide variety of styled concrete, including stamped, brushed and exposed finishes.
Different colors can be added to cement mixes, which can then be stamped with rubber mats to create textures and shapes that mimic natural stone, brick, tile or wood.
Release agents, used to keep rubber mats from sticking, can be used to add additional colors and finishes to enhance faux effects.
One of the benefits of doing a patterned concrete patio is that joints, which keep the patio from cracking in obvious places, can be added easily into the designs.
“We put those joints in, and we make it crack where we want it to,” he said. “That’s one way we get artistic.”
Tangen said the cost of his creations averages about $7 per square foot, about a third of the cost of installing natural stone or pavers.
Tangen doesn’t usually install his creations over existing patios, so if you are replacing a patio, demolition costs would apply, typically about $2 to $3 per square foot.
It can cost an additional $2 to $3 per square foot if the site needs leveling or other major prep work.
Prices per square foot go down as the square footage goes up.
“Concrete is only as strong as the ground you put it on,” Tangen said. “If your ground fails, and it can’t hold, bad things are going to happen.”
Though other companies may cut corners to trim costs, Tangen is adamant about doing a long-lasting job.
“Our goal is not to have call-backs and problems,” he said. “We do it so it gets done right and properly.”
Tangen said his stamped concrete patios are finished with acrylic sealants that need to be reapplied every four or five years.
“It’s going to wear,” he said. “High-traffic areas it will go a little quicker.”
Concrete Creations offers the service, which includes washing, for about $1 per square foot.
Tangen, who opened his own business eight years ago after 10 years of working in concrete trades, said the finishes and stamps are surprisingly convincing.
He and his crew installed faux wood concrete at a house during its construction and the surface was so realistic another contractor tried to nail a board to it.
“It’s the next best thing to real,” Tangen said. “It’s going to be stronger and last longer than the real thing.”
It’s also speedy.
“I’m going to be in and out in a couple days,” Tangen said.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Concrete Creations
4006 172nd St. NW
Smokey Point
425-750-3327
