Hot New Concrete Flooring
Concrete flooring is not just for garages and basements anymore – it’s moving front and center to the home. Concrete can be stained, painted, faux finished and even stamped to offer a unique, durable flooring option.
While you may think it may be too hard or industrial for use in most rooms, think again. Area rugs and mats can step right up and soften the look and the feel.
Kitchen
Concrete is an ideal kitchen flooring solution. It resists staining and just takes a mop and a broom for cleaning. It can also handle the weight of those heavy commercial appliances that are so popular in the kitchen these days. For older homes, make sure your home can bear the weight of concrete floors before you consider this option.
Bathroom
Concrete is extremely water resistant, making it a fantastic choice for bathrooms. There are not many flooring choices that offer the moisture and slip resistance that concrete does. Try using colored concrete to keep the room from looking to cold and stark.
Basement
Gone are the days of the plain gray concrete basement floor. Today you can use a concrete finish to take it to a new level and also make it even more stain resistant.
Outdoors
Concrete's ability to stand up to all kinds of inclement weather makes it the perfect flooring for your outdoor living space as well. It’s also much more budget friendly than patio tiles.
Finishes
There are several options to finishing concrete floors that keep them from looking industrial and cold. Consider one of the following if you’re thinking about installing a concrete floor.
Polished:
Concrete floors can be polished to a shiny finish, giving you the look of a highly waxed floor without all the back–breaking work of waxing.
Sealed:
A sealer will offer added protection against water, abrasives and stains. Sealers come in clear and colored forms. A good sealer will not only make your concrete floor more slip resistant, it will also make it easier to clean.
Scored:
A circular saw is used to create a pattern in the concrete. This is used to give concrete flooring the appearance of tile grout lines.
Stamped:
Freshly poured concrete is stamped, creating a textured pattern that resembles brick, stone, wood planks, slate, etc.
Not only can you have any finish you’d like, but there are range of options for adding color to concrete flooring, including:
- Stain;
- Dye;
- Paint; and
- Faux finishes.
While concrete flooring may not be best for every room or every home, it is an option to consider if you’re looking for a long lasting, moisture resistant flooring choice.