Even if you have never had the chance to leave your handprint or carve your initials into newly smoothed concrete, you have surely seen where other people have. In school sidewalks or playground pathways across the nation, children’s handprints meet you from concrete surfaces. For Mother’s or Father’s Day, handprints pressed into concrete are always popular presents. Our society even honors Hollywood’s biggest stars by making moulds of their hands and feet. This is the most basic thought behind stamped concrete — altering the drab natural form of standard concrete into something more exciting.
Concrete has been a longtime go to surfacing material. Now, with improvements in building and landscaping, there are more available options than ever before. Stamped concrete is one of these chances.
Stamped concrete, sometimes known as patterned or imprinted concrete, is concrete that’s dyed, transformed and shaped to resemble several other construction materials — like brick, flagstone, tile and wood. You can do something similar with asphalt, stone or precast pavers, but stamped concrete now has more routines and color choices. It also allows for customization at an affordable cost. If you’ve a specific look in mind for a path or patio, there’s a great opportunity stamped concrete can deliver it. http://ocmulgeeconcreteservices.com/
The concrete used in this process is a bit thinner than ordinary concrete. Standard concrete generally has some big rocks in it, but for proper stamping, the concrete is filtered to really be much smoother. Consistency is an ever-important variable with concrete of all shapes and sizes. Stiff concrete is not soft enough to model, but poor concrete does not hold its contour. Nevertheless, when it’s mixed and cured accurately, stamped concrete is a relatively easy and inexpensive means to get new surfaces around your dwelling.
Pouring Stamped Concrete
Before you do anything, you need to decide on a stamped-concrete layout and sequence the stamps. Once you have done this, you can prepare the site.
After determining where you’d like to put your concrete, mark the area with corner stakes. These will act as the initial outline while you plan. Make sure to measure and plan your space based on the measurements of the stamps you will use. Doing as little of the design work by hand as potential is best.
Eventually, these stakes will be nailed into the outside of the forming boards, so put the where they’ll be about 6 inches (15 cm) from the ending of each plank. Within the framed area, dig out about half a foot (15 cm). Pack down the dug out area and spread gravel and sand throughout about 2 inches (5 cm) deep. This layer will need to be compacted as well.
Now you are prepared to fix your forming boards into place, but you must put the concrete with a down slope of a quarter-inch drop for every foot of length (.6 cm for every 30 cm of length). Start by fixing the forming board at the greatest degree of your area and installing them consequently down the incline. Coat the planks with cooking oil to prevent the concrete from adhering. Line the base of the the hole with 6 mil plastic. Area wire net within the whole region of the site, propped up on small blocks so that it is even with the top of the frame .
Start pouring in the center and then spread the concrete throughout the form. Screed the concrete by lugging a 2 by 4 along the top, smoothing the surface. After it is smooth you can put the stamps on top of the wet concrete (coat the stamp with oil to keep it from sticking). Use even pressure by walking on the stamps or pressing them with a large mallet.
Now that you understand the procedure, you are prepared to make an informed decision. Head over to the next page to see what choices you have for the design of your stamped concrete. For a company that provides the best concrete services in Raleigh NC, call Ocmulgee Concrete Services.
