Decorative Concrete

There are many varieties of concrete floor coatings which refer to several types of products and systems that are used specifically to cover bare concrete for aesthetic reasons, protective purposes, or simply to comply with codes and regulations. The better you understand the differences between each type of coating, the better decision you can make as to which one will work better in your situation, if any.

The basic coating is a concrete sealer, which requires the least amount of preparation and time. The sealer will protect the concrete floor from food stains, oil stains, tire traffic, and most chemical spills. The sealer also allows for a much easier clean up when you do spill. Just take a garden hose and rinse away, or use a mild detergent with a bucket of warm water and wipe away. The sealer can be colored, so you can add a little pizzazz to the floor, but it is not meant so much for decorative purpose, mostly protective.

If you want to get a little fancier with your concrete floor, try a system of stains and sealers that are still on the inexpensive side of floor coatings. The concrete stains offer some enhancement with a natural, long lasting appearance. The benefit of stains over other floor coatings is that the stain actually penetrates into the concrete creating a very durable finish that cannot be peeled or flaked away. This coating does require a little more effort and time, as you have to prepare the floor more to accept the stain, but the application is still pretty simple to undertake. When looking for stains for your concrete floor, you do have a choose between an acid stain or a more environmentally friendly acrylic stain. Either is about the same price, but no matter what you choose, always remember to put down coat of the concrete sealer afterward, which is the protective coat. The stains do not offer protection, only beauty.

A different concrete coating that is especially great for garages and popular in basements is epoxy floor paint specifically for concrete floors. An epoxy coating is a more expensive solution and is a little harder to apply, but offers a long lasting, very strong surface. Since the epoxy can be a bit more complicate to apply, a professional may be better to apply it. If you are home repair handy, you can probably do this yourself with caution. Just know that in order for the epoxy to bond well with the floor, it has to be “scratched up” to a degree to achieve the bond. Acid etching can accomplish this, but using a grinder or shot blaster is the best recommendation (which is how epoxy is applied in a commercial or industrial area). And also know that epoxy materials come in to parts. Once part A is mixed with part B, you have a limited amount of time to apply it, before it becomes too hard, and is not workable.

One of the most decorative concrete flooring, of course, is one of the most expensive options. That is a coating of overlay, which can be applied many different ways, with many different colors, and many different patterns. So there are lots of choices, but you may have to work it into your budget as it can be double to triple the price of sealer or stain, depending on how customize you make it. This type of coating would definitely be recommended to be installed by a professional, because it is very laborious and must have prior planning before being applied.
NOTE: Not all concrete floors are conducive to all concrete floor coatings. Some concrete floors, depending on condition, may be better to use carpet or tile. If any questions, ask your local decorative concrete professional.

Written by Daniel Riggins for Ultimate Concrete. To contact Ultimate Concrete go to http://www.ultimatenewlook.com