Concrete does not have to be gray
Color mixed into the concrete or worked into the surface, for patios, walks, driveways and pool decks. Text us a photo of the spot to start.
Colored concrete
Gray is the default because gray is what cement makes. It does not have to stay that way. Color can go into the mix at the plant or onto the surface while the slab is still fresh, and the result is a patio or a walk in tan, brown, red or charcoal. Earth tones tend to sit well next to red rock and stucco.
Color is a finish, not a different kind of slab. Under it is the same compacted base, the same thickness and the same joints as any other pour we do. What changes is the planning, because colored concrete has to be ordered, poured and cured with more care to come out even.
Ways to add color
- Color mixed in
- Pigment is added to the concrete at the plant, so the color runs through the full depth of the slab.
- Color on the surface
- Color is spread over the fresh slab and floated in, which gives a stronger shade in the top layer.
- Colored border or band
- A strip of color around a plain slab or between panels, to frame a patio or a driveway.
- Color under a stamp
- Stamped concrete usually starts with color. The stamped concrete page covers that finish.
How the job goes
- 1
Pick from samples
You choose from a color chart or samples. Hold them up outside, next to the house, in full sun. A color that looks rich indoors can look washed out on a bright afternoon.
- 2
Prep like any slab
Digging, gravel, compaction and forms are the same as for plain concrete. We also cover nearby walls, posts and old concrete, since pigment stains what it splashes on.
- 3
Pour it all alike
Every load is ordered with the same color dose and the same mix. We place and finish the whole slab the same way from one end to the other, because a change in water or timing shows up as a change in shade.
- 4
Cure and seal
Colored slabs are cured so they dry evenly, then sealed once they are ready. Sealer deepens the color and helps guard it from stains. Foot traffic is fine after about a day, and cars after about a week.
What makes it last
Concrete fails from the bottom up. These are the parts you will never see once the job is done, and they decide how the slab holds up.
- Same base and thickness
- Color does not make concrete stronger or weaker. A colored patio is still typically four inches on compacted gravel, and a colored driveway section is still five to six inches with rebar.
- One recipe from first load to last
- Extra water in one truck makes that load cure lighter. We hold each load to the same recipe and avoid adding water on site, which is the main way to keep one slab from looking like two.
- Even curing
- Plastic sheeting or wet spots left on colored concrete can leave blotches. We use curing methods suited to colored work so the surface dries at one pace.
- Sealer and upkeep
- A sealer helps slow fading and makes spills easier to clean. It wears off in the sun and typically needs a fresh coat every few years.
Start with a photo.
435·220·5536Text us a photo of the spot and rough measurements. We will tell you what we can from the photo, or come out and take a look.
Get a quoteColored concrete: straight answers
Will the color match the sample exactly?
No. A sample is a guide, not a promise. The final shade shifts with the cement, the sand, the weather on pour day and how the slab cures. Expect something close to the sample, with some natural variation across the slab.
Can you color match my existing concrete?
Not perfectly. Old concrete has years of sun and dust in it, and new colored concrete will not blend into it. We can pick a shade that sits well beside it, or pour the new section as a border or a contrast on purpose.
Does colored concrete fade?
It can lighten over time, mostly at the surface. Strong sun, pool chemicals and wear all play a part. Keeping it sealed slows that down. Color mixed through the slab hides chips better, since the concrete underneath is the same shade.
Is dark concrete hot to walk on?
Darker colors soak up more sun than light ones, and a dark slab in July is hot on bare feet. For pool decks and patios in full sun, a lighter tan or sand shade is easier to live with.