Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete, pool decks and faux rock
Pool decks and surrounds, faux rock work, walkways, retaining walls, waterfalls, grottos, fire pits and outdoor kitchens.
Chapter 01
The slab around the water decides how the pool ages
Plain broom-finish concrete is the easy answer around a pool, and it is also the one people regret when the surface gets slick, the color goes flat, or a crack runs straight through the middle of the patio. Decorative concrete is the choice to treat the deck, the steps and the walkway as part of the yard's design instead of a gray apron around the shell.
The real decision is how much of the yard you want to be rock, paver, stamped pattern or flagstone look, and where the plain surfaces should stop. A faux rock edge at the pool, a stamped walk to the back door and a colored slab for the table and chairs can all come from one palette, so the whole yard reads as one place and not three jobs from three crews.
In a North State summer a dark slab can run hot underfoot at the water's edge. Color and texture are not only looks. They are part of how comfortable the deck is at four in the afternoon in Palo Cedro.
Faux rock waterfall spilling into a pool beside a decorative concrete deck
Poured, colored and carved in place
Greg Sweatt's crew does decorative concrete as part of the same plan as the pool. That covers decorative concrete patios, pool surrounds and pool decks, walkways and retaining walls, and the sculpted work: faux rock edges, waterfalls, grottos, fire pits and outdoor kitchens. A team member on the decorative side brings over 23 years of experience in it.
The sequence matters more than the finish. Grade and base come first, forms and reinforcement next, then the pour, then the color, pattern or rock carving while the concrete is still workable, then the seal. For rock work the shape is built up and carved on site, so a waterfall or grotto can be made to meet the pool plumbing and the fiberglass shell, whether that is a Leisure Pools or a San Juan Pools model, at the right height from day one.
Because the same crew sets the shell, builds the deck and does the concrete, the coping, the deck grade and the rock edge are drawn to each other. Nobody has to explain the pool to a second contractor. If you want the whole backyard at once, you call Greg once.
Chapter 03
Color that holds, and a crew that comes back to fix it
Concrete color is the part people worry about most, and the part that is hardest to judge from a sample chip. Sun, a good seal and a regular rinse keep a colored surface looking like the day it was finished. Ask Greg's crew about the sealer that suits your surface and how often to refresh it.
If something does go wrong, what matters is who answers the phone. Linda Ezzat, a pool and spa customer, wrote to the crew after a concrete job, and the line from her letter is below. The same tone runs through the other letters on their Raves page.
Concrete pairs naturally with the decks and structures that sit beside it and the planting that softens it. Call (530) 547-4051 or book a free consultation and estimate, and bring the yard's photos and any pool model you are weighing.
A decorative concrete team member on Greg Sweatt's crew with over 23 years of experience. Lic# 913884.
Six surfaces, one pour schedule
All six come from the same crew that sets the pool, so color and edges can be planned together.
- 01Pool decks and surrounds
- The ground your feet meet first, wet.
- 02Patios and walkways
- Stamped, colored and textured to the house.
- 03Faux rock work
- Edges, steps and waterfalls carved in place.
- 04Retaining walls
- Where the yard has to hold a slope.
- 05Grottos and waterfalls
- Rock that the pool plumbing runs through.
- 06Fire pits and outdoor kitchens
- Built into the slab, not set on top of it.
“you took responsibility for your job and returned it to its original perfect condition. The new concrete looks very nice and the color matches perfectly”
Read what customers say on the reviews page, or see how the same crew builds the decks and gazebos and the planting that go around a concrete pool surround. Financing options are on the financing page.