Paint in concrete

[brokencookie]

I saw a reference to using paint to color conrete in one of the older posts but no one seems to know if it works or how well. I did find this reference about the effect of a latex paint in concrete.

The recycling of waste latex paint by using it as a partial replacement for the virgin latex and mixing water in concrete for pavement construction was investigated. In Ontario, Canada, 12% of the total hazardous waste collected by municipalities is waste latex paint, the disposal of which costs Can$0.90-1.40/litre. Typical pavement mixes containing Portland cement, slag, coarse and fine aggregates, air-entraining and water-reducing compounds were prepared in which 25-100% of the virgin latex was replaced by recycled paint. The introduction of recycled paint resulted in improved workability, increased flexural strength, lower chloride ion penetration, and better resistance to surface scaling caused by de-icing salt. The whole of Ontario's waste latex paint could be used for pavement construction.


Has any tried this yet ? I am curious about the depth of color and the ease of use. The concrete tinting powders are pretty limited in color range and paint might open up other possibilities. ( not everyone wants "Sunset Pink" like George's awesome oven )

Bruce

[dmun]

Just a side note to your quote. New Jersey has had a full-fledged trash crisis for twenty years. It's increasingly difficult to get rid of used latex paint. The answer is simple: when you're done painting, get out the roller, and roll the rest of the paint on the wall. You'll get better coverage, and the empty can can be washed and recycled. A cheap roller cover is less than paying for toxic waste removal the week before you move out of your house.

As to the concrete tinting question, I don't know. Couldn't you have the local paint store tint the bucket of water you use to mix the final coat of stucco? Skip the expensive latex paint entirely?

[brokencookie]

Originally Posted by dmun

As to the concrete tinting question, I don't know. Couldn't you have the local paint store tint the bucket of water you use to mix the final coat of stucco? Skip the expensive latex paint entirely?

I was thinking more or using up the odd gallon or so of paint I having hanging around to dye to concrete countertop I will be pouring. I found some addition information here.

http://www.csr.org/wdo/iwdo_reports/HSW/HSW%2002-16.pdf

"As a further note, based on the successes shown in this research, the Ready Mix Industry is also
indicating that they would be interested in including waste latex paint in further products."


You can read the entire study from the link. It looks like a mix of about 1 part paint to 9 parts water has some good effects on the concrete. Better details on the surface and a few other things. This makes sense to me as the Cheng concretes for countertops include polymers and latex. The same study proved that adding old paint to asphalt is a bad idea. Since I have no plans to pave my oven with asphalt the point is probably moot .
I might have to run a few trials to see if there is sufficient pigment with a 10% mix to yield a good color. Since countertops are not "structural" concrete I am more willing to take a chance and try alternative solutions. Has anyone else tried coloring concrete ?

[david s]

The main trouble with colouring concrete with an additive to the mix is that you are working against the grey of the cement, so you end up with a greyish colour. You can overcome this by using white cement, but it is much dearer. It's easier to add a layer over the top which is coloured