Get a Quote

Care Guides

Keep it looking like the day we left.

Decorative concrete is about as low-maintenance as an outdoor surface gets. Here's the short list of what to do, what to skip, and which marks are just concrete being concrete.

Get a fixed-price quoteCall 361-420-7726

Printable

Your care sheet, by service.

The same sheet we hand you on the day we finish. Cleaning, what will damage it, when to re-seal, and what is normal concrete behaviour rather than a defect.

Lost yours, or not sure which one you have? Call 361-420-7726 and we will tell you what went down on your slab and send the right sheet.

Right after the pour

The first month matters most.

  1. 01Stay off it as long as we tell youWe'll give you the exact times when we finish — they depend on the mix, the weather and the finish. Foot traffic and vehicle traffic have different waits, and vehicles wait a lot longer.
  2. 02Keep it clearNo furniture, planters, pets or hose reels sitting on a fresh slab. Anything that sits there while it's curing can leave a mark you'll live with.
  3. 03Don't cover itPlastic sheeting, cardboard or a tarp traps moisture and discolors new concrete. Let it breathe.
  4. 04Expect it to look wet in patchesNew concrete dries unevenly for weeks. Give it time before deciding something is wrong.

Everyday care

Do this. Skip that.

Do

  • Rinse it. Most dirt on a patio or pool deck comes off with a hose and a push broom.
  • For a real clean, use a mild pH-neutral cleaner made for decorative concrete and rinse it thoroughly.
  • Wipe up spills — grease, drink mixes, fertilizer, sunscreen — before they sit overnight.
  • Put pads under metal furniture feet and planters so rust and moisture don't leave rings.
  • Sweep leaves off in the wet months; tannin from wet leaves can stain a light-colored slab.
  • Keep sprinklers aimed at the grass, not the deck. Constant water on one strip is what drives efflorescence.

Don't

  • Don't use muriatic acid or acidic cleaners on a sealed or stained surface — they will strip the color.
  • Don't use de-icing salts. They're rare on the coast, but they chew up concrete faster than anything else.
  • Don't run a pressure washer close-up on a high setting. It cuts through sealer and can lift the stamped texture.
  • Don't drag heavy furniture, planters or a grill across it. Pick it up.
  • Don't park on a patio, walkway or pool deck — those aren't poured to carry a vehicle.
  • Don't let a pool chemical bucket or spilled shock sit on the deck.

Sealer

The one thing that needs redoing.

Sealer is what protects the color and keeps stains from soaking in. It is also the only part of a decorative slab that wears out — sun, rain and traffic take it down over time, and on the Gulf Coast the sun does most of that work.

You'll know it's time when the surface stops beading water, the color looks flat or chalky compared with a sheltered corner, or spills start leaving a mark. High-traffic strips and full-sun areas always go first.

Resealing is a straightforward job — clean, dry, recoat — and it's far cheaper than fixing a stained slab. We reseal work we've poured and work we haven't.

Ask us for your surface's interval. How often to reseal depends on the product we used, the finish and how much sun and traffic your slab takes — so we give you the number for your job rather than a blanket rule. Call 361-420-7726 and we'll pull up what went on your project.

Don't panic

Normal concrete behavior.

We tell customers this before they sign, not after they call worried.

  • Hairline cracks

    Concrete shrinks as it cures and moves with the ground under it. Fine cracks are normal in every slab ever poured, which is why we cut control joints — to decide where they happen. They are not a defect and they are not a failure.

  • Color variation

    Stains and integral colors react with the concrete itself, so shade shifts across a slab, between pours and between the sample and your patio. On a stained floor that variation is the whole point of the look.

  • Efflorescence

    A white, chalky haze that rises to the surface as moisture moves through the slab. It's mineral salts, not mold or damage, and it usually fades over the first year. A stiff brush and clean water take most of it off.

  • A darker patch after rain

    Concrete is porous and dries unevenly. A spot that stays dark longer is almost always just holding moisture.

Keen work carries a one-year workmanship warranty. Cracking, color variation and efflorescence are inherent to concrete and are excluded — we say that up front rather than in the fine print. If something looks wrong to you, call us and we'll come look at it. We'd rather drive out and tell you it's fine than have you worry about your patio. Full terms are in your signed work agreement; see also our terms.

Tell us about your project and we'll come out, measure, and hand you an itemized quote — materials, timeline and total. The price on the paper is the price you pay.

Request a quoteCall 361-420-7726

Serving Corpus Christi, Rockport, Ingleside, Kingsville and the Coastal Bend.