soaring eagle dye n seal 11 It is certainly true that using decorative concrete can lead to easier, faster, and more affordable installations than when working with other materials. However, this does not mean that contractors can afford to be sloppy or disordered with their work.

There are best practices that must be followed when using rubber concrete stamps to create high-quality designs on surfaces. When proper techniques are followed, this can be a very successful process. If proper techniques are not followed, the concrete can turn into a disaster zone.

Below, you will find some basic dos and don’ts of the trade to get you started.

Do Take Your Time Preparing Your Concrete Mix

Your concrete mix will literally create the foundation for your entire project and must be handled with care. Whether you are working with specialty concrete mixes, or you are working with local concrete supplier that you are very familiar with, you must take the needs of each particular project into consideration.

As you prepare to order your concrete mix, keep in mind factors such as the moisture content, slump rate, temperatures, and have ready any necessary additives. This will make sure that your concrete mixture will hold up under pressure.

Don’t Ignore Subpar Subgrade Concrete Preparation

When it comes to the subgrade, you cannot use the philosophy of “out of sight, out of mind.” If the subgrade is not well compacted and structurally sound, you can find yourself with major problems with drainage, erosion, and other factors down the road.

Do Come Prepared with the Appropriate Supplies

This may seem like a very obvious thing to do, but many contractors do not spend enough time determining exactly which decorative concrete supplies will be needed for a particular project. For example, you will want to carefully determine how many rubber concrete stamps you will need so that you can stamp the concrete efficiently before it has a chance to set.

Do Not Add Too Much Water

This is a very basic, but very important, concrete stamping tip. Most contractors know that adding too much water can negatively affect the concrete’s structural integrity. This is especially problematic when you are using stamped concrete mats. You need to be able to create deep impressions in the concrete and patterns that will hold up. The patterns may not be able to set as you had planned if there is too much water in the mix and it can lead to future problems.

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