Pros and Cons of Decorative Overlays
Adding decorative overlays to your concrete can transform your floors, taking them from something drab and boring to something fabulous and sophisticated. You can enjoy the benefits of concrete, such as its low maintenance and its eco-friendly design, while still enjoying a beautiful floor in any room of your home. Brunswick Concrete Contractors will help you achieve the best of concrete projects that you want for your home and creating decorative overlays is one of their many projects.
These decorative concrete overlays can give you a glossy floor with color or even a design, and you can stick to a minimalist floor that is better for the environment and your budget. You don’t have to cover up your concrete floors with tile or carpet.
There are many advantages to decorative overlays and very few disadvantages.
Decorative Concrete Overlays Advantages
- Strong and Durable
Concrete is one of the strongest materials available for your floors. The decorative overlay consists of stain or pigments, so the floor remains as strong as ever. The floor coatings themselves are resistant to most damage, including stains and etching from chemicals or heavy equipment. You can expect your floor coatings to last as long as your floors – which can be your whole life. You won’t have to replace your floors every decade or so, the way you would with other flooring types.
- Low Maintenance
You don’t have to do much to keep your decorative concrete flooring looking great. You just need to sweep and mop it to keep up debris and spills. You can seal or wax the floors to make them even more stain-resistant, but they will go on looking great for many years even if you just keep up a schedule of sweeping and mopping.
- Attractive
Concrete isn’t very attractive or inspiring, but you can change that with a decorative overlay. You have multiple options with overlays, including a variety of colors, stains, stencils, stamps, and even finishes. You can have different degrees of shine or friction, depending on your preference. You can choose a combination of options that will create a unique look for your floors. You’ll have visitors gushing over your floors and dying to know where you got them.
- Cost Efficient
Adding a decorative overlay to your concrete floor is a lot more affordable than laying down new carpet, tile, or hardwood floors. Even if you want to add a stamped overlay, which requires adding a thin coat to the existing floor, you’ll still save a lot of money over other options. You can even replicate the look of natural stone with a decorative overlay, and you’ll pay a fraction of the cost of what you would pay for the stone.
Disadvantages
- Its Cold
Concrete isn’t like carpet. You won’t sink your feet into warm, fuzzy fibers. On a winter morning, you are going to put your feet down on a cold, hard floor. That’s not going to be much of a problem in Arizona, but you might still have a few cold mornings. You can always put down throw rugs, so this is a con that’s easily managed.
- Possible Crack
Concrete can crack over time, especially if the slab was not laid properly or if the ground below it shifts. When it cracks, so does the overlay. You can use the cracks to your advantage by creating a rustic look. However, if that’s not the look you prefer, you’ll have to invest in repairing the cracks in the concrete and the overlay. Fortunately, those repairs will be easy to make.
- Needs to be Sealed
You don’t have to seal your concrete coatings, but if you want to give them the longest life span and protect their beauty for the longest time, you should. Sealing protects the coatings from moisture and from staining, and it helps to maintain the glossy finish. If you have a floor in a high-traffic area, such as a garage, you will need to seal your floors every few years.
