With exposed aggregate's customisation options, you can create virtually any look you wish when designing a patio, pool area, or pathway. Here are several ways you can personalise your concrete surface. 

Selecting Aggregates

Firstly, you can select whatever elements you want to add to the cement mix. Pick between colourful pebbles in hues such as blues, tans, creams and reds. You can create a multicoloured surface by combining diverse shades, or design a muted effect with similar tones. As well, you might wish to add sea shells, coloured glass, or other items for decorative appeal. Thus you can create flooring of a particular colour and texture to echo your home's architecture or the natural landscape.

The choice of aggregates influences not only the aesthetics but also the functionality of the surface. If you want to wander comfortably over your pool area in bare feet, include rounded pebbles, softened by natural processes like flowing river water. Alternatively, you could incorporate angular crushed stone, the result of pulverising machines. Angular shapes compact well together on surfaces such as driveways, creating a more stable base. One possible stone variety is crushed granite stone, which is particularly strong and hardy.

Aggregate Quantity

Some exposed aggregate surfaces are packed full of decorations, while others have them more sparsely separated. With fewer aggregates, the smooth cement becomes more visible. Contractors can add subtle pigments to the concrete to blend it with the stones, or else they can leave the cement an industrial grey hue. You'll need to decide on the quantity and also the cement hue.

The Finishing Process

How obvious the aggregates appear also depends on the finishing process. Before the concrete hardens, the contractors wash away the top cement layer to expose the decorative pieces underneath. With more cement removed, the aggregates protrude more from the pavement. Conversely, with less cement removed, the aggregates remain more submerged, creating a smoother, less bumpy surface.

Thus exposed aggregates provides a flexible surface, allowing you to choose the type and amount of aggregates. From river pebbles to crushed stone and other embellishments such as shells, you'll have a wide range to choose from. You can take inspiration from your home's architecture and the landscape when picking colours and materials. Additionally, the finishing will decide how bumpy or smooth the surface is. Because you can cover different areas such as patios, driveways and pool decks, you could alter the design slightly in each region for variety. 

For more information, contact an exposed aggregate supplier.