In opting for decorative concrete floor finishes, building owners get the double benefit of beauty and strength in one package. This is a more practical alternative to buying expensive carpeting, tiles, or hardwood floorings to cover the concrete foundation.
The useful life of concrete flooring is longer than other flooring materials used to hide the gray slab. Hardwood finishes require care and maintenance, and are vulnerable to water damages. Carpets and vinyl also suffer from daily wear and tear, stain easily, and cannot withstand moisture intrusion. Most of these floor coverings need to be replaced regularly. Whereas when decorative concrete coatings change the appearance of concrete floors, concrete can be the visible flooring for foyers, decks, hallways, function rooms, and other areas in the facility. Concrete floors can last for a lifetime and are easy to clean and maintain.
Decorative concrete coatings contractors skilled in concrete finishing and decoration can easily apply these decorative floorings. They can stamp or stain regular concrete based on the needs of the facility. They may work the colors and designs in the initial concrete mixing and pouring, or they can stain already existing slabs. For the latter, they may create a thinner concrete slab that covers the original concrete foundation and do their work on the new slab.
The cost of installing decorative concrete finishes may vary with the method and materials used. There are off-the-shelf packaged decorative concrete coatings, stainers or waxes for small projects that cost little. For more customized patterns and effects, contractors may charge by the hour on this specialty work. But generally, concrete finishing jobs cost less compared with projects using other flooring materials.
