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Fresh Concrete, Hardened Concrete, or Overlay?

For new concrete, paper stencils are generally the best choice, especially if you are covering a large area. That's because when stenciling newly poured concrete, you need enough stencil material to cover the entire surface, which could become cost-prohibitive when buying individual sheets of plastic. Plastic stencils are also less flexible and can be difficult to float into new concrete.

On existing or hardened concrete, both paper and plastic stencils can be used, However, plastic stencils tend to lay flatter and are less prone to distortion. They work especially well on projects involving sandblasting or the application of a thin overlay to create a pattern relief (a technique called "embossing"). Some manufacturers offer plastic stencils in different thicknesses to achieve varying degrees of relief. Not all overlay materials work well with stencils, however, depending on the overlay thickness and how it's applied. Make sure you use an overlay system suitable for stenciling. (For more information, read "Comparing Types of Overlays Systems.")

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