Color Hardener and Integral Color in your Stamped Concrete
Whether you want to be creative with color or prefer a more subtle stone look, stamped concrete gives you the flexibility to fully customize your outdoor areas. The color choices available are a mix of earth tones that go well with most exterior and interior settings. When choosing the many color choices available you have two options:
The first option is to have an integral color mixed in with the concrete. The advantage of this is that the entire batch of concrete has an even, consistent color throughout. That one color will create a uniform color while the concrete is poured. The color will never get too dark because you have so much other materials mixed in.
The second option is to have a color hardener hand broadcasted and troweled into the surface. The advantage of this option is that it increases surface hardness from 3,500/4,000 psi to 6,000 psi and it is abrasion resistance. Our crew controls the color by how much hardener is applied. The color hardener will give a darker look if it is desired.
At Signature Concrete Design, we use BOTH of these METHODS with most of our stamped concrete projects!!!
Finally, we then add a release agent during the stamping process. This release agent will give you a third color, creating a color variation that is unlike any other. The benefits of creating such a unique color variation are an incredible look that mimics natural stone.