What is the difference between integral colour and colour hardener for concrete?

Integral colour and colour hardener are two fundamentally different approaches to colouring concrete — integral colour goes through the entire slab while colour hardener is applied only to the surface. Both are widely used in New Brunswick for stamped driveways, patios, and walkways, but they have different costs, appearances, durability profiles, and best-use applications.

Integral colour is pigment added directly to the ready-mix concrete at the batch plant or on-site before placement. The colour is distributed throughout the entire slab depth, typically 4-6 inches. The practical advantage is that chips, cracks, and wear reveal the same colour underneath — so a scratched integral-colour patio still looks intentional. The limitation is that integral colour tends to be more muted and earthy compared to colour hardener, and achieving deep, saturated tones throughout an entire cubic yard of concrete requires significant pigment, which adds cost. In NB, expect to pay $15-$40 per cubic yard to add integral colour, depending on the shade and pigment loading.

Colour hardener is a dry-shake product — a blend of Portland cement, fine aggregate, and pigment — broadcast onto the surface of freshly placed concrete and worked in during finishing. Because you are applying concentrated colour directly to the surface, the tones achievable with colour hardener are dramatically more vivid and consistent than integral colour. Colour hardener also densifies and hardens the top surface, improving abrasion resistance — which is why it is the preferred choice for stamped concrete driveways and commercial flatwork. The tradeoff is that the colour layer is only 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch thick. Deep chips or gouges can expose grey concrete beneath.

In New Brunswick's stamped concrete market, most professionals use both methods together for premium results — integral colour provides a base tone throughout the slab, and colour hardener delivers the vivid surface colour and surface hardness for stamping. A release agent (either liquid or powder) is then applied before stamping to create two-tone contrast in the pattern recesses, which gives stamped NB patios and driveways their realistic stone or brick appearance.

Cost difference: Colour hardener adds $1-$3 per square foot to a stamped concrete project in NB. The combination of integral colour and colour hardener on a 400 sq ft patio might add $600-$1,500 to the project cost compared to plain grey concrete, but the visual result is dramatically different and the surface is more durable.

For NB's freeze-thaw conditions, a properly placed colour-hardened surface with a quality penetrating sealer actually performs very well — the densified surface layer resists moisture penetration better than standard concrete. Reapply your sealer every 2-3 years to maintain both colour vibrancy and freeze-thaw protection.

Browse decorative concrete contractors serving Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, and across New Brunswick through the New Brunswick Construction Network directory.