 10 Concrete Finishes Types | 10 Best Types of Concrete Finishes | Different Concrete

Finishes | Concrete Surface Finishes

10 Concrete Finishes Types | 10 Best Types of

Concrete Finishes | Different Concrete
Finishes | Concrete Surface Finishes9 min
read
By Bhushan Mahajan

Post Contents

 What Is Concrete Finishes?

 10 Types of Concrete Finishes
o 1. Floating or Troweling
o 2. Broom Concrete Finishes
o 3. Exposed Aggregate Finish
o 4. Salt Finish
o 5. Stamped Concrete
 o 6. Coloration of Concrete Finishes
o 7. Pigments Concrete Finishes
o 8. Concrete Stain
o 9. Swirl Concrete Finishes
o 10. Polished Surface Concrete Finishes
 FAQs:
o What do you mean by Finish of Concrete?
o What is a Colouration of Concrete?
o What is a Swirl Concrete finishes?

What Is Concrete Finishes?

A smooth surface formed with screeds and trowels is the most basic types of concrete
finishes. Concrete finishes work screed is used to level off the concrete surface immediately
after it has been laid in form.

Screeds are often made out of long pieces of metal or wood that are pulled and pushed across
the concrete surface to remove extra concrete and fill in gaps.

Concrete is a flexible construction material that is utilized in a wide range of residential,

commercial, and industrial applications around the world. Concrete’s strength is on the
inside, but its beauty is on the outside:

This outside aspect can be altered using a variety of materials and techniques, as shown
below.

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10 Types of Concrete Finishes

The following are different concrete finishes types,

1. Floating or Troweling
 Floating Concrete Finish

Concrete finishers use trowels to smooth and fine–level the surface of the concrete after it has
been tooled with a screed. This can be done using either manual or mechanical methods.

Power trowels are available and are commonly employed on large commercial and industrial
projects when manual trowels are impractical. The blades of power trowels resemble big fans,
and they sit directly against the concrete.

Both walk–behind and riding variants of these power trowels are available. The below image
shows the worker troweling the concrete with a trowel.

2. Broom Concrete Finishes

 Broom Finish
Concrete

A broom finish can be used to make concrete surfaces more slip-resistant. This is done after
the concrete has been placed, levelled, and troweled.

A broom is dragged across the surface of the concrete after it has been smoothed to generate
microscopic ridges that give traction control, especially when the concrete is wet. When
liquids are present on concrete surfaces without a broom finish, they become slippery and
unsafe.

3. Exposed Aggregate Finish

Exposed Aggregate
Finish
Washing the top layer of concrete away exposes the edges of the natural stone aggregates
placed into the concrete, creating an exposed finish that was once popular on historic city
sidewalks. This results in a visually appealing and slip-resistant coating.

Other materials may be added to the mix in addition to the standard concrete materials
(cement, sand, gravel, and water) to give exposed concrete finishes with unique appearances.

Rose quartz, limestone, dark grey or black basalt, red or blue granite, tinted glass, and even
seashells are examples. The trick with any of these chemicals is to stay away from iron–
containing items, as they can discolour concrete.

It’s also crucial to apply a high–quality seal after the concrete has cured to protect the surface.
The image shown below is the concrete surface after the exposed aggregate finish.

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4. Salt Finish

Salt Finish Concrete

A salt finish is a sort of finish that is mostly used on pool decks. Salt concrete finishes are made
by sprinkling rock salt on top of wet concrete and then washing it away, leaving little pits in
the final product.
The salt finish concrete surface is achieved by rolling coarse rock salt crystals onto a freshly
laid concrete surface and then washing it off with streams of water once the concrete has
hardened.

Plain or coloured concrete finishes gets a beautiful, rough subtle texture and skid resistance
with this coating. It’s primarily used in swimming pools and other wet environments. The (5)
image shows the surface of the concrete after the salt finish.

5. Stamped Concrete

Stamp Concrete Finish

Concrete stamps are a frequent form of texture. Concrete stamps are made up of panels with
inlaid motifs that are placed on still-curing concrete.

To achieve the desired aesthetic, designs may include brick, stone, or other decorative
patterns, sometimes imitating other typical construction materials while preserving the
strength and durability of concrete.

After the forms have been removed, the concrete surface can be stained to add color, as
indicated below. The needed patterns are pressed into the freshly leveled concrete to create the
stamped concrete finish.

After completion of construction, this style of concrete finishes resembles slates or flagstones,
brick, tile, or, with the right talent, wood.
Patios, car porches, driveways, and walks all benefit from stamped concrete, which is a smart
and inventive concrete innovation. Image (6) shows a concrete walkway made of stamped
finish concrete.

6. Coloration of Concrete Finishes

Colour is added to concrete to give it a look that matches the architecture of the surrounding
structure. Mix-added pigments or post-cure staining, both of which are mentioned below, can
be used to achieve this.

To produce a nice look that matches the surrounding environment, the colored finish of the
concrete is achieved through mix-added pigments or post-cure staining.

Pigment or strains can be used to create a colored finish on a concrete surface. Colored
concrete with pigments can be made by mixing the pigments directly into the concrete mix
before pouring.

Stains can be applied to concrete of any age to achieve a more intense colored finish, resulting
in stressed colored concrete. The application of stain is usually followed by the application of a
sealant to protect the concrete surface.

7. Pigments Concrete Finishes

Using pigments to color concrete is a straightforward procedure that involves mixing the
pigments directly into the concrete mix before pouring.

Pigments are supplied in liquid form or as dissolvable packets that are “ready to mix.” In both
circumstances, the pigments are combined with the other concrete materials in the mixer.

The spectrum of colors available is usually limited to “earthy” browns and tans, however,
greens, blues, and greys are also available. It’s critical to preserve pigmented concrete
adequately sealed throughout its lifespan to avoid water infiltration, which can fade the
pigment.

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8. Concrete Stain
 Concrete Stain

Concrete’s color can also be changed with the use of various staining agents. The use of acid
as a staining agent is a frequent practice. Colors are often limited to neon-bright, somewhat
delicate tones, similar to concrete pigments.

Water–based (acrylic) staining can be used to create a considerably wider range of colors,
including black and white. Stains can be applied to any age of concrete, although the colors
are usually more intense if the stain is applied soon after the concrete has been laid. The
application of stain is usually followed by the application of a sealant to protect the concrete
surface.

9. Swirl Concrete Finishes

 Swirl Finish
Concrete

A swirl concrete finishes is a one-of-a-kind concrete finish that is achieved by spreading the
concrete surface in a circular pattern that is evenly overlapping.

It gives the concrete surface an aesthetically pleasing appearance that is preferred for
outdoor applications because it not only adds beauty to the surface but also makes it safer to
walk and stand on than a smooth surface concrete finishes, especially during the wet season.

10. Polished Surface Concrete Finishes

 Polished Concrete
Finish

The polished concrete finishes on a concrete surface are obtained through a mechanical
process of grinding and polishing with the use of specialized tools and equipment to provide
distinct textures with the use of a penetrant chemical.

These are some of the widely used concrete finishes techniques and really effective for their
intended purposes.

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FAQs:
What do you mean by Finish of Concrete?

A smooth surface formed with screeds and trowels is the most basic sort of concrete finish.
Concrete finishers use a screed to level off the concrete surface immediately after it has been
laid in form.

What is a Colouration of Concrete?

Colour is added to concrete to give it a look that matches the architecture of the surrounding
structure. Mix-added pigments or post-cure staining, both of which are mentioned below, can
be used to achieve this.
What is a Swirl Concrete finishes?

A swirl finish is a one-of-a-kind concrete finish that is achieved by spreading the concrete
surface in a circular pattern that is evenly overlapping.