Please forgive the OT post, but I didn't want to be ripped up by professionals telling me that it was morally wrong to do it myself. So I will ask here in the family.
I need to make new walkways around the house, and am considering stamped colored concrete. Has anyone done this, can relate their experiences, and recommend references on the subject?
Thanks,
Kevin Gallimore
One approach is to simply use a trowel to score the appropriate pattern. [A trowel with a ridge - normally used to score expansion joint lines.]
Another is to use one of the brick/stepping stone plastic molds to impress a pattern.
Both methods are predicated upon the concrete having already been given its final surface but BEFORE it has hardned.
I think that the "professionals" will be happy to let you do it as a DIY project unless they're *totally* idle since it'll be a v-e-r-y labor-intensive project.
Depending upon the pattern that you select, you might even consider doing the project in sections so that you'll be able to apply the "finishing" touches before the stuff hardens.
We priced out stamped concrete on a patio we wanted built. The bid came in at about $6.5kUSD so we decided to lay patio block ourselves. We got the job done for under $2k, and we absolutely like the results. I strongly suggest you have a look at laying patio block, and if you do, remember first do 5/8minus gravel, then builder's sand and then the block. The blocks cut easily with a rented brick saw, but shop around the tool rental places until you find one without a predatory pricing policy about measuring thousandths of an inch wear on their diamond blade and charging you astronomically. We took some pictures, see
Good idea, Grant!
The only reason I'd not considered including that option was that I had no idea just WHAT color he had in mind. It eliminates the rush of finishing before the surface hardens while permitting a more leisurely approach to the project.
Of course, there's ALWAYS Epoxy concrete paint.....
Forget stamped concrete. It takes special equipment and a significant crew. You can install pavers for about $2.50/ sq. ft. and do it at a leisurely pace. If you are worried about the cost of a diamond blade buy one on eBay for about $50. A good one will last many hours. We put down over 20 pallets of pavers at our new house and I won't even consider finish concrete. Leigh at MarMachine.
On 6 May 2006 19:36:46 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, snipped-for-privacy@AOL.COM quickly quoth:
A friend of mine in LoCal used to have a concrete pump and was doing all sorts of large projects in colored and stamped concrete with it. He made beaucoup bucks.
In the past few years, though, I've watched several DIY shows on coloring and stamping concrete, with fiberglass or steel forms. It was cheap but time consuming and looked a helluva lot better than pavers due to the organic shapes, if you like that sort of look. It can also be done on a time-available basis, doing one sack at a time if you need to. With premixed packets of color, the whole job should turn out as well as a large truck filled with premeasured amounts.
A couple of these new forms (18x30" or so), dye, and sackrete should be even cheaper. It may even be less work, but YMMV. Anyone doing this job by hand might want to look into it before doing pavers.
I like some of the stamped jobs I've seen, particularly the faux belgian block paving. I think the more attractive designs have to be done with semi-flexible stamps, not steel. Those stamps are kind of pricey, and you really need enough to do at least one row at a time. Probably easier to do a path than a whole driveway. Some of the more organic shapes are now available in the higher priced paving stones.
Or here ia another idea for you, make your own pavers. Some cement, sand and gravel blended with water and you got concrete. if you make your own molds you can get any shape you want. That way you can control the shape color and make up as many or as few as you want.
Make them up in the evenings after work, lay them in place on Saturday and then on Sunday prep the next section for the following week. This method has several advantages. You can work at your own pace and create a unique masterpiece. You can also make thicker pavers if for instance you want to do a driveway and continue the theme. The best reason of all is this will be the cheapest way to do it and you will have a justification to buy tools. If later on you need to replace a sewer line that just happens to run under your sidewalk you can pry up the pavers repair the plumbing, and reset the tiles.
If something gets damaged the molds are sitting on your shelf in the garage and you can make replacements. If an obnoxious tree decides to grow roots under your patio and pushes up your work you can re-level the patio.
If you want to get real clever you can use an M.C. Esher pattern like these:
This is what got me started. The neighbors already know I'm not normal.
Kevin Gallimore
I want. Wouldn't be a hard mold to make, actually. We've got that D-size plotter here...hmmm....
I'd advise having the whole load colored - not just on the top with a stain. The mixing company can do that.
Might ask about the fiber (plastic) fibers to make the cement stronger...
The stamping is a rubberoid material that has the pattern - just smashes in when it is semi-firm.
I think you can rent the forms - seems right...
Martin
Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
axolotl wrote:
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