Concrete Dyes, Concrete Stains and Coloring Concrete
Concrete dyes are quickly becoming a favorite coloring method for decorative concrete contractors. With overlays, stamping or stenciling, using a combination of dyes and reactive stains gives concrete floors and walls endless possibilities for color.
Amy Johnson
Does anyone use gray concrete anymore? Why would they, when concrete dyes can provide just about any color, however subtle or vivid? By using dyes either alone or in combination with reactive stains, designers and contractors can achieve just about any look imaginable. "If you think of a watercolor artist, that's the way you might think about using dyes," says Mike Miller, managing principal of The Concretist in Benicia, Calif.
Basically, a concrete dye is a coloring agent, usually supplied in concentrated form, that is diluted in water or solvent (alcohol or acetone) to the desired shade. The dye may be mixed with other colors on site. It is usually applied to concrete with a pump sprayer, but may be applied with an airless sprayer, airbrush, sponge or brush, depending on the desired effect and the size of the area to be colored. The solvent or water carrier penetrates the concrete, taking the color with it. The final effect is transparent, so the concrete is visible through the color.
Chemical or acid-based reactive stains color concrete by a very different mechanism. The acid catalyzes a chemical reaction with the lime in the concrete, creating a variegated, dappled effect. Pigments in the stain impart color. Colors of reactive stains are similar to colors that occur naturally in stone, so the palette is somewhat limited.
"Not all concrete can be reactive-stained," says Janine Lutz, CEO of SuperStone, Opa-Locka, Fla. "A stain has to set at least four hours and then you have to wash and neutralize it. With a dye, you just put it on and seal it — no washing, no neutralizing."
Companies referenced in this article:
Colormaker Floors
The Concretist
Decosup
Smith Paint Products
SuperStone
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