To date, there are more than a dozen different types of flooring options to choose from. The number of choices can, therefore, be intimidating.
After all, if you want to have the perfect home, you have to study each product carefully to pick the best one. And this will definitely take a lot of time.
Moreover, choosing the right flooring will require a bit of work, too.
Aside from reading the pros and cons of the different floor covering materials and looking at the various designs and styles online, you may have to physically visit actual shops to scrutinize the products more closely and to talk to experts.
However, you can skip the tedious and time-consuming process of finding the perfect floor covering for the different areas in your home by considering one of the most popular options today: concrete flooring.
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Advantages of Concrete Flooring
Traditionally reserved for outdoor and industrial spaces and warehouses, concrete flooring is cementing its status as an excellent option for residential applications as well.
This is because this floor covering offers these remarkable benefits:
It is affordable.
If budget is your deciding factor for choosing which flooring type to go with, concrete will meet this requirement easily.
Polished concrete is an excellent alternative to ceramic, granite, hardwood, and vinyl — flooring materials that are durable and appealing, yet highly expensive.
If you already have a concrete floor, you can go the DIY route of painting or coating it to enhance its look and ensure that it goes with the indoor.
You can also hire contractors to do this job for you.
Whether you do this yourself or hire professionals, the decorative paint finishes and concrete coatings are affordable.
You won’t need to spend a fortune on the whole project even if you let professionals handle it.
It is easy to clean and maintain.
Another benefit that ties in with the money-saving quality of concrete flooring is that it is easy to clean and maintain.
To keep coated or polished concrete floors clean and looking good, you only need to sweep these regularly and mop these occasionally. You won’t need to buy special cleaning supplies and equipment to maintain the good condition of the floors.
These cleaning chores won’t take up plenty of time or require a lot of elbow grease.
If you spill oil, chemical, or any corrosive product that can stain floors, you only have to use an eco-friendly cleaning agent to get rid of the mark. You won’t have to replace the flooring or pay a lot to restore its condition.
It is durable and long-lasting.
Concrete has always been one of the toughest building materials around. It is not easily damaged even when subjected to extreme weather and temperature changes and physical forces that can ruin wood and other man-made products.
Compared to hardwood, linoleum, and vinyl, concrete flooring maintains its excellent condition better and longer. Painting or polishing and coating it will even make it more durable.
The coating material adds an extra layer of protection to your floor. It safeguards it from scratches, nicks, and spills. Moreover, it makes it easier for you to clean and maintain it as well.
It can be designed in various ways.
Concrete flooring does not need to stay grey and, thus, look boring and drab. There are various ways to design it and make it look more attractive.
Specially made paints are available to change the shade of your floor and turn it into decorative flooring. If you want it to complement the color of the room or make it stand out, you will find the right hue that meets your requirement.
If the concrete still has not been poured, dye can be added during the mixing process to change the color of the slab and to ensure it maintains a uniform shade.
Scoring is another technique of decorating concrete floors. The process involves using circular saws with special blades to create shallow grooves and shapes onto the slab.
Stamping is also another technique that imprints textures and patterns of various items such as bricks, stones, tiles, and wood planks onto the surface of the concrete.
This process is a bit complicated and difficult to do, and as such, you will have to hire a pro to handle it.
Lastly, aside from painting, you or your contractor can use special stains with chemicals that react to the lime in concrete to create intricate designs on the floor.
Whether you choose painting, scoring, stamping, and staining, have the floor polished or coated to brighten a room.
It helps keep spaces cool.
If you live in a place where the weather is warm all year round, choosing a concrete floor is a smart decision.
This is because concrete does not retain heat, while carpets, wood, and ceramic tiles do. As a result, your floor will help make the room cooler even if you don’t need to adjust the thermostat.
Because of this quality, concrete is often used to provide passive and active cooling to buildings and spaces.
This characteristic of concrete allows you to save additional money on your energy bills.
And even if the floor is too cold to your liking, you can simply wear slippers or put a rug on the areas that you usually step or stand on barefoot.
It is worth adding here that concrete can also absorb heat. As such, it can help warm the space without the need to turn up the temperature.
It is eco-friendly.
Lastly, concrete is one of the most sustainable construction materials around. When you choose this as your flooring, you will have a more eco-friendly home.
This is because using concrete does not deplete natural resources. Additionally, it requires less energy than other floor types to manufacture and is often produced locally.
Additionally, concrete is a safe and healthier option. It inhibits mold, mildew, and odors, thus maintaining the good quality of air indoors. Also, it does not contain potentially harmful VOCs and can be finished using zero-VOC sealers.
Finally, concrete can be recycled. The surface can be cut down so that they can be reused as scraps of flooring and underlayment.
Concrete flooring is a long-lasting, easy-to-maintain and appealing feature to have in your home. Aside from choosing it as your surface for your outdoor space, consider it for your interiors, too.
