Staining & Coloring Concrete

“It was back-breaking work,” says the owner of Brailsford Public Art in San Diego about placing colored aggregate piece by piece into wet concrete on a job site. She was working with Shaw & Sons’ Lithocrete system which incorporates a means to create a scattered aggregate pattern on a concrete surface.

There’s a brew-ha-ha over craft beers these days. And no wonder — with an average of 1.5 breweries opening daily, according to the Brewers Association in Boulder, Colorado, it’s not a stretch to say new ones are popping up faster than a fresh keg can be tapped.

Does the use of admixtures change the intensity of integral color?

Three of the nation’s most beloved sports franchises - the New York Yankees, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys - embraced decorative concrete when they built their new homes.

Take an older home on the beach in need of radical change. Add a designer and a concrete contractor, both of whom are comfortable thinking outside the box. Give them carte blanche and as much time as they need. Allow their creative juices to simmer. What do you get?

Using traditional materials create a one of a kind masterpiece on a concrete floor.

A super-simple application technique that achieves a classic old-world finish, inspired by the multihued patina found in the palaces and cathedrals of Europe

Decorative concrete product manufacturer L. M. Scofield Co. has announced the winners of its Fourth Annual Decorative Concrete Awards contest. This contest was open to any contractor, architect or designer who uses or specifies Scofield Systems.

Elite Crete Australia and decorative concrete artist Audra Lynch Nanay, of Audra Lynch & Cie, Chicago, have brought the ocean ashore in greater Melbourne. Their ocean-themed concrete mural sweeps across a restored footpath outside of Conway Fish Trading, in Footscray.

This simple recipe uses Proline’s Sand Canyon Dura-Color Hardener and their Seamless Designs Carpet Stamp. Two colors of EZ Tique were used to give the finish its mottled look.

Each layer will soften the contrast between the lights and darks as the metallic surface becomes stronger. This enables the metallic to be clean and crisp without being muddied by other pigments.

It’s more dainty, more elegant, like between silk and cloth with hard-eners. The grays and browns last forever. He also likes to sprinkle color on top of the concrete with a brush to create freckles, just like real stones offer.

Acid-stained concrete has been popular for decades. The process of acid staining is well documented, as are the key precautionary items to look for before and during application. Thanks to real-world experience, continuing education and better specifications, issues with acid stains have been greatly reduced.

The nation's best decorative concrete artisans have years of experience laying down color combinations that glow, spark and shimmer. Even better, they're willing to share their secrets with you.

The introduction of dye into the polished concrete industry has expanded the market enormously. The business is brimming with potential. However, we still face the significant hurdle of maintaining the integrity of an exposed concrete polished floor while protecting the dye in it against staining and moisture travel.

Surface preparation is a commonly used term in the decorative concrete industry. An argument can be made that it might even just be the most used term in the industry. We hear or read about it most often when dealing with overlays and stains. Grind, scarify, acid etch, etc.

Mexico's decorative concrete construction industy lags behind the decorative industry in the United States, but staining and other techniques for coloring concrete are helping this contractor flourish south of the border.

Some TV news coverage of the Nashville Dinner Theatre project sponsored by the 2011 Concrete Decor Show The work will be featured at the March 15-18 event.

Learn about the four ways to add color to slabs that are intended for polishing: Integral Color, Dry Shake Hardener, Acid Stain and Dyes

Ken Miedema, of Concrete Revival LLC, in Jenison, Michigan, was contracted to remodel the floorS at Craig Cruser's Grand Rapids location. He utilized V-8 High Performance Floors products by Xtreme Engineered Floor Systems to achieve several very unique applications and looks.

LesCoat is a concrete stain block with a surprise ending — it’s peelable.

Using soy-based materials to strip, stain and seal concrete can be about as healthy as it gets. Concrete artisan Dana Boyer is selling the soy-based line through her concrete contracting outfit, Concretizen. Developed by friends of hers at New Century Coatings and sold by several "private label" resellers, the products have been personalized by Boyer to fit her vision.

A beach house floor Ralston’s company recently refurbished in Monterey Bay, Calif. The floor’s crown jewel from a decorative standpoint is a pattern created when randomly placed seaweed stamps, made from real seaweed, were laid in a 3/8-inch fast-setting overlay.