Flattoo Imprinting
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Step 1.
Place the Flattoo in the desired location on the concrete. A ruler or a straight edge may be helpful to center or align the design with a wall or another Flattoo.
Step 2.
Using a low adhesive tape, (painter's blue masking tape by 3M is what you see here in the picture), secure the top and bottom of one side of the Flattoo. Once you have the Flattoo secured, lift the other side & separate the bottom paper layer from the Flattoo If any part of the Flattoo sticks to the bottom layer, lay the Flattoo back down & gently rub with your fingernail and try again. Continue this method until the paper completely separates from the bottom of the Flattoo.
Step 3.
Once you have pealed the bottom layer of paper back to the taped area, cut the separated paper using a pair of house hold scissors.
Step 4.
With a firm, thin, plastic straight edge, (window scraper works well) work the Flattoo onto the concrete starting from the center and work to the edge to avoid bubbles, wrinkles or creases.
Step 5.
After you have secured the first half of the Flattoo, remove the masking tape, flip the remaining portion of the Flattoo over, and begin working the other half of the bottom layer off.
Step 6.
Repeat step five for the remaining Flattoo. It is important to ensure a solid bond and pay extra attention to the Flattoo edges to prevent any bleeding of the gelled acid.
Step 7.
Once you are confident you have burnished all exposed edges of the Flattoo, remove the top tape keeping it flat against itself. DO NOT lift straight up on the top tape! This could cause some edges of the Flattoo to separate from the concrete.
Step 8.
A skirting is recommended around the end of the Flattoo to provide a buffer between the Flattoo and the concrete to help avoid getting any gelled acid on other parts of the concrete.
Step 9.
Using a paint brush, apply the gelled acid! To ensure you remove all the stain, go over the Flattoo design several times, paying close attention to the Flattoo's design edges. Or to create a subtle effect apply one light coat.
Step 11.
From this point you are done Flattooing You can leave the exposed concrete by peel the Flattoo off the surface and applying the concrete sealer. (top image)
Or, you can stain the Flattoo image in a different color adding another dimension of contrast, as seen below. If you choose to do so, it is highly recommended that you add 1/2 cup of Mule Stain to every 1 cup of concrete stain. The Mule Stain will add viscosity to the concrete stain and prevent any bleeding. (bottom image)