Concrete Flooring Review: Pros and Cons

Concrete flooring is durable, low-cost, and easy to maintain. When properly installed and maintained, it can last for decades. But concrete flooring isn’t just for garages and patios. It can be stained, painted, polished, or stamped for texture. With so many design options, concrete flooring works well in finished basements, kitchens, and common areas.

Learn why concrete flooring might be a good stylistic fit for your home.

Concrete Floor Cost

The cost of concrete flooring ranges from $2 per square foot for a basic to $30 or more for high-end artistically rendered floors.

• Basic design: $2 to $6 per square foot. A basic concrete floor design includes pouring the slab or overlay, then a basic polishing and single colorizing treatment (staining or dyeing).
• Mid-range design: $7 to $14 per square foot. This price range includes pouring the slab or overlay, then polishing and staining with multiple colors.
• High-end design: $15 to $30 per square foot. The most sophisticated (and expensive) concrete floors can include creating geometric patterns in the slab or overlay, as well as multiple colors and a variety of texturizing or stamping techniques.

Maintenance and Repair

Concrete flooring is strong and durable. High heels, furniture legs, and pet claws won’t scratch the concrete, though it will scratch the wax coating.

Concrete flooring should be sealed or waxed every one to three years, depending on the level of traffic. Periodically, use a neutral cleaning agent to mop the floor.

Concrete floors will settle and crack over time. This is a more frequent problem when an existing structural slab has been refurbished into a finished residential flooring surface. If the floor becomes badly cracked, it can be sealed, patched, polished, and sealed to restore its sheen.

Comfort and Convenience

Concrete flooring has little insulating value and will feel quite cold on winter mornings unless installed along with a radiant floor heating system. Carpets and throw rugs can somewhat offset the inherent coldness of concrete.

When concrete is highly polished or coated with a glossy sealer, the surface can be slippery, especially when wet. Concrete flooring in bathrooms, kitchens, or entryways becomes slippery with water, so mats should be used.

Concrete Floor Treatments

While a simple polished slab is often the right look, there are many other options for concrete flooring treatments in terms of color and texture.

Color

• Acid-stain: When treated with mild acids, concrete will interact to form a colorful mottled surface that has a marble-like appearance. Each floor is entirely unique.
• Dyed: Dye is a colorizing agent that creates a solid color effect similar to paint but more opaque.
• Paint:
• Stenciled or airbrushed: Concrete floors can serve as large canvases for a variety of artistic painting techniques.

Texture

• Polish: Concrete can be honed with progressively finer abrasive pads to create a glass-smooth finish.
• Stamping: While still wet, the concrete surface can be brushed, stamped, or embedded with glass beads or fine aggregate to give it a three-dimensional texture.
• Geometric divisions: High-end concrete floors are sometimes laid out with geometric patterns, with each segment colored or texturized in a different way for artistic effect.

Refurbishing Concrete Flooring

Existing concrete flooring can often be refurbished by removing it and grinding it to a smooth finish.

1. Remove existing flooring: Remove the carpeting, vinyl, wood, or laminate flooring already in place.
2. Fix cracks: Repair cracks in the concrete flooring with sealant.
3. Polish the concrete: Grind the concrete with abrasive pads with progressively finer grits.
4. Treatment: Stain, dye, stain, or paint the concrete.
5. Seal the concrete: Apply a concrete sealer to protect the surface.

Pros and Cons

Is a Concrete Floor Right for You?

A concrete floor can be a good choice if you have an existing slab foundation and a home style that complements the look of honed concrete.

Many homeowners appreciate concrete flooring’s low price point, especially when considering the floor’s expected long life.

The tradeoff is a hard and naturally cold floor, so liberal use of carpeting or installing radiant flooring is recommended.

FAQ

Which is more affordable, poured concrete or tile flooring?

Unless you are refurbishing an existing concrete slab, tile flooring is more affordable than concrete flooring.

Do concrete floors require rebar?

Concrete floors do not require rebar, though rebar will improve their strength. Concrete slabs that experience heavy loads usually require rebar. Concrete flooring in houses, when used in basements and kitchens, does not require rebar.

How long does concrete flooring typically last?

A sealed and properly maintained concrete floor can last for several decades. Concrete can survive under high-traffic conditions, even in commercial applications. Over the long run, this can save you considerable money and effort over replacing flooring every few years.