Bubbling sealer is a common issue that come up in stamped concrete and decorative concrete applications. Sealer bubbles are unattractive and can lead to call backs and bad reviews. Sealer bubbles do not mean the product is defective or there is anything wrong with the concrete. In most cases, the sealer was just applied in too thick of a coat.
Brickform Decopoxy is a water-based, low VOC penetrating epoxy coating suited for floors. Decopoxy is great for residential and commercial applications alike. In this video, see how Decopoxy is used to seal and protect a colored concrete floor in a restaurant restroom.
Step-Liners are designed to produce texture on the edges of concrete steps, risers, terraces, and even concrete countertops. These Step-Liners can be reused many times.
Ashlar stamp patterns are signified by their square and rectangular stones of varying sizes arranged in an interlocking pattern. This pattern has been commonly found in traditional masonry paving and walls throughout history.
Texture skins and seamless skins make up a diverse class of stamped concrete finishes and patterns. Texture skins are often called seamless skins because of their trademark feathered edges that allow tools to be overlapped during stamping. This creates continuous textures that do not have simulated grout or mortar joints like other stamp textures.
How to Stamp Concrete Using Brickform Decorative Fan Patterns
Fan pattern stamps mimic many traditional European paving techniques. Fan patterns are defined by their semi-circle or radius layout. Different fan patterns are generally distinguished by how they interlock or how the bottom portion of the texture terminates – in a semi-circle or point.
How to Stamp Concrete Using Brickform Cobble and Brick Patterns
Brick and cobble stamp patterns make up a diverse selection of stamped concrete tools and textures. Ranging from worn cobbles to crisp new bricks, a wide range of looks can be achieved using this category of concrete textures. These versatile design options, along with the durability and longevity of concrete, make brick and cobble textures ideal for streetscapes, plazas, and more.
Brickform Poly-Astic is a high-build, high solids poly-aspartic sealer. It is free of VOCs, which makes it great for interior colored concrete, stained concrete, and dyed concrete applications. In this video, the installers are applying Poly-Astic on a smooth finished concrete floor that was previously colored using Brickform Pro-Dye Plus.
Acid staining is one of the most popular and classic decorative concrete finishes. With it’s unique varied, natural coloring, Blush Tone Acid Stain creates one of a kind flooring effects on concrete floors. Blush Tone Acid Stain is ideally suited for basement floors and slab construction because it uses exiting materials.
Brick and stone are popular materials for decorative vertical surfaces. Traditional stone and brick is limited and labor intensive. Prefabricated or artificial materials are less labor intensive but even more limited. Brickform Vertical Mix allows complete design freedom for the concrete artisan to mimic stone, brick, and even wood materials on vertical surfaces.
Brickform Stampable Overlay is well suited for texturing basement floors. Generally, poured concrete floors in basements are not textured for a wide range of reasons. If stamping is desired Stampable Overlay is a good way to introduce decorative finishes where otherwise impossible.
Sealers are vital to the success of a decorative concrete project. The vast majority of technical issues can be traced back to sealer – be it improperly applying a sealer, choosing the wrong kind of sealer, or not sufficiently preparing the concrete for the sealer.
Brickform High Performance Sealers are a class of products that are all two component, high solids, coatings for decorative concrete. They are primarily suited for interior use in residential and commercial applications. This tabletop discussion goes through the various qualities and characteristics of these decorative concrete coatings.
How to Rejuvenate an Old Concrete Driveway with Antique-It
Antique-It is a pigmented restoration material for improving the appearance of aged textured concrete. Use Antique-It to rejuvenate old concrete and make it look like new. Over time, many stamped concrete slabs start to lose their antiquing highlights.
How to Matte a Solvent-Based Sealer with Brickform Matte Magic
Matte Magic is a gloss reducer for Brickform solvent-based sealers. This simple additive makes it easy to turn a high-gloss sealer into a medium-gloss or matte-finish sealer. Matte Magic uses micronized silica particles to reduce the shine of the sealer without impacting performance or texture.
How to Color Concrete Using Brickform FreestylePRO Stain
Brickform FreestylePRO is a revolutionary concrete stain that penetrates and bonds with concrete surfaces in a way that no other coloring product can. This water-based, opaque stain is excellent for restoring, changing colors on previously colored concrete surfaces, or rejuvenating old, discolored concrete.
How to Remove An Acrylic Concrete Sealer with Brickform Strip-It
Brickform Strip-It is a citrus-based stripper for acrylic sealers. There are several reasons you might need to strip the existing sealer. For example, if the sealer has failed due to age or misapplication, it should be removed before resealing.
Tinta’ Seal is a tint pack designed for use with Brickform solvent-based sealers. It colors the sealer, adding translucent color to concrete when applied. Available in a wide range of colors, Tinta’ Seal is excellent as a primary color, color correction, or restoration product.
How to Resurface Cracked Concrete with Brickform Overlay
There are millions of square feet of cracked concrete driveways, sidewalks, and patios out there. Each one is an opportunity. Through wear, age, and weathering, most concrete will ultimately face cracking, chips, and rock pops. These faults can be repaired to restore to its former glory or even improve it better than new.
How to use a Spray Mix Micro-Topping Overlay for Resurfacing Decorative Concrete
SM Professional Grade is an add-polymer thin overlay from Brickform. It can create a wide variety of textures including a knockdown texture, hand trowel texture, smooth, and stenciled. SM Professional Grade is a flexible microtopping designed for pool decks, driveways, patios, and walkways.
Design Tape is a necessary tool for all decorative concrete overlay contactors. It allows you to create custom patterns in thin overlays and microtoppings. By laying out design tape before applying an overlay, you are able to recreate tile patterns, stone patterns, or brick patterns.
Micro-Topping a Concrete Floor with Brickform Micro-Topping
Brickform Micro-Topping is a thin overlay that creates a fresh surface on existing concrete. This makes it well suited for refinishing damaged or ugly concrete. From there, Micro-Topping can be stained and sealed just like regular concrete.
Brickform Stampable Overlay is a thick overlay capable of being textured by a wide selection of Brickform tools. It is available as an add-water or add-polymer material. Using Stampable Overlay allows you to add texture to existing concrete slabs.
Cem-Coat is well suited for recoloring smooth and lightly textured concrete. It is a richly pigmented, opaque coloring agent. As a cementitious product, Cem-Coat adheres well to concrete, is durable, and behaves much the same way the underlying concrete does.
Pavimento of Paris Concrete Stamps, Paladiano Texture
Pavimento of Paris is an exceptional stamp texture set developed as part of the Paladiano line. With authentic textures, pulled from real granite cobbles in and around Paris, France, Pavimento of Paris brings all of the charm offered by the City of Lights.
Yorkshire Cobble is a beautifully rustic stamp texture set from the Paladiano stamp line. With stunning texture pulled from real granite cobbles in and around Yorkshire, England, Yorkshire Cobble brings medieval England to your next project.
ARTesian Water-Based Stain is a user-friendly coloring option for placed concrete. ARTesian Stain can be used on stamped concrete, broom finished concrete, exposed aggregate, and trowel finished concrete.
Stamped concrete is a highly technical skill with a high degree of nuance. It takes years of experience to master. By watching this video, you can start with a good groundwork for stamping concrete. From there, only hands on training and experience can help you better.
Cyprus Slate is a stunning texture set developed as part of the Paladiano line. With exotic patterns, pulled from the indigenous paving stones found on the island of Cyprus, Cyprus Slate brings a distinctly Mediterranean feel to any stamped concrete project.
Rotating Venetian Marble is a classic stamp set developed as part of the Paladiano line. With authentic textures, pulled from real granite cobbles in and around Paris, France, Pavimento of Paris brings all of the charm offered by the City of Lights.
Rotating Venetian Marble is a classic stamp set developed as part of the Paladiano line. With authentic textures pulled from the streets of the Renaissance commercial capital, Rotating Venetian Marble brings a cosmopolitan Italian charm to any hardscape.
Stones of Athens Concrete Stamp, Paladaino Texture
Stones of Athens is one of the most intricate patterns in the Paladiano line. With textures cast from real ancient Athenian streets, Stones of Athens perfectly captures the feel of the birthplace of Western Civilization.
Color Hardener is a very common method for coloring stamped concrete and some flatwork. Using an engineered blend of pigment, cement, and fine aggregates, Color Hardener creates a dense and strong layer on the top of new concrete.
Returning to and enhancing the realistic, natural look that launched the stamped concrete industry, Paladiano: Wonders of the World Stamps offer unmatched quality and design. Developed over a three-year period by decorative concrete legends Bob Harris and John Anderson, Paladiano textures are based on some of the most famous locations in the world.
Stamped concrete is a specialized process that requires specific tools in addition to common concrete finishing tools. Most experienced concrete contactors will already have placement and finishing tools with which they are proficient and comfortable.
Surface preparation is a necessary part of decorative concrete product application. Special care must be made to ensure the proper surface conditions for water-based stains, acid stains, sealers, overlays, topical coloring products, and anything applied to the surface of existing concrete.
Concrete Surface Preparation Video 2… Acid Etching
Most thin overlays, microtoppings, stains, and sealers only require a Concrete Surface Profile of 1, 2, or 3 for proper adhesion. For most structurally sound, relatively clean concrete slabs, this only requires an acid etch and/or power washing.
Concrete Surface Preparation Video 3… Brickform E-Etch
Brickform E-Etch can be a suitable for many applications. It has the benefit of being an environmentally friendly alternative to muriatic acid. E-Etch is biodegradable and safer to use than acid. You may choose to dilute E-Etch but it can be applied straight from the bottle.
Concrete Surface Preparation Video 4… Mechanical Surface Profiling
Mechanical surface preparation is the process of profiling concrete’s surface using tools like grinders, scarifiers, or media blasters. Mechanical surface preparation is useful for achieving the full range of surface profiles.
