Creating a flagstone pattern on concrete has long been a tedious job even for the most skilled technicians. But thanks to a product by Westcoat called Stone Strips, making custom flagstone patterns on a decorative concrete overlay just got a whole lot easier.
The precut Stone Strips come packaged in 500-square-foot bundles. Made up of strips in various widths and lengths, they have irregular edges to better simulate real flagstone shapes. Extremely user friendly, the strips resist tearing and are fitted with tabbed, easy-to-remove backing. Paul Koury, president of Westcoat, recommends laying out the Stone Strips in a dry run for the customer to agree on the pattern and size of stones. Be sure to consider how you intend to use Stone Strips in conjunction with joints and termination points. “Nothing beats planning out your pattern and a quick dry assembly,” Koury says.
After the pattern is envisioned, apply the grout coat and allow it to cure for 24 hours. When the grout coat has cured, peel off the strips’ backing and lay them out end-to-end, taking time to reposition as needed and inspecting for consistency prior to applying the texture coat.
Before mixing and applying the texture coat, carefully step on the strips to make sure they have adhered to the cured grout coat surface. If they have, apply the pigmented texture coat with a trowel or hopper gun. When the surface is dry enough to walk on, pull up all the strips. If desired, stain can be applied before or after pulling the strips but be mindful of where the stain may bleed if applied before pulling them.
Finally apply the sealer of choice. Koury cautions contractors to avoid puddling in the recessed lines of the flagstone pattern.
The technique for applying Westcoat’s Stone Strips is included in the ALX Training Video on Westcoat’s YouTube channel, westcoatscs. To locate a distributor near you, call Westcoat Specialty Coating Systems at (800) 250-4519.
