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When it comes to stamping, there are numerous products available. And they are just as diverse as the patterns they can stamp. Stamping can make a job unique and leave an impression on those who see the work. Stamping products on the market today allow contractors different options not only in the tools they use but also in the process of stamping the concrete.

DEREU DECORATIVE CONCRETE
Mike DeReu, owner of DeReu Decorative Concrete, has been involved in the decorative concrete business for 18 years. Ninety-five percent of his work is in stamping, mostly residential, but DeReu says his company has recently started in concrete staining as well. No matter what job DeReu and his employees are working on, though, they use only Proline tools to get the work done.

DeReu Decorative Concrete does most of its work in Illinois, and in the summer of 2007, DeReu and his crew completed a combination patio and driveway stamping job there. The 3,000-sq.-ft. job took three weeks for the crew of five to complete, according to DeReu. The stamping totaled about six days of work.

DeReu says the crew spent a lot of time with prep work. Before the new concrete could be poured, part of the driveway had to be torn out. A ¾-in. gravel with fines was used and compacted for the base, and then 3⁄8-in. rebar was placed. After that, the crew poured the concrete - a mix of 4,000 psi concrete with big rock and fiber.

The next step was to add the color hardeners and release agents. DeReu says they used a throw-on color hardener that was dusted on twice. Different colored Proline powder release agents were also used. These included a beige color as well as a terra-cotta release, DeReu says. Standard finishing techniques were used before the crew stamped the job.