Decorative concrete in Sunnyvale CA - color and finish you see before we start
A plain gray slab that looks tired, stained or worn can take on a color and texture that suits your house.
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How can I make a plain concrete slab look better in Sunnyvale?
Decorative concrete in Sunnyvale gives a patio, walk, driveway or floor a finished look through color, texture or polish, either in a new pour or in a thin bonded layer over the slab you already have.
Most people who call us have concrete that still does its job but looks plain, stained or worn, and the first question is whether to pour new or cover what's there. That choice moves the price more than anything else, because a new slab means taking out the old one, while an overlay depends on how much repair the existing concrete needs, and after that come the size of the area and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the same choice, along with making and approving your sample and the curing, which is the wait while fresh concrete hardens enough to use. After I've looked at your slab, you get the scope and the price in writing, and if you'd rather have a pattern pressed into the surface, our stamped concrete work may suit you better.
What our decorative concrete work involves
Before any work starts, we make a sample of the color and finish so you can see it on your own property and change your mind while that's still easy. On an older slab, we repair the cracks and flaking first, because a new surface is only as good as the concrete under it, and then we prepare the top so the new layer grips. On a new pour, we dig out and pack the subgrade, which is the ground and gravel the slab sits on, set rebar, the steel inside that holds the pieces together if the slab cracks, and check where the water will run so the finished slab slopes away from your house. We pour in the cooler part of the day, because concrete finished in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top, then work in the color and texture you approved and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen place to crack instead of a random one. I'll be honest that the base is the part people want to trim first, since nobody sees it once the color is down, and it's the one part I won't skimp on, because a handsome surface on poorly packed ground settles and cracks right along with it.
Decorative work rarely stands alone. When a colored patio meets a slope, we can build concrete retaining walls to finish the edge, and when you want the same look inside, we handle it through concrete floor installation.
Permits and older slabs for decorative concrete in Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale's One-Stop Permit Center at City Hall is the office that reviews building plans, and it asks people applying for the first time to call so they learn the process, the documents needed and whether their project needs plan review. The city keeps a list of work that doesn't need a permit at single-family homes and duplexes, but it also says each project has different requirements, so we don't assume a decorative job is exempt. When yours needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city and keep you informed, and if it isn't clear, we check with the permit office before we start.
Many of the slabs we're asked to dress up here are older patios, walks and driveways that are still solid underneath but stained or flaking on top, which is where an overlay makes sense. Where a slab has heaved or broken through, we recommend new concrete instead, and we give the same advice on jobs in Cupertino and Mountain View.
Colored and textured concrete finishes
Get a written price for your decorative concrete
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look at your slab. The estimate is free and done on site with no pressure and no obligation, and after the visit you get the scope and the price in writing.
(669) 215-2122Questions about decorative concrete in Sunnyvale
How much does decorative concrete cost in Sunnyvale?
The figure to plan around is the written price you get after I've seen the slab, because decorative jobs vary more than plain gray concrete does. More colors, more texture work and more shaped edges add to the cost, while a single color on a simple layout keeps it down. The size of the area, how easily the crew can reach it and how much repair an old surface needs make up the rest.
What is the difference between color hardener and integral color?
Integral color is mixed into the concrete so it runs all the way through, while color hardener is a powder spread by hand onto fresh concrete and worked into the top with a float or trowel, so it colors only the surface layer. Hardener's color tends to be stronger, and integral color is quicker to place, though light and bright shades are much harder to get with it. If you want a pale color, or color that runs through the whole slab, those two points usually settle the choice.
Can decorative concrete go over my existing slab?
Yes, if the slab is sound, through a decorative overlay, which is a bonded layer of cement-based material laid over existing concrete to renew it, level it or restore it. It saves tearing out a slab that's still doing its job. I look for settling and wide cracks on the visit, since those usually mean new concrete is the better choice.
How do I choose a color for decorative concrete?
Choose from a sample made for your project rather than a chart or a photo, because one products maker's technical director calls samples or mock-ups critical to the success of any colored concrete job. A color that looks right on a small chip can read quite differently across a whole patio in your own light. That's why we make one before we start, as described above, and you can ask for changes before any work begins.
What state license covers concrete work in California?
California's Contractors State License Board describes a concrete contractor as someone who forms, pours, places, finishes and installs pavement, flat and other concrete work. The board also lists a separate concrete-related services class that covers curing, floor hardening treatment, coloring concrete and concrete restoration. It's reasonable to ask any contractor which license they hold before you hire them.
What is the best way to prepare an old slab for a decorative overlay?
The old surface has to be roughened so the overlay can bond, either with machines or with an acid etch, and one materials maker's guide says mechanical roughening should be the first choice and is the safest method. The same guide puts repairs for cracking and spalling, which is surface flaking, in that preparation step. Ask any contractor how they'll handle both, and you'll hear our answer at the estimate.
Plan your decorative concrete in Sunnyvale
Call (669) 215-2122 or use the form, and if you include photos, rough measurements and a color or finish you like, I'll come to the visit already thinking about your options.