Integral Color FAQ

Our integral color comes in preweighed bags and are added to the concrete truck either at the concrete plant or on site of the pour.  The color is then mixed in the truck for several minutes until a certain number of revolutions occur on the mix truck to be sure it is blended well.

The color can’t really fade but the concrete can.  As it ages, it can yellow, get dirty and actually erode. The top surface of the concrete is where most of the color is.  AS it erodes it exposes more sand which does not contain the color thus making it look faded. Then keep colored concrete fresh looking by protecting it with periodic applications of a good clear sealer. This is particularly true with stamped concrete where accent colors are also used and are prone to “fade “if neglected.

From Contractor Source, of course! We, we supply the color and your contractor can use it wil you local concrete company.  You will want to check with that company before ordering though as every company varies their additional charges.  Colored concrete means you batch is special and cannot be mixed with other batches.  It also requires more dedicated cleanup of that truck before using it again.

Approximately 10 to 30% to the cost of the concrete itself. Our color is sold per yard and starts around $13. In the end it only adds a small cost to the total installed cost since most colored concrete is mixed and finished in the same way as uncolored concrete.

Don’t do it.  That it can lighten or whiten the concrete giving you a more uneven color and possible spots. The best way to cure colored concrete is with an application of a good curing type sealer such as Cure Seal or Cure Seal 350. This will slow the curing by keeping moisture in longer which in turn makes a stronger concrete. If you don’t want to use any sealer, you can do that as long as the weather is mild as in not blazing hot which causes curing to be too fast. If this is a stamp concrete job, this will typically be sealed after final accent treatment and left to cure that way.

Not necessarily. Colored concrete will get good and hard just like normal concrete. However, all concrete benefits from being sealed against stains and water damage. So even though it’s not necessary, sealing your colored concrete will make it look good longer and will help prevent dusting of the surface.

Fresh concrete is always much darker than when it is fully cured and dry. Even uncolored concrete. Wait at least 7 to 10 days until the new concrete has hardened, and ashed out(gets light)

If the concrete is new, that is less than two weeks old, it could still be drying. However, if some of the dark spots seem to be staying dark while the rest of the concrete is drying out, you may have areas of “Entrapped Moisture”. Entrapped moisture is a condition that appears as random dark areas which can be completely different in shade from unaffected areas. It may also precisely follow areas that were “hard troweled” or where edging and jointing tools were used. It will usually lighten over time. When integral is used form stamped concrete, these areas will not be very visible as stamped concrete often has accent colors to provide a very uneven color finish.

Unfortunately, Not. The final color is a function of the cement color, sand color, the amount of water used as well as finishing methods. We only guarantee that our color additives will match our standard, that is, they will be the same from bag to bag.

What if I am using bags of concrete, not a truck?

Many projects are completed using bags of concrete including concrete countertops.  The same pigment is used except it is used in very small amounts. Whereas a yard of concrete requires one bag, a 50lb bag of concrete may require only 2 ounces to achieve that same approximate color. The thing to keep in mind is that when you are mixing many bags, it is imperative that you use the exact same amount of color AND water each time.  Changes can and will result in slight color changes and that can be visible.