How to Make Stained Decorative Stamped Concrete
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Concrete can be a beautiful and durable material for any home project but like any other product, if it is not given the proper care then it can start to look tacky and ugly. Most people have a general knowledge of what concrete but what most people don’t realize is that concrete is actually made up of an aggregate which is like sand or gravel that when dry hardens into a smooth and consistent material. When concrete is first laid it contains a coating of water and then binder agent is added to help the concrete set. If the concrete is poured before the binder has been added to the finished product will have a glossy finish due to the extra bonding agent but after it is poured the finish will be less glossy and will more of a matte finish. Like any other product there are some secrets to making sure your concrete looks the best possible.
For the best results when applying decorative stamped concrete you should follow these golden rules for correct installation. First hand experience-the first time anyone saw decorative stamped concrete they would probably think it was stained or somewhat crude. But if you were standing there taking pictures of the finished product you would notice the stamped area was actually made of a very thin and consistent mixture of concrete paint/resin and then the color was applied with the stamping tool, not on the surface as it would be on a normal piece of concrete.
One of the most important aspects of the decorative stamped concrete installation process is to apply the sealer right to the surface of the stamped area, apply the sealer with a rough wooden dowel, this helps make sure the sealer gets into the cracks and crevices of the concrete and then it also helps to spread the sealer to help make sure it penetrates deep into the material to make sure all sides of the area are covered. Then you apply the concrete sealer and after you wait for the it to dry before you apply another coating of sealer to make sure that you have covered all surfaces of the decorative stamped concrete. One last thing to remember is that after you apply the decorative stamped concrete sealer it will need to sit for some time to set and this can take from several hours to several days depending on the weather and the amount of coating that need to be applied. Once the concrete has set time to time and has dried completely, you can then apply a stain marker to make sure that you have the area properly covered.
Northeast Decorative Concrete, LLC
8 Chenell Dr
Concord, NH 03301
1(888)756-5377
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