“Is it affordable?
“How long will it last?”
“Can it make my home more beautiful?”
“If I install it, will it improve the property’s value?”
These are common questions homeowners ask when deciding on the best home improvement projects. But it is difficult to find a single home improvement project that can satisfactorily answer all four questions. According to American Dream Realty, if an update is affordable, it might not be durable or attractive and may not add much value to the home.
This is true when you are looking to upgrade the flooring in your home. Floors are easily the most abused part of the home and finding a material that can take the rough treatment and still shine is hard. The best flooring options out there often require much care. That is unless you choose one of the best but lesser-known materials in the market.
Concrete is not just for sub-floors
Most homeowners recognize concrete as the material that their subfloor and home foundation are made from. They are familiar with its use in driveways and are well acquainted with its toughness. But few homeowners know anything about concrete beyond its use as a utilitarian building material.
Concrete is versatile, easily available, low maintenance, and long-lasting. But in the past, its appearance made it unsuitable for flooring inside the home. But that has changed. The arrival of decorative concrete is now allowing concrete floors to be used in all areas of the home, with all of the benefits provided by other flooring options.
Today decorative concrete flooring is available as:
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Stamped concrete
This is made by imprinting concrete with large stamping mats or molds. The finished product can be made to look like wood, brick, or stone.
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Stained concrete
Is created by depositing deep colors into concrete slabs to permanently color them. These come in acid-based or water-based stained slabs.
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Colored concrete
Is made by penetrating concrete slabs with pigmented inks mixed with alcohol or acetone solvent
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Polished concrete
Is created by using a densifier to give concrete a smooth surface, after which it is polished to a shine with a grinder.
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Overlay
These are stamped or engraved layers that can be installed over existing concrete floors as decorative flooring.
Where to use decorative concrete
Decorative concrete greatly expands the options homeowners have for what kind of flooring to install in their homes. Unlike some popular flooring options, decorative concrete does not offer a hiding place for dust mites or allergens. They will prevent the growth of mold or bacteria and are the best floors for people who suffer from allergies or asthma.
Where should you use them?
- Bathrooms: Sealed concrete floors are perfect for bathrooms. They are waterproof, slip-resistant, and only need to be cleaned with a dry mop.
- Kitchens: Decorative concrete has all the qualities you want in kitchen flooring: beautiful, sanitary, easy to clean, and effortless to repair.
- Bedrooms: Decorative concrete flooring with patterned rugs is a great combo for the bedroom. The cooling effect of concrete floors also makes them ideal for hot climates.
- Dining room: They are ideal dining rooms where homeowners often want a combination of class to impress guests and durability to prevent damage to the floors.
- Garage: Garage floors have always used concrete but decorative concrete takes this to a new level. Installing decorative concrete with a high-shine sealer will make the garage pop.
- Patios and pool deck: Most concrete floors in the patio are basic. But you can have that same utility with the appeal of decorative concrete over the existing flooring
- Porch and entryway: With decorative concrete in these places, the main approach to your home will be highly attractive, but you won’t have to worry about it getting cracked.
- Driveways and sidewalks: Decorative concrete in the driveway will put your curb appeal on steroids and help you make an unforgettable first impression.
Why you should install decorative concrete in your home
Decorative concrete will meet and exceed your expectations for flooring material. Decorative concrete is everything you ever wanted a flooring material to be:
- Versatile enough to be used in all areas of the home: high-traffic, as well as, low-traffic areas.
- Durability that is equal to the durability of your home’s foundations.
- A maintenance routine that can truly be described as carefree.
- A wide range of colors, shapes, patterns, and textures to choose from.
Decorative concrete is a high-value flooring that does not require you to spend vast amounts of time or money caring for it. Adding this flooring material to your home will remove most of your worries about the maintenance and longevity of your floors.
Also, the appeal and durability of decorative concrete is a huge selling point when selling your home. Homes with this singular feature will usually be able to fend off competition from other houses with ease.
This fact alone is one of the main reasons homeowners are increasingly adopting this option in their homes. Installing decorative concrete will boost the joy factor of the home and completely transforms its curb appeal.
