Outdoor Transformation 2005

 After several years of living with a painted wood deck that was falling apart and with splinter and nail hazards, we finally did something about it. In the process of deciding what to do we also wound up replacing the front and back walkways as well. Everything was done using a process called "Stamped Concrete". Concrete is poured, colored and stamped to impress a texture and pattern in the surface. In some cases, such as the front walk, lines are etched or cut into the surface. Additional coloring is achieved using acid stains and sealers.

The work was done by Bernadine Construction in Malvern, PA. They were full of creative ideas and did great work. Unfortunately, when it comes to repairs and touch up their follow-through is very poor.

We don't have any "before" pictures available for a comparison, but what we had done was:

  • Replace the front and back flag-stone walkways with an Itialian marble texture and bordered with a cobble-stone pattern.

  • Apply an overlay to the plain-old concrete porch and stoop by the front doors with a cobble-stone pattern.

  • Remove the wood platform and stairs form the back door and rplace them with a concrete platform and cascading steps.

  • Demolish the wood deck and replaced it with a walled patio. The patio floor is a "random" slate pattern.

  • The wall is given a rock texture with stone shapes carved in the surface and individually colored.

  • The cap on the wall is a rock-slab texture and a similar texture is used to form a narrow ledge around the kitchen windows.

  • The stucco under the kitchen windows had to be replaced because of damage from where the deck had been attached. However, it turned out the wood under the stucco had rotted and the entire front of the wall had to be rebuilt.

 


Front walkway from driveway.


Front walkway continuing to the front door.


Back walkway from driveway.


Back walkway continuing to the back door and patio.


The half-round platform and cascading steps provide and easy transition
from the level of the sliding doors to the level of the patio.


Closeup of the slate pattern floor.


Take the view from the left.


Then a view from the right.

 

(fin)