Concrete Stamping 101
March 21st, 2009 by Mercie Hallow, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
One is often left wondering how a concrete floor is possible to have designs imprinted on it. Is it also possible to have tiled-looking concrete flooring without actually using tiles? Isnt it amazing to find different shapes, patterns and hues in an otherwise simple and drab piece of concrete? Isnt it marvelous to know that there are solutions to beautify a concrete floor that will last for ages? The answer to these questions lies in concrete stamping.
Concrete Stamping is a method that allows one to stamp, stencil and create unique designs out of a prepared concrete. Concrete should be poured onto the surface as the first step in concrete stamping. The concrete should at least be 4 thick before allowing it to dry. Next step is to add colorants onto the concrete. In this way, water-based stains are most advisable as they can be directly applied to the concrete leaving a 1/8 thick dimension in the surface.
Once the colorant or stain is applied a color hardener is added onto the surface to ensure that the color is properly attached to the concrete. Next step is to apply a color release agent on the whole surface area before placing on the stamping mats. Color release agents are responsible for bringing out the desired design on the stamping mats. Release agents should not be too thin as it may soak through the stamping mats that the detail will not be properly captured.
One should make sure that the stamping mats are properly placed on the concrete to gain a uniform patterned design before applying the mixture to dry. Excess release agents and loose debris should be washed down using a power washer before applying a concrete sealer.
Stamped concrete are prone to fading especially when it is applied in an outdoor setting. To avoid this problem, deicing salts should not be included in the concrete mixture as they tend to react with the sealer and will produce a very thin air gap between it. This air gap over time will pop and result in a crack like appearance on your concrete surface.
