How to Get the Best Concrete That Looks Like Wood
Concrete that looks like wood is a popular design trend that combines the durability and versatility of concrete with the warm and natural aesthetic of wood. It can be a great option for various applications, including flooring, countertops, walls, and even outdoor surfaces.
While concrete itself is a versatile material, achieving a wood-like appearance requires some specialized techniques and products. Here are a few methods commonly used to create concrete that looks like wood.
Stamping
Concrete stamping involves pressing a wood grain pattern onto the surface of freshly poured or existing concrete. Specialized stamps with wood grain textures are used to create the desired look. The concrete is then colored to mimic the natural tones of wood.
Concrete Overlays
Concrete overlays are thin layers of concrete that can be applied over existing concrete surfaces. These overlays can be customized to resemble wood by using techniques such as staining, scoring, or engraving to create the appearance of wood grain.
Concrete Staining
Concrete staining involves applying color to the concrete surface using acid-based stains or water-based dyes. By selecting the right colors and applying them skillfully, a wood-like appearance can be achieved.
Concrete Etching
Etching is a technique where an acid solution is applied to the concrete surface to create a wood grain pattern. This process involves carefully manipulating the acid and can result in a realistic wood-like texture.
Concrete Imprinting
Concrete imprinting involves using specialized rubber mats or molds with wood grain patterns to create the look of wood. The mats or molds are pressed into the surface of freshly poured concrete, leaving behind an impression that resembles wood grain.
It's important to note that while these techniques can create concrete surfaces that closely resemble wood, they may not provide the exact texture and feel of real wood.
Ready for Better Concrete that Looks Like Wood?
While most wood-look concrete is little more than an obvious replica, Woodform Concrete® is something else entirely. Woodform looks, sounds, and feels just like real wood. It isn’t unusual for people, when they first encounter it, to wonder if it’s real wood, inspect it carefully, then decide it is wood.
Despite its realistic grain, coloring, natural-looking imperfections and details, it is glass-fiber-reinforced concrete. It stands up to moisture, cold temperatures, weathering and use. It won’t burn, dry out, split, rot, or degrade.
Woodform stands out from the rest for several reasons.
Learn More about Woodform
It’s Sustainable
Woodform is made of lightweight aggregate concrete made of 50% recycled materials. We mix up exactly what we need so there is no waste. Concrete has a long-life cycle, is energy efficient, and is more resilient.
It’s High Quality
Anyone can slap a mold on some concrete, but that’s not what Woodform is. Woodform is made by skilled artisans and craftspeople with cutting-edge technology—and it shows. From live edges and knots, to butterfly joints and nail heads, we can create a reclaimed, vintage, or natural wood look that will have you doing a double take.
Color is what often gives away wood-look concrete. Wood is not monochromatic. The nuances of natural wood coloring are hard to replicate. Our artisans understand this and have perfected their coloring processes. You can choose from our eight standard wood colors, or you can provide a wood sample for us to replicate.
Authentic details can take wood-look concrete to a new level. Beyond color matching, our artisans have custom 3-D printing, CNC-routering, hand sculpting, etching, embossing, stenciling, and more available to them to create one-of-a-kind wood-look pieces.
See the Possibilities
It’s Versatile
By nature, concrete can mold itself to its surroundings. Its pourable form means it hasn’t met a situation it couldn’t adapt to. That means wood-look concrete can do countertops, sinks, tables, bars, architectural elements, seating, cladding . . . the list is nearly unlimited.
Shop our in-stock Signature pieces, or commission a custom Woodform Concrete piece.
Discover Where Woodform Can Go
It’s Sealed
All of our Woodform pieces come sealed with our proprietary coating, TRUESeal. It forms a protective layer on the surface that protects against UV, staining, and liquids. It can last a couple years (depending on use) and we offer resealing kits so you can maintain a like-new surface.
Concrete that looks like wood has evolved. Of course, you can try your hand at creating it yourself, but when this kind of expertise and skill is available, why wouldn’t you get the best?