Concrete was perhaps the most important invention in the world of construction, besides bricks. The use of concrete transcends place and time, primarily because of its versatility and durability. Concrete can be used anywhere, from walls to ceiling and floors, of any kind of structure. Concrete floorings are especially popular due to the wide range of looks you can give it, and mostly at a fraction of the cost of other materials.

There are many types of flooring prevalent today. Tile, marble, granite, wood, stone - the possibilities are endless. However, none of these are as versatile as concrete. The best thing about concrete floors is that not only does it have its own characteristic looks, but it can also be made to look like any of the above. With clever coloring and texturing, concrete can even be given the appearance of objects that have nothing to do with flooring, like fossil, shells or bamboo. The possibilities truly are endless. Let’s discuss a few of them.

Staining

One of the classic techniques for doing concrete floors is staining. Besides the earliest method of using organic compound-based carriers, the most common till a long time was acid staining. In this, a mixture of mineral salts in acid solution is applied to concrete, allowed to cure for a few hours, and then treated with a sealant to create various somber tones in a variegated pattern on the floor. Later on, water staining became more popular due to being more environment-friendly and having a bigger color palette.

Polishing

Polishing is a method in which a layer of cement is laid and polished with diamond pads of an increasingly finer gradient to remove all crags and ridges. The result is an exceptionally glossy floor, that can be given a variety of colors and patterns depending on the dyes added to the concrete. But three-dimensional patterns were also becoming popular, with people trying several spray techniques like knockdown and splatter to create appealing designs.

People soon became interested in creating more alluring textures in the concrete to produce an even larger spectrum of effects. Thus overlays, stenciling, and stamping entered the scene. Concrete overlayment involves pouring a thin layer of concrete over the old one and creating interesting designs in them. If you are stenciling, a stencil of appropriate size is laid on the floor before the top concrete layer is poured out, and then taken out when semi-dry to leave behind a pattern in its shape.

Stamping

Stamped Concrete is easier, owing to the fact that the sizes of stamps can be much smaller than stencils. The cement is poured out first, and once semi-dry, is pressed with patterned stamps to create designs. Inlays are a ready-made alternative to this, where pre-made patterned slabs are laid in like tiles.

To conclude

Your choice of technique should depend on the location of the flooring, and also the condition of the old floor for overlays, since excessively rugged, damaged ones are not fit for it. But once done, nothing can beat a concrete floor in its low-cost, easy maintenance and the wonderful aesthetic appeal it imparts to a building. The next time you find yourself searching for decorative concrete contractors near me, call us