Monday

The Truth About Stamped Concrete

By Kathy Kaufman


Stamped concrete is a variation of decorative paving that is either textured, embossed or patterned in order for it to resemble textures such as brick, stone, wood and more. It can be used for sidewalks, driveways, walkways, among other hard exterior reasons. The ability of the material to closely resemble other materials makes it a somewhat less expensive alternative to the use of authentic materials, to the advantage of stamped concrete NJ contractors.

Materials such as bricks, wood and stone can be emulated through stamped concrete. This is achieved using various methods of influencing the cement into looking like those natural materials. In order for that to happen, tools such as stamps can be utilized. Special stamps can be used for both creating the design and for special projects.

It is not just pavements that this technique can be used on. A wide array of objects are capable of receiving the application, examples being walls, tables and even pool decks. Despite the considerable number of uses within interior flooring, it is still mostly used outdoors in very common and obvious ways.

There are three separate procedures that makes the creation process unique in comparison to others. Base coloring as well as accent coloring are needed to influence the color of the finished product. The third one is the stamping or pattern imprinting into the cement.

When adding base color, chose one that will reflect the same color of the natural material that you are seeking to emulate. To achieve this, color hardener, a powder pigment utilized to dye the cement, may be added. The accent color can be considered a secondary color, which can be used in order to produce texture and reveal additional building materials. Applying color release can achieve this.

Pattern is needed so that the shape of the natural material is reflected. Influencing the pattern is therefore, necessary. It is made when the cement was imprinted sometime after it poured. A side note is that before polyurethane was used in the making of stamps, various metals were used instead.

The cement itself is quite durable and can last years without noticeable fade. To accomplish this, it requires proper and constant care. If this is all done properly then it can rival just about any other form paving comes in. The maintenance should be done a few years after it was first applied.

Overall, the basic process is simple to perform provided all the important steps are followed. The material must be poured out into the chosen area, followed by the application of the base and accent coloring. After all that has been done, proceed with imprinting the cement for the sake of the pattern design. Afterwards, cleaning up the dried cement and the surrounding area will provide a very pleasing and professional look to the finished product.

It is highly important to proceed with caution before embarking on a paving projects. Mistakes are known to be very frustrating, not to mention messy. This can be avoiding by hiring a professional stamped concrete NJ contractor to do it for you though.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment