The prospect of increasing your curb appeal by adding stamped concrete to your patio or driveway can hype you up. Perhaps, you’d start by taking out your drill, measuring tape, and concrete rake. Then, you’d check your stock of screws, strings, and concrete sealer.
At this point, you might watch steps on doing concrete stamping on YouTube a thousand times over. Everything seems relatively simple. You create a frame and pour concrete inside it. Then, you apply your concrete stamps.
However, before diving in, you should slow down and think twice about this. What happens if you make a mistake? Don’t you think it will be more trouble than it’s worth? Maybe it’s best if you consider finding a stamped concrete specialist instead.
Many aspects of home decor can be DIY-ed, but stamped concrete isn’t one of these. Read more to find the ideal stamped concrete specialist for your home.
1. Trained
Applying stamped concrete is pretty fast when done by experts. Under novice hands, it can cost you more time and resources. The ideal stamped concrete specialist went through training to perform concrete stamping at a beginner or advanced level.
Beginners who received hands-on training can perform techniques that range from forming to grout line stamping. They know integral colours, sealer application, seamless skins, and finishing touches. These specialists can handle powder and liquid release, mix designs, and fix problems.
Stamped concrete specialists have over three years of field experience. They can help you save time and money with monolithic borders and bands. They can ensure that you won’t need a lot of maintenance work by helping you choose the best sealers.
Apart from these, advanced specialists can apply stamped concrete faster because they know which additives to use. They are your best option for aesthetically pleasing concrete patios and paths. They use more forming techniques and mixed designs than beginners.
2. Certified
Some stamped concrete specialists go the extra mile when specializing in decorative concrete. They use specialist programs that provide certifications to prove they have met industry standards.
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) provides certificate-based training apart from testing and inspection programs. For instance, a certified Decorative Concrete Flatwork Finisher completes 250 hours (minimum) of four courses. These courses include concrete stamping.
They must also finish 40 hours in cleaning and sealing concrete and pass a two-hour written exam. The ACI certificate is valid for five years.
3. Experienced
Client reviews are your best source for finding experienced stamped concrete specialists. The first thing you must be on the lookout for is the location. Check out for sites that match your spot or are near your area.
If these specialists have done work in your neighborhood, see if you can ask them about their experience with a stamped concrete specialist. Focus on what clients say about their process (efficiency) and attitude (flexibility). Ask how the specialist responded when they ran into a problem.
When considering quality, prioritize the client’s description of the quality over ratings. Another tip is to look at review titles to learn where they’ve applied stamped concrete: pool deck, driveway, front yard, or backyard patio.
A Specialist Can Provide the Stamped Concrete You Want
Your chosen specialist should support you in making your home safe and cozy. Find a trained, certified, or experienced specialist to accomplish this goal. With some luck, you might discover stamped concrete specialists with all three qualifications. You can get the decorative concrete design of your dreams—without breaking the bank.