Concrete is a long-lasting and low-maintenance material for floors. However, after years of use, concrete floors can become badly stained, cracked, lackluster, or simply need an upgrade to enhance the appearance. If you’re considering renovating your commercial building or remodeling an existing facility, you may need to refinish your concrete floors.
Here’s are some creative treatment options to enhance your concrete floors and provide additional protection against water penetration while forming an easy-to-clean layer.
Stained and Polished Concrete Floors
Concrete is a common design element in many commercial buildings. If you’re looking for a fresh new look for your floors, polished and sealed concrete treatment makes a great first impression that blends in well with industrial and decorative elements in any commercial building. This concrete floor treatment is ideal for making spaces look more appealing.
Concrete floor treatment involves grinding down the surface with fine abrasive pads to achieve an extremely high-gloss finish. You can easily achieve the polishing level you want and seal the concrete floor to give it a protective sheen. This work often requires the right tools and experience to ensure a professional job.
Dyed Concrete Floors
Concrete flooring that needs refinishing can also be dyed to give it a preferred color. You can choose any color you want to fit into your company’s updated look. Whether you want a rich-smooth finish that is uniform across all your building floors or a simple look that doesn’t draw too much attention for your space, dyed concrete floors are the way to go.
However, depending on the flooring color you choose, the look of your floors can be a bit harsh as there’s no color variation. To overcome this, you can add other decorative flooring elements like commercial carpets to mute the look. Regardless of the dyed finish you choose, you have lots of ways to enhance your space.
Painted Concrete Floors
Another popular floor refinishing option is epoxy treatment, which is used to repair and seal damaged concrete subfloors. Epoxy is an extremely strong material that can easily be poured into small crevices and cracks to level the concrete surface. It’s available in a variety of colors, allowing you to create unique colored floor designs and hues to match your design elements.
Epoxy-painted concrete floors make it easy to achieve the same design effects you would with ordinary paint. The resulting surface of epoxy flooring is very hard and durable, making it ideal for high-traffic commercial applications. The treatment process is easy, much like painting any other surface. Laying out the floor pattern you want with multiple colors needs some creativity.
Acid-Stained Concrete Floors
If you’re looking to color your concrete floors, one of the most visually appealing methods is acid-staining. In most cases, phosphorus and hydrochloric acid are mixed with salts and applied on hardened cured concrete floors or slabs. The acid opens up the pores on the concrete floor, while the salts in the mix cause a chemical reaction that discolors the concrete floor’s surface.
The results may vary depending on the condition and porosity of the concrete floors, the age of the concrete floors, and materials used in the acid-staining treatment. This method produces a unique and interesting look with variations of colors for an almost three-dimensional look. Always start with a small section to test before treating the entire floor as results may vary.
Conclusion
When it comes to treating concrete floors, there are more ways you can achieve the desired look that you want. The method you choose depends entirely on your needs. For instance, if you want additional protection from chemicals or moisture, epoxy coating is an ideal treatment option. Consulting a flooring expert would be wise to ensure you’re choosing the right method for your concrete floor refinishing needs.