Davis Colors for Masonry and Concrete Products
PRODUCT NAME
Davis Colors®
Color Admixtures for Concrete Masonry Units (CMU), Concrete Pavers,
and other colored concrete products.
MANUFACTURER
Davis Colors
Toll Free: 800-356-4848
E-mail: info@daviscolors.com
Internet: www.daviscolors.com
East Factory:
7101 Muirkirk Road
Beltsville, MD 20705
301-210-3400
301-210-4967 Fax
West Factory:
3700 E. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90023
323-269-7311
323-269-1053 Fax
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
With Davis Colors, concrete products can be produced in a wide spectrum of colors to satisfy almost any design requirement. Subtle earth-tones can be used to blend a building into its environment, or more vivid colors can be used to create visibility and a more unique identity for a building. Davis Colors are integrally mixed into the concrete so they are permanent, durable, and last as long as the concrete.
Use Davis Colors in all types of manufactured and precast concrete products, including:
Colored Concrete Masonry Units: Enhance the design versatility of CMU by combining colors with special CMU styles and textures such as split-face, slump, fluted, or burnished block. Visit http://www.daviscolors.com/literature for a copy of “Designing with Colored Concrete Masonry” for additional design ideas.
Colored Concrete Pavers: Color adds to the curb appeal of your project’s “hardscaping.” Use pavers of several different hues to create patterns, borders, or weave a concrete tapestry underfoot.
Colored Concrete Retaining Wall Units: Select just the right shade of concrete to design a retaining wall that complements the hues of nature. Colored concrete retaining walls are economical, attractive and versatile.
Colored Concrete Site Furnishings and Specialties: Use colored concrete for durable, low-maintenance, and attractive seating, planters, bollards, fountains, trash receptacles, fences, and other site amenities.
Colored Concrete Floor and Roof Tiles: Davis Colors are used in concrete roof and floor tile because they do not fade sunlight or ordinary use because the wide range of pigments makes it possible to match almost any color scheme.
Basic Use: Integral concrete colors are an attractive alternative to painting or coating. It is difficult to paint concrete because of the alkalinity and moisture in concrete and the roughness and porosity of its surface; integral colors avoid these problems. In addition, integrally colored concrete has a more natural appearance than painted surfaces and can be compared to natural stone and other traditional building materials. Not having to paint concrete saves time and money during construction. Additional savings accrue throughout the lifetime of a building, since colored concrete is a permanent material that requires little or no maintenance. This provides an environmental benefit too, since Davis Colors are non-toxic and do not release solvents as do many paints and coatings.
Composition and Materials: Davis Colors are made from metal or mineral oxides either recycled from iron or refined from naturally occurring ore deposits, then specially processed for mixing into concrete. In some concrete products, specially treated carbon black is also used. The extremely small particles of pigment bond with the cement and last as long as the concrete.
TECHNICAL DATA
Applicable Standards: Davis Colors are lightfast, alkali-resistant, weather-resistant, and specially formulated for mixing into concrete and to provide optimum tinting-strength. They comply with:
- ASTM C 979 Pigments for Integrally Colored Concrete.
- BS 1014 Pigments for Portland Cement and Portland Cement Products.
- DIN 53 237 Pigments for Colouration of Cement and Lime Products.
Manufacturing Colored Concrete Products: To assure uniform colors, all colored concrete units on a project should be produced with consistent manufacturing and curing techniques and with pigments, cement and aggregates from a single source. For additional information, a copy of “Manufacturing Colored Concrete Masonry” is available from Davis Colors at http://www.daviscolors.com/literature and discusses requirements for and quality control of colored concrete products.
Precautions: Pigment is limited to 10% of the weight of cementitious materials in the concrete mix. In practice, dose rates above 6% achieve color saturation and do not intensify the color of the concrete. Do not use Davis Colors with admixtures containing calcium chloride.
The color and appearance of concrete is the result of many factors. Despite rigorous quality control by concrete product producers, small variations in color or appearance may occur from unit to unit or batch to batch. This is a natural feature of all concrete products whether colored or not. When this is a concern, ask the concrete producer for samples indicating the range of color to be expected in the products they manufacture. On jobs with critical appearance tolerances or unique requirements, specify a mock-up to demonstrate that the materials and workmanship to be used will produce the desired results.
INSTALLATION
In general, concrete products with Davis Colors can be specified and installed in the same way as other high-quality concrete products. Follow the installation instructions of the concrete product manufacturer and observe recommendations of American Concrete Institute, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, and other applicable industry guidelines.
Mortar can be tinted with True Tone™ Sweet 16™ cement colors to match or complement the hue of colored concrete units. True Tone™ Sweet 16™ is made by Davis Colors and additional information about them is included in Sweets CD.
Washing a wall while mortar is still fresh can smear pigments and cement across the face of colored CMU. Instead, let mortar splatters harden for seven to 14 days, then remove them with a chisel, trowel, or stiff brush and water. Prior to further cleaning, allow mortar to continue curing for at least three weeks (four in winter). If a proprietary cleaning agent is used, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Prewet the wall, test the cleaning agent on a small, inconspicuous area, and check the effect on masonry appearance.
Efflorescence: Efflorescence occurs when soluble salts in concrete are carried to the concrete’s surface where they are deposited by evaporation. Since the powdery efflorescence deposits are white, they are more visible on dark colored concrete than on light, uncolored concrete. Concrete product manufacturers can reduce the likelihood of efflorescence by using a low water-cement ratio in their mix design, assuring that products are fully cured, and using chemical admixtures which reduce the likelihood of efflorescence. The potential for efflorescence can also be reduced by designing the structure to prevent water penetration and leaks.
Remove efflorescence as soon as practical after it appears using a mild detergent or mild acid cleaner and scrubbing with a non-metal brush. If removal is delayed, deposits convert to calcium carbonate which is permanent. Follow the instructions of the cleaner manufacturer and test in a small area to make sure cleaner will not etch or discolor the surface.
AVAILABILITY & COST
Contact your local concrete product manufacturer for availability and cost estimating assistance.
Availability: Davis Colors are sold directly to concrete product manufacturers throughout the country.
Packaging:
Davis Colors are available in four forms to meet the diverse needs
of concrete product manufacturers:
Concentrated Powders: Pigments are finely ground to achieve high tint strength. They are the least expensive type of pigment on a per-pound basis, but have limited application in automated coloring systems.
Mix-Ready® Disintegrating Bags: Special disintegrating paper bags allow powdered pigments to be tossed directly into a concrete mixer without opening or pouring the bags. While not recommended for the low-slump mixes used for CMU, they are widely used for ready-mixed concrete.
Hydrotint® Liquid Colors: Produced by blending powdered pigments with water and conditioners to make an aqueous dispersion or slurry. Hydrotint® liquids are used with automated dispensing systems, like our computer-controlled Chameleon™ system for accurate metering and cleaner operations.
Granufin® Granulated Colors: The small micro-granules flow freely so they can be quickly, cleanly, and accurately metered and discharged into concrete mixers. They are rapidly becoming the coloring system of choice for concrete plants where maximum flexibility is required in a coloring system.
Both Chameleon™ and Granufin® metering systems can be computer controlled, allowing a few primary colors to be automatically blended to create a wide assortment of hues. This enables many concrete product producers to offer a greater variety of colors without having to stock a large inventory of pigments.
Cost: Colored CMU or concrete pavers generally cost about 5 to 10 percent more than uncolored units. Costs can be somewhat greater for special shapes, custom colors or deep shades, or if select aggregates are also required.
The cost of installing colored concrete products does not vary significantly from that of similar quality uncolored products. Integral colors avoid the delay and expense of painting concrete surfaces.
WARRANTY
Davis Colors warrants that its color additives comply with ASTM C 979. Since the condition of use and application of our products are beyond our control, Davis Colors makes NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, and expressly disclaims liability for consequential or incidental damages, whether based on warranty or negligence. Buyer’s sole remedy shall be refund of color purchase price from point of sale.
Consumer Advice: Concrete product manufacturers and contractors are independently owned and operated without affiliation with Davis Colors. Contact concrete product manufacturers for information about additional warranties, which may pertain to their products. Choose a licensed contractor who provides written information about his qualifications and projects you can see before hiring.
MAINTENANCE
In normal use, colored concrete products provide years of service without special maintenance requirements. Colored concrete products can typically be cleaned using power washing or commercially available cleaning solutions; contact the cleaner manufacturer for instructions. Strong acids can cause discoloration. Test the cleaning method in an inconspicuous location before application and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Consider the use of sealers, water repellant treatments, or anti-graffiti coatings when necessary. Follow additional instructions of concrete product manufacturer.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Color Cards and Samples
“Designing with Colored Concrete Masonry”
“Manufacturing Colored Concrete Masonry”
Guide Specifications (Included in Sweet’s CD)
Material Safety Data Sheets
CD-ROM e-Catalog
http://www.daviscolors.com/literature
CONCRETE. What Color Do You Want?
® &™ Davis Colors. © 2000, Davis Colors