Getting the Concrete Colour you want

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Getting the colour right with your concrete floor is something that needs to be thought about at the start of the process. While renovators or people working with existing concrete may not have the luxury of colour choice there are still some things to know that may assist in getting the right look from your floor.

	A common mix in the Albury Wodonga Area
	A common mix in Albury Wodonga with extra blue metal
	A common mix in the Albury Wodonga with extra Tarrawingee stone
	A common mix in the Wagga Wagga area
	A custom mix with black oxide added to the concrete
	A custom mix of white concrete, sand, oxide and aggreagte

 

There are four main components to the colour your polished concrete will end up and they all lie in the concrete. Concrete is made up of aggregate (stones), sand and cement. These 3 elements along with any specialty additions (such as oxide additions or polishable objects added to the concrete mix) will determine the colour your polished concrete will be.

 

Each quarry and/or concrete supplier will generally have a standard mix that is a reasonably consistent combination of sand, cement and aggregate - these 'standard mixes' vary from area to area, year to year and sometimes season to season so it always important to check with your local quarry if you are considering polished concrete. If the standard mix is not for you, you can request a custom mix. Aggregate colour, aggregate size, sand colour, cement colour, and other additions such as oxides or seeded elements can make up your final selection.

What we have observed with concrete mixes

In the Albury Wodonga area most of the local concrete suppliers use an aggregate mix that blends black, white and brown aggregate (blue metal, white quartz and Tarawingee stone). The concrete and sand mix tends to be on the grey side giving the final mix a cool and neutral look when ground to expose the aggregate.

In the Wagga Wagga area the concrete suppliers tend to have a similar aggregate mix however the brown stone is river rock and makes up a larger portion of the mix. River rock tends to bleach into the concrete giving the floors a browner more earthy appearance.

 

Keep in mind aggregate choice, even a zero exposure floor where you are aiming to not expose any of the underlying aggregate in the concrete, will impact the final concrete colour.

 

For those looking to really make a statement with their floor you may consider seeding in glass, gem stones, glow in the dark aggregate or any other polishable component to give your floor that wow factor.

 

We have included some different samples of concrete mixes in our photo gallery to assist in giving you some inspiration however the final choice you make will be best made with your builder and concrete supplier/local quarry. We are more than happy to provide advice from our experience but we do not provide concrete mixes or install slabs. We do ask that your builder and concrete installer become familiar with our recommendations for new slabs as they often may affect cost, build time and process variations. We have found, through our experience, some concrete mixes do polish better than others and we always ask our clients to confirm where you intend sourcing your supply from prior to locking it in - just to insure you are getting the quality you need for your polished floors.