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jeudi 5 juin 2014

Guide To Using Concrete Color Pigment

By Sally Delacruz


Concreted surfaces can be more than just floors these days. Versatility with coloring, texturing, and installation provides more options. People can choose this material for counter tops, table tops, bar tops, and even as a non-traditional flooring. Concrete color pigment helps with choices, but it is important to understand the proper use and types.

Pigments for this type of application will be in either a liquid or powder form. These pigments can be an integral or surface type, depending on how they should be applied. Each type will also have different requirements for how to mix them. For instance, a liquid may need to have water added before they are put into the mix. There may be specific usage instructions, such as applying a liquid coloring to a cured concreted surface similar to a stain.

As one of the three groups of pigments, the ones that are made from iron oxide are the most common. They are not as expensive as the other groups, but the selection of colors is somewhat limited. Available choices are typically earthy colors. Hues of browns, deep reds, and darker yellows make up the choices for this group. These pigments are popular, not only because of their lower price but also because of the somewhat neutral colors that can be used for indoor or outdoor applications.

Metal oxides are a bit more expensive than iron oxides. This is often due to their composition, which typically helps to provide more choices for coloring. For example, titanium oxide is a bright white while chromium oxide is a green. There are also blues, reds, and purples available in comparison to only the earth tones available in the first group.

Synthetic pigments, the third main group, are the most expensive. They do provide you with the largest selection of colors, which contributes to their higher cost. These pigments are typically stronger so they do not require as much to achieve desired results in an application. The color palette is large and includes vibrant colors such as bright purple and yellow along with nearly any other color you could think of.

Packaged in dissolving bags or cans, powdered pigments will be fine or granular form. The granulated types are generally used in cement trucks because the prolonged, hard mixing disintegrates the granules. Fine powder pigments are ideal for small mixers such as those that are used for household projects.

Versions in liquid form are actually solid pigments suspended in liquid to allow time to measure and mix. They must be mixed well frequently while you are measuring to keep the pigments from settling. Some are concentrated, while others are already diluted. Read the package instructions before you begin to determine what may need to be done in advance and during mixing.

The benefits of pigments for concreted surfaces are numerous. Many people seek protection for their concreted surfaces after they have been colored. Surfaces can be highly polished to resemble marble, but the pigments can help repel water. Liquid and synthetic pigments are generally the ones that provide this extra protection.




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