Colored Concrete

coloradobluesky

coloradobluesky

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coloradobluesky
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I want to put in a back porch 20x30 concrete slab but dont want just old gray concrete. Anyone had good luck with colored and patterned more decorative concrete?
 
If you decide to go colored then have the color mixed in at the batch plant in lieu of being sprinkled on top and troweled in after the concrete is poured.

Because if the color is simply sprinkled on top then every chip will be the original concrete color since only about the top 1/8" to 1/4" is colored. And outside concrete is guaranteed to chip/spall if you live in an area with real winters (and by your username I assume you do).

If you "sprinkle color" then it'll look like hell once it starts spalling if your color is distinctly different than "concrete gray."

It's more expensive to have full depth color, of course, but worth it IMO.

Also, never use salt/de-icer on new concrete for at least two years unless it's the only option and you must do it because you have a super slick situation that's gonna kill somebody unless it's corrected. Salt spread on new concrete is guaranteed to expedite the spalling process.
 
When I was in the concrete business in Virginia years ago they would always mix the color on site in the mixer truck. If I remember correctly it was 9 bags for a 9 yard load. Up in Williamsburg they LOVE the colored concrete and the exposed aggregate. If mixed correctly, and applied, and finished correctly it will last a very long time. I'm talking about the color - you can still expect cracks in the concrete, however :)
 
I've seen installations of it... and when done well, and a patterned stamp is used, the results can look like slate.
 
I haven't bought concrete in two and a half decades. I'd like to take out and re-pour my drive and sidewalk to the house. What's a yard of colored concrete go for now?
 
When I was about 6 this mean kid Larry (He dipped and had bad acne) pushed me off my bike.
He picked me up and told me I was ugly. He then dragged me to a house that was under construction.
It had a foundation that had just been poured. He put me down in the concrete. It ruined my jeans, shoes, and socks.

It was an awful experience.

That said, I agree w/ Tim, you want it mixed in. The concrete all over my socks and pants was just grey. It looked terrible.

I wish I remembered Larry's last name. I'd like to see what became of him.
 
Maybe you could consider surface seeded aggregate concrete. I like the look.
 
I have polished concrete in my hangar and garage. The ramp / driveways are tinted kind of an orangy color (my wife liked it). We have textured stuff out back on the patio. It can look real nice (I watched do a faux-slate job out in front of the library at Rutgers when I was an administrator there...there was originally real slate but was spalling all over the place).

It works well, but remember you're going to be living with it a long time if you do it.
 
Just after we moved into our current house we had the patio extended and stamped and stained concrete done. It turned out very nice.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
When I was about 6 this mean kid Larry (He dipped and had bad acne) pushed me off my bike.
He picked me up and told me I was ugly. He then dragged me to a house that was under construction.
It had a foundation that had just been poured. He put me down in the concrete. It ruined my jeans, shoes, and socks.

It was an awful experience.

That said, I agree w/ Tim, you want it mixed in. The concrete all over my socks and pants was just grey. It looked terrible.

I wish I remembered Larry's last name. I'd like to see what became of him.
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Where did you grow up? Larry almost drown me.
 
My mother wanted my dad to pour her a parking space along side the garage and she wanted it brick color. So I went over in the morning on my day off, and helped him poured it. At four in the afternoon he called me and told me to bring over a sledge hammer, because my mom hated it, and he wanted to break it up before it got any harder. I just thought that I would bring up that fond memory.
 
Years ago color pigment was added via placing bags of color (powder) in the concrete truck mixer, the number of bags varied by the color chosen. These days they use liquid coloring applied at the batch plant that is computer controlled. Make sure the batch plant has the proper air entrainment, and that the concrete mixer does not go over the specified maximum revolutions. Also, be careful with placement in cold weather, or extremely hot weather, do not use chloride accelerators.
 
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Seems like a light color would be best. Won't get as hot in the sun!
 
He is in Colorado, black melts the snow faster.
 
The freeze thaw cycles are hell on concrete in Colorado, use a good sealer like JN25
 
if you want a durable single color then go with color in the mix. Pattern/stamp can also be done when poured, but will be more $$$. If you want a more variable look you can go with plain concrete, stamp or no stamp, then do a stain/dye and topcoat. You can get some really nice looks that way.
 
Luigi said:
The freeze thaw cycles are hell on concrete in Colorado, use a good sealer like JN25
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Depending on where he lives in Colorado, he might not be too concerned about freeze/thaw cycles. Everyone thinks every acre of Colorado is like the inside of a snow globe 11.5 months out of the year. A great portion of the state rarely has snow on the ground for more than 5 straight days at a time, often less than 3. Sure, there are some mountainous areas where it snows a lot, and that snow sticks around a while, but it's nothing like the northeast where it usually snows in late November/early December and doesn't melt until the middle of April or later.

This stuff http://www.xcelsurfaces.com/ looks pretty cool and is quite durable when intalled professionally.
 
I might consider a stamped impression like some cities use to imitate cobblestones. Stained concrete? I covered a couple thousand square feet of that crap with slate. Staining makes it slicker than owl snot if it gets even a little wet. My outdoor fireplace is on a slab of exposed aggregate concrete. That's my fav.
 
I think the good stamping jobs look great, but keep in mind on a back porch that you may have company over with walking problems who may not find an aggressive pattern like cobblestone or deep patterns easy to tread on or use a cane or other assistive device on.
 
denverpilot said:
I think the good stamping jobs look great, but keep in mind on a back porch that you may have company over with walking problems who may not find an aggressive pattern like cobblestone or deep patterns easy to tread on or use a cane or other assistive device on.
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And it's a bite to shovel.
 
I walk barefoot on my textured concrete all the time. It's kinder on my feet that the rougher texture of the "flat" ramp.

If you really want to have fun, you can do the grascrete I did for the connector between my ramp/driveway and the taxiway.

 
SixPapaCharlie said:
When I was about 6 this mean kid Larry (He dipped and had bad acne) pushed me off my bike.
He picked me up and told me I was ugly. He then dragged me to a house that was under construction.
It had a foundation that had just been poured. He put me down in the concrete. It ruined my jeans, shoes, and socks.

It was an awful experience.

That said, I agree w/ Tim, you want it mixed in. The concrete all over my socks and pants was just grey. It looked terrible.

I wish I remembered Larry's last name. I'd like to see what became of him.
Click to expand...

http://www.biography.com/people/larry-page-12103347
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Would you consider polished concrete?
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Built a small house (5000 sqft) about a year ago. It was on a slab, single level, concrete slab was finished floor. He had it partially polished when we showed up to frame it. After the heavy part of construction was done, he finished the polish job. It looked good.
 
flyingriki said:
Slippery when wet. Unlike the fun kind....
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You betcha, though the only time this has ever been a problem for me is when washing the plane in my bare feet. There was probably a little soap involved. With shoes on, I've never had a problem washing the plane (or the floor) in the hangar. Outside, though I would indeed want a bit rougher surface (and do).
 
Waxed polished cement, good enough for Cosco, good enough for me.
 
They did a stained concrete floor in one of those home reno. shows not too long ago, it looked pretty cool. My in-laws are considering doing it in their enclosed patio.
 
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