Articles

Adorn with Decorative Concrete

Story by Judy Colbert

Winter's gone, thank goodness. But, the freezing and thawing and the ravages of the years have taken their toll. Your sidewalk looks like a roller coaster for the ant population drawn to the sweet crumbs dropped last Halloween. Your driveway has cracked and the weeds are starting a family reunion. Or, maybe the constant cold snapped the life out of the shrubs and plantings around your home.

It's time to do something!

That something could be a new sidewalk, driveway, patio, pool deck, retaining wall, or other decorative touch that will make your life more enjoyable, ease the maintenance demands on your time and back, and give your home a huge boost in its curb appeal.  Chaney Enterprises in Waldorf is one good place to start. Their hardscape (the parts of the garden that aren't plants and growing things) exhibit center has all types of products on display.

Jessica Gallimore, marketing manager for Chaney, says, "The center is open all the time, so you can come by and see how something looks, how it feels to walk on barefoot" (in case you just love taking off your shoes to go between your car and home), and bring a lawn chair to see if it rocks, or doesn't, to your satisfaction. If you come during regular business hours, a hardscape specialist will be there to answer your questions.

If you've ever fancied the logo design in a McDonald's driveway or admired the eye-catching patterns in the walkways around the Six Flags theme park or Disney World, then you've taken a cotton to some of the charms of decorative concrete.

No, you may not want a big archy M in your driveway (unless your last name starts with an M), but with decorative concrete your driveway, patio, sidewalk, pool deck, or retaining wall can take on a new image. You can get concrete pavers that look like brick, wood, or other surface. They come in a multitude of colors, sizes, shapes, and styles, so your sidewalk no longer needs to be straight-edged rectangular blocks that are three feet by three feet. Even railroad ties are being replaced by pavers as retaining walls because termites can attack the ties.

Pavers can be smooth, or tumbled to look like they're old or distressed. They and concrete can be stamped and decorated (usually a driveway or patio). This is done by pouring the concrete and letting it set until it's almost hard, then the color is added and or a design press is used to create or imprint a pattern (like Play-Doh). Some examples include a fish skeleton design or stars that can be stenciled or templated onto the surface.

A sealer is poured over that to keep catsup and fries out of the cracks of your patio, sidewalk, or driveway, thus preventing ants and weeds from coming up and taking over. Existing driveways can be etched or scored and a new layer poured over it. Edgers can be installed along the sidewalk, driveway, or patio to ease mowing.

On new installations, proper preparation is important to eliminate the possibility of future heaving. Subbases are laid, of gravel and sand, then a weed retardant, and then tamped so it won't settle.

Bobby Wentworth, now retired from Wentworth Nurseries, and who will be teaching a course in landscaping and hardscaping at the College of Southern Maryland, disdains the typical square and rectangular shapes of sidewalks, patios, and driveways. It's quicker for the builder to install, but not nearly as attractive as other shapes and materials can be.

Instead, he prefers curved or serpentine patterns that soften the look of a home and make it more inviting. He notes that with the climate of Southern Maryland, where there are regular freezes and thaws, brick sidewalks and driveways are being dry set in sand rather than installed with cement or mortar. "Mortar ends up cracking and then you have an ugly brick sidewalk or driveway," says Wentworth. The dry set method uses a different type of brick and it's put in a good solid base. As an example, driveways are dug to 6" to 8" with 4" to 6" of crushed stone as a base, them tamped with a power tamper. A 2" to 4" layer of sand is placed over that, then bricks can be installed in herring bone, basket weave, running

Chaney, Wentworth, and other local companies sell everything involved for those who want to tackle the project themselves. Some companies will do the work for you or will provide a list of those contractors who can.

Material costs can run from $10 to $15 a square foot, including the concrete or base materials. Hiring a contractor to do the work will add additional costs.

And, depending on how many children and friends come to eat at your home, that drive thru may be a good idea, after all.