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From Slump to Stamp:
creating better impressions
How to get the best results from stamping concrete.
BY DENISE WENDT
Stamped
concrete offers an inexpensive alternative to state, 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.
Mud that's just right
"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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