Stained and Colored Concrete
Color worked into or applied to the slab, from subtle warmth to deliberate contrast.
Stained & Colored in practice
Color is the quietest of the finish decisions and the one people notice most from the kitchen window.
What it is
Color can be integral, mixed into the concrete itself, or applied to the surface. Each route behaves differently over time and each has a different answer when the surface eventually wears.
Integral versus surface color
Integral color runs through the slab, so surface wear does not expose a different color underneath. Surface applied color offers more range and more control over variegation, but it is a layer, and layers wear. Which one suits your project depends on the surface, the traffic, and how much maintenance you want to sign up for.
Where it works best
Patios, pool decks, and entry walks, and it pairs naturally with stamping. On driveways it is possible and we pour it, but the salt and plow conversation matters more there.
Choosing a color
Warm tones read differently in Indiana light than they do on a manufacturer sample card, and the color of the house, roof, and existing stone or brick all pull on the decision. We look at samples on site rather than in a showroom.
Maintenance
Colored surfaces want resealing on a regular schedule to hold their depth. Skipping it does not ruin the slab, but the color will flatten faster than you would like.
Tradeoffs
Color adds a maintenance commitment that plain broom finish does not have. It is worth choosing deliberately rather than as an upsell at signing.
Color adds a maintenance commitment that plain broom finish does not have. It is worth choosing deliberately rather than as an upsell at signing.
Services that use stained & colored
Concrete Patios
Broom finish, stamped, and exposed aggregate poured patios built for how you actually use the backyard.
See this service →New Driveways & Approaches
New-pour driveways and approaches in broom, stamped, or stained finishes, built for Indiana freeze-thaw.
See this service →Concrete Pool Decks
Poured concrete pool decks and surrounds, finished for wet feet and Indiana winters.
See this service →Stained and Colored Concrete questions
Is stained and colored concrete a good choice in Indiana?
It depends on the surface and on how much maintenance you want to sign up for. Central Indiana freeze-thaw cycling and winter de-icers are hard on every finish, and they are hardest on surfaces carrying a color or pattern layer. We go through this at the site visit with samples on your own property rather than from a card in a showroom.
What maintenance does stained and colored concrete need?
Sealing on a sensible interval is the core of it, and the interval differs by finish. Plain broom asks the least. Stamped and colored surfaces ask the most, because there is a color layer to protect. Guidance specific to what you chose is part of the project handoff rather than something you have to go find.
Can this finish be combined with another?
Yes, and it is frequently the smartest option. A broom field with a stamped or exposed border gives you a visual edge where it reads and a durable, low maintenance surface across the area taking the traffic.
Will it match my existing concrete?
Weathered concrete will never be matched exactly by a fresh pour, no matter the finish. Where a close match is achievable we will say so, and where it is not, deciding to contrast deliberately usually looks better than an attempted match that lands close but not quite.
Site visit first. Then a number you can hold us to.
We do not quote concrete over the phone, because a number given before anyone has seen the site is a number that changes.
You send the details
The form or a phone call, whichever you prefer. A team member follows up the same day.
We come look at it
Measurements, photos, drainage and grading assessment, and a conversation about finish options.
You get it in writing
A written, itemized scope of work sized by square footage. What is included, what is not, and what it costs.
Request a written quote
Tell us about the project and we will follow up to schedule a site visit. Every quote is written and itemized before any work begins.
Ready for a written, itemized quote?
Send the project details and we will follow up to schedule a site visit. No verbal ballparks, no pressure.