Contents
When we talk about concrete floors many think of bland, grey floors that look like they belong in an industrial factory. Today, it might not be true as decorative concrete is becoming more and more common. It can be stamped and stained and it doesn’t lose to any other materials in texture and dignity.
Not only do concrete floors have a variety of benefits when it comes to outlook but these floors can also be colorful and can even have a pristine sheen. Concrete floors are perfect for any building and can give any home a modern look. With concrete floors, you can bring warm, trendy, and beautiful concrete floors to any room.
Now, this website being about concrete, a sales speak is to be expected. Lets have a look at what pros and cons concrete flooring might have.
Why you should/shouldn’t consider concrete flooring
Style
When choosing the concrete design, you can have the classic smooth grey or choose a different color or print. You can have concrete created to look like stones, bricks, and more. There are solutions that will suit your own individual taste.
The good thing is, all that is true. Now there is always something to balance that and while concrete might be beautiful when the job is perfectly executed, it will also need a professional to fix it if it gets damaged or isn’t maintained well.
Every floor needs maintenance though so it’s about picking what you want to maintain really. The wooden floor needs to be sanded and coated just as the concrete floor has to be. Laminate and vinyl flooring have to be changed now and then as well.
Temperature
At places that are hot, a cool concrete floor can be a selling point. Concrete can withstand the heat and can keep it quite cool to walk on. Concrete structures are perfect for hotter climates in that sense.
Then again, we all know that even stones get hot in sun. So if we’re to build with concrete, proper insulation needs to be done as well. In some sense at cold weather concrete can be just as good to build as anything else, there just needs to be insulation to keep it sensible to warm.
Value Increase
A well made concrete can add value to your home. Stylish concrete floors will give your home a positive advantage over homes that don’t.
The twist here is that the concrete floor has to be maintained well, like in the style part. No one will see it as buying point if it isn’t maintained well.
In the case that it is, it can look really good.
Benefits of Concrete Flooring
There are many benefits to concrete, the two important ones I picked for this article are durability and low maintenance. From the homeowner’s point of view, I find this important for the following reasons.
Durability
Concrete floors, driveways, and structures are very durable. That makes concrete worth investing in as you will get value for your money. That value of the course is a durable floor that will probably outlive you if build properly.
Now I know these things can be said about the wooden floors, for example, but to maintain it it will need to be ground now and then and it will eat it faster than maintaining concrete ever will. Also, for wooden floors, I can live with laminate or vinyl on top of my concrete floor.
As stated before, if you maintain your concrete floor it can last for around a decade before it may need professional maintenance. For those of us who are a bit DIY spirited, the maintaining can be done by ourselves. The good thing about that is that bags of dust from grinding are quite tolerable to discard off.
Low Maintenance
Carpets and wooden floors need to be maintained regularly with vacuuming and waxing. Polished concrete, however, is easy to clean. All you will need to do is give the floor a sweep and give it a wash with a damp mop when it is dirty. It is also perfect for kitchens as the concrete does not stain as easily as another flooring.
This being said, again, even concrete has to be maintained for it to stay beautiful year after year.
Worthy of notice things about concrete floors
So if this article got you considering concrete floors, here are some things you need to know when you start to plan ahead.
Colour
A concrete floor can be a dramatic change, so it is important to choose the right color. Every professional contractor can advise you on these and if you’re doing it yourself your local hardware store should be able to do that.
Personally, I like to watch on social media what other professionals are doing. Most of the companies advertise themselves by putting up their best works and I find it to be good for ideas and keeping up with the times.
Pattern
If you are having a large area concreted it is important to consider if you want a pattern. Just like with color, the internet is your best friend. There are lots of pictures of stamped concrete, polished concrete, stained concrete, etc. if you search for it. This website also covers some tutorials and tips for those who consider doing it themselves.
Choosing high quality concrete
It is vital to the success of the project that the concrete used is high quality. A lot of things affect the strength of the concrete, from cement to water ratio to aggregates and rebar used. It’s best to consult professionals on this.
Choosing the right team
If an unprofessional and underqualified team fits your new concrete floors it can lead to problems in the future. So, choose a team that comes recommended and with good reviews from peers to not suffer misfortune. Here is a guide on selecting contractors.
Hard surface
Concrete is a hard surface. So, if you fall it can hurt, this is something to think about if you are unsteady on your feet or have small children. One way to go would be installing laminate flooring or vinyl if you want to consider some kind of concrete floor in the future.
It is perfect in a sense that kids will destroy most of the floors anyway so it can be discarded in the future.
Moisture
If the seal is not properly fitted, moisture can cause mould under the floor. So, it is important to check the seal and to make sure it is fitted properly.
Defects
Cracks can be hard to fix, but it is not something that cannot be done. This site has tutorials for that too and contractors can handle that kind of work easily as well. It is important to fix them well to avoid the problem from repeating.
Conclusion
I hope this tutorial helped you with the pros and cons of concrete floors. I’m a little biased, but I seriously think that concrete flooring is a good option for some of the previously mentioned reasons.
With our property, it’s important to go with what we like as whats the reason to own anything if not?
