Decorative concrete covers everything we do to make a slab a design feature: integral color, exposed aggregate, decorative overlays, borders and banding, and specialty finishes. It is the right answer when you want the durability of concrete and a look that fits your home.
We help you choose with physical samples, not just catalog photos. Color reads differently in Kansas sun than in a brochure, and we would rather you see the real finish before we pour it across your backyard.
What you get
Stained, polished, and exposed aggregate options
Decorative concrete covers a family of finishes. Acid and water-based stains turn plain gray slabs into mottled, variegated color that suits patios, porches, and interior floors. Polished concrete grinds the slab to a low sheen or full gloss, and it has become the go-to floor for Lawrence shops, studios, and basements that want a clean modern look with almost zero maintenance.
Exposed aggregate washes the cream off the surface to reveal the stone inside the mix. It is slip-resistant, hides dirt and leaf stains, and handles Kansas winters as well as any finish we install, which makes it a favorite for driveways, walks, and pool surrounds.
Overlays and micro-toppings let us re-skin an existing sound slab with a fresh decorative surface, including stamped textures and stain work, without tear-out. If your patio is structurally fine but ugly, an overlay can be the budget move that still looks custom.
Choosing the right decorative finish for the space
Match the finish to the traffic. Interior floors and covered porches can take stains and polish beautifully. Open-weather surfaces in Kansas want finishes that tolerate freeze-thaw and salt, which points to exposed aggregate, integral color with a broom or swirl texture, or stamped work on a proper sealing schedule.
Budget-wise, integral color adds the least cost, stains and exposed aggregate sit in the middle, and stamped overlays with multi-color systems sit at the top. We quote options side by side when the choice is close, so you see the real spread instead of a single take-it-or-leave-it number.
Every decorative job gets a sealed sample area approved before we run the full surface. Color in concrete is part chemistry and part site conditions, and the sample step is how professionals remove the guesswork.
Polished concrete floors for Lawrence homes and businesses
Polished concrete has moved from warehouses into Lawrence living rooms, basements, shops, and storefronts. We grind the slab through progressively finer diamonds, densify it, and polish to the sheen you pick, from a soft matte to mirror gloss. The result is a floor with no wax, no coatings to peel, and a cleaning routine that is a dust mop and occasional damp mop.
Existing slabs usually qualify. Basement floors, garage conversions, and retail spaces with old glue and paint clean up beautifully under the grinder, and stains can be added during the process for color. Cracks get filled and become part of the character or get color-blended, your call.
Polished floors run cool in summer, work over radiant heat in new construction, and handle dogs, kids, and shop traffic without complaint. Per square foot, polishing an existing slab usually undercuts tile, wood, and quality LVP once you price the full install.
Interior decorative work runs all winter: stained basement floors, polished shop and studio slabs, and overlay work in spaces the weather cannot touch. If you have been staring at an ugly but solid slab indoors, the off season is the cheapest and fastest time to change it.
Decorative finishes that fit Lawrence homes
Lawrence has a strong architectural identity: brick storefronts downtown, limestone on campus, and a housing stock that runs from Victorian-era homes in Old West Lawrence to modern builds on the west side. Decorative concrete works best when it answers that context. We match border tones to existing brick, pick aggregate blends that echo native limestone, and keep finishes on older homes period-appropriate rather than fighting the architecture.
Climate shapes the menu here too. High-gloss sealed finishes that look great in a showroom turn into ice rinks on a north-facing Kansas walkway in January, so we spec satin sealers and traction additives for exterior work. Integral color outperforms surface-only color under our freeze-thaw cycles because the tone runs through the slab, so a surface that takes winter wear does not reveal gray concrete underneath.
Exposed aggregate deserves a special mention for this area. It handles Lawrence weather as well as any decorative finish, hides the dust film that settles between rains, gives real traction in winter, and pairs naturally with the local stone palette. It is what we recommend most often for front walkways and pool surrounds. Come look at sample finishes and we will narrow the options to two or three that fit your home, your light, and your maintenance appetite.
Where we do this work
We provide decorative concrete across Lawrence and Douglas County:
Decorative Concrete: common questions
What decorative options cost the least?
Integral color and scored joint patterns add the least to a standard pour. Exposed aggregate sits in the middle. Stamped finishes and multi-color overlay systems cost the most. We can price two or three options in one estimate.
Will colored concrete fade?
Integral color is permanent because it runs through the slab. Surface colors and dyes fade without resealing. We recommend the right system for sun exposure and tell you the honest maintenance schedule for each.
Can you make new concrete look like stone?
Yes, through stamping, exposed aggregate, or overlay systems. Each gets to a different look and price point. We show physical samples so you choose with your eyes, not a catalog.
Can decorative finishes go over my existing patio?
If the existing slab is structurally sound, overlay systems can resurface it with a new decorative finish. If it is cracked or settling, we will tell you and price the repair or repour honestly.