NDR - Looking for info on concrete stamping

John L

John L

Well-known member
After diging out the foundation for the new workshop I decided to also dig up the old patio blocks and lay a new concrete patio slab. I was thinking about purchasing a set of stamps to do a colored stamp job to add something different to the yard. Does anyone have any experience with this process? I don't have it in the budget to hire a company to do the job so it's either plain old concrete or do it myself. I know the process seems simple enough but never having done this before I want to get some others opinions.
Thanks in advance
 
Like Andy said. You can get colored mixed into the mud or buy power and toss it around on top before finishing to get some color bands that way. We did a driveway for a customer where we had a brick pattern on a roll. Rolled out the pattern and pressed down to raise the mud inside of it, sprinkle on some powder and trowel it in. Looked just like a brick lined driveway.

I don't have any experience stamping it myself but have done my share of concrete. I am a fan on how it looks.

Good luck
 
John
Don't know what you mean about "stamped" but we put ( on a swimmng pool deck)a mixture of white cement/colored plaster plus cool deck on with a stipple brush; let it set a bit then leveled with towels. The result was colored surface (use any color), no slip and it never heats up. That was applied to new cement I forgot to add. It has lasted over 30 years. Just a thought.
wis boz
 
Thanks for the replies.
I have done my homework on the coloring and that is the easy part. What I was more interested in was the mats for stamping and release agents. I have no experience with that. It appears to be pretty straight forward but this is not like wood or fiberglass where I can repair any areas that need a bit more attention. Once it's done it is "set in stone".

I called one of two contractors on the island for a price and I could not believe what it cost.
I was hoping that someone one here had some experience with actually doing a project like this. I like the look of the stamped patterns and colors
It has more of an earthy look with a surface texture like slate or stone. I don't want to use blocks or pavers. That is what I just removed.

This is kind of the look I was going for-

 
I have thoughts/plans to do a dyed and stamped concrete patio similar to what you are looking to do. I was told you could rent the stamping pads from Home Depot, Lowe's, or perhaps one of your local rental places where you would rent a concrete mixer. Just a thought to look into. I bet those stamping mats would be rather pricey.
 
I have thoughts/plans to do a dyed and stamped concrete patio similar to what you are looking to do. I was told you could rent the stamping pads from Home Depot, Lowe's, or perhaps one of your local rental places where you would rent a concrete mixer. Just a thought to look into. I bet those stamping mats would be rather pricey.
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The stamps I like run $1200 for the set. I'm trying to find somewhere I can rent them. I have found some similar products on Ebay but I'm not fond of purchasing somethng like this sight unseen. I tend to be very particular when it comes to how I want something to look. My wife calls it anal, I call it perfection...
 
John
Didn't know something like that was stamped--pretty cool.
wis boz
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It is pretty cool. I have seen some big jobs that are just outstanding I have always had it in the back of my mind to try it. I just don't want to try it with 10 yards of concrete. If it was a small job that I could just break up and do again I wouldn't worry about it to much but I don't want to experiment with that much concrete.
 
john,
i would not recommend an ordinary homeowner to try stamped concrete. i was in the construction trade for over 30 years and worked along side concrete finishers often.even good finishers don't do it . stamped concrete is expensive because it's an art . if you really like stamped concrete, hire a contractor that specializes in stamped concrete.

trust me , i had an inexperienced contractor screw up my stamped concrete patio , now i'm stuck with it. on a perfect weather day , he might have done a great job . but it wasn't a perfect day, it was one of the hottest days of that summer , he was under manned and it got away from him. he tried to doctor it up but it didn't last. good luck
 
I have spoken to two of my clients that are in the concrete business. They both suggest not doing it myself. One said the failure rate of homeowner stamping is about 80%.
The other said he would not even try it himself. But he admits he is not a handy guy and can't even hang a door.

I was able to find one contractor that does stamping. He said he would do just the stamping to save me money. I set the forms and do all the other work including supplying all the materials. He quoted me $625 / yard for just the stamping. Thats a bit over my budget for this job.
I may try my hand at a smaller job and see how it goes.
 
I know you were asking for stamped concrete, but have you considered exposed aggregate? I had it done when we replaced our patio. The idea is they use a fine aggregate, pour and float, then as the cement sets up, they spray glycol alcohol onto the surface. This prevents the surface from setting up. Then they come back the next day and power wash the top layer off exposing the rough texture below.



 
Terry,

Thanks for taking the time to post your photos. It looks like they did a nice job. I have not seen that done before.
I am looking for more of a large flat natrual stone look, similar to field stone. At this point I may have to settle on just colored poured concrete. I'm not having much luck finding a contractor that can do it without going 3 times over my budget.
 
Well it's not stamped concrete, but I will say it has a more organic look and feel than plain cement. Good luck with your project.
 
John,
I think someone that is used to manual labor and has the right instruction can do the job. I have done several, although I am in excellent shape for 54 yrs old, very athletic type, and have an IQ a little over 145. (OK, so none of that BS is true). There are several tutorials on the net and also some very good DVD's that you might take advantage of. The main thing to do is prepare. Know what to do and in which order to do it and also have some help with the placing of the stamps and the stamping itself. It can get exhausting. I did my patio and pool deck in Roman Slate and I really like it. I used a colored powder added to the truck for a base color, then added a color hardener to the top of the concrete, then stamped, which is probably the easiest way to add color.I have three 48" stamps that you are welcome to use if you decide to do it yourself. Do some research and ask if you have any questions.
 
Tony,

Thanks for the offer of your stamps. I was planning on using Arizona flagstone or seamless slate. I'm looking for more of a slate / stone texture in a Yosemite brown color which will be added to the concrete when it's being mixed and then a little more color in the release agent.
I have plenty of experience doing concrete work and that is the only reason I was going to consider doing it myself. When I was speaking to two of my clients that are in the concrete business they kind of spooked me into thinking I would mess it up. One guy stated that he has had an 80% failure rate amoung homeowners that have tried doing it themselves. Not to mention, I'll be doing it when the weather is at it worst as far as heat goes. So, I'm a little nervous trying to take on 9 yards of stamping.
 
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