Woodbury concrete specialist explains custom pours

Published on September 15, 2009

Greg Mohs, owner of highly rated Mohscrete Concrete Works in Woodbury, Minn., discusses the facts about stamped concrete.

What services do you offer?

"We install custom-designed driveways, walkways, front entryways and steps, garage floors, fire pits, countertops and tables. We also do interior concrete floors that are acid stained for a unique look." 

A third-generation concrete man, Mohs says cement courses through his veins. “I can’t see myself doing anything else,” he says. “At a very young age I remember jumping on the tailgate of my father’s company truck to ride down the block just to watch them work.”

What is stamped concrete?

"The concrete comes in almost liquid-like form and after it’s poured, the concrete firms up like cookie dough. We press stamps that are like “cookie cutters” into the concrete while it’s still soft. The cookie cutters fit together like a puzzle, and we leapfrog them over each other across the surface to get the impressions."

Why would a customer want stamped 
over traditional?

"Stamped concrete can reflect a home’s character and can make it seem larger. Traditional concrete is great, but when it’s stamped, you get a lot of bang for your buck. A stamped walkway and garage apron with a nice traditional driveway still has a lot of curb appeal, but is lighter on the pocketbook."

What’s the difference between stamped, 
decorative and textured?

"Stamped concrete is done with the cookie cutter-like puzzle pieces that have to fit together perfectly, just like 
a tile floor. Textured concrete is made using floppy mats 
that we slap over the surface. Decorative concrete can mean that it’s colored or has an address stenciled into it. Staining and coloring can be done in just about any color. Interior concrete floors are really beautiful when done with an acid stain, and they’re becoming a good low-maintenance choice over tile or wood."

What are the pattern options available?

"If you can dream it, we can do it. Molds can even be custom-made, although most have already been done, 
so it makes it easy to find a favorite. You can make the 
concrete look like flagstone, slate, or London cobblestone 
— even a fan or fish-scale pattern — the list is really endless."

Is stamped concrete more expensive than 
traditional concrete?

"Stamped is generally two times the cost of traditional 
concrete, but it’s worth it. The labor and planning take a bit more time, so traditional may cost $6 a square foot, while stamped would be around $15 a square foot."

What’s the most lavish job you’ve done?  

"We did an 8,000-square-foot driveway just down the 
road from the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. It cost $50,000 and was colored dark gray and had a smooth picture frame border around each 5-foot by 5-foot section."