Polished concrete is a very versatile flooring material. It’s unique enough to change the entire room or environment in which it’s used. There are many commercial, social, and personal applications for polished concrete. Just think of how nice the grocery store keeps its sparkling shine on its polished concrete floor every time you shop. Or what about the disco tech that you frequent? Their polished concrete flooring keeps you dancing all night. It doesn’t even have to be used indoors. There are many cool looking driveways of homes that are designed using polished concrete. But when you look at polished concrete, I’m sure the first thing you think is, “Well, what are my options?”
The options don’t really compare. Not because they’re bad choices, but because they don’t have an acceptable rating across the board for flooring criteria. Let’s start with natural stone. It’s a creative choice for flooring, and it would definitely separate you from your neighbors. But the possibilities are limited. Not only would that be an expensive option, but it would also be flooring that could not grow with you or your home. So that automatically makes polished concrete flooring a better option.
Even take the ever-popular, wall-to-wall carpet. Yes, this is a popular design choice. Many people go straight to this option, because of its many benefits. These range from the aesthetics of the carpet to the comfort of the carpet’s fabric. But one thing, they simply can’t promise you, is that you won’t need to replace the carpet in a few years. Carpet is notorious for becoming worn and faded by foot traffic.
A wall-to-wall carpet looks great on the first day you have it. But the amount of spills, mishaps, and dirty shoes that travel across the carpet, will have you shelling out money for another one before you know it. Which leads to the other problem with wall-to-wall carpet. The hassle of maintenance and the fact that it requires an extensive amount of attention, are due to its ease of staining. Relieving yourself of this concern and cost is a definite bonus.
Another popular option is the wood or wood laminate flooring. Homeowners love the look of freshly treated wood flooring. It is actually the top choice of many designers. Aesthetically, it ranks right up there with most other floorings. The problem with these comes when there is any moisture or water contamination. Unlike the other floorings, where water does not have the same damaging effects, wood flooring is very susceptible to water damage. These damages can come in the form of mold and mildew that will attach itself to the porous material. This would be the beginning of the end of the beautiful flooring, if its not dealt with quickly.
One common feature for ceramic tile, which is often used to line bathrooms, is that it very resistant to solar energy absorption. Anyone who’s walked on ceramic tile, barefoot knows the sensation is not a warm one. On the contrary, polished concrete is an excellent carrier of solar energy and warmth. This ultimately helps with the heating and cooling of the property.
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