Concrete Color, Integral Color

Although your ready-mix supplier can supply you with truckloads of colored concrete, there may be some occasions when you want to color your own. Here's why and how.

The pros and cons of integral color
There are many reasons to add integral color to a batch rather than broadcasting color hardener. A slab may be too big for workers to access its middle. The customer may want the even color produced by integral pigments instead of the mottled look of color hardener. Integral color won't chip off. And integral color is the only choice for vertical surfaces enclosed in forms.

The biggest drawback of integral color is the difficulty of matching colors from the color chip to the job, from load to load, and even from one end of the truck to the other. Color chips can give the customer only a general idea of what to expect. For one thing, the chip was made to represent a batch made at the manufacturer's headquarters. In your area, cement and sand may be lighter or darker than what the manufacturer used, and additives such as fly ash will bring their own colors to the mix. For another thing, the color chip represents an unsealed surface. Sealing the surface will make the color darker and richer. If the color is critical, as when existing concrete must be matched, a sample slab is essential.