FAQ

Originally designed to resemble real stone, such as slate, cobblestone, or flagstone, concrete can now resemble man made tiles, bricks, or even wood. Stamped concrete, once poured and textured, gets a high quality sealer applied in a gloss, semi-gloss, or a flat finish depending on your choice and can last up to 5 years. Stamped concrete is popular for patios, driveway replacements, pool decks, and more.

Sometimes. As concrete hardens, or hydrates, it develops internal stresses which may cause random cracks. In the Midwest, with our annual freeze and thaw cycles, your outdoor slab is constantly in motion. If the slab is installed correctly, using high quality concrete, good soil prep, proper rebar installation, proper control joint placement, and correct curing methods, we can limit the possibilities of cracking. Though it is not guaranteed, decorative joints are cut to relieve stresses before they form random cracks.

Once the sealer is dry, foot traffic can resume in 24 hours, light cars in 7 days, and heavy vehicles in 2 weeks. Moving vans or travel trailers in one month.

It is very important to seal all outdoor concrete to protect it from annual freeze and thaw cycles and to prevent the penetration of road salts. On drive ways, road salts drip off your car and penetrates the surface, thus resulting in pop outs, chipping and spalling. We recommend a salt guard sealer on driveways to prevent concrete damage.

Although our business has only been operating since 2008, our owner, Matt Thompson has been working in the concrete business for more than 20 years.

Yes, we’re both licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that we have proper coverage for our team while working on your project.

We gladly offer free, onsite quotes and design consultations.

We’re based out of Olathe, Kansas, and have a new showroom that’s located at 19542 W. 153^rd Place, Olathe, KS 66062. We’re open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

We’ve done projects in just about every city throughout the Kansas City area. We’ve completed projects in Olathe, Overland Park, Leawood, Prairie Village, Shawnee, Mission, Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, and beyond.

Although we specialize in decorative stamped concrete, we pride ourselves on offering high quality concrete craftsmanship for all types of concrete finishes.

That will all depend on the size and complexity of your project. However, typical concrete projects for residential use normally take 3-5 days of actual work. This will vary if we need to remove old concrete, install new base and reinforcements, and more. Curing time adds to the time required before new concrete can be used. While you will be able to walk on your new concrete after just a couple of days, it will not develop its full strength until some time has passed. It is recommended that cars and other vehicles should stay off new concrete for two weeks.

After the initial curing of concrete, which takes 28 days, it is recommended that you apply a high-quality sealer to all exterior concrete slabs exposed to freeze-thaw conditions. This sealing should be repeated every 3-5 years, using high-quality concrete sealer. This sealer will help protect the concrete from moisture absorption, exposure to chemicals, grease and oil stains, and other exposure issues. On decorative colored concrete, a sealer will also help enhance the color.

Concrete thickness depends on the loads the concrete surface must hold. For many residential uses, a thickness of 4″ is typical for patios, walkways, driveways, and pool decks. Aesthetic Concrete Designs will also use reinforcements to add strength and to minimize cracking. A variety of reinforcing materials may be used, depending on your specific project.

Virtually every concrete project will develop cracks over time. They’re inevitable. However, properly installed concrete is designed to control cracking and minimize the appearance and impact of cracks. However, your concrete will be jointed or saw cut to control cracking. Occasionally, some hairline cracking outside the control joints does occur. This is totally normal and does not affect the integrity of your concrete.

Depending on where you live, you most likely will need a permit. All our projects include us securing the required permitting, licensing, and calling in locates. We also suggest you call your city, town or municipality to be sure.

Every project is unique and varies depending on size and customization. We highly suggest calling us directly for current pricing as market conditions change often.