Is Stamped Concrete Slippery? (Important Stuff You Need To Know!)

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Is Stamped Concrete Slippery?

Don’t the stamped concrete pool decks, on pinterest, look stunning? I am sure you would like to get a deck like that too. And to be honest, it is not that difficult or expensive. But before you go ahead and ask your pool builder to build one, you need to know if stamped concrete is slippery?

Stamped concrete, in spite of a texture, can be quite slippery, especially when wet. Actually it is the high gloss or wet look topical sealer on it that makes stamped concrete so slippery.

The choice of stamped concrete is certainly a choice of looks over functionality. You must use a topical sealer that enhances the amazing looks and texture of stamped concrete. 

With concealed lighting, wet or glossy look stamped concrete, around a rock, fire or water feature on the pool deck, can create an ambiance straight out of a magazine or a movie set.

There are techniques to make stamped concrete non-slip or slip resistant. I shall be discussing these in this post. After reading this post you will be able to have your cake and eat it too!

You can have the pool deck of your dreams without the risk of slipping and taking a tumble.

What Is Stamped Concrete?

The thought behind stamped concrete patios or decks is to take a “plain Jane” concrete surface and give it a lot of character. A pattern, any pattern, can be stamped or imprinted on the “still wet” concrete surface. 

Add to it the right color and gloss and you could have an ancient Roman piazza around your pool fountain. Or maybe you fancy a barn board pattern to go with your rustic farmhouse villa. Stamped concrete has endless possibilities. 

The process of creating a concrete pool deck starts with pouring the concrete. For stamped concrete you will need to add the base color to the concrete. The color can be added directly to the concrete mix or broadcast on the concrete after it has been poured.

A color release agent, an accent color is applied. This helps to bring out the three dimensional quality of the texture. The end result is that the stamped concrete gets a color gradation. Darker color in the deeper spots and lighter color in the shallower spots.

The stamps (polymer mats with the desired profile) are pressed into the still wet concrete. The mats are moved from spot to spot till the entire surface is covered with the pattern.

Let the cement dry for 24 hours before washing off the release agent. Then let the concrete cure for 4 weeks.

Is It Necessary to Seal Stamped Concrete?

Stamped concrete must be sealed. The colors of unsealed stamped concrete will fade rapidly. Spills will stain the concrete will stain the stamped concrete and will be very difficult to clean.

Concrete surfaces also disintegrate by a process called scaling. Water within the concrete expands and contracts as the temperature changes. This puts physical pressure on the cement causing it to break down into dust.

After the concrete has fully cured, spray 2 coats of penetrating sealer, such as  Foundation Armor SX5000 Water Based Silane Siloxane Penetrating Concrete Sealer.

The Armor SX5000 WB penetrates deep into the substrate where it chemically reacts to form a hydrophobic barrier within the pores that reduces the absorption of water by up to 95%. It protects concrete, from within, without changing the look or feel of the surface. It will last a real long time.

To bring out the beauty of stamped concrete, you need to apply two coats of a topical sealer. I recommend using Foundation Armor AR350 Solvent Based Acrylic Wet Look Concrete Sealer.

The Armor AR350 is a solvent based acrylic wet look sealer that is designed to seal, enhance, and protect a variety of interior and exterior concrete and concrete paver surfaces.

The Armor AR350 penetrates deep into the surface where it chemically bonds to the pores of the concrete and pavers, creating a long lasting, non-yellowing, breathable finish that enhances dull or faded surfaces by creating a darkened wet look, and low gloss finish.

To make stamped concrete less slippery, you need to mix a non-slip additive such as H&C Sharkgrip Slip-resistant Additive into the topical sealer.

Topical sealers do not last very long due to foot traffic and weathering. To maintain the gloss level you will need to apply the topical sealer every 2-3 years.

The process of stamping concrete is a highly skilled job. Leave it to the professionals for best results.

How Do You Add a Grip to Stamped Concrete?

As explained above, it is the topical sealer that makes stamped concrete slippery. To make stamped concrete less slippery you can follow one of the following methods.

Avoid the Topical Sealer

Some people follow the route of not putting any topical sealer on top of the stamped concrete. It appears to make sense. No sealer, no slipping!

The problem is that not having a topical sealer on stamped concrete defeats the very purpose of having a stamped concrete pool deck. It will not look pretty to begin with and will deteriorate very rapidly as well.

Use a Non Slip Additive in the Sealer

This is the route most people follow. The non-slip additive is either mixed into the sealer or broadcast over the still wet sealer coat. There are several popular brands such as SureCrete’s SureGrip, H&C SharkGrip or Matcrete’s Rhino Grip.

A non-slip additive will make the stamped concrete less slippery. But it will not make it slip-free, especially when the surface is wet.

Be aware of this at all times. Be careful, very careful when you walk on wet stamped concrete. Make sure that your kids understand that they can not run wild on a wet stamped concrete pool deck.

Do Not Walk on Stamped Concrete

At first glance, this advice may seem a bit silly. But in fact it is not. You can design the pool deck in a manner that areas which will get foot traffic do not have stamped concrete. You could, for example, use brushed concrete walkways from the lounge area to the pool. Brushed concrete is not slippery.

And you can still have the beauty of stamped concrete by laying out in areas which will either not get wet or will get very little foot traffic. Use stamped concrete around a fire pit on your pool deck that you use for alfresco dining. 

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.