CONCRETE STENCILING PROCESS

Source:www.stonediamondtool.com Date:2017/6/9 Read:862

Stenciling Options

The most popular techniques for stenciling existing concrete floors include:

· Applying color with chemical stains or water- or solvent-based dyes, either before or after the stencil is removed

· Creating an embossed pattern by troweling or spraying a thin concrete overlay or skim coating over the stencil.

· Etching designs into the concrete by lightly sandblasting or using a gelled acid that won’t seep beneath the stencils

With all these techniques, you’ll usually achieve better results by using a stencil with an adhesive backing that prevents movement. For more information about using adhesive-backed stencils to enhance concrete floors,

.Using Stencils with an Overlay

Spray-down systems
Spray-down overlays work great with paper or plastic stencils, permitting the creation of intricate borders, custom designs, and logos. You can even make your own stencils by simply cutting Masonite or thin plywood with a jigsaw into a design. Whatever stencil material you use, make sure it’s thick enough that it won’t tear during removal.

Apply the stencil to a base layer of the overlay material, then spray apply the texture coat in a contrasting color. If you plan to apply stain accents to the overlay, it’s often easier to do the staining before removing the stencil so the color underneath is not affected. When spraying the topping over the stencil, it’s important to spray straight down to help prevent stencil movement and to keep any overspray from bleeding underneath the stencil and blurring the pattern lines.

Trowel-down microtopping systems
Because microtoppings are applied so thinly, they are ideal for use with adhesive-backed stencils to create decorative floor borders and other designs. After surface preparation has been completed, the base coat is troweled or squeegeed down to the width of the stencil. The stencil is then adhered to the tacky base coat. Repeat this process until the entire stencil is laid. You can then trowel a thin topcoat over the stencil (approximately 1/8 inch). When creating stenciled borders, a small paint roller is a great way to apply a microtopping because it provides complete coverage without dislodging the stencil.