Greetings!
 More and more
homeowners are extending their indoor spaces to the outdoors, creating backyard
"living rooms" and kitchens perfect for alfresco dining and entertaining. A key element of any outdoor room is its
"floor," which should be functional and weatherproof, yet as luxurious and
decorative as any indoor flooring. Concrete is the ideal material for this
purpose, combining unmatched durability with your artistic prowess as the contractor to
enhance it using color, texture, and pattern. Here are ideas for how to dress
up the outdoor floors of your clients and make them the focal point of an elegant backyard
retreat.
Jim Peterson,
The Concrete Network
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Cover it with an Overlay
If you're building an
outdoor room around an existing concrete patio or deck, you can cover it with a
decorative overlay in any pattern and color desired. See this project: Decorative Overlay System Doubles the Pleasure.
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Apply a Decorative Medallion
Placing a medallion in the center of an outdoor floor is a simple way to
add pizzazz. The medallion pattern can be created with stencils,
engraving, or sawcuts, depending on the look your client is after.
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Give it a Faux Tile Look
You can "tile" an outdoor floor by stamping
the concrete in a tile pattern and coloring the tiles to complement the
surrounding d?cor. See more patterns for stamped concrete.
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Create a Pretty Pattern
You can create any
pattern imaginable for an outdoor floor, including swirls, circles and
free-form designs, by decorative engraving. This technique works on both new
and existing concrete, and the results are especially impressive when enhanced
by staining. Learn more about concrete engraving.
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Add a Stenciled Rug
This concrete patio was covered with an outdoor "rug,"
with stencils used to create the intricate designs. Learn more about this technique.
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