Five Ideas for Creating Decorative "Floors" Outdoors

Bomanite Corporation in Madera, CA

More and more homeowners are extending their indoor spaces to the outdoors, creating backyard "living rooms" and kitchens perfect for al fresco 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 the ability to be enhanced by color, texture, and pattern. Here are ideas for how to dress up your outdoor floor and make it the focal point of your backyard retreat.

Table Mountain Creative Concrete
in Wheat Ridge, CO

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 Decorative Overlay System Doubles the Pleasure.

Faux Villa Decorative Finishes Studio

Add a stenciled rug
This concrete patio was covered with an outdoor "rug," with stencils used to create the intricate designs. Learn more.

Pac West Coatings in Carson, CA

Give it a faux tile look
You can "tile" your outdoor floor by stamping the concrete in a tile pattern and coloring the tiles to complement your outdoor décor.

Concrete Mystique Engraving in Nashville, TN

Create a pretty pattern
You can create any pattern imaginable for your 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.

Advanced Concrete Enhancement
in Sun Valley, CA

Apply a decorative medallion
Placing a medallion in the center of your outdoor floor is a simple way to add pizzazz. The medallion pattern can be created with stencils, engraving, or sawcuts, depending on the look you're after.

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