Adding Color to Sealers

One of the least expensive and most practical ways to add decorative effects to a concrete project is to add a color to the finishing sealer. While many contemporary projects are using integral coloring or color hardeners, tinting sealers offer an alternative that can create unique surface treatments and enhance color finishes. This approach is desirable for many projects, since the customer is already paying for a clear sealer. Adding a minimal premium for a tint is a simple way to add value to the project.

In general, there are three ways to think about adding color to a concrete installation. The first, as noted above, is to add a color pigment to the original mix. This can be very effective, but finish and color consistency can vary. The second is a stain that uses a chemical reaction, and the resulting color is what remains. A protective sealer finishes the project. The third approach is to use a sealer that has tint color in it. It is dispersed, translucent to opaque, and goes down very thin. A tinted sealer is not penetrative, it is topical.

Colored sealers or stains are available, premixed with a specific coloration. This is fine for applying an exact color to a small or large area, but is more difficult if you are trying to match an existing condition. Many contractors prefer this approach because a color or acid stain has a more penetrative quality. Overall, stains tend to be about 50% more expensive than tinted sealers for the same coverage application.

Adding a tint color to the finish sealer provides more flexibility in creating the desired effect. It is also a good way to match or enhance an existing colored surface. However, depending on the use the tinted area will experience, a topical application like a tinted sealer can be prone to more wear if not properly maintained. On the positive side, the application can be completed in about half the time of a stained finish.

Getting it Right
Before attempting the application of a tinted sealer, you need a very basic knowledge of color theory and the chemical properties of the sealers you will be using. The experts agree that one of the biggest problems in our industry is there is a very serious lack of knowledge, both from the manufacturers, the supply houses and the contractors themselves. Taking time to do the research will result in a better installation, and a happier customer.

Having a working knowledge of color theory can give you an advantage over a competitor. If the color or finish is not already specified, understanding the color wheel, and the use of contrasting and complementary colors, can be an important differentiator to the customer. As in most creative efforts, try to keep it simple. A few choices, carefully selected to work with the color schemes already present in the project, gives real value.

It is very critical that you use pigments that are compatible with the sealer you are using. There are several choices ranging from translucent acrylic pigments, solvent-based pigments and specially formulated pigments for use with solvenated and water-based epoxies, and those developed for urethane applications.

Anytime you start tinting clear sealers to do topical color, you need to use a compatible pigment. When using solvent-based epoxies, you need to be using either epoxy dispersions, or solvent-based surfactant dispersions. Liquid pigments do not work in 100% urethane formulations. It is very critical that you use compatible pigment solutions with the appropriate sealer.

As with any additive, you have to worry about harming the integrity of the sealer. For example, if you take a universal color, and try to stick it into a solvenated acrylic, it will not mix. It is like oil and water. This is where a little homework will help a lot. Make sure you have selected a pigment that works with the sealer you are using.

Go to the manufacturer of the sealer and ask them to recommend a pigment, or buy it through that manufacturer, you should not have a problem. Recommended formulations are designed to be compatible. Therefore, be sure that what you are buying is appropriate for that application, both from its chemical formulation, and for its intended use.