Adding Tint or Color to Pavers and Concrete  5/5 (3)

This post was most recently updated on January 30th, 2023

Update for 2023: Adding Tint or Color to Pavers and Concrete

Concrete Sealer Review continues to keep up with the latest tips and trends for your concrete and brick paver sealers through 2023 and beyond. In this updated article, we tell you the best way to add a tint or color to pavers and concrete to change the look of your sealer. If you have any suggestions for the best way to add a tint or color to pavers and concrete or have any questions, please comment below.


To change the appearance of pavers and concrete you can have tint or color added. This can be done to concrete or pavers that are being poured from a wet cement mix. The color can be added to the batch before it is poured into the form. For pavers or concrete that already exist, you can apply and colored concrete stain to the surface to change the appearance.

Once the tint or color is added to pavers or concrete the surface should then be sealed to help lock in the new color and protect the surface from harsh weather. As the sun beats down on concrete and paver surfaces the UV rays can break down the chemical bonds and fade the color like a bleaching effect. Some surfaces are more prone to fading such as those like pavers and concrete that have had dye color added to them. The darker the color the more prone it is to fading.

You can also add the tint or color to the sealer. Then you will be sealing and adding color to the pavers or concrete at the same time. Some tinted or color sealers can form a film like paint on the surface which would completely mask the natural beauty of the pavers or concrete just so you are aware. In the case of using an acid staining process, you would still need to seal the surface once the stain was cured. A better alternative to acid staining is applying a semi-transparent color concrete stain that dilutes in acetone. This process is not as tedious as acid staining. The surface can then be clear coated with a wet look sealer for a deeper, richer look.

Another option for faded pavers and concrete that have lost their original luster is to seal them with a matte, semi-gloss, or high gloss shine. This can help restore their color by darkening up the surface. This works well on both stamped concrete and brick pavers. Keeping your colored pavers and concrete clean and maintaining them by resealing them every few seasons will help the surface to last for many years while preserving the original appearance.

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Gregory Briscoe
Gregory Briscoe
10 months ago

New build, antique bricks are being placed throughout the mud room. The color contrast is a little more drastic than we’d like. What color tint/stain and brand do you recommend? Looking to darken/dull out the orange a little…

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Kari Peterson
Kari Peterson
1 year ago

Can I tint natural unfinished marble/stone in a similar way? white unfinished marble to a very light gray?

Elaine A Miller
Elaine A Miller
1 year ago

I had new sidewalks and front and back steps poured summer 2021. Dark grey tint was added to the cement and mixed in the truck before pouring. No mention that it should be sealed by the contractor and the concrete did not survive the winter, lots of scaling and chipping. The contractor will not respond to texts or calls. How can I find out why this happened to the concrete and if the concrete company made allowance in their mix for the added tint. Spent thousands on this project and now it is a mess.

John Fitz
John Fitz
1 year ago

Similar, but not exactly the same as other Q’s here: can I use a “tinted sealer” (NuLock or other) to alter the rose (not brick red) hue of my pavers to gray? And thanks for your informative piece and the Q+A.

Powell
Powell
1 year ago

We used a paint stain to our reddish pavers around our pool to a cream color, so you could find a paint stain in grey I’m sure.

Powerplay
Powerplay
2 years ago

I purchased an oil-based paver sealer from Lowe’s and asked if a tint could be added and was told it could not. Where do you suggest I purchase the tint and can I just add and stir before applying?

Powerplay
Powerplay
2 years ago

Thanks, I will do that. Do you think they will advise as to where to purchase the tint? Do you have a suggestion?

Deb
Deb
2 years ago

Question. Can oh add a dusty or aah stain onto existing flag stone patios. I can’t afford to redo all of my hard scale but want to tone down the reds and oranges.

Would you recommend a stain selersye and then a sealant so it doesn’t come across looking like “paint”

David
David
4 years ago

We have Lexa Sterling Grey pavers. We find they have brown/beige look when wet and in general. We have the Melville shaded grey slabs beside them and they look very different. Any ideas how to stain Lexa so it looks more grey vs beige? We do not like wet colour of the Lexa slabs therefore just a sealer won’t offer the look we want. Thanks!

Lorena
Lorena
7 years ago

Our paver is reddish. We want gray how we can better accomplish this?

Tim Hansen
Tim Hansen
7 years ago

Is there any hope to match 200 s.f. of new infill pavers that came as a much cooler gray to older pavers that are much warmer? The supplier said this was as close as they could get after 5 years, but the owner is not happy. A tree fell and left a cutout that had to be filled in.

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