Lake Macquarie, the Central Coast & Newcastle
Exposed aggregate concrete, Lake Macquarie & the Central Coast
The finish this area asks for by name. Exposed aggregate is most of what we pour — driveways, pool surrounds, stairs and entries, in the mixes on this page.
The mixes we pour
Exposed aggregate is stone, sand and cement like any mix. The difference is the finish: we take the thin top layer of cement paste off, so the stone in the mix becomes the surface you walk on. Two choices set the look — the stone you see, and the oxide colouring the paste between the stones.
These are the combinations we have actually poured around Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast, not a supplier's catalogue:
- 100% Cowra white with an oxide — the clean, light finish, as poured at Wangi Wangi (200 m²)
- 100% ivory with arctic oxide — a warmer, off-white look
- 80% Cowra white / 20% basalt with black oxide — white stone in a dark base, high contrast
- “Ocean floor” — 80% limestone / 20% basalt, mottled and natural, poured at Gwandalan and Niagara Park
- Pewter oxide — a grey base sitting between the light and dark options
How the finish is made
The stone comes in the mix from the truck; it is never scattered on top. We place and screed the concrete like any slab, float it flat and edge it.
Once the surface firms up, a surface retarder goes on. It slows the set of the top few millimetres of paste only — underneath, the slab hardens as normal.
The next day we come back and wash. A pressure washer and a broom take that softened paste off and leave the stone standing proud. How hard we wash decides how much stone shows: too light and it reads like dirty concrete, too hard and stones start pulling out. That step is the whole trade, and it is why the person who quoted your job is on the tools for it.
After the slab has cured and dried — as a rule of thumb about a week — it gets sealed. The sealer locks the stone in, deepens the colour and keeps oil and dirt out.
Why it suits homes around the lake
Grip. The stone surface holds a tyre or a bare foot in the wet, which matters on a sloping block near the water and around a pool.
It hides what plain concrete shows. Tyre marks, leaf stains and the odd drip disappear into the pattern; a flat grey driveway shows every one of them.
It matches the houses being built here. Black-clad, white render, timber — a white or ocean-floor exposed finish sits under any of those facades without fighting them.
Choosing your mix
We bring samples so you choose the stone and the oxide against your own house colours and in real light, not off a phone screen. If you like a driveway you have driven past, send us the photo — there is a good chance we know the mix, and we can often point you at a job nearby with the same one.
Jobs like this
Common questions
- Is exposed aggregate slippery when wet?
- No — it's one of the grippier finishes. The exposed stone gives texture underfoot and under tyre, which is why it's a common choice for sloping driveways and pool surrounds.
- Can I choose the colour of exposed aggregate?
- Yes, in two ways: the stone (Cowra white, ivory, basalt, limestone or a blend) and the oxide colouring the cement between the stones (black, pewter, arctic and others). Together they set the finished look.
- Does exposed aggregate need sealing?
- Yes. It's sealed once the slab has cured and dried out, as a rule of thumb about a week after the pour. The sealer deepens the colour, locks the stone in and keeps oil and dirt out of the surface. It gets resealed periodically over the life of the driveway.
- How long until I can drive on it?
- As a rule of thumb keep cars off for about a week, with concrete reaching its design strength at 28 days. We give you the exact date for your slab and the weather it was poured in, and it's sealed before it goes into full use.