Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Brief Explanation Of Concrete Coloring Ways

By Sharron Cantu


Dating some years back, the beauty brought about by pearly concrete floors has been admirable. Advancement in living standards of people, there has been many changes hence the old floors has been abandoned. New styles of floors have been promoted which has unlimited color choices depending on your imaginations and dreams. There are however several ways which should be followed to ensure the ideal concrete coloring is achieved.

The integral coloring. When the colorant is added to the concrete while mixing, there is production of uniform color all through. The colorant is either in powder or liquid. The particular integral is used in new installation instances. In most cases, it applies for the large monochrome areas as it requires a ready mix truck. If one want to use the integral colors, he or she has to dig deep into their pockets as they are expensive. This is because they color entire depth of the slab.

Shakes on colors. The ingredients include fine ground pigments and dry cement. The cement is broadcasted by a freshly positioned concrete. As the process of bull floating is being undertaken, the powder is set. The bonding of cement powder with pigments is enhanced by bleeding water. Polishing and grinding removes the color from the top layer which comprises of concentrated pigments.

Acid stains. It consists of metallic salts and water formulas. A mottled and unique color effect is created once the acid reacts chemically with the present minerals. This color last enough just like the concrete its applied on. Precautions are required when handling the acid stains as they are hazardous materials. With little spill of the acid on the floor, permanent features are left.

Acetone dyes. Acetone is commonly known as a reduction solvent with benefits of fast drying, but it has an inherent risk of being highly flammable. In addition, it cannot be used in occupied places due to its odor and toxicity. Once the floor has been polished, the color is then applied. The solvent dyes impart the vivid colors but are not UV stable. When installing the solvent based dyes, it is recommended to use explosion proof and respirators.

Water based dyes. Their advantages include odorless, easy application, quick drying and safety. The mixing is very easy and can be done as per the client preference. Creation of patterns and effects is easy and can be done to suit any room regardless of their sizes. Be it small or big, water based method will effectively bring the desired results.

Color densifiers. This has been, as a result, of recent innovation in which there have been blending of fine pigments which are suspended in water. An applicator is used which lithium silicate has densified. There is some likeness between them and shake on colors in that they happen to be surface treatments. Therefore, color is removed by applying polish. Protective treatments are recommended in case an individual has horizontal concrete or inside.

In conclusion, if you interested in the new installation, any of the products mentioned above will work for you. If you are doing refit or the restoration, you will be limited to water-based dyes, acid stains, colored hardener or acetone dyes. To maintain the environment and safety go for water based dyes.




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