Hi,

We're finishing up a LOOONNNGG remodel process (I've been saying that for a while now, someday we'll really finish up) and we need to decide on the patio.

A few years before this remodel, we had our old plain concrete patio stained and sealed. It looked beautiful, but I didn't like how slippery it was when wet. It was less slippery after the sealer began to wear off, but then the finish wasn't as nice.

We looked at stamped concrete, but my husband doesn't care for it. (He also wants a solid patio, and isn't interested in pavers.) So now we're thinking about exposed aggregate. I like the look, but I'm worried about how it feels underfoot. We're in Southern California, so we go barefoot most of the year.

Our GC likes a product called Top-Cast, which looks to be less rough textured than traditional exposed aggregate.

Does anyone have experience with Top-Cast, or with exposed aggregate in general? How does it feel underfoot? Does it need to be sealed (the concrete contractor told me the Top-Cast doesn't need sealing)?

Thanks in advance,

Mary