Concrete has been the most popular flooring material for centuries because it is strong, durable and long lasting. The strong performance of concrete has ably supported the grandest structural creations in both ancient Egyptian and Roman civilization.
The success of concrete as a building material is still built on its fundamentals. Concrete flooring has long been considered simple and utilitarian but modern advances have ensured that there are a wide variety of design options for concrete builders and homeowners to reinvent this old building material workhorse.
Concrete floors can be designed for different functionality and use. It can now be polished smooth, stained in different colors, or textured for traction. In fact you can even reproduce the look of natural materials, or use complex printed designs for your flooring.
Usage Of Concrete Flooring
Over the years, concrete has been used for flooring only in locations where utility and durability matter more than design and beauty, including places where heavy equipment or machinery is regularly used, or where there is heavy traffic or footfall or even in environments where staining agents are common. Traditional concrete flooring locations range from warehouses, factories to commercial garages.
Because of the design options that are now available for concrete floors, concrete flooring is fast becoming the material of choice for new residential applications. In homes concrete flooring is used in lobbies, patios, porches or basements.
Kitchen-Concrete flooring is used in kitchens because it is easy to clean and durable. It seals out moisture and is impervious to staining agents.
Bathroom-The textured concrete flooring options are immensely popular as a bathroom floor choice because it is slip resistant, even when wet.
Hallway-With a variety of surface finish and color options now available in the market, concrete is also being installed in the hallway. In the hallway, people want stylish floors that are durable enough to withstand high traffic going to adjoining exterior spaces.
Lofts and Studios: Contemporary loft style buildings often use polished concrete or acid etched concrete flooring to stand out.
Rustic Cabins: A natural look goes well with rustic cabins and concrete is giving stiff competition to slate and marble as the flooring material of choice in such locations. Moreover concrete can also be stained, to go with the overall look of the space.
Benefits Of Concrete Flooring
Concrete offers a number of advantages over other flooring material for homeowners and designers.
Durability
Concrete is hardy and resilient to even heavy pressure from large factory equipment, cars, trucks, forklifts, or stacked crates. No wonder commercial areas such as garages and warehouses prefer to use concrete flooring. In fact, concrete is so hard and strong that it is also used for streets and driveways! Even as a flooring material, it retains all its inherent strength and durability, Durability implies that concrete is difficult to damage. You do not have to worry about surface scratches on the concrete flooring from high heels, furniture legs, pet claws or dents from dropped objects. To chip or scratch a concrete surface successfully, you would have to really work hard at it.
Easy Maintenance
Concrete floors are easy to care for and require only minimum maintenance. Properly sealed concrete floors do not collect dirt, stains, and grit. Regular sweeping and damp mopping is all that is required to keep them looking their best. To remove stubborn stains a blue utility pad can be used. Depending on the kind of traffic the concrete floor has to withstand, it may need to be sealed or waxed every 3-9 months to maintain the protective layer on the surface of the floor.
Versatile
You can install any floor surface over a concrete subfloor anytime you want, as long as the concrete flooring is smooth and free from bumps or defects. You have all the freedom and creativity to change the look of your floor going forward.
Long Lasting
A sealed and properly maintained concrete floor lasts for years to come, which can save you money and also prevent you from having to get new flooring installed periodically.
Design Options
Concrete floors are no longer just utilitarian surfaces. With new concrete mixing and setting techniques, homeowners can now get an endless variety of designs from this versatile material. Use concrete flooring to make a fashion statement, with color, texture and different etching techniques for a faux tile effect. Even the most boring concrete can become attractive with the use of right dyes or paint. The color can be mixed directly into the concrete before the slab is placed or for installed concrete floors, you can acid stain the surface with an appropriate dye. Concrete floors can also be paint over with a water proof latex paint. The texture of the concrete can be made smooth during the installation process or alternatively patterns can be carved into the surface while it is still setting. You can polish concrete floor for a smooth sheen.
If you are thinking of installing concrete flooring in a specific site, then look no further than Davis Concrete.
