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Do you have many rooms with concrete floors, but don’t know how to decorate them? Or maybe you have old floors like carpet and you would like to get rid of them, but don’t know about alternatives?
The concrete flooring was once reserved for garages and basements. However, the plethora of decorative finishes available today has moved concrete into many other areas of the home. There are many advantages to choosing concrete over other flooring materials.
Concrete is better for allergies than carpet and more durable than wood. What used to be drab, grey and cold is now seen in a rainbow of colors and finishes.
More than that, concrete floors are a strong, sharp looking option for any home or office. If the room sees lots of traffic and use, concrete can handle that.
Due to the wide range of decorative concrete options, you can be sure of getting a product that suits any kind of decor to a tee. Combine that with great durability with minimal care, and you’re staring down a winner.
For concrete, in both form and design, is built to last. Is anything more solid than a concrete floor? Thanks to innovative products now available, the designs you choose for such a floor are just as long-lasting.
Concrete can be also a unique product as it’s handmade from start to finish. Designing your own floor can really be a blast once you get acquainted with the different methods of decorating concrete.
You start with a pattern, move on to an etching if you’re feeling adventurous, and end with a great color that won’t fade. The process is as simple as it is satisfying.
Once your floor is in place, you won’t have to spend too much time worrying about it. Simply top it off with a concrete sealer, and you’ll be looking at a rugged addition that will keep on looking fantastic. Once you do a little concrete research, the advantages become quite clear.
Four rooms to dress up your home with concrete flooring
Kitchens
Concrete flooring can add a beautiful, durable foundation to this area of the home. Concrete cleans up easily and holds up to most daily wear and tear better than just about any material.
It also absorbs heat from kitchen appliances so the room stays warmer with less energy required. An acid stain can offer a lovely marbled effect that will give this room a classy touch.
Stamped concrete allows you to get the look of stone, tile or brick with much less upkeep involved.
What are important qualities at the kitchen floor? To me they have to be easy to clean, food stains must be easy to take care off and it has to be able to endure everyday cooking for family and the mess kids make.
Only negative here is that cups and plates break easily when kids (or I) drop them, but so they do on other flooring as well.
Bathrooms
Concrete is an excellent choice for the bathroom because it can easily be poured around bathroom fixtures and holds up well in a damp environment. With proper wet room systems, concrete bathrooms can handle all kinds of usage.
It doesn’t have to be boring either. You can have your concrete dyed or stained to match your bathroom décor, with even more variations of colors available than you would get with tile or vinyl flooring.
A nice feature for a concrete bathroom floor is to install in-floor radiant heat that will keep bare feet nice and toasty even in the coldest months of winter. The smaller area also lends itself well to more intricate techniques like stenciling or engraving to provide a personal touch to this private room.
I personally left our kids’ bathroom to the concrete floor and put a wet room system and floor heating on it and finished the top with epoxy. I must say it was the most comfortable floor in the house before I renovated it again a few years later.
Game Rooms
The durability and low maintenance of concrete are great for rooms that get a lot of use, like the recreation room that your family always ends up in at the end of the day.
Concrete provides easier cleanup than carpet, and the versatility of colors and designs means you can personalize this space into any style you like.
While the initial cost of installation might be slightly more than carpet or tile, the low maintenance and durability make concrete a good value for the dollar.
Here I must say again that kids make a mess. A concrete floor is one of the easiest options to keep clean and game rooms see a lot of use. If your family has someone who is obsessed with hygiene I can recommend concrete flooring.
Living Rooms
Concrete may not be your first choice for formal areas of your home, but there are good reasons to consider concrete flooring here as well.
Stained concrete offers a plush look for the room, and the wide range of colors allows you to warm up space as effectively as if you used wood or carpet for the same purpose.
You can also add an area rug or two to define areas of the room if you like. A polished concrete floor can be the perfect complement to these dressier areas of your home.
To me, it is an option for those who want to have an expensive-looking living room with a cheaper budget. It’s something that the whole room interiors can be built upon from floor to wall and ceiling design.
Conclusion
Concrete flooring has gotten dressed up and come indoors in recent years. With a wide range of styles and colors to choose from, it is easy to see why concrete has come to the forefront in flooring for many designer homes today.
Some appreciate the cold industrial look while another search for warmer colors and an elegant look. Like always, you decorate for yourself, but you can bring your property value up by doing it well.
Experimenting and getting wild is OK for small rooms, but for the center of attention in your house, you might want to do something stylish. One of the things potential house buyer looks is what they have to do themselves and can they do it after all.
If you’re interested in more DIY concrete floor ideas, check this guide for staining, this guide for polishing or this for using stencils. Options for concrete floors are limitless.
