You want to have a solid functional concrete project installed and also show a little bit of your personality in it…There are many ways to make concrete your own but one of the easiest and most cost effective is adding an integral color. There are important considerations when pouring with color however so here are a few big ones to bring up when talking to your Contractor.

When working with colored concrete, especially darker colors here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Never order less than the minimal color match quantity especially if it may one day be added onto. Our regular supplier only has a 3 yard minimum color match guarantee. If your pour requires less than 3 yards you still need to make sure 3 yards gets ordered.
  • Concrete in general is messy… With color it is even worse. Make sure the surrounding area is protected from splatter with plastic sheeting or rosin paper.
  • Colored concrete tends to set faster.. Darker colors seem worse. Check to see if your Contractor is considering additives that extend Finishing time especially if the temp is high and the area is large.
  • Never splash water on colored concrete or use wet tools to help in finishing.. It will bleach the color out of it or make it blotchy.
  • Never use water on your Finishing broom.. It will get streaky. A Broom finish definitely isn’t recommended to bring out the best in your color investment anyways, a random sweat or similar finish gives dimension to the look.
  • Your Contractor should always have at least one more Finisher than needed. If the set gets away from them the surface will get hard and start to turn black from the pressure of the trowel. This is known as a burnt in finish, burning the finish when placing colored concrete is a sin.
  • If you don’t s seal it… it’s going to fade… Pick a color that is a shade darker than ideal or plan on re-sealing every 2-5 years depending on exposure to the sun.

Here are just a few helpful tid bits that will help you to make sure you are hiring the right Contractor.
https://www.tucsoncustomconcretecontractor.com/diy-how-to-refinish-your-decorative-tucson-concrete/

Check out https://www.daviscolors.com/ to pick a color for your project.

Thank you for reading

Jon Molden

BST Concrete