Learn How to Stamp Concrete – Do it Yourself With Ease

First we have to choose our colors. This can be one of the trickiest parts of the stamping process. Of course there are color swatches, the best way to pick your color from a color swatch is to pick a swatch color and then go back one or two colors to get the actual color you want. This is very similar to choosing a color that you want to paint a room with. There are many variables, such as the lighting and the other colors in the room (sofas, rugs, curtains, etc.) that you want to paint. How many times have you picked a color at the paint store and started painting your room and all of a sudden it doesn’t seem to match the color you picked from a swatch? This is what I call perceived vision. If you can relate to what I just mentioned, it also applies to choosing a color for your stamped concrete project, there are many variables of perceived vision, such as sunlight and surrounding colors, such as the color of your house, lawn, and landscaping.

To pour and finish your stamped concrete Greenville sc project, I suggest that you start with no more than 100 square feet. First, let the concrete truck driver put the color into the concrete truck for you and let it mix for at least 10 minutes. You may notice some streaks of the color when you get out of the concrete truck, don’t worry. You will want some color differences as they will resemble the natural colors of the prints or stamps you have chosen for your project. For example, if you look at a rock, you will notice that it has many shades of the same color, and often some other colors. Your next step will be to insert the concrete into your forms, you will need what is called a screed board or 2 “x 4”, the purpose of a screed board is to level the concrete inside your forms and also to knock down the aggregate or rocks. inside the cement.

Place the wet concrete inside your form and leave it about 0.5 “higher than the top of your forms. A good way to get a rough grade is to use a tool called a concrete rake or a square edge shovel. Once you You have got the concrete .5 “above your form, you can start the” screed “process. You will need someone to help you with this process. Once you have one person on each side of the ruler board, each of you will begin pulling the concrete toward the end of the formwork, leveling as you go. At this point, you will need a float to close the surface of the concrete.

Typically you will run the float up and down through the concrete overlapping each previous pass by about 50% and then repeat the process from side to side. Don’t worry about it being completely flat, as once you start stamping it won’t lie flat at all. Don’t get stuck on small drops or small elevation changes in concrete. Now you can start edging the perimeter of the concrete with an edging tool, again don’t obsess over doing this perfect, especially if this is your first time. You will now run an ash tree in your project in the same way as the bull float.

Now is the time to seal your project. Before the concrete truck arrives, you will want to put the liquid release agent in a cheap garden sprayer and also get a surface retarder and do the same. The liquid release simply allows you to put the rubber seal into the concrete without stripping the finish from your concrete, the surface retarder will slow down the concrete’s set time if you feel like you are lagging behind. Simply spray the area where you will place your stamp and the stamp itself before placing the stamp on the concrete. Do not sterilize the entire project at once, as this will speed up the setting time of the concrete and it will most likely dry out before you reach the end of your project. Place each seal and place the next seal tight against the seal mat already in the concrete. Repeat this process until you reach the end.

Let your project cure for about 3-5 days and it’s time to add secondary colors or the old stage. For this you will need an antiques agent, I suggest you use charcoal or gray for the first time. You will also need to get some xylene, one gallon for every 80_90 square feet. Then you will add 5 tbsp. of xylene old agent into a 1 gallon garden sprayer and stir or shake for about 45 seconds. In a circular motion, spray the secondary colors over the stamped concrete project, keeping in mind to spray some areas thicker than others, being careful not to overspray it, this will give it a more natural looking finish.