Textured concrete overlay for a driveway
 

Looking for recommendations on companies who can do a textured concrete overlay for our driveway to look like shiny slate tiles, but with grip.

We have looked at painting the driveway, but the decorative overlays looks far better than paint or stain. Much more appealing.

If your driveway is already finished, most if not all companies will require the existing finish to be removed. We had our driveway painted (Sherwin Williams XYLENE based product) close to 8 years ago, with NO additional maintenance, and it still looks great. The finish is a cobble stone effect, with a solid border.

If, you walk, you will see the problems with all of these ideas. People who have,"overlays,"essentially thin cement blocks or sometimes bricks, they need to be sealed and washed to be kept clean. It is easier to simply clean the cement. Also, I often see that they break due to peoples cars and workmen going up your drive to make a turn.

How much longer can I ignore, I want to get the drive done?

We bought a preowned that has textured overlay that looks like brick. 9 years ago cost was $5900. We bought when it was 5yo. Had to have original company fix 1 noticeable 5x1” inch chunk that came up. The repair plus a seal was $850. Seal only lasted 2 years, next seal with no repairs was $1600. It’s been 3 years and we are close to needed another seal.

My advice don’t do it. Your drive will become the biggest money pit for the lifetime you own the house.

You Need to be Aware of All Aspects of the Job
 

Cody McElroy with Decorative Concrete Kings does this type of work.

Painting driveway
 

Villagetinker: Who painted your driveway for you? I might want this done. Could I drive by and look at your driveway?

You do realize you are inventing a hole (pit) to pour your money into with this particular project? Get the driveway cleaned and instead pour money into a lavish landscape redesign. At least with this other approach, you can bail on it once you are tired of it without the need to pour tons more money into it to get it back to normal.

DW and I are also looking into this as well. We have spoken, and had estimates from two companies.

Design Star was one. We spoke to "Aldo"..his English is accented so he is a challenge to understand on the phone. In our case we need to have pavers removed, which he will do, some landscaping and some new concrete work done, which he won't do. His availability was into February, but the concrete guy likely won't be available until next fall.

Another company we spoke with, and got an estimate from was "Concrete Texture and Design". Their availability wasn't until April 2022 (or maybe 2023, I can't remember). Both of these companies have done work for friends of ours and we liked the result very much.
We will likely go with Design Star, simply because we'd rather get it done in the Fall of 2022 than with until Spring of '22 or '23.

Yes, there is ongoing maintenance, but it's not crazy. I like the look of our pavers, but they are the "thin" pavers, (previous owners had it done), and the company is out of business...and they are cracking and de-bonding on the borders, and for what it cost to rehab it, and THAT ongoing maintenance we've decided to go with textured concrete.

We just bought our home a year ago, and I had to learn all about driveway treatments, pros and cons. This is a subject that when you ask a specific question about on TOTV, you get lots of "Oh I wouldn't do that, I did this"...and lots of people expounding on how much they love their naked concrete. Which is fine. I find the naked concrete to be ugly. I don't like it. I'll pay for what I want, and then pay to have it properly maintained.

One thing I learned from Village Tinkerer though that made sense to me is to make sure you know exactly what material is being used, and what material will be needed for proper maintenance. Even if you plan on having it done by the company that put it in for you, these companies have a way of disappearing, and you'll absolutely need that information later.

Good luck, and let me know, either PM or on this thread, how you make out.

Oh! My neighbor had their driveway painted to look like slate, and it looks BEAUTIFUL! Come to the 609 block of Mincey Loop in St Catherine to check it out. It’s not an overlay, it’s whatever paint they use for driveways. And it has that grip you need too.

Stay away from Stone Creations. Our driveway is now deteriorating after a few years.

On this subject … does anyone know how to refinish Chattanooga river rock?? Back patio cracking and has not been re covered with lacquer ( or what ever they used) again until I see if we can paint over rocks. Don’t want it slippery. Or a layer of concrete again and stain??

Decorative Concrete Kings, Cody McElroy, 352-553-5269. I think the best and most reasonable.