Color & Borders · Stamped Concrete Columbus
Colored Concrete & Decorative Borders in Columbus, OH
Warm tans, cool grays and contrasting borders that frame a slab. Ask for a free estimate.
Stamped concrete for Columbus, Dublin, Worthington, New Albany, Bexley and nearby towns
Free Colored Concrete & Borders Estimate
Share the area you want stamped or colored, its rough size and any pattern or colors you like. The contractor will call back to discuss the design and arrange a visit.
- Free estimates
- Pattern and color help
- Sealed for Ohio winters
- Patios to driveways
Free estimates for stamped and decorative concrete. 👇
Colored Concrete & Borders
Colored Concrete for Columbus, OH
Color alone can change a slab more than people expect. Plain gray concrete under a red brick house can look unfinished; the same slab in a warm buff or sandstone tone suddenly belongs. Integral color is mixed into the concrete at the plant or in the truck, so the color runs through the whole slab and a chip shows the same shade. Color hardener is a powder broadcast and troweled into the surface, giving a denser top layer and more saturated colors, including deeper reds and charcoals that integral color struggles to reach.
Borders are where color does its most graphic work. A charcoal band around a sandstone patio, a smooth border around a stamped field, a brick-pattern soldier course outlining a walk, or a contrasting band where a driveway meets the street each give the slab a defined edge. Colored concrete is still concrete: it lightens slightly as it cures, varies a little from pour to pour, and fades under the sun unless it is sealed. A good sealer brings the tone back each time it is renewed.
What's included
What goes into colored concrete and borders
- 01
Integral color
Pigment mixed through the concrete so the color goes all the way down.
- 02
Color hardener
A surface-applied color troweled in for a dense, vivid finish.
- 03
Contrasting borders
Bands in a second color or texture around patios, walks and drives.
- 04
Release antiquing
A darker release color on stamped work that adds depth to the texture.
- 05
Decorative saw cuts
Cut lines, such as a grid or diamonds, that give a plain colored slab a tile-like pattern.
- 06
Color-enhancing sealer
A sealer that deepens the tone and protects it from sun and salt.
Examples
Colored Concrete & Borders: examples
Example photos of the type of work.
How it works
Colored Concrete & Borders, step by step
- 1
Pick the palette
Choose base and accent colors against the house exterior in daylight.
- 2
Lay out borders
Set forms and decide border widths, corners and where the colors change.
- 3
Pour in sequence
Pour borders and field in the order the design needs, adding color in the mix or on the surface.
- 4
Seal the color
Cut joints, clean the surface and seal to lock in the tone.
Questions
Colored Concrete & Borders questions
Does colored concrete fade in Ohio sun and winters?
Somewhat. Sunlight softens surface color over time and salt and grit wear the top, but integral color runs all the way through, so it does not wear down to plain gray. Resealing every 2 to 3 years restores most of the depth.
Does adding color change the cost?
Yes. Pigment, color hardener and extra finishing steps add to a plain gray slab, and borders add forming and pour sequencing. How much depends on how much area is colored and how many colors are used. The free estimate shows the difference.
Do I need HOA sign-off on concrete color?
Many associations want to approve exterior colors, including patios and driveways visible from the street. Take the color name and a sample photo to the HOA before scheduling. City permits only come into play for work in the right-of-way, such as an apron, and 811 is called before any excavation.
Will two pours of colored concrete match exactly?
Close, but not perfectly. Concrete color varies with the cement, the water content, the weather and the finishing, so two pours of the same color can look slightly different. Placing joints or borders between pours hides any shift.
Is a border worth adding to a plain slab?
Often, yes. A border adds a lot of look for a small share of the area and gives a plain broom-finished slab a framed, deliberate appearance. Smooth-troweled, stamped or colored borders all work.
Stamped and decorative
Related work
Stamped Patios
Backyard patios pressed with slate, flagstone, brick or plank textures and finished in two-tone color.
More on stamped patios
Exposed Aggregate
Patios, walks and driveways with the top paste washed away to reveal the stone underneath, for grip and texture.
More on exposed aggregate
Stamped Driveways
Driveways stamped in cobble, brick or slate with colored borders, sealed with grit for traction.
More on stamped driveways
Service area
Colored Concrete & Borders around Columbus
Free estimates on colored concrete and borders in Columbus and these towns:
Franklin County
Pickaway County
Fairfield County
Delaware County
Licking County
Talk to us about colored concrete and borders
Tell us the area, the pattern you are drawn to and the colors around your home, and get a free stamped concrete estimate.