Slabline Concreting Co. Exposed Aggregate
Exposed aggregate is the decorative finish that still works for its living, the top of the slab washed back so the stone shows through, textured and non-slip, and it holds up to cars and weather where a smooth finish would not. We choose the stone with you and seal it so the surface resists stains and the stone stays sharp. It is the same base and mesh as a plain slab, the difference is the finish and the sealing, named on the quote.
What this job includes.
- ✓Exposed-aggregate driveways, paths, pool surrounds and entertaining areas
- ✓The stone colour and size chosen from samples, named on the quote
- ✓Washed back to expose the stone, then sealed to last
- ✓Non-slip in the wet, so it suits driveways and around pools
- ✓Poured on the same compacted base and mesh as any slab
Exposed aggregate is a finish decision and a stone decision
Exposed aggregate is not one product. The look you end up with is set by the stone in the mix, not the finish process, and the difference between a basalt blue, a honey-toned river pebble and a black-and-white salt-and- pepper is the difference between a driveway that picks up the house and one that fights it. We carry the sample range to the measure, hold it against the bricks and the render, and name the stone (size, colour and supplier) on the quote. The stone is the line item, not “exposed aggregate”.
What changes between an exposed and a plain slab
Underneath, it is the same job: compacted sub-base, mesh sized to the classification, MPa named, control joints to plan. The difference is on top. After the pour we wash the surface back at the right time (too early washes the cement out and weakens the surface, too late and the stone is locked in), then we let the slab cure and seal it. The seal is what holds the stone, sheds the oil and tyre marks, and keeps the colour true under UV. We use a coastal-grade penetrating sealer named on the quote on Torquay and Ocean Grove jobs, a standard penetrating sealer inland.
What an itemised exposed-aggregate quote includes
- The area in m², the slab thickness and the stone (size, colour, supplier), each named
- The site classification (Class A through E) and what it sets for thickness and mesh
- The mesh gauge and any edge reo
- The mix supplier and the strength (N25 or N32 for exposed), named on the page
- The wash-back specification and the timing window
- The sealer (brand and grade) and the reseal recommendation, named
- The control-joint pattern, sawcut to depth
- The 10-year slab and footings warranty in writing
A “$95 per m² exposed aggregate” quote with no stone named, no MPa, and no sealer brand is the one that comes back to you a thin slab in a generic grey mix with a thin seal that whitens within a year. The stone, the MPa and the sealer are how you compare the same finish to the same finish.
Priced by the m², itemised line by line.
The m² and thickness, the site classification, the mesh and reo, the MPa, the base prep, the finish, control joints, and the guarantee. Not one round number for a slab.
- 1 Square metres and thickness. The price broken down by the m² and the slab thickness, 100 mm for a standard driveway, stepped up for reactive soil or vehicles. Not one round number for "a slab".
- 2 The site classification (AS 2870). The site classification, Class A through E, that the slab and footings are designed to. This is the line a cheap quote skips, and it is what decides whether the slab cracks or holds.
- 3 The mesh and reo. The mesh and reo named and sized, SL72 or SL82 and any bars, set to the soil classification or the loads the slab carries, never a one-size slab over loose fill.
- 4 The MPa and slump (AS 3600 / AS 1379). The concrete strength in MPa and the slump, ordered to AS 1379 and placed to AS 3600. "Concrete" with no strength named is the warning sign, not the number.
- 5 Base prep and vapour barrier. The excavation, the compacted base, and the vapour barrier under a habitable slab, each itemised, never a pour straight onto loose fill that lets damp through later.
- 6 The finish and sealing. The finish named, broom, exposed aggregate, coloured or honed, and the sealing on a decorative slab, so you know exactly what surface you are getting and what it costs.
- 7 Control joints and the guarantee. The control joints cut at the right spacing so it cracks on the line, and the 10-year guarantee on the slab and footings in writing, with the AS 2870 paperwork where the slab is structural.
What happens, step by step.
Free measure and set-out
We measure the area, check the soil and the falls, mark out the slab and talk through the finish and the spec, then put a written by-the-m² quote in your hands.
Excavate to depth
We strip the topsoil and excavate to the right depth for the slab, the falls and the soil, and cart the spoil away, so the slab sits on solid ground and drains the way it should.
Compacted base and vapour barrier
We bring in and compact the road base in layers, then lay the vapour barrier under a habitable slab and lap it at the joins, because a slab is only as good as what is under it.
Form up and place the mesh and reo
We set the formwork to the line and the falls, then place the mesh and any reo on chairs to the design, so the steel sits in the slab, not on the ground.
Pour and finish
We pour the concrete to the named strength, screed it to level, and work the finish, broom, exposed aggregate, coloured or honed, the way you signed off on the quote.
Cure and cut control joints
We cure the slab so it reaches its strength instead of drying out and cracking, cut the control joints at the right spacing, seal a decorative finish, and hand over the guarantee in writing.
The paperwork behind the price.
Public liability to $20M, and a 10-year slab & footings, all in writing, all on request.
We hold a Victorian Building Authority registration for the structural slab and footing work in Victoria, and we carry public liability insurance, so you are covered on site. House and shed slabs are designed to AS 2870 off a real site classification, and the concrete is supplied to AS 3600 and AS 1379 at a named strength. The guarantee is a 10-year written guarantee on the slab and footings, the part that cracks and heaves first, plus the manufacturer materials warranty on the genuine mix and the sealer. All in writing, with exclusions named.
Exposed Aggregate jobs we’ve done.
Exposed Aggregate: common questions.
How much does exposed aggregate cost compared to plain concrete?
Does exposed aggregate need sealing or upkeep?
Is exposed aggregate slippery when wet?
Can I choose the stone and colour?
Get a free, itemised quote you can actually read.
Tell us what you need. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote with the work itemised, not just a number.