Concrete Finish Selector

The selector compares the 7 finishes homeowners are usually offered for patios, driveways, walkways and pool decks. Each is scored from 1 to 5 on five sourced criteria (higher is better for you). Style fit is scored separately because it depends on the look you want.

Broom and exposed aggregate score well across the board. Stamped concrete trades upkeep and cost for looks, and a salt finish is strong everywhere except in freezing weather. See broom finish concrete and exposed aggregate concrete for photos and details.

Wet grip comes from the surface texture, not the color. Research by Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia found that broom and stamped finishes grip about the same, that broom grips best across the grain, and that penetrating sealers keep far more grip than film-forming ones. Steel-troweled concrete under a coating tested as unsatisfactory.

Medium broom and exposed aggregate score 5/5. For a side-by-side look at those two, read exposed aggregate vs broom finish.

In snow country the mix matters as much as the finish. NRMCA calls for air-entrained concrete (about 6% air for 3/4 to 1 inch aggregate) on slabs exposed to freezing and deicers, says a broom finish is adequate for most exterior surfaces, and advises against steel troweling.

With a freeze-thaw climate set, a patio's salt finish drops to 55/100 and carries a sealer warning. No deicers in the first winter, and never ammonium- or magnesium-based deicers on any concrete.

Surface heat follows color far more than texture. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reports that new gray concrete reflects 30–50% of sunlight, and that a light pavement measured about 30 °F cooler than a dark one beside it. Solomon Colors' tests show dark integral colors reflect roughly half as much sunlight as light tones.

On exposed aggregate the heat follows the stone, so a pale stone stays cooler. For tint choices, see colored concrete.

Upkeep scores reward finishes that need little sealing and clean easily. Stamped concrete is the most work because its color and pattern rely on a sealer that needs renewing; broom only needs an optional penetrating sealer.

Our guide to sealing a concrete patio covers sealer types, timing and cost.

• Smooth steel trowel: too slippery when wet for outdoor surfaces. The selector ranks it last with a 40% score penalty on every surface.
• Salt finish in freeze-thaw climates: water in the pits freezes and spalls. It is avoided on driveways, walkways and pool decks there, and allowed on a patio only with a waterproofing sealer.
• Dye for outdoor color: dyes are not recommended outdoors; use integral color or stain for exterior color.
• Glossy film sealers on walking surfaces: they make even textured finishes slick when wet.

Salt finish photos: salt finish concrete patio.

Each surface weights the criteria differently: pool decks put slip and barefoot heat first, driveways weight durability and upkeep. Here is how the finishes rank with each surface's usual priority in a mild climate.

Patio (low upkeep, modern style):

Driveway (low upkeep): Broom finish (medium) leads at 82/100.

Walkway (slip resistance): Broom finish (medium) at 89/100. Pool deck (slip resistance): Broom finish (medium) at 89/100, ideally lightly broomed for bare feet.

Go deeper with the pool deck finish selector and the driveway finish selector.

Broom is the baseline price for poured concrete; every other finish adds a step. Plain concrete runs about $6–12 per square foot installed, exposed aggregate $8–16 and stamped $8–28.

For a priced estimate by finish and size, use SlabCalc's concrete finish cost estimator. To compare concrete with pavers or flagstone, try the patio cost calculator.

Each finish has five sourced scores plus an editorial style score. Your surface sets the base weight of each criterion, your climate raises or lowers freeze-thaw, heat and slip, and your priority counts 4 times as much. The weighted total becomes a score out of 100. Hard rules (for example smooth trowel outdoors) rank a finish last with a 40% penalty; soft rules show a warning. Sources are listed on our methodology page.