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Sealing the concrete before tiling is recommended to help it stand up against any water that may seep through the tiles or grout. After thoroughly cleaning the concrete with TSP, priming with a concrete primer will seal the concrete. Check the label on the primer to make sure it is also a sealant and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application.

While stamped concrete can last up to 50 years on average, a driveway will likely need repairs or resurfacing within 25 years. Comparatively, the life span of a stamped concrete driveway is much longer than those built with pavers or asphalt, which will often crack or break down under the weight of your vehicle much sooner.

A 4-inch-thick concrete slab can support around 4,000 pounds per square foot if a contractor reinforces the slab with rebar, while that same slab without reinforcements will support closer to 1,000 pounds. For the purposes of a patio, 4 inches in thickness without reinforcement should suffice unless you’re installing heavy kitchen equipment or a hot tub on it. In those cases, reinforcing your slab and sticking with 4 inches of thickness should provide plenty of strength.

Concrete slump can be affected by the amount of water in the mix, the size of the aggregate components, the mix’s temperature, how long the concrete is mixed, and more. Mixing concrete with the correct slump depends on almost every component of the concrete mix being correctly balanced and is critical to ensure the concrete performs as expected.