The first as noted above is to add a color pigment to the original mix.
Adding color to concrete floors.
We will use cement sand gravel w.
For the most accurate integral concrete color choose ready mix cement with around 10 fly ash and no more than 20.
The lighter salt and pepper grays of the aggregate blend with the dark gray matrix of the cement paste.
Another option for coloring concrete is to apply a color hardener to the top layer of concrete after it has been poured.
While there are structural benefits of adding fly ash to concrete a higher rate of fly ash results in a lighter final appearance of the concrete slab which makes predicting color more difficult.
We will make a youtube play button out of red concrete.
You can scrape off dried on gunk fill cracks change the color and even add patterns.
The integral color works great on its own or it can be used as a back drop to be accented with concrete stain or concrete dye.
Adding a minimal premium for a tint is a simple way to add value to the project.
In the early years when one talked about adding color in conjunction with polishing first it was integral colors or dry shake hardeners then acid stains crept to the forefront as it became viable to combine densifying and acid stains.
If you have concrete floors in your basement garage or screened in patio you don t.
We use colored concrete for stamped concrete patios stamped concrete driveways and interior concrete floors all the time.
While a color hardener can produce more vibrant colors than adding colorant to the mix any dings or edges in the finished slab will show since the color is only on the surface of the concrete.
You will see how to prepare color concrete with a concrete mixer.
Roll curbs can be treated the same way.
The layering of multiple colors allows many variegated tones to be produced that can mimic natural stone brick wood and tile.
In general there are three ways to think about adding color to a concrete installation.
Step 4 add a little more warm water than usual to the mix so it will pour easier into the bottle.
Many property owners will add a dark integral color to parking area concrete and then expose the aggregate in the concrete by sandblasting medium to heavy or by using a surface retarder.
This approach is desirable for many projects since the customer is already paying for a clear sealer.