The
rise of various types of flooring material had for a while pushed concrete to
the background. Largely used in industrial and commercial environments,
concrete is finding its way back into homes. Generally, people prefer parquet
or wood flooring, stone and vitreous tiles. Each has its advantages. Parquet or
wood floor creates a nice warm ambience and it also deadens sound if it has
cork backing. Stone is hard wearing and the natural striations confer unique
aesthetic looks. Vitreous tiles can look quite contemporary but there is a
uniform look to all these floors. Enter the versatile concrete floor. You can
use your imagination to create concrete floors with distinctive looks.
Polished Concrete
There
are quite a few advantages to using polished concrete floors for your homes. You can now pick from a variety of flooring types such as acid stained,
concrete with microtopping, radiant floors, painted concrete or inlaid. Polished
concrete tops in the looks, performance and durability as well. Polished
concrete differs from the usual concrete in that it is compounded using a
chemical densifier and the surface is ground and polished after the concrete
sets to create a smooth, uniform finish. The final finish depends on the
grinding process and the grit size used to impart a glossy look or a satiny
look. One can also achieve the polished look by using acrylic, epoxy or
polyurethane finishes. You will realise that using the chemical sealants make
it easier and quicker to achieve the polished look besides imparting measure of
protection to the floor. However, before applying the surface lacquer, the
concrete does require grinding and polishing to some extent. Since concrete can
be stained prior to laying, designers and home owners can achieve a precise
match with walls and furnishing. Concrete is the new chic for homes. It does
entail work to achieve the required polish but once in place, it will stay
fresh for years with minimal maintenance.
Advantages
of Polished Concrete Floors for Homes
- It takes some time to lay the
concrete and then grind and polish it to the desired level and then follow
up with the topcoat of acrylic, epoxy or polyurethane lacquer, but once
put in place it will last for a long, long time. This is one of the chief
advantages of polished concrete floor for homes.
- The other benefit that homeowners
appreciate is its affordability, even after the work of grinding and
polishing, in comparison to other materials. It may cost the same as
granite or vitreous but the maintenance costs are low, which makes
polished concrete so much better in terms of cost benefits. Cleaning
concrete floors is easy. All that you need is soap and water and a mop.
- One of the best advantages
homeowners will appreciate is that one can achieve precisely the look that
one desires. You can have a plain concrete floor, a mosaic floor or even
create interesting designs and patters with the use of colored and stained
concrete. Even if you lay out a plain floor, you can always enhance it
with rugs. Leave it as it is if you are allergic to carpets and dust and
the floor will look immaculately beautiful.
- When you use concrete for flooring
you are contributing towards a sustainable environment.
- Polished concrete allows a high
degree of customization in terms of colors, designs and finishes.
You
may be tempted to lay out the concrete floor or, if it is in place, give it a
polished look by grinding and lacquering it. The effect will be simply
marvelous. However, this is best left to professionals who have experience in
polishing concrete floors for homes.
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