This concrete patio project was completed in the spring of 2010 in El Cajon, San Diego CA. There was approximately 10 cubic yards of colored concrete poured. The color used was Terra Cotta. The pattern used for the stamped concrete patio was a natural stone pattern.
The process for installing colored stamped concrete for this patio was to remove the unwanted soil and to install #3 rebar for reinforcement. The rebar helps keep the concrete from cracking due to soil and earth movement, which can happen during the curing process. We used a high quality concrete mixture of 3/8″ aggregate and cement to achieve a 2500 PSI strength.
Once the concrete mixture is poured the finishers begin screeding and troweling the patio. On a hot day in San Diego County, the concrete can begin to set up rather quickly, so we needed several concrete finishers that day. Once the finishers have leveled off the concrete they can begin the process of applying the concrete releasing agents which will give the patio different shades of the terra cotta color. The final process is to use the concrete stamps to bring out the stone pattern and texture.