DecoCrete Depot * 249 Ferris Ave * White Plains, NY 10603 * 914-285-9274

A contractor contacted me the other day and told me a customer of his called looking to
get a quote on a decorative concrete patio. Now this contractor has been laying pavers for
the past 15 years or so and he’s also been doing concrete work for just as long. But,
because he was not familiar with the concrete stamping process he asked me if I knew
anyone who could do the job for him. Translation: he was willing to give away revenue
and miss out on gaining valuable field experience. This is a true story and what never
fails to amaze me is how frequently I get this same type of call. The truth of the matter is
this; if you’re skilled in placing concrete then stamping its surface is just icing on the
cake. 95% of stamping is knowing how to work with the concrete itself. All the
fundamentals of good concrete placement remain the same including workability based
on weather conditions, the thickness of the poor, screeding and edging, placement of
expansion joints and location of control cuts. What makes decorative concrete any
different is the concrete is colored and the surface is stamped – that’s it, really, that’s all
there is to it. That being said, let’s turn our attention to the coloring and stamping process.

There are a number of different ways that pigments can be added to concrete but this
article will discuss only two of them. The easiest and most efficient method is to use an
integral color. What this means is the pigment is mixed right into the concrete so when
the concrete is poured it’ll be one uniform color throughout. Integral colors are
premeasured to one unit of color for each cubic yard of concrete. For example, a 6 yard
pour will call for 6 units of color. The ready mix truck shows up, the color is put in the
barrel, the truck mixes it up for 8 – 10 minutes and you’re done. The truck is now pouring
out pigmented concrete. The second method of coloring your concrete work is to use a
dry shake hardener. The first step in using color hardener is to place uncolored concrete
as you normally would and during the floating process the hardener is broadcast across –
and floated into – the surface. The major drawback of using a color hardener is that the
contractor is doing the physical work in order to add color whereas the truck is doing the
work when using integral color. There are many advantages and disadvantages of using
one system over the other that are beyond the scope of this article.

The actual process of stamping the surface is surprisingly simple. The really important
thing to keep in mind is that you have an available window of opportunity. If you get on
the slab too soon you’ll run the risk of sinking into the surface; wait too long and you’re
slab is too stiff. Again, this goes back to fundamentals and understanding the
characteristics of concrete and its workability. There are a few details to understand
which will ensure that your work comes out looking great which we don’t have the ability
to discuss in this article. The bottom line is this – with a little education and a few
pointers you’ll be well prepared to stamp concrete.

Decorative stamped concrete is as common as blacktop in many areas throughout the

U.S. and its popularity is exploding here in the north east. Do yourself and your business
a huge favor and begin offering stamped concrete today. You can bet that your
competition is doing so.