I'm about to pour a 22'x36' patio slab. My wife wants something besides boring gray concrete. We've discussed tile, stain and the pebble texture. I would prefer tile, but I'm worried about longevity and cost is definitely higher. The pebble texture seemed dated to me.
I've checked out some diy sites on scoring and staining. Seems fairly straightforward, but what do the experts think?
Is this something that can be done by an amateur in a weekend, or should I pay a pro? Will this end up costing more than tile?

Get the color put IN the concrete. Most places are offering colored concrete now. It may cost more but it's worth it. I don't care how much you spend on stains/coatings/etc they will all wear off eventually.

Regarding texture that would be stamping. Stamping isn't generally a DIY thing but it can be done DIY. The catch is going to be the stamps. Some concrete companies have a full-service store that will sell or rent tools including stamps; others do not. Find out if you can even rent stamps before you consider whether or not this is something you can do. If you can't get stamps then textured concrete isn't something you can do. If you can get stamps, then start watching youtube videos to see if you think you're capable. Of course, with anything of this nature, you absolutely must factor in that the guy making the video knows what he is doing and makes it look easy. Consider that you don't know squat so if it looks even slightly challenging to you then bail out and find somebody to do it for you. A flat, stamped surface isn't going to be that expensive to just have poured.

Scoring and staining


This is what I meant by scoring the concrete.

FPNI, about to pour means you still have options. Put the color in the mix. Here is my front porch with the stain like you describe. It about 9 yrs old now and badly neglected but this is what it will look like if unattended. Personally I like the stamping but it's pricey due to extra labor.
I'm going to re-stain at some point, too long a list of honey-do's at the moment.

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Looks good! Great looking house as well!

Are you saying that you poured regular concrete and stained afterwards, or did you color the mix, like you are suggesting?

We're new owners, it was a foreclosure and a wreck. Obvious to us it was a stain, poorly done too, and no upkeep. Stain needs protection or this is what you get.

Oh and thanks for the compliment, we're trying to bring it back to life.

I agree with the others. Have the stain mixed into the concrete prior to pouring. You'll get much more even color and longevity this way.

Scoring will be done after the pour. Many times contraction joints are saw cut after the pour now. It takes less skill than tooling the joints in the wet concrete. If you want the scored look, you could have them cut extra scores when they cut the contraction joints.

I like the look of stamped concrete. It will cost more than scoring, but you can get many different looks from tile to cobblestone, to flagstone, and more.

If you color it, make sure to seal it to make it last longer. Follow the directions on the bottle for how long to wait after the pour before applying. I also suggest sealing joints with Sikaflex to keep water and debris out. It will also help prevent water from getting in/under the slab and freezing which can damage the slab.

Have the color put into the concrete OP. Only stain if the concrete is already poured and cured and you want a change. Since you haven't poured it yet, pour colored concrete.

My brother had a patio poured as well as two strips on either side of his driveway. He got the colored concrete and had it stamped. Looks great, and no maintenance. Also, if the concrete chips here and there, which it will, the colored concrete won't really show it, whereas the stained will.

Just make sure you and your wife are all set on what color to have added to the concrete and go that route.

we've poured regular concrete, bull floated it and tossed powdered colorant randomly on the wet concrete. let it set for a bit, hit with a fresno to spread it then finish as desired. gave a really nice look and you can get the random color that colored batch concrete can't give. it's hard to match perfectly, so plan your pour carefully.

I've been looking at that. They call it color hardener. I'm gonna run it buy the guys pouring it for me.

The plant will provide your contractor with a color chart of what they provide.  Talk to your contractor.