Stamped Concrete and Regular Concrete - What's the Difference Between Them?

I'm a concrete contractor and I speak to many people out estimating and considering work with my business. Often people think stamped concrete is completely different than regular concrete and it's an entirely different product. This is somewhat true, but the basics of both are the same plus they are usually specified exactly the same, when used in exactly the same application. For instance, if stamped concrete or regular concrete can be used for a driveway, they will generally be the same thickness and have exactly the same design strength.

Regular concrete is your everyday concrete used in sidewalks, driveways, patios, roads, and anytime regular pavement is constructed. It's generally placed on some form of gravel or native soil base that's compacted. The area is then formed with lumber or manufactured forms. Reinforcement is normally installed in the base that is usually rebar or wire mesh. The concrete is specified to a desired thickness that is designed for its application. For instance, a driveway that handles car and light trucks is usually poured four inches thick. The concrete mix can be specified that is usually a 4000 psi mix here in areas that have severe winters. That is the strength the concrete reaches in 28 days. Concrete is placed, striked off, bull floated then gets a non slip finish, such as a broom. After that, the concrete is cured with either water and burlap, or the simple way with a membrane forming curing compound.

Stamped concrete is quite similarly placed to regular concrete. Generally all the steps are the same except the finishing steps. The concrete can be colored which is usually added to the mix. It is also colored with a color hardener, but most contractors use an intrinsic color. After bull floating is when things the process changes with stamped concrete. Some contractors go one step further and trowel the concrete to obtain the concrete really smooth. We use air entrained concrete inside our area due to harsh winters, which isn't said to be troweled so we usually just get it smooth as you possibly can with a magnesium bull float. Following the concrete sets to a desired hardness, the concrete is imprinted with the rubber like stamps. A release agent that is an antiquing colored release, or liquid release agent is used to keep the stamps from sticking to the concrete. Some contractors will put curing paper on the concrete to cure it till the next day when the concrete will be washed and sealed with a higher gloss sealer that is also a membrane forming cure.

So to summarize stamped and regular, there isn't much difference between the two apart from what they appear to be on the surface.  https://www.georgetownconcretetx.com/  of people they think stamped concrete is just not as durable as regular concrete and that's not the case. The only thing that could make it less durable is the texture of the stamped concrete. In an environment that gets snow, stamped concrete can get damaged by snow removal equipment like snow plows.