Stamped Concrete Ideas

Only getting better

By now you’re probably aware that stamped concrete is all the rage. What’s more, it isn’t going anywhere soon. No sir. While decorative concrete may be one of the hottest trends in decorative building and accent materials, it’s no fly-by-night home fashion fad. Using concrete in new, creative and artistic ways to beautifully enhance your home with minimal cost and maximum endurance is an idea that’s only going to get better.  

Ideas, ideas!

So what are you going to do? How will you take advantage of the incredible, affordable benefits of stamped concrete to add value and enjoyment to your home? The possibilities are limitless. With the addition of stamped texture, you can easily add a bold, exotic flair to your space. Looking for something more elegant? Sawcut diamond grooves mix wonderfully with more understated patterns. For added sophistication, frame your space with stamped borders. Choosing a smaller area to stamp, like a walking path instead of a driveway, is a great way to keep costs down. This will allow you the ability to give your home new style points at a much lower price. Continuing the pattern you used on the walking path on stamped borders flanked the driveway or other adjacent area will create a pulled together look, and add serious “pop” to your curb appeal!

For more ideas, contact Unique-Crete Designs

We love helping our clients come up with new ways to use stamped and decorative concrete to beautify their homes and businesses. A family-owned business, we offer many one-of-a-kind concrete finishing solutions, concrete overlay systems and are certified for Retroplate Concrete Polishing System and HTC Superfloor. For a free consultation about your project, contact Unique-Crete Designs at 615-334-0904 today. We look forward to hearing from you!

For special savings and offers from Unique-Crete, click the link below:

http://www.concrete-finishing-nashville.com/

Unique-Crete provides service to the Middle Tennessee area, including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Clarksville and Springfield.

6 Tips to Help You Choose the Best Concrete Colors

The Best Concrete Colors                                         

You’ve finally decided on your new decorative concrete enhancement for your home, or perhaps your business. You’ve chosen the design and the pattern. It’s going to look great!   Now the only decision remaining to be made is the color. But just how do you choose the best concrete colors for your project?

Color a big decision

It’s true; the decision can be daunting. You want to get it right, because concrete coloring is a much different process than applying paint, and will not be quite as easy to change. Additionally, with so many color options to consider, it gives many people peace of mind to have professional help. At Unique-Crete Designs, we’re here for you every step of the way. Here are some of our top tips to help you choose colors for your decorative concrete project that you’ll love for years to come.

6 TIPS for CHOOSING CONCRETE COLORS

1. Do not expect an exact color match.

A rough rule of thumb is that concrete often dries about two shades lighter than the sample color presented. Factors that impact the depth of the final shade include the cement itself, the aggregate, and weather and atmospheric conditions during application and drying.

2. Stamped Concrete looks best with added contrast color.

A darker antiquing color is typically used to provide depth and highlights. Without this secondary application, a stamped concrete surface tends to look dull and unrealistic.

3. Most sealers darken colors applied topically

Antiquing color and other colorants applied atop the concrete for effect will experience a noticeable darkening. It’s important to consider this when choosing colors in order to avoid an unattractively stark contrast. If choosing an antiquing color lighter than the base, failing to factor in the impact of the sealant can result in an intended contrast color being neutralized to the same shade as the base.

4. Don’t match, “complement”

Aiming to choose a color that perfectly matches the color of a home tends to result in a washed out look that lacks impact. Even worse, with the natural irregularities in final color, an attempt to identically mirror a color will more likely miss the mark. A slight variation in color can be visually unsettling, and often looks like a mistake. Your best choice is to select a color that is an attractively complementary color. Taking a cue from contrasting trim or roof color is always a good  choice.

5. The right color for faux

Are you installing a stamped concrete pattern meant to replicate a natural material like wood or stone? Take your lead from the colors that are found within that item in nature.

6. Color for functionality

A dark color is never recommended on a pool deck or other area where you are likely to walk in bare feet. The sun’s heat is absorbed by darker and reflected by lighter hues, so your toes will be a lot more comfortable on something not much darker than sand. By contrast, darker shades are an excellent choice for areas like concrete driveways and garage floors that would benefit from stain-camouflaging effect of a darker hue.

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Unique-Crete Designs

Provides service to the Middle Tennessee area, including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Clarksville and Springfield. A family-owned business, we offer many one-of-a-kind concrete finishing solutions, concrete overlay systems and much more. We are certified for Retroplate Concrete Polishing System and HTC Superfloor. For more ideas about how to create a stunning custom concrete pool deck of your own without the high-end price tag, contact  Unique-Crete Designs at 615-334-0904 today, or click HERE to get a free estimate.

For special savings and offers from Unique-Crete, click the link below:

http://www.concrete-finishing-nashville.com/