Concrete Stamping:
From Slump to Stamp — creating better impressions. How to get the best results from stamping concrete.
by Denise Wendt
an inexpensive alternative to slate, brick and stone materials while creating the same visual effect. But there are a few tips every installer should remember. Concrete Decor asked veteran concrete professionals to share their techniques for success.
"Concrete is the hardest work on this planet, bar none, if it gets away from you," says Richard Smith, who owns Richard Smith Custom Concrete in West Hills, Calif. "But with proper planning and a lot of common sense, that doesn't have to happen."
"When you finish or stamp concrete it is kind of like Goldilocks' porridge," says Tom Ralston, owner of Tom Ralston Concrete in Santa Cruz, Calif. "You can't have it be too soft or too hard. It has to be at just the right consistency." Too wet and the concrete pulls the stamps, leaving suction marks. Too dry and it will not leave any substantial embossment or impression.
Concrete tool distributor and trainer Bart Sacco owns and operates Concrete Texturing Tool & Supply in Throop, Penn. "You want concrete that's workable but not excessively wet," says Sacco. He uses a 4- to 4.5-inch slump. "As the season progresses I'll pour tighter to compensate for evaporation," he says.
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