Coloured Concrete

Coloured concrete is both a process and product. In terms of a process, the concrete colour system allows technicians to stain and dye the surface of concrete in different colours. This creates many options for a visually distinctive look. For example, a coloured concrete driveway can include interesting patterns or even textures when using exposed concrete colours.

When creating and installing a concrete colour solution, you’ll need a skilled and experienced contractor who knows how to work with the material and how to use the equipment required to perform related functions like staining, dying, sealing, and even preparing and grading the land before installation.

Contractors typically use a water-based stain or acid chemical stains for grey and white concrete. Keep in mind that grey concrete produces more dark and earthy tones, while white concrete colour solutions achieve a lighter finish.

Yes, coloured concrete is more expensive than ‘plain’ or grey concrete. Furthermore, white concrete is also more expensive to begin with than grey concrete. For example, to truly understand how much more a coloured concrete driveway may cost, you’ll need to understand the factors that go into calculating concrete costs.

These include:

• The size of the driveway — Many local councils require driveways to be a minimum of 3 metres.
• The thickness — Local councils also require driveways to be at least 125 millimetres thick, which is thicker than concrete paving.
• The slope or incline of the driveway — Laying concrete on a flat surface costs about $65 to $85 per square metre. However, a driveway on a slope can cost about $10 more per square metre.

Keep in mind that these are the costs for concrete laying only. You’ll also need to consider how much your contractor may charge you for excavation or creating a base, which helps to prevent potholes and concrete erosion. You could pay as much as $2,600 for a flat driveway and $2,800 for a low incline driveway.

Now, add another $10 per square metre for coloured concrete. This could bring your cost for a coloured concrete driveway to between $85 and $105 per square metre. However, using exposed concrete colours could cost you between $100 to $150 per square metre, depending on the type of aggregate.

See our full coloured concrete cost guide to find out more about the cost of coloured concrete.

The best part about using the concrete colour system is that these pigments are deep and won’t fade. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t need care and maintenance. The colour pigments used are UV-stable and fade resistant.

While the concrete is being cured, you may notice that it transforms to a white colour. This process is known as efflorescence, which is when water evaporates from the concrete and excess lime rises to the surface. This is a normal process and fades in time with rainfall. However, your concrete contractor can also help you remove the efflorescence.