Process · Six Stages
Decorative concrete goes wrong when the finish is chosen before the layout and the price is quoted before either. This is the order we work in, and the reason each stage sits where it does.
Sequence
We come out, measure, look at where water runs, check access for a truck and for a pump, and look at what the new surface will meet at every edge. We also look at any existing concrete on the property, because how it has performed tells us more about the ground than anything else available. The visit is free and there is no obligation attached to it.
For decorative work we settle layout, size, finish, colour method and joint strategy before producing a number, because those choices change the number substantially and a price quoted without them is a guess. This usually takes one further conversation and, for larger projects, a simple drawing. Samples are viewed outdoors in daylight, not in a van.
Dimensions and scope, excavation depth, base material and compacted depth, slab thickness, reinforcement type, the colouring method named by product, the pattern and release, the joint layout and how joints will be cut, the sealer product, the reseal interval, disposal of any existing surface, and the price. If something is excluded it is listed as excluded rather than left out.
Demolition and excavation typically take a day. Base, forming and reinforcement take another. The pour and the finish happen in one day and the crew size is set by the area, because stamping has to keep pace with the slab and there is no extending that window. Joints are cut the following day, early enough to control cracking and late enough not to ravel the edges.
The surface will take foot traffic within a day or two and furniture within a week. Sealing waits until the slab has dried out properly, which is normally two to four weeks depending on weather. Sealing early is the most common cause of a cloudy or blotchy decorative surface, and it is not recoverable without stripping the sealer, so we will not be talked into doing it sooner.
You get the product names for the colour and the sealer, the batch information, the reseal interval and instructions on cleaning — which for almost every decorative surface means water and a soft brush rather than anything aggressive. Keeping that information matters, because a later reseal or a repair is far easier when the original products are known.
Site visits are free, and we will say plainly when a smaller or cheaper option is the better one.