How to Install a Stamped Patio
- 1). Design your patio taking into allowance the size of your family, the type of entertaining you plan to do on your patio and the many usages your patio will have. Roughly stake out the area. Use a chalk line on your home foundation to determine the patio height. Set grade and pitch with steel pins and a laser. A pitch of 1/4 inch per foot is recommended for water run off. The pattern you choose for your concrete stamping design can also affect the pitch. If you have deep impressions in your design, the more the slab should be pitched to avoid water standing in the impressions of the design. If you select a design with lots of straight lines, the lines should run in the same direction as the pitch of the patio.
- 2). Prepare the site. Proper excavation is very important. The patio area should be dug to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Depending on the size of the area, the excavation can be done with a pick and shovel or heavy equipment such as a backhoe. The soil removed is hauled away or used elsewhere in your landscape plans. The concrete will be poured on a 4- to 6-inch compacted base of crushed rock. Consult a rock or concrete contractor to determine the size and type of rock available that best suits your project. (When calculating the depth of the excavation, the concrete layer should be between 4 to 6 inches thick.)
- 3). Form the steps. If steps are required, drill the foundation to install steel reinforcement pins to anchor and support the steps. If drain spout extensions are needed, install the extensions. Form the patio (place lock-together concrete forms). Concrete forms can be rented from home building supply stores or concrete contractors. (Most installers prefer to pour the steps first, then at a later date, the patio.) If the steps will be stamped, stamp them at the time of pouring.
- 4). Haul or have the rock delivered to your location. Spread the rock layer inside the concrete forms. This is very labor intensive, so employ a wheelbarrow or rock moving equipment. Compact the rock using a vibrating plate attached to the backhoe or earth moving equipment.
- 5). Staple heavy plastic around the foundation to protect it and any other objects that might be exposed to backsplash when the concrete is poured. Price and order concrete with a minimum compressive strength of 3,500 pounds per square inch. Make arrangements to have several helpers the day that the concrete pour is scheduled. Pouring concrete is a lot of work--work you can not do all by yourself. The concrete requires screeding, which brings the surface of the concrete to the required elevation by striking or removing the excess concrete. The freshly poured concrete must be smoothed and flattened with a trowel or bar as well as edged and floated with either magnesium or wood floats. It takes a lot of help to expedite this process.
- 6). Place rebar (pieces of steel rod) to reinforce the patio. Consult with your concrete provider to determine the placement and amount of rebar your project requires. Pour the concrete and float it smooth. After the concrete is in place, toss in colored hardener powders on to the surface. Often two or more colors are used. There are many different color hardening products available, liquid as well as powder. Read and carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions for application. Bull float the coloring agent into the concrete. Apply three or four coats, depending on the color chosen and the intensity desired. The hardening agent colors the concrete and strengthens the concrete's surface.
- 7). Broadcast release powder uniformly over the surface of the patio, following manufacturer's application instructions carefully. This powder, also called antiquing powder, serves two purposes: to keep the mats or stamps from sticking to the concrete and to add a rich antiquing effect of color. Carefully position the stamp or mats to imprint your design. Start in one corner and work in an orderly fashion. (Carefully position the first stamp as it will affect the symmetry of the remainder of the design.) Using a rubber mallet or concrete tamper, firmly tap all over the mat or stamp to create an even, firm impression in the concrete. Move to the next area and carefully line up the mat(s) to align them to the first impression. Repeat the tapping process with the mallet. Apply equal pressure as your tap the mats so that all the stamping will have an equal depth. Continue the mat placement and tapping until you have covered all the poured area of the patio. (Most building supply stores have videos for rent that clearly explain the stamping procedure.)
- 8). Allow the concrete to dry for 24 to 48 hours. Use a leaf blower to blow off the excess release powder on the concrete. At this point, you can add additional layers of color by broadcasting the color and spreading it on the concrete until the desired effect is reached. Wash off excess color with a light spray of water from the garden hose.
- 9). Apply a high-quality sealer to the patio. This is especially important in climates that present freeze-thaw conditions. The sealer helps protect the concrete from exposure to moisture, chemicals or oil and grease stains as well as enhancing the colors applied to the concrete.
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