What should you be putting on your basement flooring when the time comes for a change? Basement flooring should be given proper and long thought and consideration before you make a decision about what works best for you. Every basement is different, each with a host of issues that need to be considered before the flooring is installed.
Concrete is undoubtedly the best choice for a basement flooring material because of its versatility and durability and there is a wide range of available concrete flooring options for you to choose from – from concrete staining to concrete polishing. And whether you are looking for concrete polishing service provider or elsewhere, there are sure to be licensed and skilled concrete contractors who can help you.
The Advantages of Concrete Floors in the Basement
What exactly does a concrete floor bring to a basement? In fact, concrete floors in the basement have many advantages that we will run you with you through here, in the hopes that it will help convince you that concrete is the rightful king of basement floors.
1. Durable and resilient
A basement floor definitely needs to be strong. Because a basement is often converted into an extra storage room for a home, it is important that its flooring is made of a material that can hold up well to all the additional weight on its surface. Once sealed, concrete floors are more resistant to pressure and wear and tear. And if you go the extra step of applying an epoxy coating (which we will further discuss in the next section), then your floors will be virtually indestructible.
2. More affordable over the long run
Floor coatings may seem, at first glance, to be the cheaper of the two options for a basement floor. But you will soon discover with floor coatings that costs can build up over time if you do not choose the right material at the beginning. So while floor coatings seem cheaper at first, you will find that the costs of maintenance and inevitable replacement of the floor coating will make a bigger dent in your budget than if you had chosen concrete floors. Concrete only gets cheaper with time, as very little maintenance is needed and the floor’s longevity is incredible.
3. Color and design versatility
Even though the floors will be in your basement out of the site of most people, you will, of course, still want the option to choose the color you want or even the design you want. And with concrete, you get exactly that. Most people think that concrete floors only come in a single one-dimensional grey color but in fact, you can choose from many colors and many patterns and designs. Just ask your contractor!
Decorative Concrete Options for a Basement
So now that you know all the benefits that come with choosing concrete floors for your basement, we’re sure you’ll want to know all about the different concrete floor options available to you and your basement. While there are many decorative concrete options out there, these are the ones that we believe will suit the basement better than the other options:
1. Polished Concrete Floors
The epitome of understated beauty, polished concrete is a great option for the basement. Whether it is concrete polishing San Diego, Texas, or anywhere else, we can ensure you of its effectivity in the basement. Polished concrete floors require only a short application process. Contractors apply a densifier on the surface of the floor to fill in all the concrete’s natural pores and leave one solid and smooth surface. Grinders are then used to further smoothen the surface and to expose any additional aggregate for a more “raw” look on your floors. When it comes to decorative concrete, polished concrete is among the simplest and affordable options that are still wholly effective.
2. Decorative Epoxy Floors
If you know anything about epoxy, you will probably know that it is an exceptionally strong material that can be applied as a floor coating to the surface of a concrete floor. With epoxy on top of a concrete floor, you have an incredibly resilient floor that will last for decades in your basement. And because epoxy is waterproof and stain-resistant, you also won’t have to worry about the epoxy being damaged or falling apart. And finally, epoxy comes in a variety of colors, so you can also customize what kind of epoxy floor you will be getting.
3. Stained Concrete Floors
If you want some color on your floors but do not think you will need the incredible resilience of an epoxy coating, then staining and sealing your basement floors can be a great option. Concrete stains come in two types – water-based and acid-based. Choosing the kind of stain best for you will ultimately depend on what kind of color you want on your floors as well as your budget.
Knowing about these options and about the benefits that come with choosing a concrete floor should help you decide on what kind of flooring your basement deserves.
