Decorative concrete in College Station TX - a sealed finish with the color you picked
Plain gray slab, faded color or a patio that looks tired? We help you pick the finish and sealer, then do the work.
Decorative concrete is about looks. The work underneath still counts.
At BD College Station Concrete Construction, decorative concrete in College Station, TX means concrete that does more than sit there gray. That can be color mixed into the concrete, a stain on top, exposed stone, a stamped pattern, a stained face on concrete retaining walls, or a polished floor indoors through concrete floor installation.
The finish is what you'll look at, but it's only as good as what it sits on. If the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or nobody cut control joints, the grooves that tell a crack where to go, the pattern cracks wherever it likes. Concrete cracks. I'd rather say so now and put the money in the base, because it's buried on day one and it's the first thing to let you down.
What moves the price is the finish you pick, the size, whether there's steel in it and how much digging the spot needs. The schedule mostly turns on weather and the wait for the slab to cure before it gets sealed. The written estimate I bring after looking gives you the figure for your job.
Decorative concrete wears out. Here's what to watch for.
Color that's gone flat and chalky
That usually means the sealer has worn thin and sun and water are getting at the surface. The longer it sits, the more stains soak in and the harder the color is to bring back.
Cracks running through the pattern
Usually the base moved or the joints weren't where they needed to be. A new coat on a slab that's still shifting just gives you a nicer-looking crack, so we check underneath first.
Plain gray that doesn't fit the house
This comes up a lot with a new patio or an add-on where gray concrete looks like an afterthought. Color and pattern are easiest to settle before the pour, since changing the look later costs more than getting it right once.
How a decorative concrete job runs. I'm there start to finish.
You call, and I come out to look, measure and ask what the slab has to carry, whether that's chairs and a grill or a truck. Then we talk finish and sealer, because picking the finish is half the job and picking the sealer is the other half. Some sealers bring out the color and some just keep water out, and I'll help you choose.
You get a written estimate. If you go ahead, we handle any permit, set the forms and steel, and wait on any inspection before the truck gets called. In summer we'd rather pour early, since concrete placed in the heat can come out with color that doesn't match from one end to the other.
Our crew does the work, and I'm on site running it, same as I have since 2017. After the pour we cure it right, giving it a slow, damp start so it gets hard instead of dusty, and sealing waits until it's had time. Then I walk it with you and tell you when it's ready to use.
Tell us about your decorative concrete. We'll come take a look.
Send the project type, rough square footage and finish ideas. We reply within one business day to set up a free, no-obligation estimate at your property.
(979) 393-7025Decorative concrete around College Station. Bryan and Navasota too.
In College Station, the city issues permits for curb cuts and driveway approaches in the street or alley, and for other driveway work adding over 120 square feet, so a new decorative driveway can fall under it. A driveway job that isn't part of a building permit goes in through the city's permitting website, with plans showing concrete depth and the size and spacing of the steel, and the city inspects the steel before any concrete goes in. The city also wants contractors registered before it issues a building permit. We're licensed and insured, and when a job needs a permit we pull it, schedule the inspections and hold the work until each one passes.
About 61% of Brazos County's soil is clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, which is why the base gets as much of my attention as the finish. We're based in College Station and do the same work in Bryan, Navasota and the cities around them, checking with the office that covers the address before we start.
Questions about decorative concrete? Here are straight answers.
Read through the answers below, and if your question isn't here, call (979) 393-7025 and ask me.
How much does a stamped concrete patio cost in College Station?
A stamped concrete patio in College Station usually runs about $7 to $15 a square foot, which is the going rate around here, not our quote. A patio with steel in it costs more a foot than one without. The written estimate I bring gives you the figure for yours.
What kind of sealer is best for stamped concrete?
Most stamped concrete gets a film-forming sealer, the kind that sits on top and makes the color richer. A penetrating sealer soaks in and keeps out water and stains, but most add no color, so you're choosing between richer color and plain protection. We'll help you pick based on how you want it to look.
How soon can new stamped concrete be sealed?
Not until it's cured, and the usual standard for fully cured is 28 days. Location and time of year shift that, so we plan sealing as its own step after the pour instead of rushing it.
How often does decorative concrete need to be resealed in College Station?
Reseal it when water and stains stop beading off or the color has lost its depth, not on a set number of years. It goes best out of direct sun, at a time of day when the slab will cool for 3 to 4 hours afterward. That takes some planning in a Texas summer, so we settle the time with you.
Thinking about a decorative patio or driveway? Give us a call.
Tell us the project and the look you want, and I'll set a time to come out, since a finish is easier to pick standing in your yard.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
