Decorative concrete in Gillette WY - a finish chosen for the way you clear snow
Tired of a plain gray slab? We add color and texture to a new pour or a sound old one, sealed to suit your winter.
I look at every job myself
I come out to see every job myself, and my crew does the work with me on site. So the person who talked through the color, the base and the sealer with you is standing there on pour day.
In business since 2013
I learned concrete pouring driveways and slabs beside my dad, and I've run this business for 13 years. We're best known for explaining the job before we pour, so you know what goes under your finish and why it matters.
Licensed and fully insured
We carry both on the jobs we take. The City of Gillette invites residents to call the city's license office at (307) 686-5260, 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays, to check that a contractor is current, and then you can reach us at (307) 670-7851.
Decorative concrete in Gillette, WY
Decorative concrete is concrete with color, texture or shine worked into it, using color mixed into the batch, stains, stamped or textured surfaces, exposed aggregate where the stones show at the top, polishing and sealers. It suits Gillette homeowners who want a patio, walk or floor that looks finished.
Most calls about decorative work start with either a plan for a new patio, walk or floor, or an old slab that's gone dull or started to flake. The first decision is whether we pour new or finish over what's there, and that depends on the shape the old slab is in, not the look you want. Then we settle the look, and where it lives matters, since a slab outside has to get through snow, shovels and salt.
The price moves with the size of the area, how many techniques we layer together and whether an old slab needs repair or tearing out first. The schedule mostly turns on weather, since outdoor concrete shouldn't freeze right after the pour. My written estimate spells out what's included for your job. The City of Gillette licenses contractors, and doing business in the city as a contractor, as its code defines one, without a license is a misdemeanor.
Decorative finishes, overlays and the ground under them
Choosing color, texture and shine
Most people start with a look in mind, and we get there by combining methods, such as color mixed into the batch, a stamped or textured surface and a sealer on top. Outside, texture also helps your footing, since smooth concrete gets slick under snow and ice. Inside, a stained or polished floor suits a basement or shop, and we pour those slabs through our concrete floor installation work. Bring a photo of a finish you like, and we'll talk through what it takes.
New slab or a finish over old
If you want a new finish on an old slab, I check first whether that slab is sound enough to hold it, since a pretty top won't fix one that's moving. On a new pour, the budget goes to the subgrade first, the dug-out, packed ground the slab sits on. Nobody sees it on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut, and I won't, because a decorative top settles and cracks right along with loose dirt. Some cracking is normal, so we cut control joints, grooves that tell it where to go.
Building on Gillette ground
We're based in Gillette and take jobs in the cities and rural areas around it, so ask about your address. Wherever the job is, the ground is part of my estimate visit. Campbell County's construction rules require concrete exposed to sulfate in the soil to meet limits on water content and strength and use the right type of cement. The state geological survey names bentonite among Wyoming's most common clays that swell wet and shrink dry, found in certain shales. Where a patio meets a slope, a concrete retaining wall can carry the same finish.
Get a free on-site estimate for your decorative concrete
We reply to every call and message within one business day, and the on-site estimate is free, with no obligation. Tell us if it's a new slab or an old one, its rough size and the look you want, and I'll come see it.
(307) 670-7851How a decorative concrete job goes
I come out and measure
You call or send the form, and I come out to look at the site, take measurements and ask how you plan to use the space. I'll also ask how you clear snow, because that steers which sealer we talk about.
A written estimate and pour date
I write up an estimate that spells out what's included, from the base work to the finish and sealer, so you can see what you're paying for. Then we pick a pour date together, watching the forecast for outdoor work.
Pour day and care instructions
On pour day I show you the forms and the base before the concrete goes in. Before we leave, I tell you how to look after the new surface while it cures, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength.
Decorative concrete questions from Gillette homeowners
Can new decorative concrete go in during late fall in Gillette?
Sometimes, but it's a judgment call, because industry guidance urges caution about pouring outdoor concrete in late fall, winter or early spring if it may freeze soon after while it's still soaked. We plan outdoor pours for a stretch when no freeze is expected right after. If the forecast turns, I'd rather move the date than risk the surface.
Which concrete sealer holds up through a Gillette winter?
Not an acrylic cure-and-seal, if you clear snow with equipment or use deicer, because one sealer maker says those wear under foot traffic, snow equipment and deicers and aren't meant for long-term winter protection. That's why we settle the sealer type before work starts. Skip deicers on new concrete its first winter and go easy after, as industry guidance advises.
How often does decorative concrete need to be resealed?
About every 3 to 5 years, which is what a concrete trade group advises for outdoor concrete, using a commercial penetrating sealer and following the maker's instructions. Clean the surface first, so the sealer soaks in instead of locking dirt down. It's easiest to plan it like any other regular chore on the house.
Can my worn, flaking slab get a decorative finish?
Often it can, since a decorative overlay is a cement-based mix laid over existing concrete, and light to moderate scaling, where the top has flaked off, can be repaired. The catch is that the repair is only as strong as the slab it bonds to, which is why I check that slab first. If it's failing, a new pour is the better money.