Concrete floors are becoming more and more popular in both industrial and residential environments for many reasons – and not just practical ones. The number one choice for warehouses and other commercial premises where heavy duty machinery is present, concrete is now being recognised for its versatility as a flooring option elsewhere.
Here are just a few benefits to opting for concrete flooring…
Durability
Let’s start with the obvious: concrete is a highly robust material that offers a durability and permanence that’s simply unobtainable from other materials. Hardwearing and abrasion-resistant, concrete can withstand heavy and constant traffic, and provides a solid surface for large machinery. Correctly installed concrete floors should not be susceptible to moisture, and should remain resistant to liquid, impact damage and UV light.
Low Maintenance
Another attractive benefit of fitting a concrete floor, both domestically and industrially, is the ease with which they can be maintained. As mentioned above, concrete is the most scratch-resistant hard flooring option available, and liquid spills can be easily cleaned and rarely stain. Polishing concrete floors is a great way to add both aesthetic value and increase its lifespan, and buffing is a quick and effective way to clean the surface in a large environment, such as a warehouse or factory.
Practical Benefits
Although appearing shiny and slick when a glossy finish is applied, concrete flooring is highly non-slip when properly installed. This is vital for commercial use, especially where potentially dangerous machinery is involved, and specialised non-slip coating is available when applying a surface finish.
The material provides natural fire resistance – especially important when used in an industrial environment, where carpet or wood surfaces could be highly dangerous.
Concrete is also one of the cheapest flooring options. In new builds, concrete is approximately half the price of hardwood alternatives, and larger floors will see a price reduction per square foot when concrete is used in bulk. Its vastly superior durability will also see it become a more cost-effective choice over time.
Dispelling the Myths
It is simply not true that using concrete means cold flooring. While carpets and rugs do add extra insulation, concrete is no colder than other hard flooring types, such as laminate, stone, marble and ceramics. Concrete is absorbent of heat (think of the heat haze rising from roads in the summer months), meaning less reliance on costly artificial temperature control, and concrete flooring can be embellished with the use of rugs and soft furnishings to create a warmer ambience.
It is also a fallacy that concrete is somehow louder and echoes more than other hard flooring. A number of factors cause poor sound absorption, and concrete is no better or worse at this than stone or laminate.
Green Benefits
The production of concrete is far kinder to the environment than that of carpet, uses no trees like wood, and requires no mining like stone options. Concrete also contains no volatile organic compounds (VOC) that are highly prevalent in carpets, engineered woods, glues and plastic floor materials. Not only does this increase its green credentials, it also avoids the possibility of any allergens becoming present inside the premises.
All Mix Concrete
As one of the leading concrete experts in the North West, the team at All Mix Concrete are on hand to provide high quality and durable concrete flooring options for all commercial and domestic applications.
We use on-site volumetric mixing trucks that allow us to tailor the correct mix as determined by your needs. This also means no waste is created, and you will only pay for the amount of concrete you require.
Give All Mix Concrete a call today for more information, or to request a quote.
