Concrete floors have been used for commercial applications for decades; lots of modern houses and companies are going for Concrete floors. Most of those stunning, polished, and robust floors are finished concrete in department stores (to give one example).
Recently, concrete has become popular as an alternative for residential flooring, because more beautiful and economical techniques have become available, and word of mouth has spread about the incredible benefits of concrete floors.
While you may pay a little more upfront for decorative concrete finishes, you can see that you will practically have no maintenance or need to repair concrete floors in the long run.
Concrete flooring lasts longer, performs better and in the long run, it saves you money.
With concrete flooring, you can literally make any design you wish. Once the concrete floor is finished, the decorative finish is applied to the floor by a concrete finisher or artist.
To mention 2 options, have the floor stenciled with borders or other patterns or mimic the look of ceramic tile or marble. Concrete staining or polishing is another way to deliver a beautiful finish.
You can finish concrete floors in the sheen of your choice: high or low gloss.
The three most common ways to finish concrete floors indoors are staining and dyeing; polishing; and overlays and toppings.
The truth is, finished concrete floors are similar to other types of common flooring such as ceramic tiles, stone and marble.
In fact, having a concrete floor may cause your air conditioning costs to drop in the summer, as you will feel a little cooler.
For winter warmth, radiant heating is an excellent option to install before pouring your concrete floor; as it is more efficient than a forced-air heating system, this will reduce your energy bills.
The use of area rugs, curtains, wall fabrics and more can bring added warmth to the room, just as with ceramic floors.
Sound Concrete floors are no more echo-enhancing or clearer than other hard flooring surfaces. The use of rugs, wall fabrics and more will not only help to keep the space warmer but will also absorb sounds as described above.
Non-slip surface particularly with an added glossy finish, concrete floors may seem as if they are slippery. But the truth is that as long as a professional install your floor, it should not be slippery. Standard practice dictates the addition of a non-slip additive to the floor’s final finish.
Durability and maintenance of Concrete Floors
We need very little maintenance because concrete is the most abrasion-resistant and durable floor.
A residential concrete floor with normal traffic would require once a week damp mopping and refinishing after 2 years. Additionally, proper installation ensures you don’t have to worry about moisture vapors.
Beneath the concrete slab, vapor barriers should be installed to block moisture and humidity. Note that hiring a professional concrete floor installer is the best way to make sure you don’t have any problems later.
Hypo-allergenic concrete flooring is an excellent option for allergy sufferers.
Simple concrete floor-sweeping, dusting, and mopping provide a much healthier option than carpet.
There’s far less dust around concrete and fewer dust mites than in carpets. Moreover, concrete, unlike laminate or vinyl flooring, offers no VOCs.
Price of Installing Concrete Floor The price of concrete flooring depends on several factors including how much detail and time your concrete finisher needs to complete the floor according to your wishes.
For newly built homes the installation of concrete floors in Nigeria is around half the price of hardwood floors.
Other variables that affect the final cost of your concrete floor project include:
Size-Larger jobs (1000 sq. ft or more) will lower the price per square foot Detail-Is it a basic stain or dye application or more detailed design?
Preparation requirements Site time frame accessibility-The longer your project takes, the more it will cost.
You’ll probably also be paying a higher rate for a rush job.
Installer Expertise-A more experienced concrete professional artist will be charging more.
Source: tpaveincreteventures
