Decorative concrete in Temple TX - a stone or brick look you can keep up with
Plain gray slab, or patches and peeling paint? We pour new stamped concrete or top a sound slab in a finish you can keep up.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What is decorative concrete, and will it work on your slab?
Decorative concrete in Temple, TX, is one of two jobs. We either press a stone or brick pattern into a fresh pour, or we bond a new decorative layer over a slab you already have to dress it up, level it or bring it back.
Most people who call have a patio or driveway that works fine but looks tired, or they're pouring new and want more than plain gray, and the first decision is which of those two jobs fits. The price turns on that choice, the size, how much repair the old slab needs, the pattern and how many colors you want, and the sealer on top. The schedule turns on the weather around pour day and on curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before it's sealed or used. If a new pour is the way to go, our stamped concrete page covers that side in more detail, and the written quote I send after seeing your slab gives you your own number.
How do you know your slab is ready for a decorative finish?
Paint peeling off the slab
Flaking or peeling color usually means a coat that sat on the surface instead of soaking in, and it tends to keep letting go in patches. The longer it goes, the more scraping and cleanup it takes before anything new can go down.
Patches and stains everywhere
A slab marked up by old repairs, oil spots and rust stains often still has plenty of life in it, so dressing it up can make more sense than tearing it out. Those marks do have to be dealt with first, and they only get harder to clean as they set in.
Cracks that keep getting wider
A few fine cracks are normal in any slab, but cracks that open wider or edges that drop usually mean the ground underneath is moving. Waiting lets water get in and the slab shift more, and no decorative finish fixes that by itself.
How we handle decorative concrete
On a slab you already have, I start by looking hard at its patches, stains and cracks, because they can show through a topping later. If the slab is sound, we clean and prep it, lay the decorative layer, then color and seal it. On a new pour, we dig out to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, before we form and pour, then press the pattern while the concrete is still soft and cut control joints, grooves that give cracks a planned place to go. Either way, I walk you through stain or paint and smooth or broomed, so you pick a look you can keep up with.
Decorative work often sits next to other jobs. A stamped patio on a sloping yard may need concrete retaining walls to hold the ground back, and a stained floor inside a shop or room starts with concrete floor installation done flat.
New stamped slab
This suits you if the old slab is badly cracked or there's nothing there yet, because you get the stone or brick look with a fresh base under it. If the budget gets tight, I'd cut a fancier pattern before I'd cut the base, since nobody sees the base on day one but a pretty surface on soft dirt settles with it.
Decorative layer over your old slab
This suits a slab that's sound and mostly flat but looks worn out, because you skip the tear-out and keep what's still good. How well it turns out depends on what the old slab is hiding, which is why I look before I recommend it.
Broomed or smooth top
A broom finish, the fine ridged texture dragged across fresh concrete, gives the best grip underfoot but is a little harder to clean, while a smooth top cleans easier with less grip. Sealer can also make a surface slick when it's wet, so for steps, walks and anywhere near a pool I'd lean broomed, but it's your call.
Get a written quote for your decorative concrete
We respond within 1 business day, and estimates are free and done at your property with no pressure to book. I'll walk the slab with you, then send a written quote afterward.
(254) 791-8043- Based in
- Temple, TX 76501
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Temple?
Here's how a decorative job goes from your first call to the cleanup, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (254) 791-8043 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to see the slab. Tell us whether it's a new pour or an existing slab you want covered.
I walk the slab with you
I look over the slab or the ground, ask about drainage, trees and what the concrete has to carry, and talk through finishes. Then I send a written quote that lists what's in it and what isn't, so you can set it next to anyone else's.
We set the date and pour
Once you say go, we check with the city or county office for your address about permits and pick a pour date with the forecast in mind. I'm on site with our crew through the forming, pouring, finishing and cleanup.
Why Temple homeowners call A&L Temple Concrete Construction for decorative work
The person quoting is there
I'm the one who looks at your job and writes the quote, and I'm on site with our crew when the forming, pouring and finishing get done. What we talked about at your slab doesn't get lost between the visit and the pour.
Ground work comes first here
I ran a landscaping company for years, much of it beside concrete crews, and learned the trade on a crew before starting this business in Temple in 2023. That's why the dirt and prep under your slab get as much care as the pattern on top.
Licensed, insured and open to questions
We're fully licensed and insured. One stain maker describes its chemical stain as a multistep process meant for experienced contractors, so ask anyone you're comparing about their past stain work, us included.
If you'd like me to look at your slab, reach us through the contact page or call (254) 791-8043.
Decorative concrete, slab prep and soil around Temple
Wide areas of Texas sit on layers of expansive clay, ground that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, and that back and forth under paving is behind a lot of the cracked, tilted slabs people want covered. It matters for a topping, because one topping maker says primers and crack repair products can't ensure old cracks stay out of a self-leveling layer, the thin pourable kind, laid over the slab. So before I suggest a topping, I check whether the old cracks are still moving, and if they are, I'll tell you a new stamped slab on a dug-out, packed base is the better spend.
On jobs here we mostly see backyard patios, front walks and driveways that are solid underneath but marked up by years of patches and stains, and we see the same on jobs in Belton and Killeen. Those are usually good candidates for a decorative layer once the repairs are looked at honestly.
Questions about decorative concrete in Temple
Is stamped concrete cheaper than real stone or brick?
Often, yes. One maker says stamped concrete can often cost less than real stone or brick, so if you want that look on a new pour, it's worth pricing both side by side. Your own figure depends on the size, the pattern, the colors and the base work, and the written quote spells that out.
Can decorative concrete go over my old slab in Temple?
Usually, if the slab is sound. One topping maker says an existing slab should be checked first, because trench repairs, patches and stains that have soaked in all affect how a topping turns out. Expect your slab's condition to shape the finished look, and I'll tell you what I see before you choose.
Will a stained concrete finish fade?
A chemical stain holds its color well. One stain maker says chemically stained concrete keeps its color and resists wear better than acrylic paints or stains, and won't fade, chip, crack or peel, because the stain reacts with the concrete and becomes part of the surface. Paint sits on top instead, so it's the one more likely to need touch-ups.
How long does stamped concrete take to cure before sealing?
One maker says 72 hours or more before a stamped slab is washed and sealed, so plan on that wait before the finish coat goes on. One sealer maker also gets its best results in the morning or evening out of direct sun, since heat or wind can make the sealer bubble or blister.
How often does decorative concrete need to be resealed?
Outdoor sealer wears down over time, so plan to reseal eventually. One sealer maker says sealed outdoor surfaces slowly oxidize and sooner or later need the sealer put back on. I'll show you what a worn spot looks like so you know when it's time.
How do I keep decorative concrete from cracking?
You can't stop every crack, but you can control where they go. Every slab gets a few hairline cracks, and I'd rather you hear that now, so we put the effort into the ground underneath and the joints we cut, which keep most cracks out of the middle of the pattern.
Related concrete services for decorative projects
Concrete retaining walls
When the yard slopes away from a planned patio or walk, a concrete wall holds the soil back, giving the decorative slab level, stable ground to sit on.
Concrete floor installation
Planning a stained floor in a shop or room? A new concrete floor poured flat gives the color an even surface, since stain shows every low spot.
Service areas for decorative concrete work
A&L Temple Concrete Construction is based in Temple, TX, and works in the cities around it, up toward Waco and down toward Georgetown. The 12 cities below have their own pages, and if yours isn't one of them, give us a call and ask.
Temple, TX
Get your slab looked at for decorative concrete
Photos of the slab, a rough size and whether it's new or existing help me come out ready to talk options, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.