Creative Concrete Stamping
Stamping concrete is a great way for you to imitate the look and
fee of authentic stone, brick, or pavement without having to
spend as much. There are rubber patterns that create the
impression of natural stone for this purpose. There are also
ready-made patterns for such materials such as brick and
cobblestone, however sometimes they can look artificial. One way
to avoid this is to create your own patterns to be used in
stamping concrete. If you can learn this you will soon find your
inventory stock filled with varied patters that can be used for
your various concrete stamping projects.
1. Be Innovative
You may even use design ideas you find around your home. For
example, you could use an Indonesian batik design block. As long
as it can make an impression on wet cement, and does not stick
to the finished product, it will do. In good design, there are
no limits to the imagination. So look around your area, you
might even find an appealing pattern somewhere in your own home!
You could consider looking at your garage, your attic, or even
your uncle's vacation gifts for potential stamp impressions.
2. Stamping
Commercial stamping produces great imitations. Sometimes,
however, stampers are just overkill. You can bring out the
beauty of concrete by being discreet at times with your
stamping. You could use stamps that litter around your home, a
batik woodblock or even a part of an auto transmission. Anything
can be used to stamp the concrete as long it doesn't stick and
ruin the finished surface. It also has to be durable. A
commercial stamp is perfect for improving a plain slab on
concrete. You could also use this type of stamp if you desire a
professional, standard looking concrete stamping.
3. Creative Stamping
Creating your own stamp tool is can be innovative and fun. You
could even use a salvaged part from an old ceiling to create
decorative stamp! When stamping on concrete, make sure you
understand the risks this procedure entails. Commercial concrete
stamps are designed to work well, and are engineered to be as
easy to use as possible. They often leave a clean impression. If
you were to use your own stamps made of everyday stamp-worthy
items, remember that there is a risk that the concrete could be
ruined. Commercial stamps are designed to consistently pull free
from the concrete; this may not be the case with home-made ones.
- Even slabs with a deep-cut pattern must be jointed so that
cracking can be controlled - Divide the stamped concrete by
using sawed joints - Order correctly slumped concrete - Lay out
stamps before the concrete arrives - Do as little hand tooling
as possible - Order proper amounts of concrete
Concrete stamping is neither for the inexperienced nor the faint
of heart. For those who would like to learn this do-it-yourself
art, learning concrete stamping is possible. For the hobbyists,
masons, and even for those who just wish to make their homes
better, this will truly be a worthwhile undertaking.