Add Exposed Aggregate Concrete to Your Landscape
Don’t settle for a concrete driveway, patio or stairway that looks bare and boring. For a great new look to your outdoor spaces, step up your concrete game by using exposed aggregate design.
Masons have been using exposed aggregate concrete for decades, particularly in applications where it’s preferable to have a rough surface. In recent years, landscape designers have started using it as a decorative element. If you’re ready to try something that will give you a bold new look at a surprisingly low price, consider exposed aggregate concrete.
Benefits of Exposed Aggregate
The rough surface provides good grip. Use it on walkways and pavers to reduce slipping. It’s also great for creating safe walking areas around hot tubs, ponds and swimming pools.
It’s durable and long-lasting. Concrete can stand up to all weather conditions. Exposed aggregate is less prone to cracking under the freeze-and-thaw cycle than smooth concrete is, making for good looks that last.
The price is right. Like stamped concrete, exposed aggregate is a low-cost way to get a high-style look that will be easy to maintain for years to come.
Enjoy a variety of looks and colors. You can make the aggregate from a wide variety of materials. Ready-made aggregates are available in a wide range of colors, materials, and styles.
How It’s Done
If you’re interested in exposed aggregate concrete, you’ll need professional installation. Improperly setting it will give you an uneven, poorly set concrete that will look like a mess, not like a carefully constructed design. Professional masons use a series of steps to create the design.
- The mason mixes the concrete and adds the aggregate to it while it’s still wet.
- The aggregate usually consists of crushed pieces of stone, glass, tile, pebbles and other natural materials.
- The mason pours the concrete.
- After the concrete dries, the mason will power wash it or sandblast it to remove the top surface, revealing the aggregate.
- For more durable and attractive results, it’s smart to finish with an acrylic sealer.
Design Ideas
Exposed aggregate lends itself to many different looks. Depending on the materials you use for the aggregate, you can have colors ranging from bright red and gold to soft gray.
Place it underfoot. Exposed aggregate is a great way to decorate high-traffic areas like driveways and garages. The design won’t erode under heavy use because it’s already undergone the surface erosion that smooth concrete goes through. You’ve just done it in a controlled way.
Make it rough. Create a rough-edged, natural look that works well in rustic or modern settings. If you have a more formal landscape style, exposed aggregate will offer a contrasting touch of roughness when used in specific locations.
Be imaginative. Before the poured concrete hardens, add more design touches like a stamped pattern, mosaic tiles, colored glass or other decorative elements that will be left behind after the surface wash.
Make a mosaic. Create a mosaic look by inserting colored stone by hand for a true one-of-a-kind look that will add elegance to your patio, steps or walkway.
How to Get It
A professional, qualified mason can help you create the perfect mix of stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, and other hardscaping elements. If you’re interested in getting this versatile, stylish and durable way to install concrete, call the pros at Capital Masonry. We’re a third-generation masonry company with top ratings and reviews from Angie’s List, the BBB, and our many satisfied customers.
Our professional masons will bring your design dreams to life. If you’re looking for exposed aggregate, stamped concrete or any other type of hardscaping, call us today.