Pretty Enough to Show Off, Tough Enough for a Kansas Winter: Choosing a Concrete Finish

Kansas is hard on concrete. We get hot summers, sudden spring storms and winters that swing above and below freezing again and again. Every one of those cycles pushes water into the surface and tries to pop it back out.

The good news is that today's most popular finishes can handle all of it when they're built right. Here's how New Image Roofing & Construction and Concrete Amigos compare the main options, so you can pick one that looks great on day one and years from now.

Compare the popular finishes

Broom finish: the dependable classic

A broom finish is exactly what it sounds like. The crew drags a broom across the fresh concrete to leave fine ridges. It's the most affordable option, it gives excellent traction, and it's the finish most industry guides recommend for exterior slabs in freeze-thaw climates because it keeps the surface air pockets intact. Add a crisp saw-cut joint pattern or a smooth border and a plain driveway suddenly looks finished and intentional.

Exposed aggregate: built-in texture

Exposed aggregate shows off the stone inside the concrete. It's a favorite for driveways because it hides dirt, oil spots and tire marks better than a flat surface, and it's one of the most slip-resistant finishes you can choose, which matters on an icy morning.

Stamped concrete: the showpiece

Stamped concrete gives you the look of stone, brick or wood for less than pavers, and it's the finish most homeowners want for a back patio or front entry. To keep it safe and beautiful in Kansas, ask for a pattern with real texture and a sealer with a slip-resistant additive. Plan on resealing every few years; the sealer protects the color and keeps water and salt out of the surface.

Colored and stained concrete: warmth without the gray

Color is coming back across home design, and concrete is part of that. Integral color is mixed into the concrete itself, so it goes all the way through. Stains are applied to the surface after it cures. Warm tans, browns and soft charcoal tones are popular because they pair well with brick, stone and wood siding.

Smooth and polished: keep it under a roof

The sleek polished look is popular inside garages, shops and sunrooms. Outdoors, a hard-troweled surface can be slippery when wet and more likely to scale in winter. For homeowners who love the clean look, the crew can match it outside with a smoother float finish and a quality sealer that keeps some grip.

Protecting new concrete through its first winter

The first winter is the most important one. Fresh concrete keeps gaining strength for months, and a few simple habits protect the investment:

• Skip the deicer the first winter. Use sand for traction instead. Salt and chemical deicers increase freeze-thaw stress on young concrete.
• Never use fertilizer-based deicers. Products containing ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate can badly damage concrete at any age.
• Shovel early and often. Don't let snow and ice sit and build up on a new slab.
• Rinse off road salt. Cars carry salty slush onto driveways and garage floors. A quick rinse on a mild day helps.
• Seal it. A penetrating sealer helps keep water and salt out of the surface.

It starts before the first pour

The finish is what you see. What protects it is the part you never see: a well-compacted base, good drainage, the right air-entrained mix for our climate and careful finishing and curing. That's the work the New Image and Concrete Amigos crews focus on.

Get help choosing

Not sure which finish fits your home? New Image Roofing & Construction and Concrete Amigos can walk your property, talk through how you use the space and show you options that fit your budget. Request a free estimate or call 316.201.1180.

Top photo: Riwaj Lamichhane, CC0, via the WordPress Photo Directory.