Hot take: I used to laugh at colored concrete, now I get it

I saw a job a few months back where a guy did a deep red patio with a light broom finish. I thought it looked ridiculous in pictures, but then I saw it in person on a sunny day and the color just popped. The way it held up after a summer of kids and dogs changed my mind completely. Has anyone else been surprised by how good a colored slab can look when done right?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_coleman4d ago

My buddy down in Phoenix thought he was being slick saving money on plain gray concrete for his backyard. Then his neighbor poured a warm terracotta color with a light salt finish and it looked like a whole different world. He told me he stood there for like five minutes just staring at it in the afternoon sun before he admitted he messed up. The terracotta made the whole yard feel bigger and warmer somehow, plus it hid all the dirt from his dogs paws way better than his gray slab does. He's been kicking himself ever since and says he's gonna rip his out and redo it when he saves up enough.

jennifersmith4d ago

Read somewhere that salt finish is a game changer for hiding dust too @simon_coleman.