Description

What it does

Dura Color Hardener is a dry powder you throw by hand across freshly placed concrete, then work in with a wood float. It builds a dense colored skin on top of the slab.

Two jobs in one product. You get color that runs uniform and streak-free, and you get a harder wearing surface than plain concrete gives you.

That density matters if you’re stamping. A tighter surface picks up more detail off the texture mat, so the pattern comes out sharper.

Slab requirements

Get the mix right before the truck shows up. The hardener wants a slab at 4-inch slump or less, with a cement content between 5 and 6 sacks per cubic yard.

It plays fine with most admixtures. Stay away from anything with calcium chloride in it.

Application

1. Screed and float the new concrete.
2. Watch for bleed water coming to the surface. That’s your window.
3. Broadcast the hardener by hand, as evenly as you can. Start at the edges and work toward the middle.
4. Float it in with a wood float, same pattern: edges first, then the middle.
5. Go back for a second shake. Most colors need two, and lighter colors often need three.
6. Touch up any thin spots.
7. If you’re texturing, finish with a light trowel. Over-troweling will discolor the surface, so keep it light.

For an antique look on stamped work, pair a lighter hardener color with a darker Dura Antique Release before you stamp.

Run a job site sample first. Every time. Cement, aggregate, water content, and cure method all move the final color, and you want to see the color and texture together before you pour the real thing.

Colors

42 standard colors. The chart is shared with Dura Antique Release, EZ-Tique, and Pro-Stain, so you can build a full color system on one job and know the pieces will work together.

The pigments are iron oxide, UV-resistant and alkali-friendly, blended in a controlled process so the color stays consistent bucket to bucket.

Screens lie about color. Approve off actual material with the sealer you plan to use, not off a monitor or a printed chart.

Specs

• Form: dry-shake powder, hand broadcast
• Coverage: about 100 sq ft per 60 lb pail
• Package: 60 lb pail, also available in bags
• Pigment: UV-resistant, alkali-friendly iron oxide
• Slab spec: 4-inch slump max, 5 to 6 sack mix
• Admixtures: compatible with most, avoid calcium chloride
• Colors: 42 standard

Sealing

Clean the concrete and let it dry all the way through, then seal. Proline’s Dura-Seal HG (high gloss) and Dura-Seal Matte are solvent-based acrylic clears made for this.

Check it once a year and recoat the traffic paths as they wear. Otherwise, sweep it, hose off dirt, and clean spills when they happen. Wet mop heavy soil with a diluted commercial detergent.

Safety

Use adequate ventilation and wear a respirator when you’re broadcasting. Keep it off skin and out of eyes. Read the SDS before you handle it.