Creating a DIY Faux Flagstone Patio

Preparation:

• Prepare the concrete floor by removing any grease or heavy stains with Benjamin Moore Industrial Maintenance Coatings Oil & Grease Emulsifier (M–83).
• Scrub with a stiff bristle brush to ensure that there is no debris or dust on the surface. Rinse and let dry thoroughly.
• Smooth troweled concrete must be etched with a 10% muriatic acid solution (being sure to use protective eyewear and gloves), following manufacturer's instructions. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry at least 24 hours to ensure the paint will adhere. Note: New concrete should be allowed to dry 60 to 90 days before etching or coating to create your flagstone patio.
• Apply the base coat and allow to dry for a minimum of 24 hours.
• Cut or tear various shapes and sizes of upholstery foam to create the flagstone appearance. The bigger pieces should be approximately 10 inches wide with the smaller pieces only 2 inches wide.
• On a large plastic sheet, pour a puddle of Mountain Retreat 1176, then drizzle pink beach (1172) and wood ash (1065) on top.
• Use a stir stick to swirl colors together without blending to make sure you can see all three colors clearly. This pool of paint must be bigger than the size of the largest piece of foam.

Stamping the Flagstones:

To bring your flagstone patio ideas to life, the faux flagstone must be stamped. To do this, simply:

• Dip the foam piece into the paint pool, then lift it up and dab off any excess paint onto some newspaper.
• Begin your tiles in a corner and work out of that area.
• Press the foam onto the floor, creating your first flagstone imprint. Lift the foam off, set it aside, and repeat with a different piece of foam, leaving three–quarters of an inch between the imprints. This creates the grout line.
• Continue dipping and imprinting, reusing the various pieces of foam to create a unique flagstone effect.
• To get into corners and other awkward areas, cut a piece of foam to fit that area or use a foam brush dipped in swirl mixture and brush in a stone shape.
• Let dry and cure thoroughly before returning the area to use.

To successfully create your DIY flagstone patio, you'll need:

• 9–inch Benjamin Moore roller
• Roller tray
• 4–inch thick upholstery foam (various sizes and shapes)
• Utility knife
• Plastic sheet
• Stir stick
• Disposable latex gloves
• Newspaper
• 2–inch Benjamin Moore foam brush

Paint:

For an authentic–looking flagstone patio, choose the following paints:

• For an alkyd-based system, use Benjamin Moore Industrial Maintenance Coatings Urethane Alkyd Gloss Enamel M-22 in the following colors: tissue pink 1163 (basecoat); mountain retreat 1176 (first color); pink beach 1172 (second color); and wood ash 1065 (third color).
• For a latex-based system, use Moore's® Latex Floor & Patio Enamel (122).
• For a burgundy look, replace color mountain retreat 1176 with new london burgundy HC-61 from the Historical Color Collection.