Since concrete is durable and affordable, many people choose to use concrete for their patio, walkways, driveways, garage floors, etc. Although the concrete itself has a long lifeline, if a person chooses to decorate the concrete with tile or paint, the added decorative value can deteriorate very easily. In this article, we will discuss something call concrete stamping, which can add aesthetic value to concrete without adding extra maintenance costs.
What Is Concrete Stamping?
Concrete stamping or stamped concrete is concrete that has been altered to allow for decorative patterns, textures, and/or colors. Usually, people stamp concrete to look like other building materials such as brick, wood, or stones. Concrete stamping allows for the durability and low costs associated with concrete while improving the aesthetic, decorative value of the concrete.
Three procedures are done in concrete stamping. Those procedures are as follows:
- Base Color
- Accent Color
- Stamping Patterns
Base Color
The base color is the color used for the overall concrete project. First, achieve base coloring by dyeing the concrete with a color hardener. Then, dye the concrete during mixing, thus ensuring all the concrete will have the same color. Alternatively, you can dye it once you lay the concrete but before it hardens, thus only coloring the surface.
Accent Color
Accent color is the color used to give the texture appearance of the concrete. For example, if a person wishes to have their concrete stamped to resemble red brick patterns. Then the base color would be dyed red, and they would dye the accent color to give the appearance of grout between the bricks.
Stamping Patterns
Stamping patterns is the process that gives the concrete a unique look it is going for. If, for example, a person wanted the concrete to resemble a walkway of various stone sizes, then the concrete would be stamped in casts that will cause it to look like stones of different shapes and sizes.
Can Concrete Stamping Be Done Anytime?
To successfully stamp concrete, make sure to stamp the concrete during installation. Since you can only add the colors to the wet mixture and the pattern casts are made for concrete to harden into, you cannot stamp it once you install the concrete. Therefore, we recommend that you discuss with your contractor your desire to have your concrete stamp and discuss colors, textures, and patterns before commencing a project.
Can Concrete Stamping Be Done As A Do-It-Yourself Project?
Technically concrete stamping can be done as a DIY project, but there are many concerns to contend with. The first is the timing issue. The majority of concrete stamping has to be done while the concrete is either wet or in the hardening process.
The second issue is that any mistakes made are permanent. Since concrete is very durable, any flaws in the concrete will also become permanent and might not be able to be fixed.
Contact Us
If you have a concrete project and wish to give it a unique look, contact us at Hicks APC. We will discuss the concrete stamping process in more detail and help you develop a color, pattern, and/or texture that fits your taste.
