Concrete floors are no longer just grey, plain and boring. You can make it interesting and appealing by having a decorative concrete. With decorative concrete you can choose which hue you want your concrete floor to be. You can also choose its design, pattern and texture. With these numerous things you can do, concrete has become one of the most versatile, tough, durable efficient and cost effective flooring material available.
WHAT IS DECORATIVE CONCRETE?
Never has concrete excited homeowners as it has these days. New advances in technology has paved the way for concrete floors to be seen from a different perspective.
Decorative concrete allows floors to be more attractive, appealing and exciting. Stamping, staining, polishing, scoring and adding aggregates allow concrete floors to be customized as you desire to add to the curb appeal of your home. In the past, decorative concrete had limited ways to achieve a customized effect. Today, decorative concrete comes with limitless possibilities. For starters, decorative concrete coatings come in a variety of colors which are able to provide a good stain. They also come in a lot of patterns and designs. So you can make your concrete floor look like brick, tile, granite or any finish.
WHY IS DECORATIVE CONCRETE SOARING IN POPULARITY?
Decorative concrete can be installed anywhere. You can have it in your patio, driveway or pool area. You can also have decorative concrete in your living areas and basements. Your decorative concrete floor can also come in different designs and textures.
Decorative concrete can also mimic certain materials to let your concrete floor look like the real thing ( e.g. brick, marble…) These are the reasons decorative concrete has become extremely popular with homeowners especially so that they are also durable. Homeowners too have realized that having decorative concrete either in the interior or exterior can increase the value of their homes.
It used to be that decorative concrete was only limited to stained concrete and stamped concrete. Modern technology has allowed decorative concrete to have a whole lot of other techniques. Here are some of them.
Stained Concrete
Stained concrete is most often used in commercial areas because it is extremely durable and can endure high foot traffic. Stained concrete is also easy to clean and sharp. Concrete can be strained in any color to match the interiors of the establishment.
Stamped Concrete
Stamped concrete involves molds that are pressed in concrete while it is still in plastic state. It can create a look similar to brick, slate, stone and other materials. Stamped concrete can also allow imprints to be included. You can also add in some color. Concrete is a durable material so you can really get creative and have limitless possibilities for a customized look. You can let your imagination run will with your own customized design.
Stamped Overlays
This is another decorative concrete method that can mimic a stone or brick look through the use of rubber imprints. The imprints are pressed immediately after pouring concrete. After a successful installation, your decorative concrete will look as a real as it can get to the material it is trying to mimic.
Polishing Concrete
This process which involves the use of a mechanical grinder, some diamond pads with different sizes of grit is to give the concrete floor a high gloss and glassy finish. Colors and dyes can also be added through acid staining. One thing nice about polish concrete is you can choose the level of sheen of your decorative concrete floor.
DECORATIVE VS OTHER FLOORING OPTIONS
As compared to other flooring options, decorative concrete is crack resistant. It is made of a tough and durable material. If ever there will be minor cracks, they will not be noticeable at all. One of the main selling points of decorative concrete is it is easy to maintain. All it takes is just a mild soap and water and a few buffing here and there.
The nice thing about decorative concrete is it looks like the real thing. If you are going for a brick-like design, the concrete floor will really look as though bricks have been laid. For sure you have seen a couple of stamp concrete applications but did not notice it was such.
HOW IS DECORATIVE CONCRETE DONE?
Stamped concrete is one of the most popular trends in decorative concrete which also includes If you think you can do stamped concrete do-it-yourself job, here is what you need to do.
Select a release agent color. It should be a match with the concrete color.
Do concrete texturing.
Lay the mats
After 24 hours, remove overflowing release agent form the concrete’s surface with a pressure washer (high-powered)
Use a decorative concrete sealer to finally seal the concrete.
A successful DYI project is always fulfilling. After putting in long hours of hard work, seeing your successful masterpiece will fill you with pride. That is if you have a successful decorative installation.
WHY HIRE A PROFESSIONAL DECORATIVE CONCRETE CONTRACTOR?
Installing decorative concrete in jersey city requires the installer to have the right skills and the right tools. As they say, if anything goes wrong, it will go very wrong. Concrete is something permanent and it can be difficult to undo. Unless you have the right skills, equipment and experience to do decorative concrete, it will work to your advantage if you hire Jersey City Epoxy Pros to do the job.
The Jersey City Epoxy Pros have professional installers trained by the manufacturers to install decorative concrete the proper way. When professionals do the job you are always sure that you get your money’s worth. You will have the satisfaction and peace of mind that the job will be done right.
Decorative concrete is a long-term investment and your decision to hire a professional installer is the only way to tell yourself that you have made the right decision.