With concrete dye, it is left to your dreams and imagination to make that beautiful floor space. As with many things though, you need to know exactly what you will be getting into before you can commit. Using the right coloring method will mean a world of difference to your floors and the impact on aesthetics and longevity. With concrete dye, you don’t have to worry about chemical reactions since the surface is simply dyed to your desire. The dye used comes in form of either dry pigment or liquid. With the dry pigment, a solvent (typically acetone) is used and the depth and color of the end result will depend on the dye-to-solvent ratio.
The concrete dye can be applied over acid stained concrete or integrally pigmented concrete. Since the dye comprises of ultra-fine particles of color that is mixed with a liquid (water or a solvent such as acetone), the surface on which it is applied is stained, with the liquid present evaporating to leave little or no residue in its place.
Advantages of Concrete Dye
There are many advantages of concrete dying which are listed below:
- With concrete dye, there is a wide range of color to choose from, with colors ranging from bright bold colors to earthy ones.
- Time and labor is a lot less when using dye as compared to acid stain since it is entirely possible to color and seal in one day.
Disadvantages of Concrete Dyes
There are also some disadvantages of concrete dyes. The major cons are listed below:
- Unfortunately concrete dye does have a tendency to fade when exposed to ultraviolet rays. This is especially the case for floors located in the outdoors. Floors in the interior don’t have this problem.
- The use of solvent such as acetone can prove to be quite dangerous since the risk of a flash fire can be potentially disastrous. As such, while at work, ensure that proper ventilation is maintained at all times and that any potential ignition sources at the site are kept at bay.
It is important to remember that since concrete dye doesn’t react chemically with the concrete, the color that is applied is the finished color. The dye can be utilized with acid stains in the event that color layering, accent colors and depth are to be realized. They can also be utilized on their own in case an artistic variegated effect is to be realized.
Concrete Dye types
As mentioned earlier, there are basically two types of concrete dye:
- Water Based Dyes which are already mixed and read to be used, although they can also be diluted in the event that a less saturated color is desired. These dyes are ideal for color layering and shouldn’t be allowed to pool since they tend to evaporate at a slow pace. Utilizing water based dyes produces weathered stone or faux stone effects and they tend to create a watercolor or pastel look.
- Solvent based concrete dye comes in primary and secondary colors with an option to create other colors during the mixing process. They can also be diluted in case a less saturated color is sought and when applied, they tend to create a dramatic look. When not diluted, they tend to produce bold colors and since they tend to rapidly evaporate when applied, a deft touch is essential. On the downside though, while working with solvent based concrete dye, care must be taken since they take on a more hazardous nature to work with. It is important to prevent the vapors from igniting if an accident is to be avoided.
