It hardly comes as a surprise that the demand for concrete floors indoors gets higher and higher. Those who have turned their back to concrete, considering the material reserved only for garage floors – perhaps, the storage room as well, lately started rethinking about it mainly due to the material’s advantages.
Is concrete free of disadvantages? No material is. Then again, it depends on foot traffic, everyone’s habits and expectations, et cetera et cetera.
Yes, concrete in its grey, natural – if you will, color may be industrial. It may seem cold – hence, inappropriate for a cozy, friendly home. But in reality, things are a bit different. Let’s talk about concrete, and whether or not it will be a good solution for your home flooring.
Concrete – the hard rock in your home
One of the great advantages of concrete is durability. But this can be considered a disadvantage in a home where children play – and fall, where anyone can fall and where items are accidentally dropped too. Falling on concrete might hurt a bit. But not more if you have fallen onto a tile floor.
Thanks to its hardness, concrete can last for a lifetime – if you take care of it. But it’s so hard and, at the same time, cold that it won’t feel comfortable under bare feet.
Can it crack and chip? It can, but that’s hard to achieve unless you drop pots and vases on the floor every day.
Maintenance requirement for long lasting
Two of the reasons why polished concrete floors are often used in high traffic areas, like commercial facilities and garages, are the material’s hardness and its low maintenance. Once properly installed and sealed, all concrete wants is resealing once in a while. How often mainly depends on the traffic. Other than that, it has no other demands. In fact, it’s very easy to clean, on an everyday basis since it’s considered a monolithic flooring with no grout and seams – one factor that makes it so ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. As a matter of fact, concrete can be applied on the floor and then travel on the wall, leaving no seams where debris is usually collected. You can mop it easily and won’t worry about moisture at all, given that it’s well sealed.
Versatile – a beauty, not a beast
When we think of concrete, the mind goes straight to commercial and garage floors. But lately more and more homeowners include concrete as a main house floor due to its versatility and industrial appeal. Truth be told, concrete is not the best flooring for all home styles. Traditional and classic homes would be better off with wooden and marble floors. Concrete would feel right at home in modern styles, contemporary and, certainly, minimalistic homes.
Polished concrete is a norm, but while it’s still wet, the compound can be mixed with aggregates or glass beads to form geometric shapes, marble-like waves, and all sorts of patterns. What’s more, concrete is not necessarily gray. You can choose any color you want – from white to black and brownish. And so, you can meet your style and create a sense of warmth with the color alone.
Affordable by all
Decorative concrete floors are not expensive, especially when compared with other choices, like marble and wood. Plus, the long-life span of well-maintained concrete floors makes them even more economical since you won’t have to replace them – perhaps, ever.
