BY LILAH STITES

Coloring concrete has long been an option for those who want to add an additional depth to their concrete parking project. But with advancements over time the number and variety of options available to an owner are numerous.

One of the most common and well known options is adding colored pigments to the concrete mix. This allows for a consistent and evenly distributed color throughout the concrete mix, and is easily replicated on later projects with a well documented mix design. Historically this has been done with colored oxide powders, but in more recent times liquid additives have been found that can allow for more customized color options.

The next option to consider is paint. Now while painting concrete does seem straight forward it should be noted that to paint concrete appropriately additional steps usually have to be taken to prep the concrete that might not be there when having to paint other building surfaces. But the advantage paint has over other coloring methods is that you can achieve a variety of colors on the same piece of concrete, which can allow for more intricate color designs on your project.

The final method we will discuss here is staining concrete. This is one of the newest methods used to color design concrete. The process of staining concrete revolves around using an acid based solution that penetrates an existing concrete surface to produce a permanent color. Staining concrete can achieve a variety of colors much like the other two methods, and is a great option to revitalize an already existing concrete project.