Concrete Floor Finishes (Ultimate Design Guide)

Welcome to our guide to designing concrete floors, including the most popular types for your home.

Concrete floors are becoming increasingly popular because of their durability and style. Class, you’re asking, yeah. With the various concrete floors available today, concrete floors have become a durable and versatile type that can accommodate almost any architectural style. The best part about having a concrete floor in your house? They offer a firm, easy to clean surface that can withstand almost anything.

Concrete is difficult to dent and is resistant to chemical damage. You don’t have to worry about scratches or scuffs. Concrete surfaces are also relatively easy to clean because they are waterproof. If liquid is spilled, just wipe it up. This water resistance also makes cleaning easier, as simply wiping the surface with a little water may make it clean quickly. The only maintenance you need to do is waxing or re-sanding the floor from time to time.

Concrete surfaces

Depending on your taste, style and needs, you can choose from different concrete floor coverings for your home.

Concrete floors can be installed both indoors and outdoors, and there are different types of concrete finishes to meet all needs. So what are the best options for finishing concrete floors? Discover below the most popular types of concrete floors.

Concrete with bedroom area

It is one of the simplest and most elementary forms of concrete surfaces. To finish the concrete, it is sufficient to brush the surface of the newly placed concrete before it is completely dry.

By dragging the brush over the surface of the concrete while it dries, small structural grooves are created. These ribs create an interesting and attractive pattern. However, this is not the only advantage of a brushed concrete surface. The main advantage is that the grooves that remain after the surface has been brushed increase the traction of the concrete floor.

This simple but effective surface is suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications, but is especially suitable for outdoor applications such as walkways and stairs because it prevents them from becoming too slippery in the rain or mud.

Salt concrete

This is another easy way to give a concrete floor or surface an interesting texture.

If you treat the concrete with salt, simply sprinkle it with rock salt before it is completely dry.
When the concrete has dried, spray the surface with water until the salt layer has melted and washed off. Once the salt has disappeared, an interesting pattern of small potholes and depressions remains – where the salt was previously placed.

It is also a particularly good concrete coating for concrete floors and exterior surfaces, as depressions and nicks contribute to good friction.

Concrete blasting

Also known as concrete blasting, a concrete floor is sandblasted to obtain the texture and color of the sand.

To obtain a sand and concrete floor, you must choose a concrete mix that uses sand as an aggregate. Once the concrete floor has been laid and is dry, a chemical product remains on the surface.

This chemical slows down the drying of the top layer of cement. The next day the top layer can be washed, exposing the sand underneath.

ready-mixed concrete

Concrete finishing is achieved by smoothing out the newly applied concrete coating.
In order to obtain a smooth concrete floor, the concrete must be laid and – before it is completely dry – levelled and smoothed with a smooth trowel. To smooth the surface, a hand trowel or a smoothing machine is moved over the surface.

Concrete floating surface

The floating concrete floor provides a compact, smooth and durable surface by allowing the float to glide over the poured concrete. It looks like a chip, except that it uses a tool called a float, which comes in different sizes.

Floating concrete surface trowel

Concrete floors with trowel and liquid screed are very similar. Both surfaces provide a smooth, dense surface. The difference between the two types of concrete treatment lies in the tools used.

Working on floats is a little easier because floats often have long extendable handles that make it possible to level concrete effectively in a comfortable standing position.

Carefully consider whether to use a trowel or liquid screed on exposed floors or in areas with heavy traffic. Smooth concrete can be slippery, especially when wet.

Resilient concrete

Use a commercial filler to finish the concrete floor. A spring finish is a great way to breathe new life into an old uneven concrete floor, as it smoothes the imperfections and leaves a smooth but structured surface.

You can easily buy a refined product from a hardware store and apply it yourself.

Check the label on the pen purchased, then pour the recommended amount of water into a container and add the pen finish. Take care not to overfill the mixture as this will reduce the strength of the resulting mixture. Apply the pin to the floor with a steel spatula and wait until it is dry.

Polished Concrete Finish

The finish of the brush is similar to brushing concrete, but instead of dragging the brush over the surface of the concrete to be dried, you drag the brush over it.

In this way you can create a variety of concrete floors with different textures, as the type of brush used determines the grooves that are left behind. The size of the hairs, their hardness and softness give different types of combs.

Smooth concrete

Smooth concrete floors are the most basic. They are obtained by simply smoothing and levelling the surface of the concrete during the drying process.

Polishing of a smooth concrete floor is usually done with trowels or smoothing machines. However, if you really want a smooth concrete surface without imperfections, it is preferable to first float the top layer of the concrete while it dries and then spray to make sure there are no imperfections.

Cast concrete

To obtain a cast concrete surface, a commercial surface retarder called top cast must be used.

The use of Top Cast additive on concrete floors gives an effect similar to that of a top layer, as this additive serves to expose the cement aggregates. This allows Top-Cast to create a concrete surface that comes in different colours and textures – it all depends on the type of Top-Cast you use. It’s easy to use and apply, just decide what effect you want to achieve.

Acidic washing of concrete surface

Acid washed concrete gives you a speckled concrete floor – just like acid washed jeans.

To obtain an acidic concrete floor, an acidic cleaning solution must be used. You can buy acidic detergents on a commercial basis or mix them yourself. Acid washings are performed by dissolving some of the upper layers of the cast cement and exposing some of the underlying aggregates.

If you decide to mix your own acid wash solution, you should buy a safe acid in a house or hardware store. We recommend the use of hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphate acid or citric acid.

Fill the watering can with a mixture of water and acid of your choice. You can probably use a litre of water for 60 to 75 square metres of concrete. The quantity of acid to be mixed is indicated on the label. Depending on the acidity level, an acidity level of 10 to 50% is recommended.

Sprinkle the mortar over the concrete and scrub with a brush. The solution should form a few bubbles on the surface. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes or until cooking stops.

Wash the acid solution with a solution of water and baking soda. We recommend adding one litre of water to a can of soda. Let the soil dry.

Epoxy coated concrete

The concrete must be coated with epoxy resin. Epoxy resin can be bought in different colours in hardware or do-it-yourself shops. This type of concrete finish gives your floor a brilliant sheen and is usually available in a solid colour. Epoxy coating is particularly suitable for concrete floors in heavily frequented areas such as garages, because it is highly resistant to abrasion and scratches.

If you want to brighten up a room, choose a metallic epoxy finish. This finish imitates the shine and colour of the metal and is about as durable and waterproof as the metal itself.

If you wish to apply an epoxy coating to a new concrete floor, we recommend that you wait 28 to 2 months before applying the epoxy coating. This allows your floor to dry and be carefully adjusted. Clean the floor and let it dry overnight.

There are generally two types of epoxy coatings: solvent-based and water-based. Water-based products are generally clean. So if you want to keep the solid grey look of bare concrete, but want it to shine a little, use this. It is a solvent-based epoxy coating, available in various uni- and metallic colours.

You can start by applying an epoxy primer, which will create a better adhesion between the coating and the floor and increase the resistance of the floor. Apply the primer with a roller brush and leave to dry for 12 to 24 hours.

Apply two layers of epoxy with a roller brush. Check the label in the shop, it usually tells you how many square meters of epoxy it can cover. Make sure you buy enough to cover the land twice. Leave the first coat to dry for 24 hours. Apply a second coat and wait another 24 hours.

Treatment of vortex concrete

A vortex concrete floor is a concrete floor that is structured to create overlapping circular vortices. This interesting and unique pattern is achieved by moving the trowel in a circular or curved pattern over the drying surface of the concrete. Birds can be as deep, as big or as small as you like.

The unique textures and patterns obtained from this finish also have the advantage of increasing surface traction and reducing the risk of slipping and falling.

Ready-to-use concrete supplement

Also known as ornamental concrete finishing, this is essentially a finishing method in which the top layer of the concrete floor is washed, making the aggregates translucent.

Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement and aggregates, usually rocks or stones. Mixed with water, cement becomes a paste that encloses the aggregate.

For concrete aggregates, the aggregate used is selected for its attractiveness. These can be pieces of granite, shells, coloured glass or multicoloured stones. When the concrete hardens, it is treated with a chemical that slows down the curing of the cement. After the nocturnal action of the chemical, the surface is rinsed with surface water and the top layer of the cement is removed, leaving the aggregates unprotected. The result is a variety of unique patterns and textures that also provide a durable yet non-slip surface.

Concrete surface options

Thanks to the variety of concrete finishes available on the market, concrete floors can be made in almost any room, regardless of style.

As mentioned above, there are different types of concrete floors in different colours and shades, so you can choose a floor that matches the general appearance of the room.

You can also choose a finish that allows you to imitate your concrete floor with other flooring materials, such as marble or slate. For example, you can easily set decorative accents. B. with template drawings to achieve a truly unique floor.

Concrete processing costs

The cost of finishing a concrete floor depends on the type of finish and the size of the area you want to finish.

A simple polish or stain will cost you about $2 to $6 per square meter. A more complex finish, for example B. a difficult pickle such as an acid wash, can cost between $5 and $8. Highly decorative surfaces, such as. B. Those that mimic the color and texture of marble or contain templates can cost about $7 to $15.

If your finish requires the use of a special mortar or compound, the price will depend on the cost of the compound and the area you wish to cover.

– A popular brand of spring stuffing is Ardex, you can get a 10 pound bag for about $19 and it needs a 16.7 square foot coverage per bag.
– Water-based epoxies cost about $30 to $50 per bucket, while solvent-based epoxies cost about $45 per bucket.
– A gallon top-cast can cover 200-300 square meters, and a five-gallon bucket costs about $230, depending on the type.

The most popular surface for concrete

The strength and durability of concrete make it a popular material for outdoor construction. Concrete terrace floors and decks are a durable yet elegant addition to any home garden, creating a beautiful and comfortable space for homeowners and their guests to enjoy the beautiful weather and fresh air.

When thinking about concrete decking, some of the best and most popular are those that leave a structured pattern (also called stamped concrete) on the surface to increase soil friction. Because a concrete terrace is outside, it is often exposed to the weather, and smooth concrete can be slippery when wet. Textured or rough concrete surfaces are the best choice in this case, which is why concrete terrace surfaces are very popular.

A simple but elegant solution to create a beautiful non-slip concrete terrace floor would be to use brushes, salt or brushes for a concrete surface. Vortex concrete coatings are also suitable for concrete decks and are relatively easy to apply.

Of course, concrete floors that leave rough surfaces also contribute to increased friction. If you have time, you can also use sand, top casting, acid wax and concrete finishing in places with a lot of traffic.

Concrete surfaces are best suited for smooth surfaces in areas where there is no heavy traffic or for other facilities such as chairs, handrails and benches. A trowel and a floating concrete surface provide a good surface to sit on. Consider using it to make elevated benches on the patio. For decorative accents and colour splashes, you can make decorative plates or patterns with ready-mixed concrete based on epoxy.

How to finish concrete Video

For more information you can visit our concrete countertop gallery here.

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