5 Benefits to Concrete Floors for Everyday Living
Get low-maintenance home flooring that creates high impact and works with home styles from traditional to modern
When you initially think of concrete floors, you probably think "cold," "prison like" or "industrial." But with its ability to take on color and a polished sheen, coupled with its many benefits, concrete may become your new favorite on future projects. Be prepared to have your mind blown by how beautiful, elegant and warm a concrete floor can look.
Easy care. The only maintenance required of concrete floors is weekly mopping with soapy water. I recommend installing a baseboard along with the concrete floor as well, even though you think you may not need it. Just imagine what a dirty mop would leave behind in the crevice where the floor meets the wall if there were no baseboard. And it will make your choice look finished and intentional.
Economical. The cost of concrete floors is very low, about $2 to $6 per square foot to polish a plain gray slab, giving it a lustrous sheen. The concrete's tonal differences, subtle cracks and aggregates take on a stonelike, natural feel.
More elaborate finishes cost around $5 to $8 per square foot. Staining concrete floors has been a popular option for years, because the outcome is determined by the homeowner's imagination — different colors and application techniques combine to create a finish that's unique to the home, with subtle variations across the floor.
Other decorative effects, like scoring in grid pattern lines, cost around $5 to $8 per square foot. These are still very impressive. With a high-gloss seal, the floor can be transformed to look like limestone. An acrylic sealer could be used in the interior application to give it that wet look.
In the range of $7 to $15 and up per square foot, you can get highly decorative faux finishes, such as a marbled effect.
Longevity. A floor that has been polished and maintained can be expected to last a hundred years or more. In this home, let's appreciate how an aged and cracked concrete floor was not hidden under new tiles or carpet. Instead it is celebrated for the history it holds, and has been put on display along with other architecturally salvaged materials.
Versatility. For exterior applications, silicone-based penetrating sealers can be used to avoid the wet look. We can see here how concrete is a good flooring material for indoor-outdoor transitions.
Concrete also looks nice with actual stone veneer walls. It accentuates their rustic appeal.
Concrete can be an economical and crafty choice in lieu of salvaged wood flooring. Stamping wet concrete with plank-like wood-grain imprints creates a lovely effect.
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Sustainability. Concrete floors are a sustainable option if you use an existing concrete slab, avoiding the consumption of new materials. And they need not be relegated to basements or garages. Once the concrete is sanded down and polished or sealed, it looks perfectly refined in a traditional kitchen or living room, especially when layered with Oriental rugs and pretty furnishings and fixtures.