Concrete is a strong and durable long-lasting surface material that you can easily install on your property for a walkway, patio, driveway, or other surface pavement. But when you need your concrete to have certain characteristics that will make it stand out above others and provide additional features, such as non-slip and decorative concrete, make sure you add the right finish to your concrete project. Here are some tips to help you select and install the right type of concrete finish for your home and property needs.

Add Non-Slip Surfaces

A non-slip surface on your concrete is going to come in handy and be beneficial in many types of environments. Non-slip can provide a safe surface and reduce your liability for any accidental slips or trips on your property concrete surface. 

Non-slip surfacing finishes are great when you are installing concrete around your swimming pool and on the swimming deck. You may also want a non-slip surface on your walkway and driveway, especially when you live in a northern climate that has snow and ice in the winter. And excessive precipitation can make any concrete surface slippery and needs a non-slip finish.

There are a few different techniques that can give you a non-slip surface on your concrete. A broom swept treatment gives the surface tiny ridges from the broom's bristles as you drag them across. However, if you want a more defined non-slip finish, rock salt embedded into the surface of the uncured concrete will place small indentations in the concrete. Then, when the concrete cures, you can rinse the rock salt from the surface to expose the new finish.

If you are looking for a non-slip surface that is attractive in appearance, an exposed aggregate finish gives you both a nice look and a non-slip surface. And you can select the appearance of the aggregate you want or add in glass stones, shells, or other attractive media into the concrete surface.

Apply a Concrete Stamp or Stain

With a concrete stain or a stamped finish, you can give your concrete a completely different appearance. For example, if you want to make your concrete patio look like a surface of colored cobblestones, you can do so with a cobblestone imprint onto the wet concrete. Concrete pigments are a great way to turn the light grey colored concrete into one of a variety of colors to give it the appearance of real stone or brick. 

If you don't want to color your concrete with a pigment that you need to mix into your wet concrete, you can apply a staining treatment to concrete that is already cured. A concrete stain can be applied to your cleaned and prepared concrete. Be sure you follow up with a concrete sealant to protect the pigment or stain from fading and wear.

Learn more by contacting concrete finishing services to learn more.