In the field of concrete laying there is an art which comes in the form of decorative concrete, utilizing techniques such as stamped concrete, concrete stenciling, or stained concrete. If someone knows what they are doing they can make concrete look like wood, stone, tile and many other things. Some concrete artists can even make it look like a tree with branches. Through sculpting, stenciling and staining a concrete artist can make the design he wants, give it the texture he wants and even the color he wants. A concrete artist would look at the area in which he is going to do his work and decide what he wants to design and then choose the texture and color of the design from there.
Stamped concrete is laid out in a slab and then is stamped or imprinted with a tool that makes it look like wood or brick or whatever design you want. People use it on their drives, decks and just about anywhere they want. It takes much less time to pour a slab and stamp concrete then it does to lay flag stone one by one. You don’t have to worry about the path of stone pulling up either. Stamped concrete will last you years.
Stencil concrete is a design method of drawing various patterns on concrete floors with the help of stencils. Stencils are used on new concrete or existing concrete. It is based on blocking techniques. Many decorative designs can be effected by using high quality paper stencils. Patterns need to be aligned before starting a stenciling procedure. After concrete is poured on the floors, the surface is puffed up and even edged. Stencil borders are then applied to the surface. The field for the design is adjusted. Tools such as speed trowels, stencil rollers or Fresno are used. Color hardener is used as per the choice of colors. Surface abrasion, wear resistance and true color have to be taken into account when applying colors to the concrete. The color is floated over the concrete and then smoothed over with a trowel. Other possible finishes are broom, sponge float, wood float and cork float. Using the concrete stencil method gives you a very artistic look and it is really unique. You can create a design exactly the way you want it. When laying stone or building with wood, you have to bow down to the shape of the stone or the grain of the wood. With this method you can have the same look but with the design you like.
Stained concrete is made by staining, coloring, and designing. It is often referred to as colored concrete. This design technique is immensely popular among homeowners, designers and builders due to the different types of variations obtained by combining concrete, colors and creativity. The slab has to be washed to remove the excess concrete sticking on it. Muriatic acid solution is used on top of this surface. The concrete has been cleaned to the desired color and dried; two coats of sealer are applied. 15% to 20% acrylic should be used for the first coat and 25% to 30% acrylic for the second coat.
Dusting to remove grit and damp mopping with the help of a neutral cleaner will enhance the floor. Choosing to use stained concrete can save you a bundle when you compare the prices of using wood, flagstone or tile. Whatever your theme, concrete can be made to not only fit the design but look amazing at half the cost.
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