Introduction
Do you have a floor that needs decoration and you have just heard about concrete floor stencils and how they can make old floors look better than ever? Or maybe you have already bought some, but are looking for more info on how to use them?
Concrete stencils have been popular for a while now and have been gaining in popularity as more and more “do it yourself” stenciling kits have become available. No longer do you have to have a professional come in and do the work. That is not a bad choice either, just more power to the ones who like doing things like this themselves.
Concrete floor stencils allow you to customize existing concrete floors or other fixtures. Have you grown tired of the plain concrete floor that greets you every day? Then concrete stencils may be just what you’ve been looking for.
Stencils are an easy, inexpensive way to create patterns on concrete without having to carve into the concrete itself. While these stencil designs aren’t as durable as concrete stamping, for instance, the results are still great-looking when doing concrete crafts. And the process itself is less invasive than cutting the concrete directly.
How to use concrete stencils
There is almost an unlimited number of concrete stencils available on the internet and most can be had for very little cost. Paper stencils come cheaper than plastic as plastic ones are meant to be reusable concrete stencils.
If you are wondering about the process of concrete floor stenciling, I’ll run through it a little bit and give some product recommendations to help you out. Now remember this is only one way of doing it, there are other ways to do it as well.
Concrete stencils are pretty much what they sound like and pretty much look like some tools that you would find in a children’s play-dough kit. They come in many different shapes and sizes, some have single patterns on them while others are large and contain multiple designs and shapes.
When the concrete is new and has not set yet, you can start the process. The first step involves placing the stencil on the wet concrete. It is good that you have two people involved in this. You can do it by yourself, but one extra pair of hands can make it a lot easier.
With a roll type concrete stencil, you will want to have one person hold the beginning of the stencil to the concrete while the other rolls it out and holds it in place. Once you have the stencil laid out the way you want it, you simply come through with the stencil roller and press the design into the wet concrete and move onto the next area.
Now you should have the are cowered with the stencil pattern pressed into the concrete. You can sprinkle color hardener in to give your stenciled concrete pigment. Imagine something like red bricks or darker natural stones. Both can be achieved with pigment.
You need to use a bull float to press the color hardener into concrete and you can finish the surface with a sponge or roller or whatever you’re planning on. Usually, you need two coats of pigment.
After that, you will need to spray release agent like with stamped concrete guide over here and remove the stencils before the concrete adheres. The next day you can wash the surface gently.
I don’t recommend using a pressure washer on new concrete surfaces unless you know what you’re doing. Too much pressure will penetrate into the concrete and it will affect the curing process making your concrete potentially weaker.
Once the stencil is off and you have washed your concrete and it is dry, you can spray on the sealer of your choice. You will probably want to do two layers for extra protection.
Can anyone use concrete stencils?
The process really is simple, I wish there were more to explain, but it’s pretty easy and self-explanatory. If at any time the stencil shifts or moves in a way that you do not want it to, you can simply brush the concrete with some water and trowel and start again.
You can even mix this up a bit and leave the center of the sidewalk/patio/etc as a normal flat concrete would look. That means don’t apply any type of stenciling. On the edges, for about 5 inches on each side, you can use the stencils and stain those areas with a red tint or something else.
I think that would leave the sidewalk or patio much more appealing with how it looks and how it fits into the backyard decor scheme. Decorating with the stencils is simple, just like that. You can search the internet for better ideas even as there are lots of people experimenting.
To get back on track, once the stencil has been rolled into the wet concrete, you will want to start taking up the stencils one by one. You may want to create some sort of string line to help when you are placing the stencils so that they stay uniform and aligned correctly. Even if you have some of the stencils misaligned, you should consider sidewalk stenciling to be an art.
Conclusion
Remember that this guide is meant to just give you a picture of how to do it. Following these guidelines is the general process of doing it and should provide good results. Just remember to follow the manufacturer guidelines with your products and all should go well.
The beauty of this is that you can apply these stencils yourself. Concrete pouring, decorating, staining, coating, etc. is a business where experienced workers can make a difference. Still, for those willing to learn, there are chances to do things yourself and get good results.
So find yourself decorative concrete stencils and get to work. All you’ll need to do to get yourself started is to have a surface to lay the stencil on. If you have an existing patio or sidewalk, you can read about resurfacing here and think if it could make a stencil project as well.
If you don’t feel confident in doing wide surfaces straight from the start, it’s easy to set up practicing surfaces. You can do a small pour for them or something else like that. Even a little bit of surface is enough to see how the concrete will act with the stencil.
That way you will save money and decorate on one project. Easy way to make your curb appeal go higher.