Different Types of Finishes That Make Concrete Floors Aesthetically Appealing

In the past, a lot of interior designers and homeowners were limited by the available concrete floor finishings on the market. Apart from common gray concrete finishes, there weren’t many choices available back then.

Nowadays, you can now choose from several types of finishes aside from concrete floors. With this wide option, the aesthetics that you want for your concrete flooring are nearly endless.

If you’re looking to change the face of your home flooring, here’s a list of finishes to spruce up your concrete floors.

Chemical Staining (Acid)

If you want to beautify your concrete floor using colors, you can do chemical – Acid staining on it. Chemical staining is one of the most popular methods to apply to houses that have concrete flooring.

It’s because it transforms the ordinary cool gray concrete into something more attractive because of the random, intricate designs it leaves behind.

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When choosing a color for your concrete floor, you can either opt for a neutral one that goes well with the style of the room or for a bold color that makes it stand out. For the final touches, you can choose between a protective epoxy coating or a mechanical polish.

One tip: you should make sure to test the chemical stain before you apply it on the concrete floor because the reaction of the stain on the concrete is unpredictable, and might create a color or design that you don’t want.

Water-Based Stain

Image Source: SureCrete

If the idea of using a “water-based” stain on a surface as tough as concrete makes no sense, you haven’t kept up with the latest cement floor finishing options.

For environmentalists, a water-based stain can be the answer to one’s prayers because these products come in what manufacturers call “the full spectrum” of colors, yet you get the benefit of low organic compounds (VOCs) that are safer to apply.

Don’t expect your finished concrete floors to wind up exhibiting vivid, vibrant hues delivered by acid stain products, but you can count on consistent color coverage from wall to wall if you choose this floor finish for your home or business.

Acrylic Sealers

Do you have concrete floors that need sealing but they are consistently exposed to water or could possibly be down the road?

Image Source: All Garage Floors

Acrylic sealers makes great finishing choices, as long as you are aware of the fact that when compared to other finishes, this one can show wear faster than others on this list.

Apply acrylic sealers uniformly to get a consistent, uniform matte finish that hardens once dry, offering a lovely sheen that covers your floor with a thin, protective finish.

That stated, despite the hard finish, contractors say that acrylic sealers are slightly flexible, so remember that if you pick this option knowing that you don’t have to spend a fortune to complete the job.

Fast Stain^TM

Who doesn’t love any DIY project attached to the word, “fast”? For homeowners and contractors who have more work on their ‘to-do’ lists than hours in the day, Fast Stain^TM is a surface coating system that represents innovation that also happens to be eco-friendly and low VOC, so in addition to saving you time, you get to tell people that you’re helping the environment.

Once applied and dried in record time, Fast Stain assume a flecked design that could remind you of the look you get using an acid-stain, thus you wind up with a dappled, multi-colored pattern.

If your cement floor is already polished and you just want to change the look without stripping, consider Fast Stains that may also be combined with acid-based or water-based stains if you decide to go for a truly unique finish.

Standard Epoxy

Image Source: Epoxy Floors Oklahoma City

Epoxy coatings are the most common way to seal cement floors because they are durable, offer a nice variety of colors and the shiny finish you wind up with is a popular feature of this product.

The ideal choice for surfaces subjected to heavy foot traffic, standard epoxy delivers an attractive, glossy finish to cement floors, but don’t use this coating on outdoor cement projects.

Standard epoxy makes perfect sense if you seek uniform color and/or need an abrasion- or chemical-resistant floor.

That stated, keep an eye out for variations on a theme. Manufacturers are introducing standard epoxy finishing engineered to be self-leveling, self-dispersing and anti-static. If too many choices make you crazy, consult your local flooring expert.

Terrazzo Floor Finish

Anyone growing up in Florida knows that there is nothing like a cool, easy-to-clean terrazzo floor. Terrazzo remains durable for the long haul and it’s a favorite of harried housekeepers.

To create terrazzo floor finishes, decorative color chips are sprinkled across a liquid epoxy pour to create one-of-a-kind designs that produce all sorts of color combinations.

Given the addition of these colored chips, you might worry that terrazzo finishes are not an ideal choice for folks who like to go barefoot, but you would be wrong.

The liquid epoxy pour is deep enough to encompass every last chip, so your hidden concrete floor remains velvety smooth to the touch and an awesome surface on which to walk when temperatures are blistering hot.

Quartz Sand Epoxy

Epoxy products are so versatile, they can be mixed with stains, dyes, single-component mediums and other epoxies to produce a wide range of patterns.

Specify Quartz Sand Epoxy when you purchase your material and you will wind up with a solid finish that is so durable, people specify it for factories and garage floors, knowing the surface will withstand cars, lawnmowers and heavy equipment.

Expect a nice range of color options that match the utilitarian nature of this finish. If you’re undertaking an industrial job, quartz sand epoxy stands up to frequent sanitation treatments and it will survive the perpetual use of chemicals, too.

Despite its rugged construction, this finish produces an attractive, smooth floor that can be life-saving. When applied according to directions, you add slip-resistancy to your cement floor’s virtues.

Metallic Epoxy

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If you don’t want anyone to know that your floor is made of ordinary cement and you seek an elegant, expensive-looking floor that has the capacity to stop admirers in their tracks, don’t settle for anything less than a metallic epoxy finish capable of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Recreate the look of natural mineral slabs by pouring on a mix of clear epoxy coating incorporating metallic additives that combine to literally move through the surfacing material as it cures.

Once dry, this pairing produces an exotic high-gloss finish that can emulate everything from a lava flow to a pearlescent design.

In other words, use metallic epoxy to spruce up your palace or castle floor—-or just to create and elegant dining room or entryway that is guaranteed to be noticed.

Concrete Stamping

Concrete stamping is a technique of sprucing up concrete walls and floors. By this method, you can create different patterns such as tile, brick, and slate designs on an otherwise plain concrete flooring.

By utilizing a mold with a particular pattern, the process involves pressing down the stamp on the concrete when it’s still wet. Concrete stamping is mostly applied to outdoor spaces because it is hard to do this method in an indoor area.

Here is a video showing how to stamp concrete properly:

Concrete Sealing

Applying a concrete sealer to any type of concrete is one of the top options for most homeowners because of the benefits it has. This method gives a shiny look to your dull-looking concrete floor and makes it look more spacious because of its bright reflection.

Aside from the aesthetic appeal that it provides, concrete sealers also prevent your concrete floor from absorbing moisture. You can contact reach out to firms like TC Floors West if you want to seal your concrete floor.

Concrete Scoring

Concrete scoring is a technique that you can apply on a freshly laid and existing concrete slabs. Using this method can give your basic concrete floor a unique and beautiful look. Similar with concrete stamping, you can create a tile, brick, or any random patterns on your home’s concrete flooring.

You can also stain patterns on the concrete floor after the scoring process is done to suit or contrast to the floor color, accentuating the design and adding up to the aesthetics.

Color Hardeners

People often apply color hardeners with chemical staining to make darker colors on concrete flooring. This type of finish come in powder form that you sprinkle on top of a freshly laid concrete. When the powder is mixed with the water in the wet concrete, the moisture will produce an attractive hue on the surface.

Takeaway

In any home renovation, it’s essential to include the flooring in the plan. For instance, you should consider the type of finish that you want to put on your concrete floor. Nowadays, there are several types of finishes that you can choose for you to make your concrete floor look attractive.

Applying color hardeners, stamping, sealing, scoring, and chemical staining are among the top concrete finishing methods favored by many homeowners today. It’s crucial that you know about them to help you with your home renovation project.