What is stamped concrete?

Stamped concrete is a freshly poured slab pressed with patterned mats before it hardens, so the finished surface looks like brick, slate or cobblestone. Once the surface is ready, a worker can push the stamps in just by walking across them, sometimes with light tamping afterward.

Color can be mixed through the whole batch, usually in earth tones and pastels, or spread over the fresh surface as a color hardener, which tends to give a more intense color. A release agent keeps the mats from sticking; the bulk is rinsed away after the slab hardens, and the rest, pressed into the pattern, leaves an accent color.