What is stamped concrete?

Though it closely resembles other paving materials, decorative stamped concrete typically costs a lot less. And while the base material is concrete, there’s an art and a science to stamping and coloring concrete. It starts with design choices like color combinations, patterns, layout and textures. Production is a delicate process in which artisans mold the surface of freshly poured concrete with a textured pattern before the concrete sets. This allows for practically unlimited design choices, making stamped concrete popular with Northern KY homeowners.

History

Ancient Romans were probably the first to stamp concrete. Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon about 2,000 years ago, including basic concrete stamping which remains to this day. More recently, American concrete companies pouring sidewalks under Public Works projects stamped their moniker and the year of construction. Around the same time, precast companies began using colors and stains when making parts of building façades, but the outcomes weren’t consistent.

It wasn’t until the 1950s when Brad Bowman developed techniques for emulating the looks of other materials that stamped concrete began to emerge as a decorative building process. And in ’56, Bill Stegmeier stumbled across the release powder that would soon enable latex forms to shape the surface of just-poured concrete without sticking. This gave rise to Jon Nasvik’s light and durable urethane stamps in the 1970s, and the resulting system (marketed as Bomanite) was used extensively in Disney’s Epcot Center in Orlando.

Fast forward to present day Northern Kentucky, where the only name you need to remember when planning a decorative concrete project for your home is Dugan Concrete. (Did you request a free quote yet?)

Care and maintenance

• Like traditional (broomed) concrete, decorative concrete does crack. Saw cuts limit cracking and preserve the integrity of your concrete.
• While applying sealer to the surface, Dugan Concrete also applies an anti-skid agent for added safety.
• Depending on erosion factors like weathering, you should reseal the surface every year or two. Doing this will protect your investment and keep your stamped concrete looking beautiful.
• In icy weather, use sand (not salt!) on your concrete. A plastic shovel is good for snow removal.