Tips For Getting The Best Texture On A Stamped Concrete Patio

Adding a concrete patio to your backyard provides a great surface for housing your outdoor furniture and barbeque grill.

However, if you hate the look of a flat concrete slab, then stamping the concrete will turn it into a beautiful addition to your yard. 

Stamping concrete allows you to give it texture and a wide variety of different looks, such as brick, slate, or even wood planks.

The secret to a fantastic-looking stamped concrete patio is clear stamping. To this end, here are some tips for getting the best texture on your new stamped concrete patio:

Tip: Use an Evaporation Retarder on Top of the New Slab 

One of the best ways to obtain a nice clean texture on stamped concrete is to add an evaporation retarder onto the top of the newly poured cement.

Evaporation retarding chemicals are applied to the surface of the wet cement and prevent the top layer of the concrete slab from drying out well before the cement mixture below has had time to cure. This prevents stamping before the cement below has hardened enough to hold the texture and also prevents surface cracking when you stamp.

Tip: Avoid Stamp Blowouts by Avoiding the Use of Tampers

While you may be tempted to put a stamp on wet cement and then pound it down using a tamper to create texture, this really isn't the best technique. If you hit the stamp too hard, then cement will blow out its sides. The blowout will ruin the stamp image on adjoining sections of the patio.

Instead of using a tamper, put the stamp down on the cement and walk on top of it. Your weight will slowly sink the stamp into the wet cement and as long as you don't jump up and down, you won't have cement blowing out the stamp's sides.

Tip: Start Stamping in the Center and Work Outward

When stamping concrete, you should always start in the center of the patio and work outward.

Starting in the center ensures the stamping will be uniform around the entire perimeter of the slab. It also allows the excess cement to shift outward as you stamp. 

Tip: Consider Having Your Stamped Concrete Patio Professionally Installed

Finally, if you want to install a large backyard patio or if you don't have any experience working with wet cement, then you should consider having a professional cement contractor install and stamp your new patio. Their vast experience ensures the resulting stamped concrete will look fantastic and last for decades.

Speak to a contractor to learn more about custom-stamped concrete installation.