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Stamped Concrete, Stenciled Concrete, Acid Stained Concrete & Concrete Countertops

Serving Greater Indianapolis Since 1993

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Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete is done in fresh, still-workable concrete. The stamping process was introduced decades ago, and makes concrete resemble other materials such as brick, slate, stone, tile, or even wood. Below is a brief overview of the installation steps involved with stamped concrete.

Before the job begins, the base color, secondary color, and pattern are chosen. If the base color is to be all the way through the concrete, Integral Color is added to the concrete as it is batched. If the base color is going to be only on the surface, Dry-shake Color Hardener will be applied by the contractor after the concrete has been poured. Dry-shake color hardener is a powdered mixture of pigments, sand, and cement. To color the concrete, the dry-shake hardener is tossed onto the slab's surface and worked in. (It will make the top of the concrete harder than normal by densifying the surface.)

To achieve a secondary color, an antiquing or highlight color is chosen. The highlight color is provided by an Antiquing Release Agent. This is a colored, waterproof powder that keeps the stamps from sticking to the concrete during stamping. To make stamped concrete more variegated and realistic looking, it is best to choose an antiquing color that contrasts with the base color chosen for the concrete. For example, you could choose a brick pattern in which the concrete base color is red, and the antiquing color is charcoal (see photo at left).

After the color choices are finalized, the slab is formed, prepped, and poured in the normal manner. It is colored by one of the methods described above. When the concrete is beginning to firm up, the antiquing release is hand-applied (see photo at left) and stamping can begin.

Concrete stamps are made of polyurethane, a rubber-like material. Molded into the stamps are both a pattern and a texture. Some stamps are molds of a single stone (see photo at left) whereas others contain multiple stones. When placed, the stamps fit together like puzzle pieces.

When the concrete is firm enough, the first stamp is placed on the slab, and others are placed next to it. A worker walks out onto the stamps, which slightly pushes them into the surface of the concrete (see photo at left). In this manner, the man works his way across the slab by picking up the stamps already embedded and re-placing them in the direction he is working. When the entire surface of the concrete has been textured, he removes the stamps from the slab.

After the concrete has hardened sufficiently, contraction joints are sawed into the slab to control random cracking. The antiquing release powder is washed off, and the surface is allowed to dry. Clear sealer is then applied to the concrete in order to protect it and enhance its color (see photo at left).