Concrete- how do you color it?

Question

I would like to color the existing concrete in front of my house.
The front landing and walkway, you see the concrete and it distracts from the house and yard.

Thanks for all the great ideas.
I plan to stain it same color as the house or the "mortar" in the brick. The front porch will be a slate gray, to match the color and OPEN up the area with brighter color.

Answer 1

Behr carries an excellent concrete stain, it's got silicone in it and have been using it for the past 10 yrs with excellent results. You want to stick with a concrete stain and absolutely nothing else for adding color, NO PAINT!!!!!

Answer 2

The best way to color concrete is to add a release agent to the concrete just after putting it down. It looks better, and lasts longer.

If the concrete is already been put in (and dried and cured) the other alternative is to use paint which you can buy at your hardware store. Only thing is, the color will fade, chip and wear down over time.

Answer 3

the best thing is to stain it. concrete stain is available in many colors, and is fairly easy to do it yourself. You will want to tape and plastic cover any of the concrete you dont want to change, as it is a runny material when you use it. It is permanent once you finish it. I suggest the rust/ red shades. They also have brown, turquoise, and yellowed shades as well.

Answer 4

hire a professional concrete designer

Answer 5

you cant color existing concrete without paint or epoxy,

but you could get a new layer of colored concrete put over the old one.

Answer 6

Must give it a acid bath first then use a epoxy two-part paint. Not cheap but looks good if done right

Answer 7

I guess the most economical way is to follow the ways of a brazillian tribe.they rub mud on their shields.try rubbing mud on it while it is still wet.

Answer 8

lol what color are you going to paint it green?