Concrete Stamping Techniques

Single Stamps

• After the concrete is poured, a single concrete stamp is pressed into the wet concrete. The stamp may be any shape or surface you choose; you can even create stamps of your own, using decorative ceiling tiles (see References). Choose objects with enough weight and definition so you'll be able to tell what it is when it dries. Old metal radiator grills, ceiling medallions or pieces of molding all work well as concrete stamps.

Roller Stamps

• Rollers covered with rubber stamp patterns help make consistent patterns of bricks, slate tiles or cobblestone. The concrete is poured and the roller, which is completely covered in the stamp pattern, is pressed onto the surface from one end to the other, similar to a push-style lawn mower.

Rubber Mat Stamps

• Concrete stamps made of rubber mats can create impressions that look like river rock or wide-plank hardwood floors. The impressions are realistic looking because the stamps are created from the same materials. For example, a wide-plank wood stamp is made from rubber that was poured over a wide-plank board. The mats are applied to wet concrete, removed and reapplied to the next section of wet concrete until the surface is completely covered with the pattern.

Concrete Overlays and Stamps

• You aren't limited to newly poured concrete when it comes to creating stamped concrete surfaces. You can apply a concrete overlay to get the same look. A concrete overlay is a layer of specially treated wet concrete that is poured over an existing concrete surface. The overlays can be can be stamped using any of the methods described above, and covered in acid or acrylic stains in colors of your choice.