Decorative Concrete Stamping
Sharp’s Excavating is pleased to offer professional concrete stamping services!
When you think of concrete, you probably think of the strong and durable grey mass you see everywhere from driveways and sidewalks to the foundations of homes and buildings. It’s a great building material, but not much to look at.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Let our crew of experienced professionals at Sharp’s Excavating show you just how beautiful stamped concrete can be!
Decorative Stamped Concrete is perfect for a variety of applications, including:
- Patios
- Porches
- Sidewalks
- Driveways
- Entryways
- …and even interior spaces like foyers and greatrooms.
Sharp’s Excavating can custom-tailor exactly the design, texture and color you want, giving you a look you’ll love for decades. Stamped concrete can be dyed in a wide variety of colors and formed in an almost limitless number of designs. Factor in all the sealing and tinting options and the uniqueness brought by hand-applied coloring choices and you’ll quickly understand why stamped concrete is becoming so popular.
Overwhelmed by all the options? Don’t worry! Just Give us a call at (573) 247-3352. We’ll discuss your project free of charge, and help you determine the best texture, color, design, and sealant for your particular needs.
Sharp’s Excavating uses only high-quality stamps from L. M. Scofield. To get an idea of all the stamp options available, please visit this page of their website, or see every stamp they carry here. If you find something you like, just let us know; we’ll take care of you from there.
The Stamping Process
The process starts with preparing the site. The area is leveled, forms are set, and the substrate of compacted gravel is laid down.
Next, the concrete is mixed. This is where any color tints that will be used are added. Typically, an entire bag of tint is used for each yard of concrete to be stamped. While this dye increases the concrete’s cost per foot, it also gives the resulting mixture a completely different look than typical grey concrete.
After mixing, the concrete it poured into the forms, bull-floated (a technical term that essentially means smoothing and leveling the concrete), and allowed to cure until the consistency is just right for stamping.
Now comes the exciting part: stamping. Ever cooked something in a cast-iron pan? If so, you know that something like butter or oil is needed to keep everything from sticking. Concrete also needs a little something added to keep it from sticking to the stamps. This is where “release” comes in. As you may guess by the name, release helps the stamps come away from the concrete cleanly and easily. As an added bonus, releases can also be dyed different colors, resulting in an extra level of depth and aesthetic appeal to the finished product. Sharp’s Excavating can even go an extra step further, and add multiple layers of dyed release by hand to a stamping project, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind finish.
Once the release is laid down, the stamps are applied and the impression made. As time is of the essence at this point, Daniel and his crew must work quickly as a team to complete stamping before the concrete cures too much.
Usually, the stamped concrete is allowed to cure overnight, at which point the crew return for the final sealing. This sealing not only adds an attractive glossy finish, but also protects the concrete from stains, wear and tear, physical damage, and being damaged by chemicals, salt, etc. Stamped concrete can have either a clear or tinted sealant applied, depending on your preferences.
And that’s it! In the end, you’re left with an absolutely-beautiful driveway, path, sidewalk, or any other concrete project that will last for decades and be a joy to everyone that sees it.
