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

Serving Greater Indianapolis Since 1993

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Stenciled Concrete

Stenciling concrete is done in fresh, still-workable concrete. It differs from stamping in that the pattern is made by disposable paper stencils (see photo at left) instead of polyurethane stamps. Concrete stencils provide realistic-looking gray mortar joints by masking off the plain gray concrete underneath. Rolls of stencil come in a variety of patterns. Below is a brief overview of the installation steps involved with stenciled concrete.

Before the job begins, the base color, secondary color, and pattern are chosen. Dry-shake Color Hardener is used to provide the base color for stenciled concrete. 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.)

Next, an antiquing or highlight color is chosen. The highlight color is provided by Antiquing Release Agent. This is a colored, waterproof powder that keeps a roller or stamping skin from sticking to the concrete while texturing it. To make stenciled concrete more variegated and realistic looking, it is best to choose an antiquing color that contrasts with the base color you chose for the concrete. For example, you could choose a brick pattern where the base color of the bricks is red and the antiquing is dark brown (see photo at left).

When the color and pattern choices are finalized, the slab is formed, prepped, and poured in the normal manner. After the surface is leveled and smoothed off, two workers begin placing the stencil by stretching it across the slab (see photo at left). One piece is laid next to the other until the entire slab is covered.

The stencil is then slightly embedded into the surface with a special roller. When the stencil is stuck down enough so that no color can get beneath it, dry-shake color hardener is applied to the surface and worked in. Next, the powdered antiquing release agent is applied and a textured roller or stamping skins can be used to add detail (see photos below).

When coloring and texturing are complete, the stencils are removed from the slab to reveal the plain gray mortar joints beneath.

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