Concrete floors have come into their own over the last decade, now offering a nearly infinite variety of colors, patterns, stains, and acid etching. Techniques for stamping concrete can provide floors that resemble brick, stone, or even hardwood floors. Concrete’s versatility is high, and because it is much easier to maintain, clean, and sanitize, it is making it a material of choice in a world that is more sensitive to keeping our environments cleaner and healthier.
Everyone has seen indoor concrete floors at some point, but the vast majority have experienced them in garages or basements, or in commercial applications like warehouses. Over the last few years, however, as concrete stains and stamping have developed, based on the professional concrete builders, concrete flooring has far exceeded the utility and expectations and has become a design focal point in homes. However, like those garage and basement floors of years gone by, concrete has held onto its deserved reputation for longevity. An indoor concrete floor can and should last the life of your home.
Why Are Concrete Floors Better Than Carpeting?
There are many reasons why indoor concrete flooring is a better option than carpeting. For starters, when it comes to stains and spills, you can easily wipe away any type of liquid or mess. With concrete flooring, you eliminate the need for regular professional carpet cleaning services which can be costly.
Along with stain removal, carpets can become a breeding ground for germs, mold, and bacteria. This can affect the overall air quality in your home and pose many health risks unknown to you. While vacuuming on a consistent basis can help, your carpet will still require a thorough deep clean every six months. Concrete can easily be sanitized by simply dry and damp mopping the surface area. You may need to eventually reseal your concrete floor, but that is only necessary every three to five years.
The biggest advantage of concrete is how easily you can resurface your floor with a different pattern or color to match your future renovation. Carpet, on the other hand, would have to be ripped up and entirely removed if you choose to update the color of your flooring.
Common Concrete Styles
The flat-floor styles available for your concrete floors run the gamut from stencils to stains, with translucent, glowing colors giving way to muted polished, professional flooring for your home office. Acid staining can also provide a marbled look to your home and your floors. As the end process is affected by everything from the age of the floor to the composition of the concrete, creating a marbled, natural-looking surface, staining concrete will present a beautifully completed floor that is unique to your home.
Textured-floor styles are created of stamped concrete, and range from the look of wood planks to brick, flagstone, and more. There is even the ability to install concrete vertically, transforming fireplaces or shower walls with hand-carved stone or beautiful overlays of existing brick or stone.
Concrete Floor Maintenance
Once in place, concrete flooring requires a dust mop and damp mop to maintain and shines like new with very little effort. The ability to keep allergens in check is one of the many selling points of concrete floors, helping keep your indoor air quality significantly cleaner than with carpeted flooring.
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