The color and design options are endless when it comes to colored concrete, allowing you to achieve the desired look with ease. A patio or room can go from bland to sensational by using colored concrete. Typically, manufacturers have a wide range of colors available, anywhere from earth like tones to vibrant hues, (click here for color samples). Colored concrete can also be used to replicate the appearance of pavers, flagstone, tile, or brick. Another positive besides the vast design options from colored concrete is the affordability and compatibility with new and existing concrete. With use of the proper techniques, products, and contractor your concrete can become a work of art.
There are lots of texturing techniques for colored concrete. A eye catching effect can be created by combining colored concrete with other finishing techniques. Some examples of techniques that can be combined with colored concrete are sandblasting, broom finishing, and exposing aggregate, but there are many more. Swirl and fan patterns create shadow effects with broom finishing on colored concrete. Sandblasting can create designs and patterns or it can remove a layer of color giving the concrete a two tone look. For a natural textured look, aggregate can be exposed allowing the gravel or stone to be visible in the concrete.
Large areas of concrete can be broken up by using different colors. Using multiple colors side by side is a good way to break up large areas. Colored concrete can also be combined with other decorative effects like stamping, brooming, sawcutting, or sandblasting to personalize the appearance furthermore. Insetting materials like tile, granite, or marble is also another great way to break up large areas of concrete.
Colored concrete can also mimic nature. Often times colored concrete is chosen to match the natural environment it is in. Colored concrete can even be finishing to resemble a gravel walkway. There are times when the permanence and durability of concrete is required, having the choice to use colored concrete can help blend items such as a drainage ditch into nature as opposed to standing out with plain gray concrete.
Colored concrete can even hide stains. Typically driveways and parking lots are made with standard light gray concrete and you will often find stained areas whether it be oil, tire marks, or dirt. Often property owners will darken concrete by adding a dark integral color to their parking lots and expose the aggregate by sandblasting or using a surface retarder. The same methods can be used to treat roll curbs. The light and darks tones of the aggregate blend well with the darker gray matrix of the cement paste. This causes oil and grease stains to be less noticeable and tire marks are less likely to show up on the aggregate as well. Click here to find a colored concrete contractor near you.
There are so many creative and custom options for finishing concrete, but first and foremost important is the concrete itself. At Custom Concrete Creations we have state of the art equipment and a properly trained team with years of experience. Custom Concrete Creations is a premier contractor serving the Omaha area as well at the Midwest. Give us a call or send us an email for your custom concrete finishing needs today!