Decorative concrete in Sidney OH - colors and finishes picked to hold up outdoors
Gray concrete that looks plain or tired? We help you choose a finish and color that suits outdoor concrete in Sidney.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What is decorative concrete, and what drives the price?
Decorative concrete in Sidney, OH is concrete finished to look like more than a plain gray slab. It can be colored and textured as it's poured, stained after it hardens or covered with a thin overlay, so your patio, walk or driveway fits the look of your house.
Most people who call us have one of two things, a slab that's solid but looks worn, or a new patio in the plans that they'd like to be more than gray. The price turns on the size of the area, which method you pick, how many colors and patterns you combine and, on an older slab, how much repair the surface needs first. The schedule mostly turns on the weather, because fresh concrete and color both need the right temperatures to come out well. I'll put the details for your job in writing at the estimate, including what's included and what isn't.
Is decorative concrete right for your home?
A new patio or walk
If we're pouring fresh anyway, color and texture can go in with the pour itself.
A solid but plain slab
Concrete that's level and sound but dull can often take a stain or overlay instead of replacement.
Pieces that don't match
Matching color across a patio, walk and steps makes separate pieces of concrete read as one space.
An entry worth noticing
A decorative front walk or steps is the concrete visitors see first on the way to your door.
How we do decorative concrete
I talk through colors with you before anything is ordered, because some stain colors don't hold up outdoors and a worn older slab may take color poorly, and I'd rather you hear that at the estimate than after the work is done. On a new pour, we dig out and pack the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, and check where the water runs so the finished slab sheds it away from the house. Then we pour, work in the color or texture while the concrete is fresh and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack as it shrinks. On an existing slab, we clean and repair the surface before any stain or overlay goes on. Curing comes last, the wait while the concrete gains strength before you use it. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather simplify the pattern than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the color from cracking and sinking with the dirt.
Decorative work often sits next to other jobs. A colored patio on a sloped yard may need concrete retaining walls to hold the ground back, and we can finish the wall to match. Inside, a stained floor starts with a sound slab, so for a basement or a new room we handle the concrete floor installation first and color it once it's ready.
Color and texture in a new pour
This suits a new patio, walk or driveway, because the color goes into the concrete as it's poured and the texture is pressed or brushed in while it's wet. A pattern that looks like stone or brick is what stamped concrete adds.
Stain on hardened concrete
This suits a sound slab you'd like to keep, since the stain soaks into the surface instead of sitting on top. How it turns out depends a lot on the slab underneath, so I look closely at yours first.
Overlay on an existing slab
A thin new layer bonded over the old surface suits a slab that's solid underneath but too worn to stain well. It needs a clean, sound base to hold onto, so any loose or sinking sections get fixed first.
What happens when you call about decorative concrete in Sidney?
Call or send a message
Call (937) 658-9414 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Please mention any color ideas you already have.
I look at the spot
I come out myself, look at the area, ask how you plan to use it and talk through colors and finishes with you. You get in writing what the job includes and what it doesn't, so you know exactly what the price covers.
We check permits and schedule
Once you're ready, we look into the permit side for your address and tell you what we find. Then we book the work with the weather in mind, because cold nights and fresh concrete don't mix.
We pour, finish and walk it
We protect the lawn and the house while we work and keep the area tidy each day. When it's finished, we walk the job with you before we call it done.
Which stain fits your decorative concrete?
Water-based stain gives you more colors.
One trade article on staining says acid stains come only in rust, browns, blues and greens, while water-based stains come in a much wider range. So if you have a tan, a soft gray or something brighter in mind, a water-based stain is usually where we start looking.
The same article says an acid stain works by reacting with the concrete, so an old slab with a lot of sand and stone showing through the top takes very little color. If yours looks like that, I'll tell you at the estimate, and we'll talk about whether an overlay suits it better.
Examples of concrete work
Take a look through these examples of concrete work, from colored patios to walks and steps, to help you picture what might suit your yard.
Ask for a free decorative concrete estimate
Please tell us the area you'd like finished, whether the slab is new or existing, any color ideas and whether you're inside Sidney city limits. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why Sidney homeowners call Sidney Concrete for decorative concrete
I'm on every job myself
I come out to look at every job, and I work alongside our crew on the forming, pouring and finishing. The person who talked colors with you is there when the color goes on.
Careful work at lived-in homes
I learned the trade pouring footings, slabs and flatwork, the trade's word for patios, walks and drives, on new construction sites, and started Sidney Concrete in 2023 to do that work for families already living at home. That's why we protect your yard and keep the work area tidy.
Fully licensed and insured here
We're fully licensed and insured, so the work on your property is covered. In Shelby County, contractor registration runs through the City of Sidney, whether your home is in town or out in the county.
Satisfaction guaranteed, then the next step
We stand behind our work with one plain promise, satisfaction guaranteed. If you'd like to talk through your project, please call (937) 658-9414 or send us a message.
Questions about decorative concrete
How much does decorative concrete cost in Sidney, OH?
We price each decorative concrete job at a free on-site estimate, because the number depends on your slab and the finish you choose. A stain on a sound slab usually costs less than an overlay, and a new pour with color, texture and more than one pattern costs more again, as does a bigger area or an old surface that needs repair first.
Which stain colors work on outdoor concrete?
According to one trade article, acid stain colors for outdoor concrete come down to rust and brown tones. It says green and blue acid stains can't be used outside, because the copper in them turns black when it meets moisture. For any other shade, look at the water-based stains mentioned above.
How do I know if it's too cold to pour concrete in Sidney?
A Michigan concrete group's cold-weather guide treats it as cold weather once the air has fallen to, or is expected to fall below, 40°F while fresh concrete is being protected. Cold slows setting and puts fresh concrete at risk of freezing, and early-fall and late-spring nights can count, so we plan the pour around the forecast for those nights.
How do I take care of new decorative concrete in its first winter?
The same guide says to use no deicers at all in the first winter and to spread sand for traction instead. After that, it says to keep magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, fertilizer and water-softener salt off the concrete, so it's worth planning now how you'll clear ice for years to come.
How long should I wait to seal new decorative concrete?
The cold-weather guide advises a penetrating sealer 30 or more days after the pour, once any compound put on at the pour has worn off and the concrete is completely dry. It also says to check the sealer's application temperatures before it goes on, which are printed on the product.
Who handles concrete permits outside Sidney city limits in Shelby County?
Outside the city, Shelby County handles residential needs through its satellite office in Sidney, at 937-658-6220. The city's online permit portal covers addresses inside the City of Sidney only, which is why our permit check starts with which office covers your address.
Ready to talk about colors and finishes?
Ask for an estimate and I'll come out, look at the spot and put in writing what the work includes.
Related concrete services
Decorative concrete in Sidney and nearby cities
The City of Sidney requires development permits, and its list names work like new buildings, additions, decks, pools, fences and site improvements, not decorative concrete, so whether your patio or walk needs one isn't settled until someone asks. Driveways are clearer, because the city's driveway rules open with a permit requirement. If you'd like to ask yourself, you can call the City of Sidney at 937-498-8130. Either way, before we schedule we check which office covers your address and what it asks for, and when a permit is needed, we take care of the application or help you with the parts that need your signature.
We're based in Sidney and work across Shelby County and the cities around it. Many slabs we see here are older patios and walks that are still solid but worn on top, which is why I look so closely at what color they'll take, and we see the same on jobs in Piqua and Troy.