The samples are made with a white mix with a powdered pigment (Iron Oxides). If I had used a gray concrete the colors would have been more subtle.

Notice that I layed out squares on a large sample board. One half I left white the other is a dark waterbased dye on white. The large dark part was colored with a dark brown dye.

Gray and browns are the most popular colors. They go with everything. Occasionally someone will go with an olive green or in certain areas of the country, mainly south, terra cotta .

The darker colors look rich and don’t show blemishes. For a long time I was applying lighter colors. Once I started applying dark shades everyone was much happier. The lighter shades are just too vibrant. The dark shades look like worn leather, they’re rich. Even in basements the dark shades work great.

The best solution I have found is mixing in the Iron Oxide colored powdered pigments into the mix, about 1/2 cup per bucket of concrete overlay mix. Then the next day when dry applying a few layers of waterbased dyes. What I’ll do is dilute the concrete dyes with maybe 3 parts water and spray on a layer and even out with a microfiber mop. After it drys I’ll spray on another of the same color mixed with just 1 1/2 parts water. If that doesn’t do it I’ll spray on another coat.

The overlays are never perfect which is how you get natural variation. There will be high spots, low spots and variations in the overlay which will cause the concrete dyes to pool and get darker in some areas than another. Thats how you get that variation you see in a lot of pictures.

A lot of people like acid stains but if you work with integral color and layers of waterbased dyes you get the same result. Plus it’s easier and a heck of a lot less work.

Applying waterbased dyes is a no brainer but does add a day to the job. Maybe an hour or two of actual working time, the rest is waiting overnight for the dyes to dry before applying sealers.