| Don't you hate it when you've been planning on | | | | pour in the mixture. |
| giving your deck or patio a makeover but whenever | | | | Next, you're going to put in the antiquing powder |
| you get an architect to quote you it always seems | | | | onto the mixture before it completely dries up and |
| to be over your budget? Hiring other people can | | | | before you put the design stamp onto the concrete. |
| usually be expensive, especially if you want | | | | The antiquing powder works in two ways. First, it |
| something specific to be done to your deck or patio, | | | | prevents the concrete from sticking on to the rubber |
| and because getting other people to do something | | | | stamp you're going to put on the concrete later, and |
| for you generally costs more than when you do the | | | | second, it improves the color of your design. |
| job yourself. | | | | After the antiquing powder has been added, the final |
| The beauty of a decorative concrete project is that | | | | and most crucial step is putting in the stamp on the |
| it requires little amount of effort coming from you, | | | | concrete. It's up to you what design you choose and |
| but the effects are nonetheless amazing. If you want | | | | what look you want to achieve. The most common |
| to try something as easy but wonderful as a | | | | choices are brick and stone, but you can have your |
| decorative concrete method, here are the basic | | | | own design stamped on the concrete. Leave the |
| steps to get you started. You can do it by yourself | | | | project overnight until it has completely dried. |
| or with a help of a friend. | | | | The following morning, pressure wash the surface to |
| Assuming that you have all the needed materials | | | | remove any sign of the antiquing powder that might |
| ready, the first step is to mix the overlay concrete | | | | have been left behind, and to polish the concrete |
| onto the concrete canvas you're going to work on. | | | | also. After it has dried, put two coatings of a solvent |
| You'll be needing a gauge rake to spread the coat | | | | based sealer to bring out the design of the concrete |
| evenly throughout the concrete. The color of the | | | | and at the same time protect its finish. |
| overlay you have to already be mixed before you | | | | |