How to Create a Stone-Look Patio With Concrete
The textures and natural irregular shapes in a stone patio are visually appealing, but stone patios are expensive and more challenging to install than concrete patios. Although they're typically thought of as plain gray slabs, a concrete surface can take on a stone-like look if you use stamps. Stamps must be pressed into wet concrete within 15 minutes of pouring the concrete. You can choose from stamps that look like cobblestones, flagstones, slate and a number of other natural stone finishes. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Landscaping paint
- Shovel
- 4 1-inch by 6-inch boards
- 2-½-inch screws
- Drill
- Highway gravel
- Tamper
- Concrete stamps
- Concrete mixer
- Concrete mix
- Hoe
- 2-inch by 4-inch board
- Plastic
- Concrete stain
- Concrete sealer
Instructions
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1
Outline the patio site with landscaping paint, and dig out the ground within the outline to a level expanse that's 4 inches deep, using a shovel.
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2
Install a concrete frame around the interior border of the site with four 1-inch by 6-inch boards. Attach the boards with 2-½-inch screws at each end.
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3
Add an even 3-inch bed of highway gravel over the floor of the patio. Tamp the surface with a tamper until the rocks resist the force. The irregular shapes of highway gravel fit together when you apply pressure, and facilitate drainage once the patio is built.
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4
Arrange the concrete stamps next to the patio site in the order you plan to set them. Note how they lock together to ensure your joint lines will be straight.
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5
Make the concrete in a mixer until it has a shiny gray color and toothpaste-like texture. Pour the concrete over the gravel, spreading it out with a hoe. Once it's poured, push and pull a 2-inch by 4-inch board over the surface to smooth it out.
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6
Press the first stamp into the concrete in the corner where you first poured the concrete. Continue pressing the stamps according to your pattern until the surface is complete. Check the alignment of each stamp before you press it into the surface.
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7
Remove the stamps by lifting them straight up by the handles, being careful not to drag the stamp on the surface.
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8
Cover the concrete with plastic so it doesn't dry too quickly. After two days, stain the concrete with earth tones to add a natural stone color. Use a pale color to stencil grout lines, and a darker, richer color for the "stones." Use two or three stain colors for a natural-looking variation.
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9
Seal the concrete with a concrete sealer after it has cured --- generally five to seven days after it has been poured.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
