The New Age of Coloring
By Doug Carlton

Hang up the phone if you are one of the many decorative concretists that are about to embark on any form of colored concrete. If you are somewhat new to the whole coloring thing, please give this article a close look. The progression of improvement in the coloring biz has turned yet another corner in the simplification of the process. Take it from a concrete guy that has spent years throwing color or praying that ready-mix drivers can count bags and talk on cell phones at the same time. The complexity of coloring the concrete surface has made a natural progression towards being more user-friendly, accurate, affordable and durable.

For years now I couldn't help but think that there had to be a better way to achieve vibrant colors without killing myself and my crew with broadcast-style color hardeners. I vividly remember thinking that someday cement masons would simply spray on color and eliminate this thankless task of coloring the concrete surface. I didn't know it at the time, but I was right - well, kind of. I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me explain.

Up to this point, coloring concrete was pretty much done with one of two methods: dry-shake color hardeners and integrally colored concrete. I'm betting most of you know the difference between the two, so I won't take up much space explaining the differences. Color hardeners are broadcast across the wet concrete surface and create endless color options. Integral coloring is usually done at the ready-mix plant and colors the entire load of concrete. Integral colors are limited but have a huge place in the decorative concrete industry. It is rare, but sometimes my crew will use integrally colored concrete for one reason or another.