Colored Concrete in Valparaiso, Indiana for Brick Homes

A lot of people think we brush color on after the slab hardens. We hear that on the first call, and we’ll correct it right away. Colored Concrete in Valparaiso goes into the load before we pour. The pigment is in the paste, so a scuff still shows the same color under the wear.

Brick houses fill blocks near downtown and around Valparaiso University. Those walls run red and brown, with some sandy tan. A plain gray walk beside them looks unfinished. So we match the pigment to the brick already on your house.

We have stood on front steps and held a brick up to sample chips. After the light changes, a color that looked fine at noon can go flat. Because of that, we try to see the house in the light the walk will get all day. Then we write the dose on the order so the plant batches it the same way on pour day.

Walks here take salt all winter. Freeze-thaw and that salt leave a light film, and foot traffic polishes the path to the door. When the color is only on the surface, that path can fade first. Integral color stays in the concrete. So we use it on service walks and front approaches that take boots all winter.

Colored Concrete in Valparaiso Beside Older Brick

The mismatch shows up most when we replace a broken walk. After a section cracks up, people call, and a gray patch next to old brick looks stuck on. So we tear out the bad run and pour colored concrete for the new piece. When the rest of the walk is failing too, we replace the whole run so the color stays even. For example, an upper walk and the service walk can share one visit. The grade has to be ready first.

On those replacement pours we still batch Colored Concrete in Valparaiso the same way. The pigment dose and the finish both go on the work order before we set forms.

Patios follow the same color plan. A gray pad off a brick room addition looks dropped beside the wall. We color that pour to the house. Then we can stamp a border, or leave a broom finish when you want water to sheet off. Acid stain is a separate visit. When the slab is already down and still sound, we use stain. You can see both finishes in our photo gallery.

Pouring Colored Concrete in Valparaiso With the Flatwork

Color belongs in the flatwork from the first form board. So we set the grade to move water off the brick. We place the mud before it starts to stiffen. Then we wait for the surface water to leave. After that we broom most front walks, because a slick finish gets slippery in a wet Indiana spring.

We have pulled up slabs that someone painted after the pour. The coating peeled along the joints, and gray showed through where boots and salt worked the surface. So we batch Colored Concrete in Valparaiso and send the color in the truck.

Our colored concrete work covers front walks and patios that should match the brick. When the old concrete is solid, overlays can be enough for a new wearing surface. But we tear out and replace if the base has failed. A thin coat on that slab will crack again.

Stamped concrete and floor staining come up on the same visits. We’re family owned. A homeowner will ask about a colored patio, then mention a garage floor that needs epoxy. We write the quote out line by line for both. The decorative concrete page shows how those finishes differ from a plain colored pour.

Families near the campus use these walks every day. So strollers and salt both hit the same path. Colored Concrete in Valparaiso has to hold up to that traffic beside the brick.

After the pour we keep foot traffic off until the concrete can take it. Then we’ll tell you when, because it changes with temperature. A sealer can cut salt film. We bring that up after the slab has cured and we can see the color.