UK Polished Concrete Flooring: Historically prevalent in commercial settings, basements, and garages, polished concrete floors are now increasingly popular in UK domestic residences. They are becoming a strong competitor to traditionally favoured stone flooring choices like slate, marble, and granite. This shift is largely attributed to recent advancements in the staining and sealing techniques of concrete. As a result, the cost of polished concrete flooring is significantly lower compared to these stone options. Consequently, this trend offers renovation experts and builders a multitude of opportunities and advantages in incorporating polished concrete flooring into their projects.
In an era increasingly focused on environmental sustainability, polished concrete flooring stands out for its eco-friendly credentials. Contrary to initial assumptions, the environmental impact of polished concrete is considerably lower than many alternative flooring options. Typically, the process involves merely refining, sealing, and polishing the pre-existing concrete foundation present in many buildings, eliminating the need for costly new flooring materials. This method does not adversely affect indoor air quality or the external environment, as the process emits minimal chemical vapours from the substances utilised in polishing the concrete. Moreover, the materials and products applied in the sealing and polishing stages are free from enduring odours, further underscoring the eco-friendly nature of polished concrete as a sustainable flooring choice.
Polished concrete floors also offer excellent value for money. For some time concrete has stood out as the cheapest flooring option available in UK. Most often the primary floor foundation is already in place, as a lot of properties in UK are in reality constructed on huge chunks of concrete. The obvious flooring materials of vinyl, carpet, tiles and wood are simply laid on top of it. There's very little less costly than an existing floor surface which simply needs treating. The need for expensive air-conditioning will also be reduced as polished concrete floors remain even on the hottest UK days. Additionally, the reflective surface of a polished concrete floor helps to reduce a property's interior lighting expenditure.
The fact that it is very easy to maintain and clean is another benefit of polished concrete flooring. Routine cleaning is necessary with most commonplace floor coverings. As an example marble floors are susceptible to scuffing and need chemical cleansing agents, carpets and rugs should be routinely vacuumed and wooden flooring needs polishing and waxing. Since it is incredibly resistant to scraping and tarnishing, a polished concrete floor simply requires a swift mopping from time to time. As well as the convenience of this, that might also save you time and effort.
There's no question that one of the principal attractions of a concrete floor is the durability factor. Certainly some of UK's toughest floors were built from treated concrete. The probable lifespan of a properly treated concrete floor is about one hundred years or more. Those folks in the know have long been aware of this fact and have frequently made use of this form of flooring for high traffic areas in UK such as community centres, council buildings, high street shops, restaurants, warehouses and salons. Because it is able to breathe concrete just isn't so susceptible to moisture damage and rotting. Alternative types of flooring like vinyl or tile can trap dampness, causing costly replacements and repairs.
One of the less recognised advantages of concrete, is the health aspect. Problems with breathing and allergies are known to be induced by dust. Carpets with their deep piles and tiles and wooden floorboards with their cutouts and joints are breeding grounds for mites, bugs and pathogens. The plus point with polished concrete is that the final finished surfaces are smooth and seamless and there's no place for such things to collect. For home owners in UK hoping to establish an allergy-free environment, polished concrete floors are most certainly a solution to consider.
Lots of possibilities are available to home owners in UK, because concrete is an extremely accommodating material. The different staining and applications which are readily available mean that you can achieve virtually any look that you desire. For instance, home and business owners who would like the popular "wet" look, can obtain this with the use of penetrating silicon based sealing compounds. Concrete flooring can be fashioned to simulate a faux tile pattern. If the required effect is floorboards a timber plank pattern can be stamped in the concrete. Concrete floors can be diamond ground to reveal a cross section of the aggregate with magnificent results.
In Summary: Just about every home in UK has already got a ready-installed concrete floor. If you are desirous of a floor that is both versatile and environmentally friendly, this may be the best choice. With regard to durability practically nothing compares to concrete. Additionally, it is among the cheapest available flooring materials. It has a great many advantages over alternative styles of floor surface. Informed UK builders and home improvement professionals have long favoured this extremely versatile flooring option.
Granolithic Concrete UK
The flooring material that is often called granolithic concrete (or granolithic screed) is made of a mix of concrete and a granulated aggregate. The aggregate compound could comprise of marble chips, granite or some comparable hard-wearing rock, giving it a consistency that is robust and resilient. This offers a much more visually attractive finish in comparison to traditional concrete, and can be buffed up to a smooth finish and given a final coat of sealant to complete a dense and strong surface.
This form of flooring is especially appropriate for locations which endure high amounts of stress and usage such as with industrial settings, factory floors and pavements in the UK. As it is fairly common for problems like curling and cracking to occur with granolithic screeding, a significant degree of proficiency is necessary in the pouring and finishing of the material.
More Advice and Guidance
To study articles and see images of polished concrete flooring look here. To acquire more info about a brief history of concrete polishing, diamond-polishing concrete, retrofit flooring, the concrete polishing processes, "hybrid" concrete polish and grind-and-seal polished concrete, take a look at Wikipedia here. To get more information about concrete and concreting visit the NRMCA website. To see the trends on social websites check this out.
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