A New Wave of Concrete Texturing

By Elise Cimino

The stamps have a urethane-base, which is a highly durable and flexible rubber. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

 

Based in Makawao on Maui, Hawaii, Rockmolds.com provides a great range of lava stone textures for stamping applications. These urethane rubber stamps, taken from Hawaiian lava stone, were created to mimic nature with concrete.

With a background in Landscape Architecture, and the desire to promote the use of decorative stamped concrete into the landscape world, David Schwartz introduced these very definitive and original textures with Rockmolds.com. “We originally started making stamps out of necessity for the Hawaiian stone texture for our own projects. Then we saw this need for the ultra flexible stamp with unique textures for landscape and concrete professionals,” Schwartz said. “Decorative concrete really is an emerging trend in the market right now.”

Before (above) & after (below): “Concrete is long-lasting and semi-permanent,” Schwartz said. “When our stamps are used in water features (shown here), the textures can really fool the eye because they are aesthetically pleasing and look natural.”

Landscape professionals can use these stamps for any outdoor paving project such as stepping stones, landscape edging, outdoor showers, and driveway pavers. In addition, these stamps are perfect for utilizing with a vertical stamping system to create veneer stone for walls, retainers, and columns. Rockmolds.com’s stamps, which come in a variety of textures, may be pressed firmly in concrete to give a deep texture, or lightly to give a subtle stone impression. Schwartz noted the stamps have been sold all over the world, with the textures being applied in numerous regions besides Hawaii.

One of Schwartz’s main objectives in creating Rockmolds.com was to give landscapers the confidence to utilize the functionality and beauty of concrete. “Concrete is aesthetic and a highly functional medium, if applied properly,” Schwartz said. “We want to bring the durability of concrete into the landscape without the manufactured look.” Aside from combining the aesthetically pleasing with the natural, Schwartz and his company are committed to making user-friendly products for the concrete beginner. He commented, “We are putting together how-to kits for homeowners and landscapers, teaching them how to create simple projects, such as stepping stones and landscape edging. We want people to know that you do not have to be so much of an artist to create a beautiful and natural landscape with concrete.”

Before (above) & after (below): Rockmolds.com offers a way to create an individual look for one’s landscape. “You can overlap or mix and match the stamps to avoid repetition for each stone. You will get a distinct look that is unlike any other, which is less manufactured and closer to truly replicating nature in your projects,” Schwartz said.

In addition to the Lava Stone collection and tropical textures available on Rockmolds.com, Schwartz is introducing several new stamps in the near future. “It’s very exciting – we are developing wall stamping systems using different styles of stone that are predominant in Hawaii. Transforming existing concrete walls into lava stone or white coral is cutting edge. Vertical stamping is a trend we strongly believe in, and one we hope to help evolve.”

Above all, Schwartz is truly passionate about blending art and concrete, and teaching people how to use these techniques to create the most natural and attractive landscape. “We are trying to bridge the education gap by sharing with landscape designers, contractors, and maintenance companies the professional trade secrets of decorative concrete, and how to utilize that in their landscapes,” Schwartz said. “Our Hawaiian lava rock stamps lend an artistic element that blends brilliantly into nature, whatever the region. This concrete stamping trend is powerful and it will continue to grow; we hope to give decorative concrete a more prominent place in the landscaping world.”