When remodeling your bathroom, you’ll eventually have to consider what you’d like to have for flooring. Many options are ideal for specific situations like porcelain, ceramic, stone, marble tiles are all great options. However, if you’re looking for something a bit different, you might want to look more into concrete flooring as an option for your bathroom remodels. It’s not nearly as popular as tile yet, but we think it has some fantastic features that will soon make it a top contender in bathroom flooring options. So let’s go through everything you need to know about concrete flooring so you can decide if it’s right for you and your family.
Why Use Concrete in a Bathroom?
Concrete has been around as a flooring option for a long time, but mostly in industrial situations or as a garage or basement floor. It’s only recently that we’ve started seeing it put in homes as a replacement for hardwood and tile. So let’s find out why many people are drawn to this material.
Durability
Concrete is a very durable material. Most flooring needs to be replaced within ten to twenty years, but concrete can last a lifetime with the proper maintenance. This means you could install concrete in your bathroom and never worry about it again.
East to Clean
It’s also really easy to clean material. Usually, it’s polished to be smooth, making it easy to vacuum, mop, and wipe up spills. Unlike hardwood and tile, where dirt on the surface can cause scratching, concrete will not scratch if left dirty for periods of time. You can vacuum, dust, dry mop, or wet mop as often or as little as you want.
Modern Aesthetic
If you’re going for a more modern look in your bathroom, concrete is a fantastic option. It looks great in modern spaces. And it’s easily customizable with staining, coloring, and engraving.
Holds Up Against Water
What makes it ideal for bathrooms is its ability to hold up well under the conditions of a bathroom like moisture, condensation, water. Concrete is naturally impervious to water, so it won’t mold or buckle like many other flooring options. If you have kids who leave wet towels on the floors or leave water messes around the tub, this might be an ideal solution for you.
Affordable
Compared to other flooring options with their installation rates and sealing needs, concrete is a very affordable option. Not to mention it lasts a lifetime, so it’s even cheaper considering how long it can last.
Why You Shouldn’t Use concrete in a Bathroom
For all its wonderful attributes, concrete, of course, does have some traits that might not work for everyone. However, most of them have solutions that can range from expensive to affordable.
It’s Cold
Unlike hardwood that feels almost warm even on colder days, concrete is a cold material. And it takes a lot for a concrete floor to warm up, but if you’re pouring a new slab, you have the opportunity to install a heated floor system to combat this feature. So while it is a downside, you can fix it with heated flooring or place area rugs to give your feet a break.
Can Be Slippery
This is only true if the wrong finish is applied. For example, in a bathroom, you’ll want to ensure a delicate amount of roughing up is done to the surface to ensure it doesn’t get slippery. But if this isn’t done, it can be slippery and dangerous, especially in a bathroom.
Might Stain
Concrete is porous and will stain more easily than other flooring options. Usually, this happens when the wrong cleaning chemicals are used, however, sealing the concrete should prevent this from happening.
Types of Concrete Flooring
Now that you know the good and the bad about concrete as a flooring option, let’s dive into the different ways you can apply concrete to your home.
Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is one of the best options for low maintenance. The concrete is tightly compacted and has a smooth surface that’s easy to clean. Additionally, it might look shiny, polished, and smooth, but it’s not slippery even when wet.
Stained Concrete
You can stain concrete to suit almost any aesthetic preference.
These are durable floors that won’t peel or fade or crack, and if you want to ensure the stain stays the same over time, you can seal them with an epoxy coating that will protect them from everything life throws at it.
Stamped Concrete
If you like the idea of concrete but want something with a bit more design, then stamping is probably best for you. There are so many options that can look like tile or stone, and these options allow the flooring to flow well with marbled or tiled bathroom walls. Just be aware that the stamping might cause a more time-consuming clean-up.
Acid Stained Concrete
By mixing hydrochloric or phosphoric acid with salts, installers can apply this mixture to the floor, and it gives the floor a unique pattern that is sure to wow guests. You could even apply fake grout lines to provide the concrete with a more tile look.
With so many styling options, durability, and ease of transition to a modern space, concrete is an excellent option for many homeowners looking to remodel their bathrooms. Remember to hire professionals; this isn’t a project we recommend taking on yourself.
