Benefits of Exposed Aggregate Paving on a Residential Property
If you're looking for a paving solution for your home, rather than opting for grey concrete, you could choose exposed aggregate. It provides the following benefits.
Natural Appearance
One of the main advantages of exposed aggregate is its natural, organic appearance. It's created by adding ornamental pebbles and stones to the cement and then washing the cement away to reveal the aggregates. In this way, this concrete brings out and emphasises the beauty of natural materials such as rock. You can also use other elements, like shells, to create unique patterns.
Versatile and Customisable
With its decorative pebbles and cement construction, exposed aggregate offers many opportunities to control its appearance, making it a versatile form of paving. You can include stones and rocks of varied shapes, sizes and colours for particular effects. For example, blend cream, pink and beige pebbles if you live near the coast and want to create a beachy look. Alternatively, you can combine grey, brown and orange stones in a bush environment.
As well as having the option to mix and match the stones, you can choose different colours for the background cement. You can colour it a similar or contrasting hue to the aggregates. Because you can adapt the paving so freely, you can customise it for too many different settings. For example, you can use it around the home for a driveway, walkway, patio or pool deck.
Non-Slip Surface
Another benefit of exposed aggregate concrete is that it creates a safe, non-slip surface. Because the pebbles and stones protrude, they form a textured surface that provides traction. For this reason, exposed aggregate is ideal around pool decks and other areas that are typically water-splashed. This quality also makes the concrete practical for driveways, where people often get out of cars carrying different items in all kinds of weather.
Durable
Another advantage of exposed aggregate is its durability and strength. It usually lasts for many years and is strong enough to be used for driveways that bear the weight of vehicles. Plain concrete is strong, and the additional aggregates can make this paving ultra-strong. However, the strength of concrete depends on several factors, such as the thickness and structure of the slab.
You can apply a sealant to ensure the exposed aggregate's longevity and protect its colours and textures. An additional benefit of the patterned surface is that it disguises dirt and stains, which tend to blend in.
Reach out to a local aggregate concrete service to learn more.
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