Decorative concrete in Highland IN - a new look for the slab you already have
Plain gray patio or a tired, worn slab? We check whether it can take a stamped overlay and give it a stone or brick look.
Can my plain concrete slab be made to look like stone?
Decorative concrete in Highland, IN, gives a plain gray patio, walk or driveway the look and texture of stone, brick, slate or wood, usually with a stamped overlay over the slab you already have, so there's no tear-out.
Most calls start with a slab that's still solid but dull, or one with chipping and small cracks you'd rather not look at, and the first thing that decides the job is whether it's sound enough to build on. The price moves with the size of the area, the pattern and colors, how much patching comes first and whether we're overlaying or pouring new, and the schedule turns on the weather and the curing time, the wait that lets each layer harden before you walk on it. I'll put all of that in a written estimate that spells out what's included, and if the old slab can't take an overlay, we'll price a new concrete patio instead.
Why Highland homeowners pick us for decorative concrete
You get straight answers about your slab, including when an overlay won't work, and the parts you can't see get as much care as the pattern on top.
I come out to every job
I look at your slab myself and stay on site with our crew through the prep, the pour and the finish.
In business since 2017
I learned the trade under an old-school finisher before starting this business in 2017, and I still enjoy the puzzle.
Licensed and insured
You can ask to see our license and insurance at the estimate, before you agree to anything.
We take the hard jobs
Side yards where water sits and slabs other crews pass on are the jobs we're known for taking.
Your satisfaction, guaranteed
That's our promise on every decorative job, and we walk the finished surface with you before we pack up.
The decorative concrete work we do
The right option starts with the slab underneath, because a pattern over a cracked or sinking slab won't hold up, so I check that before we talk textures.
What happens when you call about decorative concrete in Highland?
We plan a decorative job around how you use the space and when you can stay off it, so the work and the curing wait fit around your plans.
You get in touch
Call (219) 533-1721 or send the form, and I'm usually the one who answers and sets up a time to come out.
I look at the slab
I check the old concrete, the ground around it, where the water runs and how you'll use the space, so we pick the right option.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's in the price, including whether it's an overlay or a new slab and the finish we talked about.
The work and the finish
I'm on site with our crew from the prep to the final finish, and before we leave I go over how to care for the new surface.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(219) 533-1721Questions about decorative concrete
Can my old patio get a decorative overlay instead of a new slab?
Yes, if the slab is structurally sound, but large cracks or a slab that has settled badly can rule out an overlay and mean it needs replacing. I check that on the first visit, and if yours can't take one, I'll tell you why and price a new slab.
How long does a stamped concrete overlay last?
A stamped overlay that's applied properly should last 10 to 20 years or more. That depends on how well it's put down, so the installer you pick has as much to do with it as the material, which is why we clean and patch the old slab before anything goes on it.
What is the best way to choose a sealer for stamped concrete?
Pick by what matters more to you, because film-forming sealers, a coat that sits on the surface and the most common choice on stamped concrete, deepen the color, while penetrating water-repellent sealers guard against water and stains but mostly don't boost the color. One Chicago-area guide also says to reseal stamped concrete every two to three years to protect it from snow and freeze-thaw.
How much does decorative concrete cost in Highland, IN?
Stamped concrete in Chicago usually costs about $5 to $30 per square foot, and that's the going range for stamped work in the area, not our price. The spread comes from the pattern and colors you pick and how much prep the slab needs, and your estimate puts your own figure in writing.
How do I protect new decorative concrete in its first winter?
Keep deicing salts like sodium chloride and calcium chloride off it that first winter, which is what one maker's guide advises, so plan another way to deal with ice that season. If we're pouring a new slab, it's worth asking about air-entraining admixtures, additives the same guide recommends because they leave tiny air pockets that relieve pressure from freezing water.
What causes stamped concrete to crack?
Usually it's what's underneath, because an overlay follows the slab it sits on, so cracks and settling in the old concrete tend to come back through the new surface. On a new pour we cut control joints, grooves that make the slab crack along a line we picked, and we cut them while the concrete is fresh because a late joint doesn't do its job.
Decorative concrete in Highland and nearby cities
Whether an overlay or a new decorative slab needs a permit is a question for the city's building office, so we check with that office before we set a date, and if a permit is needed we handle the paperwork and line up the inspections. That matters because we're based in Highland and work in the cities around it on both sides of the Indiana and Illinois line, and the rules differ from one city to the next. If your house sits in unincorporated Lake County, the county's contractor licensing rules require any contractor to be licensed by its board and to show proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence, or a $1,000,000 annual umbrella policy, before the license is issued or renewed, so it's fair to ask whoever you hire for that proof.
Most of the slabs we're asked to dress up around here are older patios, walks and driveways that have seen years of snow and salt, so the first thing I look for is chipping and cracks that would show through an overlay. We see the same kind of tired slabs on jobs in Munster and Griffith, and we handle them the same way.
Get an estimate from Highland Concrete
Have a few photos of the slab and its cracks ready when you call (219) 533-1721, so we can talk about your slab on that first call.