Stamping & Texturing Concrete

Radial stamps, multipiece tools that create circular and curved patterns, have earned stamp manufacturers a round of applause.

Plastic stencils are generally designed for renovation work, such as overlay or spray applications and they are difficult to float in new concrete applications, This is why paper stencils are often the choice for fresh concrete pours.

Novice stampers are prone to making a few common mistakes. Some have to do with planning the job. Others have to do with misunderstanding the materials, while still others are simply a lack of familiarity with manipulating stamps and skins. Here’s an opportunity to learn the easy way.

In order to complete the nearly 2,000 square feet of surface area in just one week, workers from Butterfield and Miracote teamed up with local contractors to take on the massive overhaul.

When you’re 22 years old, it’s hard to seriously imagine that you could be one of the founders of your own business with some friends and succeed in doing it.

The project was a lot simpler than the one Baltz ended up with. “I was first approached to do some hardscape and subbase for a network of brick or paver stone terraces,” he recalls. “The connecting walkways were going to be asphalt.” He can’t hide the disdain in his voice when he makes that last statement.

When Bob McDaid began making plans to build iPlay America, his 115,000-square-foot indoor family amusement park in Freehold, N.J., he envisioned flooring to complement two very different settings.

Some mistakenly view the decorative concrete world as 100 percent committed to overlays, stain and polished concrete, but counting out concrete stamping is a mistake. Stamped concrete is the cornerstone of decorative concrete, and my belief is that this will not change anytime soon.

Passion, precision, artistry and creativity were all on display at the L. M. Scofield Co. ninth annual Decorative Concrete Awards ceremony. Scofield enlists professionals from the concrete industry to judge submissions based on skill of installation, artistic expression and integration with the overall design intent.

Bob Harris of the Decorative Concrete Institute was asked about his experience training and working at the Children's Museum of Phoenix as part of the Concrete Decor Show & Decorative Concrete Spring Training.

The decorative concrete business often can follow a roller-coaster trajectory, with ups and downs that can challenge the stomach.

Fortunately for David Edwards and his 30-year-old company Edwards Concrete, a profitable relationship with Florida’s amusement and theme parks has played an integral role in the ride.

Achieving a realistic and "one-of-a-kind" look with stamped concrete requires a knowledge of colors and some help from the experts. Included are several exciting formulas.

Dry shake hardeners are increasingly popular as coloring agents. Color hardeners are made from cement, sand and pigment, with finishing agents, wetting agents or retardants added to suit manufacturers’ preferences.

Contractors, construction companies, architects and designers are eligible to submit, and projects are judged on skill of installation, creativity, artistic expression and integration with the overall design intent.

A new stamp pattern from L.M. Scofield Co. offers serious stampers a taste of old America.

When it comes to texture skins, flexibility is often appreciated, and Brickform LLC aims to please.

Brian Oberman, who has been in the concrete industry for 25 years, merged his company with Life Deck Coating Installations about three and a half years ago. Today, as general manager, he’s had the chance to work on projects such as Coasterra, the Beach Terrace Inn and Westroot Tavern.

The combination of pools and stamped concrete doesn’t necessarily spell disaster. For one thing, when a stamped concrete surface near a pool is slick, a topical sealer, not the texture, is often the culprit.

Custom Concrete Creations Inc., which sells interlocking, swiveling stamps to fit curved borders, plans to corner a whole new market.

As decorative concrete goes global, American experts take the lead in showing contractors around the world how it's done.

It’s more dainty, more elegant, like between silk and cloth with hard-eners. The grays and browns last forever. He also likes to sprinkle color on top of the concrete with a brush to create freckles, just like real stones offer.

The Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, recognized the winners of its ninth annual Decorative Concrete Awards competition Jan. 17 at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

Profit is the byproduct of a high-quality decorative job. There is a big difference between learning to stamp concrete and learning to stamp profitable concrete. In this article we will discuss how to set your job up, as well as the installation process.