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Front Porch Facelift: Stamped Concrete A cracked and peeling concrete porch gets a whole new look with a stamped concrete overlay. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-210

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Figure R

Stamping the Concrete

• Before you stamp, make sure that the texture pave has dried to a certain point. To test this, press the palm of your hand to the porch and then lift up. If you see a few granules are coming up, then you are ready to stamp.

• When stamping, you want to start at the outside edge of your concrete area (figure R) and work towards the opposite end. Begin by spraying a liquid release agent on the bottom of the polyurethane stamp. Then spray the area of the porch you want to begin with. The agent keeps the stamp from sticking to the thin finish. Apply the stamp to the concrete, and press down with your hands or feet starting at the outside edge of the stamp and working towards the center. Once the face of the stamp has been printed onto the concrete, move on to the next stamp.

• Set the next stamp adjacent to the one you are working on, overlap the edges by three to four inches. The stamp used on this project is a slate pattern, so the faces can be alternated to enhance the impression that the concrete is slate. Once done, your porch will need to dry for six to eight hours.
  

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• The porch can be left in its plain stamped condition, but Dean and Derek decide to add a border, scribe a running bond pattern into the concrete, and stain it. They begin by using a rubbing stone to take out all the divots and lumps of concrete that have dried overnight. Just rub the edges (figure S) and clean the dust off.

• They then determine the width of their border. In this case, the border will be nine inches on outside edges and four inches up against the house. They mark the border measurements using a measuring tape, string guidelines, and a pencil (figure T).

  Figure S

  Figure T

  
  

• Follow the lines with a straight edge and a carbide-tipped tile scribe to create a more three-dimensional border (figures U and V).

  Figure U

  Figure V

  
  

• Dean and Derek also decided to add a design to the area inside their border. They measure and evenly divide the center section into a running bond pattern (figure W), and then mark that design with a straight edge and pencil. Follow by tracing those lines with the carbide-tipped tile scribe and a straight edge (figure X).

  Figure W

  Figure X

  
  

  	Figure Y
  	Figure Z

• The next step is coloring the stamped concrete. Dean and Derek decide on a dark teal for the border and grey for the center section. First protect your house with paper and tape, then apply the stain. Dean and Derek apply a light base coat. Dean sprays using a pump sprayer (figure Y), and Derek follows with a broom to make sure there are no puddles. It is only a primer coat so it does not have to be too heavy. Let it set for an hour before applying the second highlight coat (figure Z).

• Before applying your highlight coat, paint your border.

• Spray the highlight coat, spraying it on heavier than the first coat. Let the coat dry for an hour.

Mixing and Applying the Sealer

Dean and Derek are use a concentrated solvent sealer that they cut with xylene in a one-to-one ratio. The sealer penetrates the concrete, giving it a glossy finish. Apply the sealer with a paint roller. Roll in alternate directions to avoid leaving roller marks, and make sure there are no puddles. Let it dry, and your stamped concrete porch is complete.

Safety Alert: Wear a dust mask throughout the mixing and application process.

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