Concrete can be a composite material of aggregates bonded in addition to cement that hardens after some time. That’s the boring part. What people purchase concrete over the centuries could very well be more interesting, making use of it to build our cities and the majority frequented event spaces. Today though, concrete incorporates a brand new look that is increasingly popular for both commercial and domestic purposes, employed to create a stylish and unique finish for indoor spaces.
This change comes as a direct result advanced technology and products that permit us to set about concrete grinding and polishing that can cause a highly smooth and high-gloss surface which has a professional finish. No longer simply employed for structural purposes, concrete is a desired aesthetic look that lots of now wish to have their developments.
Benefits
Concrete is tremendously durable material. This is the reason it really is used much in developments throughout any major city in the uk – stadiums, housing developments, roads and infrastructure all use concrete just as one integral component of their design due to its strength and durability. In addition to this, the polishing process initiates a densification from the material hardening the concrete slab and maximising its durability. The attraction of an floor surface that’s an extremely long life-span and resilience against scratches, cracking, water damage and blemishes is see-through.
The aesthetic appeal is often a large consider the material’s increasingly common usage. Far from an effective grey living area, polished concrete may be unique and stylish depending on the process and ingredients employed to create it. Various colours and patterns can be found making it a surprisingly versatile flooring option. By using different variations of aggregates, sand, stains, dyes, decorative engravings and stencilled graphics, an attractive floor finishing could be achieved.
Maintenance with this surface is amazingly easy. As a single solid unit, there won’t be areas where dirt or corrosive material can hide. This means that no unwanted elements of grime should be handled with costly and expensive cleaning methods. Moderate cleaning products applied instantly to the surface are common it takes to help keep polished concrete looking fresh and clean. Other materials for example wood might need much more care and attention in terms of long term maintenance. In order to achieve an appealing finish, waxing treatments and constant cleaning might be necessary – however, not with polished concrete flooring.
As a direct result the easy maintenance with this product, hygiene levels are often much higher in developments that integrate them inside their designs. The cleaning process is really a lot faster for starters, but also the material doesn’t harbour any bacteria that may be transmitted to humans in any other case attended to. This is especially valuable in kitchen layouts.
Downsides
While there are numerous benefits to using polished concrete floors, you can find of course some downsides that will not help it become the perfect selection for your home or development. The biggest one ironically can also be one of its greatest attributes – a result of the high strength and durability in the material, dropping anything delicate or expensive about this surface may result in damage. In contrast to carpet or linoleum, a cell phone, laptop, vase or chinaware might not survive a fall to your floor.
Another drawback is that it might be cold for the touch if not directly exposed on the sun or in just a heated room. Those who love to walk around bare foot inside their homes could find it uncomfortable. Also the consistency in the finish throughout the entire surface are vastly different slightly, especially with massive spaces. The changes is probably not drastic, together with the floor probably being only slightly lighter round the perimeter, but when you are a perfectionist, or if you happen to be designing a development where focus to detail should be exact, then you can want to think about using polished concrete flooring.
Our best advice is usually to go and go through it for yourself. Check out any new development which has integrated the fabric into their important living area and consider operate might be employed in your own. There are also a good amount of online examples you can also browse to have a better a sense patterns, colours and textures.