Oxide through the mix, so the colour goes all the way down
Powdered iron oxide is added straight into the truck’s bowl and mixed through the whole load. The colour is dispersed through the concrete rather than sitting on the surface, so it does not wear off and a chip does not reveal grey underneath.
Because the pigments are iron oxides, they hold up to UV and weather far better than a surface dye or a paint-on coating.
30 Midway colours, oxide right through the mix
These are the standard Midway oxide colours we order in. Because the oxide is batched into the concrete rather than sprinkled on top, the colour runs the full depth of the slab — a chip or a saw cut shows the same colour, not grey. Every one of them can be finished brushed, machine-trowelled or polished. Tap a tile to see it larger.
How to pick one you will still like in five years
See it before you commit
Oxide colours look considerably softer poured than they do on a sample card, because the grey of the cement is always in there with them.
Consider the heat
Dark charcoals and blacks get hot underfoot in a Melbourne summer. Fine for a driveway, less pleasant on an alfresco you walk on barefoot.
Look at the house
Hold samples against the brick, render or cladding in daylight. The colour that works is the one that sits with the house.
Expect variation
Pour-to-pour variation is normal. If an area needs to be one consistent colour, it needs to be one pour — tell us up front and we will plan it that way.
The ones we get asked most
Does the colour fade?
Iron oxides are UV stable and the colour runs full depth, so it does not fade or wear off the way a surface treatment does. It will weather and soften slightly over years, as all concrete does.
Can you colour-match my existing concrete?
Not exactly, and anyone promising otherwise is overselling. Existing concrete has weathered and came from a different batch. We can get close and we will be honest about how close.
Is coloured concrete more expensive than plain?
Yes, the oxide adds cost per cubic metre, and deeper colours use more of it. It is generally less than exposed aggregate.
Can I get colour and exposed aggregate together?
Yes — oxide added to an exposed mix tints the cement between the stones.
Should it be sealed?
Sealing lifts the colour and helps it resist stains, which matters more with coloured concrete than with plain. We offer it where the job calls for it.
Get a price on coloured concrete
Send the area and the colours you are considering. Colour names courtesy of Midway Concrete — always view a physical sample before choosing.
