Decorative concrete expert here. Will be posting some of my work from last season.Wishing all the tradies a good year this year, except electricians, yall are nerds.This is a wood stamp I did, came out absolutely stunning.
>>2887263Is picrel concrete??That’s insane.
>>2887263that must have been pretty darn expensive. I priced something like that for my backyard patio, and it was nearly the cost of a midrange compact new car.
>>2887276>>2887311Correct. Usually comes out around 20$/ square ft
>>2887364yeah that sounds about right given the work involved, about the same price as expensive natural stone tiling or large format porcelain tiles for material+labor.
>>2887263This is the most interesting shit I have seen on this West Saharan urethra-insertion website in a while.How does that even work, do you press a shape on top and paint it somehow? Looks like you have a goldmine there.Though I can't really imagine being able to sell that shit.
Another stamp job hereThis one I didn’t get good pictures of once it was fully pressure washed and sealed.
>>2887373These shits I see all the time. What's a driveway with normal concrete supposed to cost / sqft?
>>2887366It’s not that much more labor than a broom finish, and materials aren’t that much more, it’s that stamping this well takes years and years and years of skills for it to not look goofy, and sometimes it still does.>>2887370The process involves throwing a colored release powder across the top and then pressing in the print you want with rubber mats.You can use liquid release and then paint in your color later but I prefer the powder release. Picrel is my POV what it looks like to stamp colored concrete with liquid bubblegum release. Smells yummy too.It’s very very easy to sell because it’s in high demand and not very many concrete contractors specialize in it.Plus the ROI on stamped concrete is like 95%-115% because muh curb appeal.I stay very busy
>>2887374Depends where you live.Here I have Amish competition so I don’t even bother with that. If you want cheap the Amish do it for 4$ a sq ft total.My cost is around 10$/sqft for regular broomed slabs, 20$+/ft for decorative finishes (I offer a few)
>>2887380I assume this is the same everywhere though, and if it’s not Amish it’s Mexicans or nogs doing it for dirt cheap. This is why I stick to super skilled “artisan” work. Because they can slap out driveways but they will never ever be able to produce the OP image.Pic is after casting black release powder on brick red colored concrete
>>2887374$250ish/yd here on the left coast for simple rectangular pours with preprepped groundwork
>>2887381This is immediately after stamping
>>2887381vainglory is a sin. go back to r*ddit if you just want attabois and to mastabatory pats on the back
>>2887385Me immediately after stampingYes it comes off easily with dish soapYes I have gotten a haircutYes I’m just a chill guy who loves playing with mud
>>2887379>>2887380I am very much enjoying your thread.>>2887382Ouch.
>>2887386It’s not vain, it’s my honest observation and feedback from customers. It’s why I’m still in business, I developed toward the artistic side of concrete.
>>2887387The slab after pressure washing off the release powder.This one got a little iffy around the fir ring but luckily they had a mason come lay stone for the ring and it covered most of the off spots.It was a new brand of release powder that I will never ever use again
>>2887390
>>2887382>>2887388per yd of 3500psi concrete thats formed and pourded. 3" slab is under $2.50sqft
>>2887393This varies. 3” slabs don’t work everywhere. In most northern states you need 4”.
>>2887391
>>2887393>>2887394So if I have an old driveway, is it considered "prepped" once the old concrete is removed or is more prep usually done?
>>2887393Show me an invoice or anything to back that up. 2.50$/sqft poured is insane. A yard of concrete costs 100$ minimum from the plant. Only slaves can run a company on 150$ profit per yard installed. A 10 yard pour only pulls 1500$? How do they even pay their bills this way? Pouring 30,000 yards a month? This doesn’t seem sustainable
>>2887396It depends what they used for subgrade if anything. Usually earthwork is still needed after a tear out. Establishing a good subgrade is super duper important for concretes longevity.Pic pt1/3
>>2887403Pic pt 2/3These are screengrabs from a video they came out blurry rip
>>28874022 marlboro and rockstar fueled spics in a beatup f250 that have never heard of a power screed. 2x form boards with 2 stakes each. no rebar maybe opossum hair if you ask. screed it with a 2x4. bullfloat and joint it and be on to the next pour after lunch. their cousins doing the landscaping will clean up the edges. theyre booked solid 6 days a week and at least half the jobs are cash on the barrelhead. its not rocket appliances
>>2887407Gross. That shit doesn’t fly here except for the ghetto areas. Even the Amish have better standards.
>>2887404
>>2887407This is delusionalThe people doing this are thieves and scam artists.
>>2887410>gross why? nobody has xray vision to see under a slab. they only care that the water runs away from their house and that the joint lines are straight when they get out of their kia thats leaking oil on it after 10 hrs of wageslaving away to pay for it all
>>2887415Grim.But again that’s not really my crowd. The people who have a leaking Kia aren’t looking for the nicest decorative finishes around, the people with bmw’s and big shiny trucks are mostly the crowd that seeks my work. My price excludes most of the jobs you’re talking about so I mostly just work for the whales.
>>2887415And I guess it’s not even really gross or grim. It’s really just a “you get what you pay for” situationOn another note I spent some of my downtime with the wife making chocolate pretzels to hand out to realtors and other contractors for referral business and organic leads.What cozy things are you guys doing this winter?
>>2887387Enjoy your silicosis when your 40.
>>2887418This is a common misconception. The color hardener powder will fuck your lungs up massively because it contains unreacted cement, release powder is powdered vegetable oil and iron oxide colorants. It doesn’t bond with water at all so in the shower it just coughs right out. My wife has insisted I wear a mask annyways and maybe 2025 is the year I start doing that.
>>2887418>>2887421I usually don’t use color hardener btw and when I do I’m pretty careful. With release powder it’s get it down and go.
>>2887263is it slippery when its wet?
>>2887263Proud of you anon. I remember when I first started out, tough times but man doesn't it feel nice not having a boss? >t. old contractor
>>2887426It can be, a lot of guys like to use super shiny gloss sealant because it objectively looks best. However, depending on what stamp you use it can be extremely slick when snowy/icy. The wood grain not so much, but something like picrel is Roman slate texture and it gets very very slippery.I mostly use a matte sealer for this reason. It leaves a bit of traction and looks more like real stone.I always take pictures when it’s wet because it’s just so kino
>>2887427My boss is the big man upstairs. Much love to you old tradie. Hope your beers are cold and your feet warm.
A semi-decorative broom finish I did this year.Nice rock face steps at least.
>>2887421You can’t buy good health anon. My grandma slipped a disk in his back picking up a cooler funny and it ruined the last 20 years of his life. He said he would give everything he owned to not make that one mistake. But once something is properly fucked, there isn’t anything anyone can do regardless of what you’re willing to pay.
>>2887263This is the most beautiful concrete I've ever seen...
Do you do any exposed aggregate? I love the look of it and how well it ages.
>>2887662NTA but I was looking into how to do this and not gonna lie I love the look of it and it doesn't seem too difficult to do.
>>2887662Yes I offer it but surprisingly people don’t go for it often, even with the fancy inlays I offer.>>2887663It’s not very difficult at all. In fact as far as a finish it’s much easier because surface details don’t matter much. At about the time you would normally stamp or broom it you just spray it down with exposed ag solution. Come back in the morning to cut it and pressure wash the cream off the top.
>>2887675I think exposed aggregate handles cold weather better than most finishes. Do you work where there is snow/ice/freezing temps?
>>2887646Thank you sir. I was pretty happy with how this one turned out. Homeowner was thrilled. Definitely a kino color combo.
>>2887746Yes tons. I can recommend it to people all day but they see pictures and want “that exact style”
why don't you just make decorative concrete tiles at your own place and sell them
>>2887379how does it work wouldn't the colour powder just sit on top of concrete and how did you make sure it only colours the specific parts
>>2887826So the color powder gets thrown on top, then you stamp in your texture with thick rubber mats.The pressure from the stamp mat pushes the color in on the deep spots, then when you pressure wash it it leaves some of that color behind
>>2887639?Thats not slipping a disk from picking up a coolerThats having absolutely no clue how to lift anything and eventually it catches up to her
>>2887263How is the longevity of these finishes? It looks very good now, but what does a finish like that look in 5-10 years?
>>2887430>always take pictures when it’s wet because it’s just so kinoso they look like dogshith when dry?
>>2887850Yes, they look dry and chalky after they are pressure washed and dried before the sealer. After the sealer goes on it looks good again. The pressure wash is like a sneak peak, but I always end up pressure washing during best lighting of the day and sealing during the worst lighting of the day so it’s just how it happens for me.>>2887846If you take care of it (reseal it every 3 or 4 years) and don’t salt the shit out of it the stamp finish will last many years. It wears just like normal concrete, so you see old sidewalks where the crème has been worn off and the aggregate is showing, that same thing happens, albeit I usually use a much smaller aggregate for stamping, but it doesn’t look too good when it does show.
>>2887263that looks retarded as shit, no offense
>>2887263Pretty cool, thought it was real board.
>>2887942What specifically makes you say that?
>>2887263That looks really nice!The other stuff? Not so much…Gives me these >70s bungalow, in dire need of renovation (=knock it down and built new) because the boomers that built it did do exactly nothing the whole years, now on the market for an insanely high price (that it’ll fetch, because the market is just retarded)-vibesI didn’t know that this stuff is still done in the US. As far as I’m aware, no one does this tacky shit in Euroland anymore, maybe except for the tasteless regards that think a McMansion is something we need more of in Europe.
>>2888131> no one does this tacky shit in Euroland anymoreI agree, only see it in Balkans and Romania sometimes. And it’s always cracked.Aalso he charges $200/m2, for that money you can get the most expensive tile (natural stone or ceramic) with the most expensive laying crew, grading and whatever included in europe
>>2887417nice
>>2887558how does one achieve the rock-face step appearance?
>>2888164Split stone form liners get screwed to the inside of the step forms so when you remove the form it leaves the live stone edge.
>>2888131>>2888161Europoors can’t afford American concrete to begin with, so your argument is like saying all gold jewelry looks like shit, even though you have only had enough to afford plated
>>2888178If it’s so great why don’t you guys build houses from it?
>>2888178>Europoors can’t afford American concrete to begin with, Ok, so what’s the difference? Because if it’s >>2888181 then I’m rather glad that I can’t afford it. >so your argument is like saying all gold jewelry looks like shit, even though you have only had enough to afford platedI’m a certified >>>/biz/pmg/ OG, so I probably know more about (and have more) gold than you.
>>2888208As far as I know our Portland cement is unmatched anywhere in the world for durability and longevity. We have higher prices for concrete also because it’s in high demand and the materials are in shorter(ish) supply.You can get some spic to slap out a slab that looks like garbage for 3$/sqft, similar to how you can get a gypsie to do it for pocket change, but it won’t be good. My guess is you don’t have many concrete artists that take it seriously and produce high quality slabs and I’m sorry for that.
>>2888283I’ll admit that I don’t have a clue about “artistic” concrete (besides some architectural stuff and beton brut and using concrete for various, unusual purposes, so I don’t have a clue about high quality slabs. And while yours probably are high quality (craftsmanship looks good as far as I can judge, I only built houses, tunnels and hydro power plants out of concrete) they just don’t look good aesthetically. I just don’t like that fake>trust me bro, I’m like stone, bro! Look. If you want stone, get stone and not an imitation. The wood gets a pass, because concrete with wood looks is just a natural look from using coarse, wooden form boards.
>>2888372>because concrete with wood looks is just a natural look from using coarse, wooden form boards.The OP image is a rubber stamp product. It was produced using rubber stamp mats like picrel.
>>2888372>they just don’t look good aesthetically.Fair enough i guess. I’ve done a few I didn’t like much that I admit, but one thing in my job that’s difficult is providing exactly what the customer asks for.If they ask me for goofy dumb colors and stamp patterns then that’s what I’m installing whether I like it or not.One example here.I hate this pattern, not because it’s hard but because it doesn’t “fit” the shape of concrete slabs ever, it doesn’t go together in my professional opinion. This specific stamp is an abomination of decorative concrete, and shouldn’t have been created.
>>2888396Here’s another with this same godawful stamp pattern.You’ll notice where it gets close to the step it just gets funky because this stamp pattern doesn’t match any of the shapes that concrete typically is..
>>2888397looks pretty good to me whats stopping you from making your own crazy forms and moden art with it
>>2888416Nothing is stopping me. I have made custom stamps before and I actually offer custom stamps but people usually prefer simple. The average man is pretty boring and uncreative if I’m being honest. I will be designing my own rubber stamps when I eventually do my house though, so when that time comes I will be posting my work again, I plan to really push the limits of what concrete can be.
>>2888422what exactly happens during the stamping process do you just place the mats inside the form and fill it up but there can't much of formwork if you're just pouring it into a crevice and if you do it afterward from the top isn't the cement basically a slurry when freshly poured so do you wait till it's cured a bit and then go over it or just cover the entire thing with stamps while it's wet
>>2888437Right. So the stamps I like to layout in the grass nearby and coat them in release powder, then we pour the we concrete into the forms, level it, smooth it out, make sure it looks right, then when it starts getting hard you throw release powder across the surface and lay your stamp mats down how you want your design to look. The rubber stamps are then tamped (stomped) in with a 2’x2’ tamper. So you are walking around ontop of the mats stomping them in and then pulling them up and repositioning them to a spot you haven’t done yet.https://youtu.be/qcjmleiyJU8?si=3PIpS3mDqfQcPI6QPicrel
>>2888438damm that's dusty af how long before the cheap labour in your country figures this out doesn't look that hard procedure wise
>>2888465>dustylooks like future lung cancer
>>2888465That was my point earlier in the thread. Cheap labor cannot compete with my quality, as the skills and experiences needed to do this level of work are costly. So the question really is how long before they try to charge what I do and get their asses served up because they can’t produce what I do.Also before someone says egoposting, this is an observation. I would like to believe that nobody could do what I do better, but I know there is someone better out there somewhere.
>>2888495wdym the mexicans and somalians have already figured out the logistics of concrete pour that seems like the hardest part to me after that it's just tossing the powder and pressing the rubber patterns plus some corrective work maybe theres some skill involved but i'm sure they can get there 70% for 20% the price
>>2888535Yes. Here is your 70% result 20% cost.
>>2888691You can start to see how without that extra 30% results stamped concrete becomes pointless. Having it done poorly in a lot of cases is worse than not having it at all.
>>2888691>>2888692Last one just for lols
Is it more prone to discoloration? Does pressure washing harm the sealant?
>>2888695It’s less prone to discoloration usually due to the sealer.The sealer fills all the porous holes that normal concrete collects dirt in.I have some stamped concrete at my house and I dont pressure wash it or put salt on it. If it gets dirty I spray it down with a hose and scrub it with a shop broom. You don’t want to rip off the sealer because then your stamped concrete will age very quickly if you don’t put any sealer back on.
>>2888697Are you in an area that doesn't get ice and snow frequently?
>>2888692>>2888691eh looks ok except the stairs and poorly done colour also lacks the glossy finish on top but that's just how concrete looks
>>2888707Yes. It limits the amount of decorative finishes we can offer. For example rock salt finishes are great for around pools because they soak up the slippery water and make a good surface for walking barefoot even when wet. However, due to freezing temperatures here in the winter the surface of rock salt finishes just crumbles into dust.
>>2888721>that’s just how concrete looksThis slab looks like dog waterI’d be embarrassed to produce that, and would be ripping it out and redoing it free of charge.Yuck.
>>2887263it looks like wood
>>2888721I’ll break it down professionally for you here:>They didn’t mask anything so the colored concrete is haphazardly slopped around on every surface surrounding the slab>inconsistent indentation in the actual stamp, indicating they either started stamping too late or didn’t use a tamper, or just didn’t know how>accent color is washed out indicating it may have rained heavily overnight, making the darker accent color look like spilled watercolor paint>step has too much slope indicating a forming issueThere’s problems on every aspect of this slab. Again I would be embarrassed.
>>2888691>>2888692Looks the same as about any other pic itt. This >>2888693 however is hilarious. >>2888422> I will be designing my own rubber stamps when I eventually do my house though, so when that time comes I will be posting my work again, I plan to really push the limits of what concrete can be.I’m the >looks tacky euroanon, but that’s something I could be into, if it’s stuff that’s not pretending to be something else (I.e. like trannies, but in concrete) but is doing stuff that’s not possible otherwise. Geometric patterns that you can do in stone or stuff like this, fractals maybe? I’d totally like to have Mandelbrots in my driveway. Or maybe Sonnenrad and swastika for the /pol/ crowd? (Or Indians, for the swastika).
>>2888006she's just being a 4chan contrarianthanks for showing us your work OP, today you were not gay
>>2889104>Geometric patterns that you can do in stone or stuff like this, fractals maybe? I’d totally like to have Mandelbrots in my driveway.It’s my plan this year to make a custom stamp set that’s something like this. It’s never been done as far as I know, and I agree it’d be super cool.I’d like to have that for an ego point if nothing else>look at this thing I made that nobody else can make right nowI was thinking about incorporating those fiber optic led lights somehow because that’d also be awesome, like if every other sidewalk block had it for landscape lighting.Lots to play with but R&D is expensive due to down-time
>>2889104While I love the swastika idea, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would do this, and I can’t condone making large financial decisions if you aren’t in your right mind.I would love to do a swastika stamp but ethically I couldn’t because I’d be taking advantage of someone who isn’t in their right mind.It’d be like ripping out and replacing your own concrete over and over because old lady has dementia and you collect a check everytime until she runs out or dies.It’s an ethical rule I try to follow.
>>2887263OP is going for some Stolen Valor on this dealI, in fact, put that sweet baby togetherWith my skills
>>2889491Then post more sir :)
>>2887263I like your work, I manufacture and sell concrete pavers, it's around 44usd m2 with a 400x400mm paver, and my profits less manufacturing costs is about half of that. i find that pouring a slab is just too expensive in the current economy, and with pavers the more handy people can lay them themselves without too much knowhow. I really like the look of your work, so i may steal the idea for a more premium product, thanks nerd.
What is the sealer made of? Does the stamping make it not necessary to cut relief lines to avoid cracking or does it get cracked?
>>2888422> I plan to really push the limits of what concrete can be.
>>2889506That’s okay brother, happy to inspire you! My customers tend to be fairly wealthy but I fully understand the need for your products and I support you creating a premium product inspired by my stamped concrete. That’s actually awesome asf and I respect your niche. I hope to see some of your experiences posted here!
