How can I color concrete mix so what I make will be a nicer color.?

Question

I'm looking for something really cheap to add to sack-crete.

Just some color a bit darker & maybe warmer than concrete, to look good next to granite.

How much do the packaged concrete dyes cost? We would probably only use one bag of concrete. Is there anything I can add myself, like ashes?

This is for outdoors.

Answer 1

ADDING COLOR TO CONCRETE lyl/hite and various shades of rr tan concrete can be
ordered ready-made from some suppliers; they simply adjust the mix of raw ...You can also purchase color from a local Home Depot.

Answer 2

Ask for the coloring the same place you get the concrete

Answer 3

The best thing to do would be to leave the concrete mix as it is. Do what you need to do with it and let it dry. There are concrete stains that come in many colors that can be applied afterward and you can better control the way the color comes out.

Answer 4

I've used those concrete dyes, I seem to recall it was about $5 for a tube. They worked pretty well, and are at Lowe's or Home Depot.

Answer 5

Any color that will dissolve in water will work, even food coloring, while I'm on it food coloring will also work to change the colors of flowers and leaves, you just add a lot to the water that you water the plant or tree with.

Answer 6

you can buy powdered concrete color. just add enough powder while mixing until you get the color you want.
any place that sells bags of cement will have boxes of color.

Answer 7

pulverize several charcoal briquettes into as fine a powder as you can. Add to your mix. Experiment to find the ratio you want. Coloring costs about 4 to 10 bucks.

Answer 8

I see some valid answers here, and I'll add my own method.

I often use tile grout to color small amounts of pre-mix, for things like making pavers, etc. In essence it's close to the same kind of material, mixes and blends well, has a large percentage of pigment in it, and comes in dozens of colors and shades of colors.

With any substance used begin slowly, after mixing the concrete, begin adding whatever colorant you end up with, and gauge the variations as you mix...Kind of like making your own custom paint color. If you wanted to test my, or any theory use a small amount, breaking it down into percentages of the whole...First.

Steven Wolf

Answer 9

Why not use cement and separate aggregate. Choose the aggregate to get the colour you want. This is the cheapest method and it won't wear off.

Answer 10

Use a dye - it's cheap enough $2.00 at my hardware store and you get to choose the result.