How to Make Homemade Concrete Dye
Introduction
When it comes to home projects everyone knows that the costs can add up quickly. One place you can cut some costs is in the concrete. By dying and pouring the concrete yourself you can save a lot of money. But when it comes to dying concrete, the costs add up quickly. There are many different commercial ways to dye concrete. They have many different products on the market that can be used to make concrete any translucent color you can think of. But what about making your own concrete dye? It is totally possible. Here is a short guide on how to color your own concrete.
Ingredients Needed
Well obviously, you need a concrete mix. The powdered kind that comes in a big bag. Then you need an appropriately sized mixing container. For smaller projects you may be able to get away with a five gallon bucket, but for bigger projects you may need to mix in a wheelbarrow or mixing truck for the big projects. Then you will need paint. Choose a paint color that is translucent and will mix well with concrete. Make sure it is water based. This is very important because oil based paint will make the concrete unable to harden. Then you will also need clothing dye. Food coloring works well too as long as it is a smaller project. Big projects need clothing dye to have a more effective color.
The Process
Start by dumping the concrete mix into the mixing container. Then add the paint until the concrete is the desired color. Use the paint like water. When the paint has made the concrete the color that you want, then add water until the mixture is the proper concrete consistency. So for example, if you want dark blue concrete, you may have to add a lot of paint. But if you want lighter blue concrete dye colors you may just need a little paint but a lot of water. The next step is to add the food coloring or clothing dye. Using a similar color, add until the concrete is the desired color. When the concrete is the perfect color and consistency, pour it!
Another Option
Many different types of paint don’t seem to work. The color doesn’t translate after the cement is dry. However, pigment paint has proven to be the best option. It requires quite a bit to make the color come through. The best pigment paint was the titanium dioxide concrete dye colors. It brought through the brightest and best colors.
What Can You Do with Colored Concrete?
Obviously, if you are doing a large concrete home that needs to be perfect then it is likely best to just trust a contractor or other expert. But colored concrete is perfect for making small home projects. This can include a small room, stepping stones, crafting, and memory projects. People have even done projects to commemorate someone. Where you make a concrete stepping stone from concrete, colored dye and the person’s ashes. There are also projects where you remember how little your children were by pushing their feet into the drying concrete. Or a similar project with your pets paw. There are so many things that you can do with homemade colored concrete.
Conclusion
Home projects can be expensive so save yourself a few dollars by making your concrete color by yourself. Also, by doing this you can get the exact specific color you want. There are so many art projects that you can do with your homemade colored concrete. There are so many ways to color concrete, try this simple, effective three ingredient coloring routine. You can have the coolest colored projects around.
