Beautiful design of pedestrian paths in house and household plots, territories around swimming pools, terraces and other areas requires considerable expenses.
An excellent solution is the use of stamped concrete, which serves as an ideal replacement for high-quality decorative material for external use.
In this article we will tell you in detail about the stages of creating stamped or, as it is more often called, printed concrete.
What is stamped concrete?
Stamped concrete is both a kind of decorative coating and a concrete hardener, with which the surface becomes resistant to mechanical shocks. It is possible to create such a coating only on freshly laid concrete.
What materials are needed to create stamped concrete?
To create stamped concrete, you need to purchase the following building materials:
- Hardener;
- To share;
- Plasticizer (preferably);
- Sealant for seams.
You will also need:
- Vibrake;
- Devices for scattering dry materials;
- Ironers for mashing the hardener;
- Printed forms;
- Cutting tool on concrete.
Stages of creating stamped concrete
- Surface preparation:
after pouring concrete, the surface should be perfectly leveled with the help of vibrators. - Application of the hardener:
the hardener is scattered in a uniform layer with a flow rate of 3-5 kg / m2. - Mashing of the hardener:
approximately 10 minutes after applying the hardener, it needs to be rubbed very well with special ironers.
An important point: corners and edges require special attention when grouting. - Applying the separator:
the separator is scattered in a uniform layer with a flow rate of 0.1-0.4 kg/m2. - Printing process:
the drawing is created immediately after applying the separator using printed forms. - Cleansing:
1-2 days after completing the five previous points, it is necessary to rinse the surface with water under strong pressure. - Cutting seams:
after 2-3 days, you need to create shrinkage seams by cutting the surface and filling them with sealant.
The last stage is necessary when working on large areas.
How much does a square meter of printed concrete cost?
The cost per square meter of stamped concrete consists of:
- prices of the master's work:
- hardener prices;
- separator prices.
A high-quality hardener for stamped concrete, for example, Teknoser Baski costs 306 UAH per bag. At a consumption of 3-5 kg / m2 per 1 square meter, 49 UAH of material will be required.
A bag of high-quality separator, such as Tekno Ayrac, costs 3432 UAH. Consumption - 0.1-0.4 kg/m2. Accordingly, 85 UAH must be spent to apply the separator to 1 m2.
Prices for the master's work depend on the city / village, on the complexity of the work area and on the desired pattern. Therefore, even approximate figures are difficult to write here.
As a result, we get the average cost of such a decorative surface - 134 UAH per m2 without the work of a master.
