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Cast stone colors.

(805) 386-8185   Fax: (805) 671-9371

Below are our 12 standard colors, all shown are made in dry cast (cast stone) texture, We can make almost any custom color.

"Use the right and left arrows to scroll color, wait for a moment after clicking, for color chip to change"

 

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Dry Cast Color chip with quarter for size comparison.

 

 

Ventura Cast Stone, Inc  Colors
 

Cast stone colors

Ventura Cast Stone, Inc colors are integral, the pigments are added to the cast stone or precast concrete mix as the aggregates are being mixed. this means the product can be cut or carved and the cut surface will be the same color as the rest of the product. With cast stone, the color and also the texture of the product will be very similar to the rest of the product. We use white cement which produces clean, bright colors
Color is one of the most important aspects of architectural precast concrete and cast stone. At Ventura Cast Stone, Inc we can design mixes to match items such as existing precast concrete and weather-stained limestone. We can also develop mixes with the correct color tone to match closely, existing cast stone or precast. This means we can reproduce almost any cast stone product, even 200 year old stone, limestone or sandstone. The color chips on this page represent just a small sampling of the colors we can achieve with our standard materials and pigments. We do not charge extra for standard colors or texture. Non-earthtone colors that require special pigments (such as blue and green) or non-stock aggregates do cost extra. Whether the goal is to match existing materials or to simply complement new stucco color, we are the company to turn to whenever high quality architectural precast concrete or cast stone items are required.

White Portland cement used in our product. It has essentially the same properties as gray cement, except for color, which is a very important quality control issue in the industry.

The color of white cement depends on raw materials and the manufacturing process. It is the metal oxides (primarily iron and manganese) that influence the whiteness and undertone of the material. White cement is manufactured to conform to ASTM C 150, Specification for Portland Cement. Although Types I, II, III, and V white cements are produced, Types I and III are the most common.

White cements produce clean, bright colors, especially for light pastels. Many different colors can be created by adding pigments to concrete made with white portland cement. Two or more pigments can be combined to achieve a wide range of colors. White cement (or a mixture of white and gray cement) can be specified to provide a consistent color of choice. An even greater variety of decorative looks can be achieved by using colored aggregates and varying the surface finish treatment or texture.

Mix designs for white or colored concrete are formulated based on each ingredient's effect on cast stone and precast concrete color:

bulletType and color of cement
bulletType and dosage of pigment
bulletType and dosage of admixtures
bulletType, gradation, color, and cleanliness of fine and coarse aggregates
bulletConsistent proportions, especially maintaining a uniform water-cement ratio

For every architectural project, once a mix design has been developed, sample panels should be built at the job site. These mockups serve as references for color and overall surface appearance.

White High-Performance Concrete (White HPC)

High-performance white concrete (such as high-strength or very low permeability concrete) adds high-tech appeal by incorporating materials like calcined clay (such as metakaolin), slag, or white silica fume into white cement concrete. Applications for HPC may include high-rise buildings, bridges, and parking structures.
 

Supplementary cementing materials may slightly alter the color of hardened concrete. Color effects are related to the color and amount of the material used in concrete. Many supplementary cementing materials resemble the color of Portland cement and therefore have little effect on color of the hardened concrete. Some silica fumes may give concrete a slightly bluish or dark gray tint and tan fly ash may impart a tan color to concrete when used in large quantities. Ground slag and metakaolin can make concrete whiter. Ground slag can initially impart a bluish or greenish undertone.


Natural and synthetic materials are used to color concrete for aesthetic and safety reasons. Red concrete is often used around buried electrical or gas lines as a warning to anyone near these facilities. Yellow concrete safety curbs are used in paving applications. Generally, the amount of pigments used in concrete should not exceed 10% by mass of the cement. Pigments used in amounts less than 6% generally do not affect concrete properties.

Unmodified carbon black substantially reduces air content. Most carbon black for coloring concrete contains an admixture to offset the effect on air. Before a coloring admixture is used at a project, it should be tested for color fastness in sunlight and autoclaving, chemical stability in cementing materials and effects on concrete properties. Calcium chloride should not be used with pigments to avoid color distortions. Pigments should conform to ASTM C 979.

The Romans referred to concrete as liquid stone. It was cement that allowed the most famous monuments and constructions of the ancient world to be completed, marking the most significant change in building design the world has ever seen. With the use of cement, architects were freed from the constraints of the past, from the limitations of quarried stone and its limited strength to size, from wood and the diminutive stature its buildings always possessed. Cement enabled the ancient architects to design with their imaginations, instead of their restrictions.

As anyone in the construction business surely knows, cement has not yet stopped evolving. The science of cement manufacture and production is continuing to make great strides, enabling new and imaginative processes to be invented.

Decorative concrete is on the forefront of this growth. With such techniques as dry pack cast stone, homeowners and designers can create an unlimited array of outdoor and textured surfaces and flooring options. These all enable the designers to escape the one flaw seen with concrete: as a finish material, its starkness can be downright plain. For instance, the durability of concrete makes it perfect for a driveway, patio, sidewalk or floor, so a means to "dress up" or disguise concrete without sacrificing any of the versatility is the goal of many of these manufacturers.

Integral color

One of the first ways to transform concrete is through integral coloring. This is where pigment, usually iron oxides, is added directly to the mixer. The mix is then poured normally, producing a colored slab of concrete that will not fade because the color is literally a part of the mix. These colors can range from subtle pinks and browns to deep blues and greens.

This is usually done by adding a precisely measured bag of pigment to the concrete, taking into consideration the amount of cement, total yardage of the truck and individual properties of the chosen pigment. The drawback of this dry add-mix is apparent when trying to attain the same color for different amounts of cement. Because the pigment attaches to the cement, the same pigment added to a five-sack mix will be much darker than that of an eight-sack mix.

"By using four distinct liquid pigments, added together in the correct ratio (similar to a four-color printing process), a huge variety of color is available," then we measure and test the resulting pigment for accuracy.

Integral color has many uses for the concrete industry. Concrete roof tiles, garden accessories and pre-fab concrete pipe are all starting to use integral coloring.

Other methods of coloring concrete are more appropriate for different applications. For instance, many companies make both dry and liquid color hardeners that can be scattered or sprayed on top of newly poured concrete, and once worked into the surface, strengthen the concrete while allowing the use of any color.

Acid staining

One of the most popular methods for decorating concrete today is with the use of acid staining. Many residential and commercial customers are using this method for obtaining a durable, beautiful and relatively inexpensive way to decorate their floors.

While this concept is not new (Frank Lloyd Wright used some acid stains), innovative ideas are expanding the range of the acid stained look. Multiple stains may be used to enhance the depth of the color, grout lines may be cut into the concrete to resemble tile, or highly detailed murals or rosettes may be stained for any surface outside or inside the home.

Coupled with staining and stamping, a number of options are available for designing decorative concrete. Indeed, all of the processes described here can be mixed and experimented with, limiting designers to only what they can imagine. There are a few places for the curious designer to experiment with these options.

Master Builders (www.masterbuilders.com) may be widely known for manufacturing concrete materials, but they have recently helped produce an interactive online test grounds (www.concretelifestyles.com). The site allows the user to swap patterns and colors to see different styles.

The most impressive thing in outdoor and indoor concrete today may be what has yet to be constructed.

 

 

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Copyright © 2002  Ventura Cast Stone, Inc.
 PO Box 552, Somis, CA 93066   (805) 386-8185 Fax: (805) 671-9371

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Cast stone and  precast concrete columns and products are molded, hand cast and manufactured near Los Angeles, California as are our, precast columns, balusters and pool coping.
Many of our projects are in Santa Barbara including Santa Barbara sandstone look-alike columns, Palm Springs columns, Beverly Hills precast columns, Malibu columns and Orange County, California columns.
Cast stone and precast concrete installation projects are also regularly undertaken in Palm Springs, Orange County, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica including precast concrete columns,  in Malibu, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. 
Each piece is carefully hand laid into special reinforced molds and hand finished after removal
Many of our recent projects are cast stone in Ventura County and precast columns in the City of Santa Monica, and precast columns in Beverly Hills California.
Our products consist of concrete Santa Barbara columns, architectural precast Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara stone balusters, sandstone designs and our own concrete design window/door trim, Los Angeles, California simulated stone columns, concrete balustrade, our own concrete design precast balusters. Also cast stone window & door trim, our own sandstone design and concrete pool coping, precast wall caps or concrete wall caps in the Malibu area.
We have many precast columns and sandstone designs of many kinds installed in the Los Angeles area, including precast in Malibu, Beverly Hills precast columns and  Los Angeles precast columns.
We use a fineline with precast when making Santa Barbara precast products and Santa Barbara sandstone columns including Beverly Hills precast.

We have many colors and textures to choose from in our cast stone and precast concrete product line.