Color Hardener: A Concrete Color System Blend of Durability, Style and Decor

Color is the stuff of decorating, so why not color concrete?

Whether you are building a concrete patio, pool deck, driveway, courtyard, or you have a unique indoor application in mind, Dare Concrete can offer you color, too. By coordinating a patio's color with the home interior, it becomes a valuable extension of the home, rather than an afterthought.

Dare Concrete's choice for color concrete is a color hardener application. If you add color hardener to the floor at the time the concrete is freshly poured, the surface becomes harder and less porous than untreated concrete. Most spills are repelled and do not leave a permanent stain.

This hardener is a dry combination of materials consisting of Portland cement, graded quartz aggregate, nonfading mineral oxide coloring pigments and plasticizing admixture. When applied to freshly poured concrete, it provides the utmost in surface conditioning, performance and color intensity which, combined with the concrete structure, increases abrasion and impact resistance of concrete surfaces, reducing it's maintenance and repair expense.

In simpler words, you'll have a durable, wear resistant, easily maintained concrete surface that can be cleaned with a broom and a mop. From the deepest freeze of Canada to the blistering heat of Mexico, color hardener as a coloration system for concrete can weather the worst that Mother Nature can muster.

Estella Cummings of Dare Concrete says you can choose from a variety of colors to complement your decor, whether your decorating style is traditional or casual. Pastels and earth tones are produced by mixing mineral pigments through the concrete, and they can be made to match your home or business. For about $1.50 per square foot, any homeowner can add color hardener to match any accent of the home.

As you cut joints on concrete surfaces, you can create and design you wish. In addition, you can add marble or granite chips, landscaping pebbles or even shells for that little personal touch that makes a house your home.

The technological advances that allow concrete to take on virtually any color, texture or shape are redefining the place of concrete in residential landscape. This new flexibility has made concrete a leading player in a design process that puts increasing emphasis on outdoor space. Concrete has become a powerful design tool in landscaping because it has the ability provide a coordinated look to all of the home's exterior elements.

According to a recent National Family Opinion study of prospective house hunters, homebuyers prefer a concrete driveway to any other. By using color hardener as a coloring system you not only add value and style to your home, but you also have a low maintenance, affordable, durable concrete surface with top level performance in any climate which will stand the test of time in even the most severe conditions. "Color hardener is our choice for a successful colored concrete work," Estella says.

An example is the outdoor pool shown above and to the left. Mr. and Mrs. Cloyes of Southern Shore chose a beige cream color hardener for their concrete pool deck. They chose this application to resist the stains left by leaves, which shed from the numerous trees on their property.

-The Coastland Times-November 23, 1999