Types of Concrete Stamps and the Process of Stamping

If you want your concrete patio, walkway or driveway to be stylish, you can upgrade it and have it stamped. With the concrete stamping strategies and tools available in the market, you can choose from different styles and patterns.  

You don’t have to worry about the concrete looking flat; you can hire Concrete Contractors in Kansas City. Such company has stamping sets that can achieve the texture and design you want. The following are the stamping types you can choose from and the process of stamping.  

Process of Stamping 

Step 1: Adding the Base Color 

Before you achieve the stamped concrete, a base color is added first. It’s the primary color used in the process. The chosen color should reflect the color of the natural building material. The professionals can produce the base color by adding hardener (powder pigment) to the concrete. The hardener is applied either by cast-on procedure or integral color procedure.  

The cast-on color procedure involves dying the concrete’s surface with the base color. This is done through spreading the color hardener on the surface while the concrete is still wet. The powder is floated into the concrete’s top layer. The integral color procedure, on the other hand, is done by coloring the concrete’s entire volume with the base color.  

The concrete can also be colored in many ways. Few of them include integral liquid, color hardener, or stains. If you use integral liquid on the concrete’s surface, the entire volume is colored but the strength is not increased. Using the color hardener will cover 3/16 of the surface but increases the wear life of the concrete.  

Step 2: Adding the Accent Color 

The stamped concrete is then added with its accent color, which is the secondary color. The accent color produces the texture and shows the grout in the concrete. This is achieved through applying color release, which has two purposes. The color release will prevent the stamp from sticking to the concrete, and also obviously color the concrete.  

The color release is available in two forms. First is the liquid form, which is a spray-on and light aromatic-based solvent. The spray-on color is sprayed on the concrete stamp’s bottom before it’s finally stamped. Second is the powdered form, which is made of calcium that can repel water. This is a cast-on color that is applied by spreading the color on the concrete’s surface before it’s stamped.  

Patterns of Stamped Concrete 

The pattern of the stamped concrete should reflect the shape of natural building material. The pattern is then made after the surface is poured with a concrete stamp. Stamps are mostly made of various metals and polyurethane. Once the color release is applied to the surface, the stamps are placed. It is then pushed so the stamped concrete is left with the pattern of your choice.  

Stamped concrete is a great choice if you want to add more color and strength to your existing concrete surface. There are also many colors and patterns to choose from.