Walttools

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Walttools "Welcome to Walttools - your top destination for all things Decorative Concrete Supplies!
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We offer a wide range of high-quality concrete stamps, mixes, rollers, epoxy, colors, tools, training and more to help you bring your concrete projects to life. Walttools is the best choice for Decorative Concrete Supplies including concrete stamps, rollers, stains, sealers, tools and a full line of specialized decorative mixes including the higly sought after Tru Pac line of ad mixes.

10/24/2026

Dummy Proof Staining

Just spray... that's it. Those are the instructions. The reactive concrete stain gets you the beautiful color variation on whatever surface you're working on. Patios, sidewalks, caps, countertops, precast steps... anything. If you have a couple colors on hand you can make any surface look natural. Because that's the goal, make the concrete look like it's natural stone and not concrete.

10/21/2026

Everyone's favorite part...
Revealing the texture in the concrete when you strip the forms. For this precast step block, we used the 6" split limestone step inserts. The split limestone are a favorite because the texture hides imperfections in the face well. Stay tuned to our youtube channel in the coming months, we will be demonstrating how to make the face perfect, no voids... none.

How do you and your crew refer to the liners: step liners, step inserts, or something else?

10/19/2026

Don't miss this step...

It doesn't matter what you're doing, you need to release your forms/ liners. We recommend to use form shield form release, but our biggest concern is that you use any release. It just makes your life easier to have a sprayer full of release ready to use at all times.

10/15/2026

Precast Faster!

Getting concrete to set faster is the only way to make precast pieces faster...
We used Tru Pac C in our mix on this piece and were able to stamp only 50 minutes after pouring. That's not even mentioning all of the extra benefits we're getting like improved strength and rheology (better texture from the liner).

10/12/2026

Pouring with basic mix is not always the best option...

Here we're working on a pre-cast landscaping step block. But the same principal applies to anything you're pouring with a basic bag mix, you're not going to get the best finish. Sometimes that doesn't matter so you can just rock with it.

If you need a better/ more refined finish, Tru Pac C is an easy way to get that. You're getting a ton of benefits by having it in your mix (improved rheology for casting with liners, increased strength, and better finish from better workability). You can see how the mix doesn't look like damp gravel when we're pouring and finishing. It resembles a higher quality bag mix, but it's only the cost of the basic, cheap mix plus a $10 bag of Tru Pac C (that's a LOT less than a specialty bag of casting mix).

10/07/2026

Don't rush...

Measure twice, cut once. And cut it right! Don't get lazy.

We know how big of a deal it is to be cutting up step liners. So every cut you make has to be done right.

Also, when you're precasting pieces like we're doing here, don't pick an uncommon size. Use standard sizing like 3 or 4' width. The same goes for any step, not just precast. Most likely, you're going to be able to use them again on another set of stairs, or at least for most of the steps (each project has its quirks you have to work around for certain details).

Another note on a setup like this: make sure the factory edge goes into the back of the step. That way as the texture ends, it has a nice return rather than an abrupt stop.

If you want to see more about making this precast step, the complete video is on our youtube channel: walttoolsofficial.

10/03/2026

Want to make precast concrete pieces? Start with the mix.

Getting the right mix ratio with Tru Pac C can make all the difference. Here’s a quick look at the ratio we use to get a flowable mix with excellent performance.

Full video on making pre-cast concrete landscaping steps coming out monday October 4.

Videos on making pre-cast flagstone stepping stones will also be released soon.

09/30/2026

$416 in material completely changed this 2,400 sq. ft. patio.

We used Roll Eze, a restorative coating, to completely change this old patio. Also, we totally made the three separate sections look like they were poured together. If you want to see the whole process on how to restore a patio, the full video is on our youtube channel: walttoolsofficial.

For this project, we used just 3.5 buckets.

At $119 per bucket, that comes out to $416.50 in Roll Eze, or roughly 17¢ per sq. ft.

The key is applying it nice and thin. You’re not trying to build up a new slab, you’re putting down a thin, durable coating that gives you a fresh look.

That’s what makes restoration so interesting. You can get a huge visual transformation without the material cost of starting over.

Would you restore a patio like this, or would you tear it out and replace it?

09/24/2026

Spraying? Roll-Eze? Yes

09/17/2026

1/2" of squeeze? No problem.

We purposely left this stamped concrete joint rough to show how quickly grout tools can clean up squeeze and reshape the joint.

On a real job that squeeze usually isn’t intentional. I don’t care how good you think you and your crew are. When the concrete is setting up fast, all it takes is a few seconds of lost focus to leave a gap between the stamps.

That’s why learning the little fixes matters just as much as learning the perfect technique.

The best decorative contractors aren’t the ones who never make mistakes. They’re the ones who recognize them and KNOW how to fix them. Don't leave sloppy work behind.

Address

1246 Leah Road
Morris, IL
60450

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

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