HOW WE GOT STARTED

When I first started in business I was not fond of stamped concrete!  I thought it was a good idea, but I didn't feel that it was worth the extra money above plain concrete.  I didn't like how it looked like it was all one color and didn't have much dimension to it.  Basically it looked fake!  Later on I did notice that there were a few jobs that stood above the others i had seen, they looked more realistic and made me wonder how they got that look.  I researched the topic and thought that I had come up with an idea on how to make each job look outstanding.  So the first thing I did was come up with a set of guidelines that would insure that every job has good color variations with light and dark colors, a good sharp image with fine detail, and  having  stamp if fully imprinted on the concrete.  The result is a 3-dimensional realistic look.

OUR 3 GUIDELINES FOR SUPERIOR
STAMPED CONCRETE

#1.  Every stamp must be pressed all the way to get the full detail of each stone.  This may seem very simple but many stamped concrete contractors overlook this step.  There is a very small window where the stamping is ideal.  If you miss this window the concrete does not retain the full detail of the stamp.

#2.  The surface of the concrete can have no free water.  This means that the concrete must be poured without using too much water in order to get a nice sharp image.  The concrete has the capability to replicate the fine details of the grain of each stone if these guidelines are followed.

#3.  It is very imporatant to pick out the right color combination.  A minimum of two contrasting colors are required in order to have natural color variations.  To me this is what makes one job stand out from another job.  A natural stone or marble or piece of granite is not one solid color, God has designed them with a nice blend of numerous colors.

IN CONCLUSION

No job is ever perfect, but natural stone is not perfect either.  Also, I don't want to give the impression that stamped concrete will have the exact same color shading of the stone being replicated.  However, the shape and texture is exact.  Stamped concrete has its own look, but the idea is to make it look like something natural instead of something man-made.

So when you choose an installer it is wise to look at at least one job in person that way you will know exactly what you are getting and there won't be any misrepresentation.