Decorative Concrete in Pittsburgh, PA

Transform ordinary concrete into a stunning design feature with our custom decorative concrete services. RMK Services is the premier decorative concrete artisan for patios, floors, and more in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Top Decorative Concrete in Pittsburgh, PA

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RMK Services OFFERS Decorative Concrete IN Pittsburgh’s Top Neighborhoods

RMK Services provides professional Decorative Concrete for homeowners and businesses throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. Below is a full list of nearby neighborhoods and townships we serve, all within our 60-mile service radius. If your property is located in one of these areas, we’re ready to help you with Decorative Concrete:

Our Decorative Concrete Service

Our decorative concrete service is a collaborative design journey that starts with your vision. We meet with you to explore the possibilities and understand your aesthetic goals. Our experts will show you a wide portfolio of colors, patterns, and finishes to inspire your project. We discuss the pros and cons of different techniques, such as stamped, stained, or exposed aggregate, for your specific application. Whether it is a patio, pool deck, driveway, or interior floor, we help you design a surface that is truly one of a kind. You will receive a custom design proposal and a detailed, transparent estimate.

Stamped concrete is one of our most popular decorative services. This technique involves impressing flexible, high detail mats into the surface of freshly poured concrete. These mats can replicate the look and texture of a wide variety of materials, such as natural slate, flagstone, cobblestone, brick, and even wood planks. The result is a beautiful, patterned surface with the inherent durability and strength of a solid concrete slab. Our artisans are skilled in the proper techniques for placing the concrete, applying color, and imprinting the pattern to achieve a realistic and stunning result.

Concrete staining is a versatile technique we use to add rich, permanent color to new or existing concrete. We offer two main types of stains: acid based stains and water based stains. Acid stains react chemically with the minerals in the concrete to create translucent, variegated, earth toned colors that look like natural stone. Water based stains are available in a much wider and more vibrant palette of colors and produce a more uniform, opaque finish. Our craftsmen are experts at applying these stains to create beautiful, custom color schemes for interior floors, patios, and walkways.

Polished concrete is a sophisticated, high end finish that is becoming increasingly popular for interior floors. This process involves mechanically grinding the concrete surface with progressively finer diamond abrasives. This grinding and polishing process can create a smooth, durable surface with a sheen ranging from a soft satin to a highly reflective, mirror like finish. The process can also expose the aggregates within the concrete, creating a beautiful terrazzo like effect. Polished concrete floors are extremely durable, low maintenance, and allergen friendly, making them a perfect choice for modern homes.

Concrete overlays, also known as resurfacing, allow us to apply a decorative finish to existing, structurally sound concrete. We can apply a thin, polymer modified cementitious coating over your old, plain, or damaged concrete slab. This new layer provides a fresh canvas that can then be stamped, stained, or textured. This is an excellent way to completely transform the look of an existing patio or driveway without the high cost of a full replacement. Our meticulous surface preparation ensures that the new overlay bonds permanently to the old concrete for a long lasting finish.

Exposed aggregate is a timeless decorative finish that provides a beautiful and highly durable, non slip surface. This finish is achieved by pouring a concrete mix with a specific, decorative aggregate (small, smooth river stones are common) and then washing away the top layer of cement paste before it fully hardens. This exposes the colorful stones, creating a rich, pebbled texture. This finish is extremely resistant to wear and tear and provides excellent traction, making it an ideal choice for sidewalks, driveways, and pool decks. It offers a unique, natural beauty that is very low maintenance.

Regardless of the decorative technique you choose, a protective sealer is the crucial final step. We apply a high quality sealer that is specifically designed for the type of decorative concrete installed. For stamped or stained concrete, an acrylic sealer will enhance the color and provide a protective sheen. For polished concrete, a special penetrating densifier and stain guard is used. This sealer protects the surface from stains, UV damage, and abrasion, and it makes the concrete much easier to clean. Our 5 star commitment ensures every detail, down to the final sealing, is performed to the highest standard.

All Concrete Services By RMK in Pittsburgh, PA


RMK Services offers Decorative Concrete in Pittsburgh, but we also offer many other residential concrete services for homeowners across Pittsburgh. From new installations to full tear-outs and replacements, we handle everything with precision and care. Below is a complete list of concrete services available alongside Decorative Concrete:

Why Homeowners Trust RMK Services in Pittsburgh, PA

At RMK Services, we focus on delivering honest, high-quality concrete work backed by real experience and dependable service. From the first estimate to the final pour, our team shows up, communicates clearly, and gets the job done right without sales pressure or surprises. We take pride in treating every property like it’s our own and standing behind everything we do.

  • Licensed & Insured in Pennsylvania (PA License #203908)
  • Over 10 Years of Construction Experience
  • Free In-Person Estimates With Honest, Fair Pricing
  • No Upsells or Games; Just Solid, Reliable Work
  • Family-Owned and Operated in Pittsburgh
  • Serving a 60-Mile Radius Around the City
Years in Business
5-Star Reviews
Satisfied Clients
Jobs Completed

A Homeowner’s Guide On Decorative Concrete in Pittsburgh

Common Decorative Concrete Questions

Decorative concrete transforms a purely functional material into a stunning design element. With a vast array of techniques, colors, and patterns, it offers endless possibilities for customizing your home. Homeowners in Pittsburgh are increasingly choosing decorative concrete, and they often have questions about the various options. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

Stamped concrete, sometimes called imprinted or patterned concrete, is a technique used to make freshly poured concrete resemble other, more expensive paving materials. The process involves pressing large, flexible polyurethane mats with detailed textures onto the surface of the concrete before it has fully hardened. These mats act like giant stamps, imprinting the pattern and texture of materials like slate, flagstone, brick, cobblestone, or even wood planks into the concrete. The result is a high end look with the durability and affordability of concrete.

The process of creating stamped concrete is an art form that requires skill and experience. After the concrete is poured and leveled, two coloring agents are typically used. The first is the base color, which is an integral pigment or a color hardener that is worked into the surface. This provides the main color of the “stones” or “bricks.” Then, a secondary color, called a release agent, is broadcast over the surface. This powder prevents the stamps from sticking to the concrete and also provides contrasting color that settles into the low spots, creating realistic highlights and grout lines.

After the concrete has cured, the excess release agent is washed off, and the surface is sealed with a high quality acrylic sealer. This final step is crucial as it protects the surface from stains and weather, and it dramatically enhances the colors, giving them a rich, vibrant appearance. Stamped concrete is a very popular choice for patios, walkways, pool decks, and driveways because it offers a huge range of design possibilities and provides a durable, low maintenance surface.

There are several effective methods for adding permanent color to concrete, each producing a different look. The most common method for new concrete is integral color. This involves adding a powdered pigment, made from iron oxides, to the concrete mix at the batch plant or in the truck before it is poured. This method colors the entire volume of the concrete, so the color is consistent all the way through the slab. If the surface ever gets chipped or scratched, the color underneath will be the same. Integral colors typically produce soft, earthy tones.

Another method used for new concrete is applying a color hardener. This is a powdered mixture of cement, aggregates, and pigments that is broadcast over the surface of the freshly poured concrete and troweled in. Color hardeners create a much more intense and vibrant color than integral pigments because the color is concentrated at the surface. They also create a harder, denser, and less permeable surface, making the concrete more durable. This method is often used as the base color for stamped concrete.

For coloring existing concrete, or for adding accent colors to new concrete, stains are used. Acid based stains create a chemical reaction with the lime in the concrete, lightly etching the surface and depositing metallic salts. This results in a mottled, variegated, and translucent color effect, similar to the look of natural stone. Water based stains are non reactive and work more like a paint, depositing fine pigments into the pores of the concrete. They offer a much broader and more consistent color palette, from subtle tones to bright, bold colors.

The most fundamental difference between stamped concrete and pavers is that stamped concrete is a single, solid, monolithic slab, while pavers are individual, interlocking units. A stamped concrete patio is poured as one continuous piece of steel reinforced concrete, with the pattern simply imprinted on the surface. A paver patio is constructed by laying individual concrete or clay blocks on a prepared base of compacted gravel and sand, and then sweeping sand into the joints to lock them together. This structural difference leads to different performance characteristics.

Because stamped concrete is a solid slab, there are no joints where weeds can grow or ants can build nests. This results in a lower maintenance surface compared to pavers, which require periodic replenishment of the joint sand and can be prone to weed growth. However, the solid nature of a stamped concrete slab also means that if it cracks, the crack can be noticeable. While control joints are used to manage cracking, random cracks can still occur. With pavers, the many joints allow for minor ground movement without the units themselves cracking.

In terms of repairs, if a paver gets stained or broken, it is relatively easy to lift out the single paver and replace it. Repairing a damaged section of stamped concrete is more complex and can be difficult to patch in a way that perfectly matches the color and pattern of the surrounding area. In terms of design, both offer many options, but stamped concrete can often create more realistic and seamless imitations of natural materials like large flagstone. The choice between the two often comes down to personal preference for aesthetics and maintenance tolerance.

The cost of decorative concrete can vary widely, but in general, it provides a high end look for a mid range price, offering excellent value. When compared to basic, plain gray concrete, any decorative option will be more expensive due to the additional materials, labor, and artistry involved. However, when you compare decorative concrete to the high end materials it is often designed to replicate, it is usually a much more affordable option.

For example, a stamped concrete patio that is colored and patterned to look like natural slate or flagstone will typically cost significantly less than a patio built from actual, hand laid natural stone. The material costs for the stone are much higher, and the labor is far more intensive. Stamped concrete allows you to achieve a similar luxurious aesthetic for a fraction of the price. The same logic applies to stamped patterns that mimic brick or cobblestone compared to installing the real thing.

The price of a decorative concrete project depends on the specific techniques used and the complexity of the design. A simple, one color stained floor will be less expensive than a multi colored, intricately stamped patio. Polished concrete is one of the more expensive options due to the extensive labor and specialized grinding equipment required, but it is a lifetime floor that never needs to be replaced. Ultimately, decorative concrete offers a customizable solution that can fit a range of budgets and provides a level of durability and style that adds significant long term value to your home.

Decorative concrete, when installed correctly and properly maintained, is an extremely durable and long lasting surface. Just like regular concrete, the lifespan of the underlying slab itself can be 30 years or more. The decorative elements, such as the color and texture, are also designed for longevity. The colors used in decorative concrete, whether they are integral pigments, color hardeners, or stains, are permanent. They are not paints that sit on the surface; they are embedded within the concrete, so they will not chip or peel away.

The key to the longevity of the appearance of decorative concrete is the protective sealer. The sealer is the sacrificial layer that protects the color and surface from traffic, UV rays, water, and stains. Over time, this sealer will wear down. To keep your decorative concrete looking vibrant and protected, the sealer needs to be reapplied periodically. For an exterior surface like a stamped patio, this typically means cleaning and resealing it every two to three years. This simple maintenance task is the most important thing you can do to ensure your decorative concrete looks great for decades.

The physical texture of stamped or exposed aggregate concrete is also permanent. The patterns are impressed into the concrete when it is wet, so they are a permanent part of the slab’s surface. With proper care and periodic resealing, your decorative concrete will resist fading and wear, providing a beautiful and durable surface that will last for many years. It is a fantastic long term investment in your property’s beauty and value.

This is a very common and important question, especially for surfaces like pool decks and walkways. The answer is that a properly installed stamped concrete surface should not be slippery. The stamping process itself creates texture on the surface. The imprinted patterns and the texture of the stamp mats, which often mimic the natural cleft of stone or the roughness of brick, provide natural traction. This inherent texture makes stamped concrete significantly more slip resistant than smooth, non textured concrete.

However, the sealer that is applied to the surface can affect its slip resistance. A thick, high gloss sealer can create a very smooth film that can become slippery when wet. This is why professional installation is so important. An experienced contractor knows how to apply the sealer in thin, even coats that protect the surface without creating a slick film. More importantly, for areas where slip resistance is a primary concern, a non slip additive can be included in the final coat of sealer.

This non slip additive is a very fine, gritty material that is mixed directly into the sealer before it is applied. When the sealer dries, this grit is suspended at the surface, creating a texture similar to very fine sandpaper. This is invisible to the naked eye and does not change the color or pattern of the concrete, but it dramatically increases the coefficient of friction, providing excellent grip for wet feet. With a textured surface and the use of a non slip additive in the sealer, a stamped concrete surface can be a very safe option for any exterior application.

Yes, in many cases, you can apply a decorative concrete finish over an existing, structurally sound concrete slab. This is done using a concrete overlay, which is a thin, polymer modified cementitious topping. An overlay is a great way to completely transform an old, plain, or slightly damaged patio, driveway, or interior floor without the expense and hassle of tearing out the old concrete and starting from scratch. It provides a brand new surface that can then be customized with decorative techniques.

The success of an overlay project depends entirely on two things: the condition of the existing slab and the quality of the surface preparation. The existing slab must be structurally sound. An overlay is a cosmetic fix, not a structural one. It will not fix a slab that is badly cracked, heaving, or has major settlement issues. If the underlying slab continues to move, the new overlay will simply crack along with it. A professional will need to assess your existing slab to determine if it is a suitable candidate for an overlay.

If the slab is in good shape, the surface preparation is the next critical step. The existing concrete must be meticulously cleaned and then mechanically profiled, usually with a concrete grinder. This removes any old coatings or sealers and creates a rough surface for the new overlay to bond to. After the prep work is done, the overlay is applied. This new layer can then be stamped, stained, textured, or colored just like a new slab of concrete, allowing you to achieve a brand new decorative look on your existing surface.

Caring for decorative concrete is surprisingly simple and is key to keeping it looking beautiful for years. The most important routine task is to keep the surface clean. For exterior surfaces like patios and walkways, this means regularly sweeping or using a leaf blower to remove dirt and debris. This prevents abrasive grit from being ground into the surface by foot traffic. You should also rinse the surface with a garden hose periodically. For tougher dirt, you can scrub the concrete with a push broom and a mild, pH neutral cleaner.

It is very important to avoid using harsh chemicals on your decorative concrete. Acidic cleaners can damage the sealer and etch the surface. For winter care, you should never use rock salt or other de-icing chemicals that contain ammonium nitrates or ammonium sulfates. These chemicals are highly corrosive and can cause pitting and spalling. If you need a de-icer, choose a product specifically labeled as safe for decorative concrete, such as one containing calcium chloride. Using sand for traction is always a safe option.

The most crucial maintenance task for long term care is periodic resealing. The sealer is what protects the color and finish from the elements. For an exterior decorative surface, you should plan on having it professionally cleaned and resealed every two to three years. This simple, preventative maintenance step will keep the colors vibrant and the surface protected, ensuring your decorative concrete remains a stunning feature of your home for a very long time. For interior floors, a coat of floor finish or wax can be applied as needed to protect the sealer.

Get The Best Decorative Concrete Near You

For a free in-person estimate on your project, book a call-back using our 24/7 self-service system or call us directly at (352) 978-5567.