How to Install a Stamped Concrete Patio

The surface of this covered patio is patterened by concrete stamping.

A flat concrete surface for a patio is durable and easy to maintain, but it also doesn't add much to the appearance of your home. A simple alteration that can change the look of any concrete surface is a concrete stamping project. Concrete stamping is the application of patterned stamps directly to the wet surface of your concrete. These stamps leave behind a permanent indention on your concrete. Stamps can alter the surface, creating the appearance of cobblestones, wood, bricks or pavers, or simply imprinting pleasing patterns that add to the look of the concrete patio.

Things You'll Need

• Freshly poured concrete floor
• Concrete stamps
• Mold release agent
• Pressure washer
• Water source
• Concrete sealer
• Brush

Instructions

1. Lay out your concrete stamps at a corner of the patio in the order in which you intend to apply them.

2. Dust the surface of the wet concrete with the mold release agent to prevent the stamps from sticking to the concrete surface. Use enough release agent to provide a slightly visible powdery layer on the concrete after absorption by the concrete's moisture.

3. Place the first stamp onto the corner of the patio. Press on the stamp to create an imprint of the stamp design in the face of the concrete. Place the next stamp in the series butted tightly against the first to form a continuous stamp pattern and imprint that stamp into the surface as well.

4. Continue placing each stamp in the series until you reach the end of the stamp series and must begin again with the first stamp.

5. Remove the first stamp from the concrete surface, peeling it away slowly to prevent the concrete from sticking.

6. Move the first stamp to the end of the placed stamps and butt it tightly in place after the final stamp in the series. Continue to move each successive stamp along the row, repeating the series as needed until you've completed the row.

7. Lay the next row at the edge of the patio by placing a stamp so that it borders the imprint created by the first row to continue the pattern across the entire patio surface. Use the same process on each additional row as you did with the first, until you've covered the whole patio. Wait for the concrete to cure completely after placing the last row of imprints according to the concrete manufacturer's directions.

8. Wash all traces of the release agent from the surface of the patio using a pressure washer. Allow the patio to dry overnight.

9. Brush the patio with a layer of concrete sealant to protect the concrete from staining. Wait 48 hours after sealing to use the newly stamped patio.

References

• All Things Concrete: Stamped Concrete
• Concrete Network: Tips & Techniques for Proper Concrete Stamping
• Extreme How-To: Creative Concrete Stamping

Resources

• Concrete Network: Stamped Concrete Patterns and Designs