The concrete stays. The cracks, the heat, and the three shades of gray go.
Rubber Stone and Vuba Stone are overlays. They go on top of the driveway, pool deck, or patio you already have and turn it into one surface. NorCal Surfaces installs both across Northern California, for homeowners and for the contractors whose customers ask for it, and is the only authorized Rubber Stone dealer for Shasta County.
Rubber Stone
Recycled and EPDM rubber granules bound in polyurethane, troweled over your existing concrete as one continuous surface.
- Made of: recycled tire rubber and EPDM granules, polyurethane binder
- Looks like: a fine, even speckle; 20-plus colors, two- and three-color blends
- Underfoot: soft, absorbs impact, textured for grip when wet
- In the sun: noticeably cooler than bare concrete or a solid coating
- Goes over: concrete, asphalt, tile, wood; cracked, pitted, or mismatched is fine
- Best for: pool decks, patios, steps, driveways, play areas
- Care: hose or pressure wash; clear top-coat re-roll every 3 to 5 years
- Backed by: the manufacturer's 5-year warranty on the installed product
Vuba Stone
Crushed marble and natural pebble mixed with a clear, UV-stable resin. Solid when it sets, with air between the stones, so water goes straight through it.
- Made of: marble and natural aggregate in a moisture-tolerant UV resin
- Looks like: stone; natural blends from near-white to charcoal
- Underfoot: firm, textured, comfortable barefoot
- Water: permeable; roughly 20 gallons per square foot per minute drains through
- Goes over: sound concrete or asphalt; no demolition
- Best for: driveways, patios, paths, entries, pool surrounds
- Care: washing; no sealing schedule
- Lifespan: 15 to 20-plus years installed
Where it goes
Anywhere there is a slab you are tired of.
- Pool decks: the number one job. Cooler, grippy when wet, and one surface over every pour around the pool.
- Driveways: cracked, spalled, or stained slabs get covered instead of replaced. Vuba Stone if drainage is the issue.
- Patios and walkways: the back patio that has never matched the front walk. Same product, same color, one continuous run.
- Steps and porches: chipped step edges and slick porches. Rubber Stone wraps the nosing and gives the step some grip.
- Garages and shops: Rubber Stone goes indoors too. Softer on the knees than epoxy, and it does not show a dropped socket.
How the job goes
- Look: we come out, walk the slab, and bring the color chart. You keep the sample.
- Prep: pressure wash, fill cracks and spalls, grind where needed, prime.
- Pour: mixed on site and hand troweled. Most residential decks are one day.
- Cure: a day or two depending on the weather. We plan pool jobs around your swim season.
- Walk on it: barefoot, in July, at two in the afternoon.
For contractors
Your customer saw Rubber Stone somewhere and wants it on the job you are building. We install it anywhere in Northern California.
- Territory: dealer territories are exclusive, and Shasta County is ours, so on a Shasta job there is no second installer and no risk of an unauthorized install voiding the warranty.
- Scope: we take the overlay portion of the project: prep, pour, cure, walkthrough. You keep the customer and the rest of the build.
- Samples: color charts and hand samples for your customer to keep. Ask and we will bring them to your job site or your office.
- Schedule: we slot in after your pour has cured and before the fence and furniture go in. Tell us the date and we will hold it.
Overlay, or tear it out
| Demolition | None, versus jackhammer and haul-off |
|---|---|
| Time on site | 1 to 2 days, versus a week or more with cure |
| Old cracks | Covered; Rubber Stone flexes over them |
| Heat in sun | Cooler than concrete |
| Wet grip | High |
| Rainwater | Rubber sheds it; Vuba drains it through |
A new pour is the right answer when the slab has failed. When it has only cracked, faded, or gotten hot, an overlay does the job in a fraction of the time.
What people ask before they call
Both Rubber Stone and Vuba Stone are designed to go over existing concrete or asphalt. We pressure wash, fill the cracks, grind or prime as needed, and pour on top. The slab stays. If a section has sunk or is actively moving, we will tell you that before we quote, because an overlay follows whatever is underneath it.
Rubber Stone flexes, which is the reason it holds up over concrete that has already cracked once. Hairline and settled cracks stay hidden. A slab that is still heaving from tree roots or water is a different problem, and we would rather say so than sell you a surface that telegraphs it in a year.
Cooler than bare concrete or a solid coating in direct sun. Rubber does not hold heat the way a slab does. Lighter blends run cooler than dark ones, so on a pool deck we steer toward the lighter side of the color chart.
No. Rubber Stone has a textured, high-traction finish that stays grippy when wet, which is why pool decks and splash areas are the most common place we install it.
Rubber Stone is usually walkable within a day or two of the pour, depending on temperature. Vuba Stone cures in a similar window. We schedule around your pool season, not the other way around.
A hose or a pressure washer. Rubber Stone gets a clear top-coat re-roll every three to five years to keep the color fresh, and the manufacturer backs the installed product with a five-year warranty. Vuba Stone needs nothing beyond washing.
Rubber Stone is installed by authorized dealers only. We install it anywhere in Northern California, and for Shasta County we are the only dealer authorized to. Contractors and pool builders can bring us in for the overlay portion of a job. Homeowners get the same crew either way.
Rubber Stone and Vuba Stone, installed
Our own courts and Vuba Stone, and product photos from the Rubber Stone manufacturer.
Court and Vuba Stone photos are our own work. Rubber Stone product photos courtesy of E.W. Industries.
Where the overlays go
Send us the slab
A couple of photos, the town, and roughly how big it is. We will come out with the color chart and give you a number for Rubber Stone, Vuba Stone, or both.