Hemway Cement Dye Powder Pigment Concrete Color Render Mortar Pointing Powdered Brick Toner Plaster - Metallic Chalk White - 100g / 3.5oz

Product Information

Concrete mix coloured grey due to colour of the cement used What Other Factors Affect Mortar Colour? Before we actually start looking at mortar and cement colour matching techniques, it’s important to understand exactly why mortar and cement colours can vary so drastically. Get in touch with any local historians or custodians of local monuments or historic buildings as it is likely that they will know exactly where the majority of original materials used were sourced from. On the topic of light coloured mortar, did you know you can also get white cement? If not, indeed you can. White cement is created using raw materials that don’t contain any (or at least very little) manganese or iron, the components that give traditional cement its grey colouring. Once your new mortar has dried it will change colour very slightly. This may be even more evident over a large area

If it helps, I am looking for the sandy colour that this chap was able to get in his "this is how it turned out" picture (but funnily enough he wanted more grey!):

How do I Know What Colour Sand was Used in the Original Mortar?

Grey concrete is most often used for structural building, as it is more cost-effective than selected white or light-coloured variants. While white concrete offers the same level of strength, it will be commonly used for more decorative exterior elements and finishes, as well as in interiors, such as finishes for beautiful kitchen countertops. White concrete also has the added benefit of remaining white even as the structure ages. How Long Does White Cement Take to Dry? When it comes to strength both mixes will perform to a similar high level, and much of the discussion around differences in strength is still speculative, differing from brand to brand. Both will only achieve their full strength and durability potential when mixed into concrete. For thousands of years, cementhas formed the core of decorative and architectural design across the world and is an essential ingredient in both concrete and mortar. Over time, the mineral makeup has been adjusted and improved until the mixture reaches the modern-day cement we use today. White cement is a specific blend of limestone, clay, and silica sand that boasts a brilliant white finish. Similar to the way in which lime can significantly lighten the colour of mortar, as you may imagine, using white cement has the same effect. Even a small trace of dye can have quite a dramatic effect on the overall colour so you will need to experiment using quite small quantities at a time.

Because its multi-component mixes are more prone to segregation than the raw materials used in the grey cement production lines, homogenisation plays a crucial role in the manufacture of white cement. White portland cement has essentially the same properties as gray cement, except for color. It is readily available throughout North America. Mix designs for white or colored concrete are formulated based on each ingredient's effect on concrete color:

If you cannot locate the sand then talk to the builders merchants and even the local quarry to find out how many local building sands there are available. There is more than one way to add color to concrete, even after it has already been poured. You can add a color hardener, which will tint the surface of the concrete. Mortar tints, however are slightly different in that they tend to come in concentrated liquid form that you then dilute to a point until you get a colour match. You may have heard that white cement is environmentally friendly – and this is true. From a production standpoint, white cement requires less energy to produce than grey cement, and the manufacturing process is much cleaner. The main ingredient in white cement is limestone, which can be easily sourced across the world. Ceramic tiles, vitrified tiles, and marble floors may all have their gaps filled with white cement. By adding colour to the white cement, you may make the floor seem like a continuous slab of tile.

If you have read through the above you should now know exactly why mortar can vary in colour and how a fresh mortar mix can be a totally different colour to existing mortar, it’s now time to look at the methods that can be used to actually colour match cement and mortar. Experiment With Different Mortar Mixes and Raw MaterialsIf concrete is going to be stained, it's better for the concrete to be completely dry and cured before the stain is applied. Ideally, you'll wait about a month before adding stain to new concrete. The slight differences in mortar colour may not be such a major concern on newer properties as often the mortar colour can be matched fairly closely, but as said in older properties that may be several hundred years old, matching mortar colour can be a nightmare.