What colored concrete means in Augusta
Integral colour is pigment batched into the whole load, so the colour runs right through. A chip or a saw cut shows the same colour, and it is the most durable choice.
Colour hardener is broadcast onto the fresh surface and floated in, giving a stronger, denser colour in the top layer only. Stain and dye are applied to hardened concrete and sit in the surface.
Red clay dust is a fact of life on any slab here, which is one reason buff, tan and terracotta tones stay looking clean in Augusta while pale greys do not.
- Thickness
- standard for the use
- Mix
- integral oxide pigment, dosed by weight of cement
- Ready to use
- cure evenly, plastic sheeting can mottle colour
- Typical cost
- adds $1–$3 per square foot
- Service life
- colour is through the slab, so wear does not expose grey
How colored concrete is put on
Integral colour is ordered by the yard and the whole load has to match, which means a second truck has to come from the same batch plant with the same dosage. Two loads at different dosages leave a visible line in the slab.
Colour hardener produces more intense colours than integral, and it also hardens the surface, but it is a top layer, so deep abrasion or spalling reveals grey underneath.
Water content changes colour. Adding water to a coloured load on site to make it easier to place lightens that section, permanently, and there is no fixing it afterwards.
Curing has to be even. Plastic sheeting laid over a coloured slab leaves mottling wherever it touched, and different drying rates across a slab leave visible patches.
What colored concrete costs in Augusta, GA
Integral colour is priced per cubic yard as an admixture, so the cost scales with volume and thickness. Hardener is priced per square foot. For a thick slab, hardener is often cheaper for a stronger colour.
Integral colour is priced by the yard so it scales with thickness; a hardener is priced per square foot and gives stronger colour for less on a thick slab.
Where colored concrete goes wrong in GA
The most common complaint about coloured concrete is not the colour. It is unevenness, and almost all of it comes from water added on site or from uneven curing.
Adding water on site to make a coloured load easier to place in Augusta summer heat lightens that section permanently, and heat is exactly when a crew is tempted to do it.
Where we do colored concrete
We cover Augusta, Columbia County and the South Carolina side of the CSRA, including and 34 more areas.
Questions we get asked about colored concrete
Integral colour or hardener?
Integral for durability and for anything that might chip or be cut. Hardener for stronger colour and a denser surface.
Why is my coloured slab patchy?
Usually water added to part of the load on site, or uneven curing. Both are permanent.
Will the colour fade?
Integral colour does not fade much but the surface greys without a sealer. Stains and dyes fade under UV if the sealer is allowed to wear through.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need. We answer the same day, and the on-site visit is free.
Get a price for your colored concrete
Call (762) 320-6343 and we will come out, measure, and leave you a written quote. There is no charge for the visit and no obligation afterwards.