Concrete stamps add decorative or natural patterns to wet concrete, creating a custom look for patios, driveways, and more. Color and hardeners can enhance durability and create a variety of natural surfaces. Embossing skins and stencil overlays offer alternatives. Concrete stamps come in various designs and sizes, and can be custom made. They provide an affordable alternative to natural stone and add value to properties.
Concrete stamps are used to press decorative or natural patterns into wet concrete to add a great custom look to any patio, driveway, walkway or plaza. Concrete stamps, along with various finishing techniques, can “transform” concrete into polished, weathered cobblestone, brick, flagstone, slate tile, marble, granite, wood, or virtually any natural surface. They are also great for interior floors!
Color is added directly to the concrete mix to provide uniformity, permanence, and often improves the strength and durability of the mix through additives and “conditioners.” Dry colored hardeners can also be added to produce a more durable, non-slip surface for heavy foot traffic such as a walkway, or vehicular use such as a driveway. Hardeners add rich, deep tones or muted colors to your concrete project while making it less vulnerable to surface abrasion, cracking and dirt.
Concrete stamps are also used in conjunction with color tinting products which can produce multi-colored, translucent surfaces that realistically simulate the variegated shading effects of natural stone. These stains chemically interact with the concrete to become part of the surface and will not fade or peel. After staining a top coat or sealer is applied to protect the surface.
When using concrete molds, a bond-breaking powder release prevents the stamps and other tools from sticking to the vulnerable wet concrete surface, which would ruin the effect. Powdered release can have artistic properties as well, as is the case with antique release which adds a naturally weathered look to enhance depth, pattern and colour, creating a very compelling finish.
If you need to fill a large area with an irregular, random pattern, it’s sometimes easier to use large embossing skins rather than concrete stamps. Embossing skins are thin mats that can be used with liquid rolls to texturize large areas. Mats typically come in sizes ranging from 3 square feet (28 square meters) to 25 square feet (2.32 square meters). In this case the joints or joints must be cut by hand.
If you already have a concrete or cement patio, porch, driveway, or walkway but want to update it, there is a less expensive alternative to digging up the old concrete and making it repurposed with concrete stamps. Instead you may want to consider resurfacing it using a concrete stencil grade overlay.
A new surface is laid down and a plastic coated adhesive stencil is laid out. The correct color is applied and when the stencil is removed, it leaves ‘grey grout lines’ as if between brick, stone, tile or whatever pattern you prefer. Stencil Overlay creates a great faux natural look at a fraction of the cost while creating a better and stronger hard wearing surface. This process may also involve texturing and other finishing techniques. Multiple stencils can be used to create attractive patterns. For example, a swimming pool might have a “red brick border” with a surrounding “stone plate”.
Concrete stamps come in a variety of designs and sizes and can also be custom made. An average price could be $100 – $350 US dollars, but they can be higher. Finishing techniques also cost more. However, concrete stamps provide an affordable alternative to natural stone and enhance not only the beauty but also the value of your property. From colorful floral border stamps to insignia, monograms or family seals, concrete stamps can say anything from personal to antique, modern to classic. Creative or conservative, they’ll open up your home or commercial property to possibilities limited only by your imagination.
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