If you're renovating the exterior of your home and improving the appearance of your property, don't overlook the importance of your home's entry area. The entry is where guests get the first impression of your home. Rather than have old, stained concrete, consider a more decorative option. Here are some ideas you may want to discuss with a concrete contractor.
Stamp Designs In The Stairs
Make the stairs to your entry more attractive by stamping the concrete so it looks like your stairs are made of stone. Stamping concrete is an affordable way to make your entry stairs look more attractive. You might also want to change the style of the stairs.
Rather than traditional precast concrete stairs, you might want the concrete poured on-site so you can have custom stairs made. Custom stairs can have the steps placed farther apart, be made to curve around the entry, and be any width and length you want.
Add Concrete Sitting Walls
If you have a large entry area, you might want curved sitting walls on each side. Sitting walls add visual interest and provide an outdoor seating area. Short walls are even suitable for small entry areas.
You may want a sitting wall for holding plants and flowers rather than for seating. You can also add lighting to your wall for a decorative touch at night. Depending on the style you choose, you can have the wall and seating area made entirely of concrete and poured on-site, or you might want to use precast concrete or concrete blocks.
Blend The Entry And Driveway
Surrounding the front of your house with plain concrete might not be the most attractive option, so look into decorative concrete when you want to match your driveway, walkways, and entry. Besides stamping the concrete, the concrete contractor can add a colored border or polish the concrete for a shiny appearance. You might even want exposed aggregate for your entry and walkways.
Building an exposed aggregate sidewalk and entry is a lot like building a traditional concrete slab in that a form is built and the concrete is poured in place. However, once the concrete is poured, leveled, and given the chance to set up a little, the surface of the walkway, driveway, or entry area is washed off with a hose to wash away the top of the concrete and expose the gravel below. Only the top of the gravel is exposed so the surface is still comfortable for walking.
Your concrete contractor might have other ideas for giving your entry area a unique and attractive appearance. Even if you want plain concrete, changing the shape of your entry or connecting the entry to walkways can improve the appearance of your property.
