Forget Blindsided, I’ve Been ‘Bricksided’ by Mason Work in the Hudson Valley

It's been the topic of a lot of conversations lately here in the Hudson Valley, the construction of various roundabouts in the area, and the lack of knowledge by motorists on how to properly navigate said roundabouts.

A few weeks back we learned that a new roundabout or traffic circle was going to be added to Rt. 52 near John Jay High School in East Fishkill, that right after the official opening of the long-awaited Rt. 376/All Angels Hill Road roundabout (yes, the one that everyone has been complaining about nonstop).

Speaking of the one at the wacky intersection of Rt. 376 and All Angels Hill Road...I was driving in that area last week as they were doing some landscaping and cement work in the median area, and noticed something strange, do you see what I see?

Brick, Or No Brick?

Now, I'm no masonry expert, in fact, I know little to nothing about any sort of construction or maintenance work at all, however, I do know that those are NOT real bricks they are putting down in that area, but rather colored cement that they then stamp with those stencils to create a 'brick-like effect' - right?

I'm not sure why this bothered me so much, maybe it's the Wappingers taxpayer in me, but I actually drove around the traffic circle again to catch a better glimpse of the fake brick situation.  I couldn't stop talking about it for days after my big discovery, telling anyone that would listen about how we were being played by fake bricks.

It's Called Patterned or Stamped Concrete, Actually

A bit of internet surfing actually resulted in me getting schooled about how common practice this actually is.  In fact, I bet many of you didn't know that you can even do a little DIY patterned/stamp concrete work at your own home, as there are plenty of 'stamp' designs that you can get your hands on.  These are typically made of rubber and designed from real stone molds to resemble brick, or even slate, cobblestone, tile, or wood planks - interesting.

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My search also informed me that stamping is cheaper than pavers or bricks, however, some of the downfalls to this method is that stamped concrete does have the tendency to crack, must be re-sealed often, and can only handle a certain amount of weight when it comes to being driven on.

Are you just as surprised as me to find out we're being 'bricksided' here in the Hudson Valley or was your knowledge of this type of masonry work set in stone?