Home Remodeling Trends: Decorative Concrete Floors

As decorative concrete floors grow in popularity, the question most often asked by homeowners is: “Can I change my current flooring to decorative concrete?”  The answer to that question is a resounding YES!

Stained carpet, chipped tile and out-of date linoleum are the three most common flooring materials that are upgraded or removed in the remodeling process.   Designers and homeowners are looking for a replacement flooring option that is sustainable, durable and chic.  Decorative concrete floors are all of that with the added benefit of being cost competitive with new tile, carpet and wood.

The first issue to tackle when changing to decorative concrete floors is the removal of the existing flooring.  After the tile, carpet or linoleum has been torn out, the glues and mastics that adhered the old flooring to the underlying concrete must be removed.  This removal occurs in one of two ways; mechanically by grinding or shot-blasting or chemically with soy or solvent-based mastic removers.

After the floor has been cleaned of glues and mastics, holes and surface irregularities in the concrete are patched.  Next a thin concrete overlayment or micro-topping is applied to achieve a clean palette to stain and/or dye.

At this point, the customization of the decorative concrete floor occurs with the creation of colors, patterns, stencils and borders.  The design of the floor is achieved through the application of acid stains, water-based dyes and/or solvent-based dyes.

The final step in creating a decorative concrete floor is applying a solvent-based or water-based sealer to the floor to enhance the natural durability of concrete.