Coloured Concrete in Every Shade You Want
Plain grey concrete is honest, but it is not the only option. Coloured concrete lets you warm a patio in earth tones, cool a modern entry in charcoal, or tie a walkway to the brick on your house. The colour goes all the way through the slab, so it cannot chip or peel off.
We pour coloured concrete across Vaughan and the GTA using integral colour, pigment mixed through the entire load. That means the colour you choose is the colour of the concrete itself, consistent top to bottom, and it stays true for the 30+ year life of the slab.
Colour That Goes All the Way Through
There are two honest ways to colour concrete, and they are not equal. Integral colour is pigment batched into the concrete at the plant, so every inch of the slab is the same colour. If the surface ever chips or wears, the colour underneath matches. It is the premium choice and the one we recommend.
The alternative is surface-applied colour: stains, dyes, or shake-on hardeners worked into the top layer during finishing. These can produce beautiful variegated effects and cost less, but the colour lives in the top millimetres. We offer both and will tell you straight which suits your project and budget.
Choosing Your Colour
The palette that ages best is drawn from nature: warm tans and browns, soft terracottas, slate greys, and deep charcoals. These complement brick, stone, and siding instead of fighting them. Bright or unusual colours are possible, but we will show you how they weather before you commit.
One honest note: all concrete lightens somewhat as it cures and faces years of sun. Integral colours hold far better than surface treatments, and sealer keeps them rich. We show you cured samples in daylight, not wet samples or screen images, so what you approve is what you get.
Where Coloured Concrete Works Best
Patios are the natural home of coloured concrete, where the colour sets the mood of the whole backyard. Walkways in a warm tone feel welcoming in a way grey never does. Driveways can carry colour too, usually in restrained earth tones that flatter the house.
Colour also shines as an accent. A charcoal border around a grey patio, a terracotta walk leading to a matching stamped entry, or coloured bands saw-cut into a driveway. Small doses of colour, placed with intent, often beat colour everywhere.
Keeping the Colour Rich
Sealer is colour's best friend. It deepens the tone, protects against UV fading, and keeps water and salt from dulling the surface. We seal every coloured job, and resealing every few years keeps the colour looking intentional instead of tired.
Maintenance is otherwise the same as any quality concrete: sweep, hose off, go easy on harsh de-icers in the first winter. Because the colour is through the whole slab, normal wear does not reveal grey underneath, which is the whole point of doing it right.
Common questions
Will coloured concrete fade in the sun?
Some lightening over the years is normal, but integral colour holds far better than surface treatments. Sealer with UV protection keeps the colour rich, and resealing on schedule is the key.
Integral colour or stain, which is better?
Integral colour goes through the whole slab and cannot wear off, so it is the better long-term choice. Stains and dyes cost less and create variegated effects, but the colour lives only in the surface. We recommend integral for anything that takes traffic.
Can you match an existing colour?
We can get close using samples of your existing concrete, but exact matches are difficult because colour varies with the mix, weather, and age. For additions to existing work, a complementary or contrasting colour often looks better than a near miss.
Does coloured concrete cost more than plain concrete?
Yes, the pigment adds to the material cost, with deeper colours costing more than light ones. It is still far less than the cost of pavers or natural stone in a comparable colour.
Ready to make a concrete decision?
Free estimates across Vaughan and the GTA. Call today.
(905) 783-7283