Coloured concrete, with its many intricacies in shape, hue, size, and quality is a more modernized and innovative real-time solution to add a pop of colour to interior spaces.
Just like in every other country in the Western world, these versatile pieces of interior design have made their way to Australia, especially in major cities like Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane. Coloured concrete also known as ‘decorative concreteis created through a process of staining traditional grey concrete. This type of concrete is not an entirely new innovation as it has been used for centuries but for the primary purpose of building facades. They have now earned a place of utmost prominence among other beautifiers of interior spaces with a highly technical manufacturing procedure that typically requires trained experts that could handle the application procedure.
Coloured concrete, typically gets its pigments from mined substances which are manufactured into finer colour enhancers. Whilst each of these pigments comes in a variety of forms ranging from powder, liquid, and granules, all of them have their very own unique advantages. The coloured pigments employed in the manufacturing of these blocks of concrete are made of iron oxide particles which are ten times smaller than the ones used in cement. When these tiny pigmentation particles are combined with cement, they surround and cover up the larger particles of cement thus, infusing the grey cement with colour. The ratios of cement to colour pigment depend on the amount of cement in the mixture. The higher the cement ratio the darker the coloured tint. Usually, the task of dying grey concrete requires a larger amount of pigment to create earthy tones. Lighter colours require white concrete, which is rather costly.
One might wonder the maybe the necessity of using coloured concrete.Well, there are numerous reasons. The aesthetically pleasing outlook of these tiles tops the list of advantages. Coloured concrete is very eye-catching and artistic when used in interior spaces. Secondly, they could also be used to break up larger areas of concrete. That is, if you have a large concrete patio or long driveway, colouring parts of the long bare stretch of grey concrete would add the perfect pop of colour to brighten up your living space. Another major advantage ofcoloured concrete is, that they are perfect to create replicas of nature, like green turf or textured gravel paths. The green colour adds a sense of freshness and vibrance which, when well incorporated can limit the industrial look grey concrete has.
As much as the pursuit of switching to coloured concrete seems very interesting and existing, they require a certain degree of care to look aesthetically pleasing. Firstly, they should be cured properly to avoid surface cracking. Coloured concrete tends to fade because of exposure. Here, it is not just the pigment that fades but the grey colour in the concrete itself. Thisis why it is important to have a professional company mix and have the concrete protected with a sturdy cleanser. And the most important step is to have and keep the concrete clean to preserve it.
