What Is the Difference in the Grand Ashlar Concrete Stamp & the Ashlar Slate?

Concrete Stamps

• Concrete stamps are concrete tiles that are hand-designed and chiseled to look like stone, brick, cobblestone, slate, tile or wood. Stamp sets come in a variety of sizes and shapes that interlock to form a pattern. The most common shapes are square and rectangle, although natural stone shapes, hexagons, circles and triangles are also available.

Size and Shape

• Ashler slate and grand ashler concrete stamps are interlocking rectangle shapes that overlap to create a mosaic pattern. Ashler slate stamps combine five rectangular tiles that are 5 to 16 inches long and 5 to 21 inches wide. When laid in a pattern, the ashler slate stamp is 23 1/8 inches long by 23 1/8inches wide, while the grand ashler is 36 inches long by 36 inches wide. Grand ashler tiles vary in size from 6 to 22 inches.

Joints and Maximum Relief

• Both ashler slate and grand ashler concrete stamps have a joint appearance of 60 degrees vertical and a joint depth of 3/8 of an inch. However, grand ashlar has a wider joint depth--3/8 of an inch--compared to the 1/4-inch joint width of ashlar slate. Grand ashler also has more maximum relief--or 5/8 of an inch--compared to the 1/2-inch maximum relief of ashler slate.

Price and Availability

• As of the time of publication, Matcrete ashler slate stamps cost approximately $165 per stamp, while grand ashlar stamps are $275. Both stamps are available for purchase in home improvement retail stores.

Alternatives

• Matcrete ashler concrete stamps are also available in other varieties. Ashler stone is similar to ashlar slate but offers a gritty stone finish. La Habra ashler slate, named after the California town by the same name, has a beveled-edge stone pattern. Royal ashler offers stone tiles with a wavy appearance.