Stamped Concrete in Kissimmee, FL

Stamped concrete is a regular slab with a pattern pressed into it. While the concrete is still soft, we lay textured mats on it to make it look like slate, flagstone, Spanish tile, brick or wood plank. Color goes into the mix and on the surface, and the slab is sealed after it cures. In Kissimmee, people choose stamped concrete over pavers for one solid surface with no sand joints. Weeds and ant hills cannot push through, and individual units cannot shift after a heavy storm.

Where it works well

• Patios and lanais, often with a border in a second color
• Front entries and walks on stucco homes with tile roofs
• Pool decks, using a textured pattern and grit in the sealer
• Driveway borders and aprons, leaving the main lanes in plain broom finish

We usually advise against stamping a whole driveway or anywhere that needs the most grip. Sealed stamped concrete gets slicker when wet than broom finish. In a place where it rains most summer afternoons, that matters.

Color in the sun

Florida sun is hard on color. The base color is mixed into the concrete at the plant, so it runs all the way through and a chip does not show gray. A release agent goes on the surface before stamping. It settles into the low spots and leaves them darker, which gives the two-tone look of stone. The sealer brings out both colors and protects them. With July highs averaging 91.5 degrees on Wikipedia's table, we steer most people toward lighter base colors like sand, tan, buff and light gray for anything they will walk on barefoot. Dark charcoal and deep red look striking but get much hotter.

Choosing a pattern

Ashlar slate is a mix of rectangles in several sizes that looks like cut stone, and it is a common patio choice. Random flagstone looks more natural near planting beds and pools. Tile and cobble patterns match Mediterranean-style homes with barrel-tile roofs. Running bond and herringbone brick work well as borders. At the estimate we bring pattern photos and color charts. We also show you how the pattern will line up with doors, steps and the pool edge.

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Sealer is the upkeep

In Kissimmee, stamped concrete fades and dulls mostly because the sealer wears off. Sun breaks it down, foot traffic wears it thin, and once it is gone the color fades and the surface stains. We seal after the slab cures, and we recommend resealing every few years. Reseal sooner on pool decks and walkways, or whenever water stops beading on the surface. On pool decks and steps, ask for grit mixed into the sealer for extra grip.

New slab or stamped overlay

A level, sound slab can sometimes get a stamped overlay, which is a thin patterned layer bonded to the old concrete, instead of being torn out. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide lists stamped overlays at $7 to $15 a square foot for a single pattern and up to about $20 for complex designs. Overlays copy the slab underneath. If the old concrete has sunk, cracked through or slopes the wrong way, those problems will show in the new surface. In that case a new stamped slab is the better choice.

Joints that blend in

Every slab needs control joints, and stamped slabs are no different. We cut them along grout lines in the pattern so the planned cracks are hard to spot.