Integral Color Concrete: Pigment in the Mix

Integral color is pigment mixed into concrete while it is still wet, so the color goes all the way through rather than sitting on the surface. That is the whole argument for it: chip a stained slab and you see gray underneath; chip an integrally colored one and the color is identical inside. It is a synthetic or natural iron oxide powder that behaves like a dye for cement — you add it to the dry mix and let the mixing do the work.

A master bathroom vanity cast in concrete colored with Smokestack pigment.

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What it colors

Cement and lime — nothing else in the mix takes color

Added cost

Roughly $0.60–$0.82 per cubic foot of concrete, depending on the color

Color range

Over 100 cement colors from gray or white Portland base

Work out quantities

Pigment calculator and shade picker

Test first

A pigment sampler before a truck arrives is the cheapest insurance there is

Five things to settle before you start

1 · Pick the brand first

Avoid ready-mix with an unidentifiable brand or aggregate source — an unknown aggregate can throw the color

2 · No calcium chloride

Verify the mix is compatible with integral pigment. Calcium chloride must not be in it at all

3 · Control the water

Mix and hydrate identically batch to batch. Small changes in water content give off-color results — this is the most common cause of a patchy slab

4 · Sample before you pour

Test the color against your actual mix before committing the whole slab

5 · Protect the cure

Keep other construction activity off the slab while it cures

One more, for pre-bagged products: ready-mix, mortar, grout and plaster all contain different amounts of Portland cement, and some have hydrated lime added. Since only the cement and lime take color, you need the exact weight of each before you can calculate pigment. Most packaging states it.

The pigment calculator — enter your base color, target color and cement weight.

A master bathroom vanity, start to finish

The Bottelberghes cast their own vanity in Smokestack — two days and six hours of work. The numbers below came straight out of the calculator, which is the part worth copying.

Size

1.5 in. deep × 26 in. wide × 72 in. long

Mix

260 lb of countertop mix — six 50 lb bags with extra

Pigment

1.72 lb of Smokestack

Water

Six gallons, hand-mixed

Form

Melamine sheet, for an extra-smooth face

Finish

Penetrating sealer, polished, then a thin water-based matte polyurethane

Time

2 days and 6 hours

Two more views of the finished concrete vanity.

The method, in order

1

Build the form — melamine gives the smoothest face

2

Calculate the pigment with the coverage calculator

3

Add pigment to the dry mix and stir until the color is completely uniform — this is what prevents streaking

4

Add water slowly and mix; keep the water volume identical across batches

5

Pour, work the bubbles out, and add surface aggregate now if you want it

6

Cure, then demould carefully

7

Seal and polish

Polishing, or not

If you are polishing: apply a penetrating sealer with a pump sprayer — enough to keep the surface uniformly damp for 20 minutes, adding more only where it looks dry. No membrane should form. Squeegee off any excess so none pools, let it dry 24 hours, then polish from 400-grit upward. For maximum durability go to 1500–3000 grit.

If you are not polishing: seal with a polyurethane or epoxy countertop sealer instead.

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What's Next

1. Work out quantities → Pigment Calculator
2. Truck pours → Calculating Pigment for a Truck Pour
3. Beyond concrete → Coloring Cement, Stucco and Grout
4. Project ideas → Planters, Vessels & Tables
5. Countertops → DIY Concrete Countertop Ideas
6. Applying stain outdoors → How to Apply Outdoor Concrete Stain
7. Choosing a sealer → The Best Concrete Sealer
8. Prefer a reactive, mottled look? → Acid Stain Colors Guide
9. Shop → EverStain™ Kits · Trial Kits

Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.