Concrete flooring is making a comeback across the board. Let’s look at the pros and cons of concrete flooring so that you can determine whether or not it is right for your project. We’ll also discuss why businesses are choosing to put in concrete floors now that wouldn’t have done so a decade ago such as healthcare facilities and offices.
The Pros of Concrete Flooring
There are many reasons why businesses are opting for concrete flooring. Here are the most important reasons why.
Concrete floors are affordable. They’re incredibly cheap to install, and they require very little maintenance. For example, you may want to mop weekly to lift up scuffs. If you have the concrete surface sealed, this prevents stains from seeping into it. Once it is installed, they are easy to clean, as well. You can sweep, vacuum or mop it.
Concrete floors are very durable. They’ll resist heavy loads if properly installed. They are hard to damage, though if you drop or drive a heavy enough load over the surface, you’ll cause significant cracks that are hard to cover up or repair. On the other hand, it is almost impossible to scratch or chip. General wear and tear won’t hurt it at all. If you choose to stain the concrete, it is easy to re-stain it to maintain the colour or simply paint over it to get a brand new colour. That is far faster and easier than installing new carpets or linoleum.
Depending on the concrete sealants and treatments you use, your floor can be anti-microbial as well as water-proof. Or you can have the concrete treated with an anti-static coating, something essential to facilities dealing with sensitive electronics.
Concrete is environmentally friendly. It is regularly made with local stone, sand and ground up concrete from other projects. The concrete itself can be ground up and reused in later projects if it is ripped out. The concrete doesn’t emit volatile organic chemicals into the air like vinyl floors. It won’t impact your indoor air quality in other ways. For example, carpets can trap pollen and pet dander in the weave, while wood floors can trap food particles and dust.
The Cons of Concrete Flooring
One downside of concrete floors is how well they transmit heat. This makes them very cold is there is nothing between the concrete and the soil underneath. Conversely, this makes concrete floors perfect for radiant floors. You can mitigate this issue by ordering concrete floors with extra insulation built into it.
Concrete floors are hard. You can mitigate this by putting carpets or ergonomic pads in given areas.
Concrete floors will relay sound if you don’t apply a rubber surface to the top or take other steps to minimise the echo.
Observations about Concrete Flooring
Concrete flooring now comes with a much wider array of installation styles. You can now order new concrete floors installed with moulds and effects to resemble stone, tile or even wood. For example, with the right colourants and etching, the concrete floor could resemble wood but be impervious to insects and water damage. However, the quality of the end result will depend on the installer.
Concrete can’t rot, though if you fail to have it properly sealed, it can end up letting mould and mildew grow under your feet.