Concrete flooring have been common in warehouses and factories for decades, and they have recently gained popularity in homes and apartments. Despite their popularity, concrete floors pose a number of health risks for those who must walk on them every day. These health issues might be quite minor or very serious, but their effects can linger for a long time. Muscles and tendons can be permanently damaged by standing on concrete floors, leading to chronic pain.
It's true that concrete flooring have their benefits and drawbacks, but they're still a terrific option to consider. They are more difficult to clean than other flooring options and may even be hazardous to your family's health. Read on to find out the benefits and drawbacks of concrete floors so that you can make a well-informed decision for your home and family.
Concrete floors are well-liked by homeowners because they last a long time, are inexpensive, are simple to clean, and provide aesthetic value to a property. But, before you decide to go through with laying concrete flooring in your home, you should weigh all of the benefits and drawbacks.
FAQs About Internal Waterproofing
Polished concrete floors are toxic-free because they aren't treated with chemicals or sealers that emit harmful VOCs. They also are easy to maintain and require only periodic sweeping or wet mopping with mild, non-toxic detergents.
Concrete houses provide healthy environments with fewer airborne allergens, moulds, and toxins than most wood-frame houses. A concrete wall system limits the infiltration of outside allergens to the inside of the house. In addition, concrete resists mould and mildew more than wood.
Workplace safety is important, so workers who stand and walk on hard concrete floors for long periods can end up with sore feet, swollen legs and knee and back pain. Over time, workers may suffer from chronic pain and workplace injury.
Sanding, grinding, or cutting concrete can also release large amounts of dust containing high levels of crystalline silica. Prolonged or repeated exposure can lead to a disabling and often fatal lung disease called silicosis. Some studies also indicate a link between crystalline silica exposure and lung cancer.
Sleeping on the floor may increase the risk of fractures or feel too cold—people prone to feeling cold. Conditions like anemia, type 2 diabetes, and hypothyroidism can make you feel cold. Floor sleeping can make you even colder, so it's best to avoid it.
Living On Concrete Floors Causes Health Issues
Discomfort In The Feet
Because they don't absorb stress, concrete floors immediately cause pain in the soles and heels of the feet. When we fall, our feet take the brunt of the impact while our muscles absorb the stress, protecting our legs, back, and the rest of our body. Muscle soreness and brittle bones are two side effects of this condition. This results in an overall higher degree of vulnerability.
Lower-Leg Ache
Lower leg pain is a common complaint among those who have to live on concrete floors for extended periods of time because the feet are unable to adequately absorb the shock that is sent to the joints from the concrete. Harder impact that usual from of the hard concrete might also cause aching calves and knees. Knee arthritis can occur after years of wear and tear on the joints.
Hip Dysplasia
Continually putting stress on hip sockets by walking on concrete. Also, the hip joints are jarred from the impact with the concrete, leading to potential long-term injury such arthritis or deterioration of the hip bone, which could lead to the need for hip-replacement surgery.
Backache In The Lower Back
The force of each stride can cause discomfort from the calf muscles and thighs all the way up towards the lower back. The feet, calves, and hips absorb most of the impact from hard floors, so the back was usually the last place to feel the effects. Because of this, most people who choose to live in an apartment with a concrete floor will only endure temporary discomfort in their lower back.
Irritation Of The Skin
Carpet is typically laid on concrete floors, although there may be times when the carpet is removed or worn away. Because cement residue can irritate the skin, this could become a problem, especially if individuals regularly walk on the floors nude, which can compound the problem by irritating the foot soles.
Concrete Flooring Has Many Health Advantages
It is uncommon for homeowners to think about their health and wellbeing while making flooring decisions. Priorities typically include price, convenience, aesthetic appeal, and ease of upkeep. But imagine the opportunity to have a floor which not only looked amazing, but also protected you from harmful chemicals, improved your air quality, lifted your spirits, and was safe for your pets.
Put A Stop To Sneezing
By replacing wall-to-wall carpet with attractive polished concrete, allergy sufferers can find respite from their symptoms. Carpeting is notoriously difficult to clean and quickly becomes a refuge for dust mites, pollen, and other allergens, all of which can aggravate allergy sufferers. If you suffer from allergies, you may find relief in installing concrete flooring in your home due to its lack of porosity and ease of maintenance.
Improve The Quality Of Your Indoor Air
Homes contaminated with toxic mould have been linked to a variety of health problems, including migraines, respiratory infections, as immune system dysfunction. Mold can develop on almost any organic object, especially when the weather is warm and wet. Yet, concrete floors do not encourage the growth of mould, mildew, or other hungry microbes like wood, carpets composed of plant fibres, as well as other organic materials.
Stop Airborne Dust
Radiant in-floor heat pumps are a great way to save money, and they work well with polished concrete floors. To provide clean, uniform heat, radiant heating uses coils powered by electric or hot water that are implanted in concrete flooring. In contrast to forced-air heating, radiant in-floor heating allows you to reduce the thermostat setting without sacrificing comfort. Another perk of in-floor radiant heating is that it prevents the recirculation of dust and grime that can occur in houses when using forced-air heating systems.
Reduce Your Toxic Chemical Exposure
The dangers of breathing in dirty air are well-known to the general public. Did you realise that the same health risks can be caused by poor indoor air quality? Indoor air pollution is considered a top five environmental risk by the Environmental Protection Agency. What's more, studies show that the average person spends about 90% of their time inside. As a result, for many of us, being indoors may be more unhealthy than being outside.
Which flooring materials have the least impact on the quality of air in a room? Several of the materials used in carpet construction, including such adhesives and padding, can also be sources of VOC emissions; this is especially true of synthetic carpets. A number of the adhesive used it to secure vinyl flooring and linoleum may additionally be a source of VOC emissions. Because they are not sealed with volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting chemicals, concrete floors floors are a non-toxic flooring option. Also, they don't require much in the way of upkeep beyond the occasional sweep or wet cleaning with non-toxic, mild detergents. There are no negative consequences on the quality of indoor air from putting concrete floors, so even hospitals are doing it.
Modifying Your House to Accommodate Pets
Polished concrete is one of the few flooring options that is safe for both pets and their owners. Your pet's paws, which are constantly in contact with the floor, will be protected from toxic substances. Polished concrete and similar smooth flooring options are preferable for pet owners with allergies since they don't hold pet dander like carpet does, making it simple to clean up after pets.
Improve Your Outlook
Polished concrete floors have a high light reflectance, making a room brighter than it otherwise would be. Bringing light into a room may dramatically change its atmosphere and give it a whole new feel. A specular reflection can also affect other rooms in your house, bouncing light around to make the most of existing windows.
By increasing the quantity of sunlight that enters a home throughout the day and decreasing the necessity of artificial illumination at night, installing light-colored concrete floors floors can contribute to energy conservation and cut lighting expenses. In the same way that polished concrete floors look better than just a dull, drab surface, they also have the psychological benefit of raising one's mood.
Make It Your Own
Having a home that is decorated in a way that is unique to you can boost your spirits and help you relax. Using dyes, dyes, and artistic etching, the possibilities for personalising the look of polished concrete floors for the sake of feng shui are practically unlimited.
Pros And Cons Of Concrete Flooring
For many years, basements, garage, patios, and utility rooms have all made do with plain concrete slabs for flooring. Yet nowadays, polished, etched, or coloured concrete can also be used as a finished flooring surface inside a house. Let's say you have a preconceived notion that concrete is only good for functional surfaces. If that's the case, you might be surprised to learn about concrete's many benefits as a flooring option. Concrete flooring can be incredibly stylish and colourful, because they're not a good fit for every design scheme.
If you have a concrete floor poured in your home and keep it in good condition, it will likely last as long as you do. Also, there is a wide variety of styles to choose from. But, walking on concrete might be uncomfortable due to its hardness and chilliness. Only in homes with concrete foundations or the basements or homes built over foundation foundations is it a viable option. These flooring are "on-grade," or in direct touch with the earth, and as a result may be affected by groundwater seeping into the home.
Pros
- affordable on a scale
- Durable
- Very low-maintenance
- Adaptability in layout
Cons
- Brutal and icy
- Slippery
- Able to absorb water
- Worries about the environment
Cost Of A Concrete Floor
There is a wide range of installed prices for concrete floors due to the variety of available finishes. The price per square foot can vary from $2 for the most basic to $30 or higher for the most elaborately designed floors.
Prices range from $2 - $6 per sq foot for the most fundamental of designs. Polishing and a single-color staining treatment round out the standard steps in designing a concrete floor (staining or dying).
The average cost of a square foot of interior design is between $7 and $14. All the steps from pouring a slab or overlay through polishing & staining with different colours are included in this pricing range.
Premium construction costs $15–$30 per square foot. Concrete floors can range from simple to elaborately designed and decorated using a wide range of texturing, stamping, and colouring options. Really creative flooring.
A concrete slab that has been properly sealed and maintained can last forever. When used for commercial purposes, concrete can last for decades despite heavy foot traffic. Instead of having to replace your flooring every few years, you can save time and money by doing this instead.
Repair And maintenance
Because of its inherent strength and durability, concrete flooring is frequently used in high-traffic commercial spaces like garages and warehouses. When used as a flooring material in a home, concrete offers similar benefits. In addition to being resistant to scratches from shoes and furniture legs, it also resists damage from claws and paws. Also, most goods that are dropped won't hurt you. A concrete floor can be chipped or scratched, but only with considerable effort.
Maintaining a concrete floor's pristine appearance is a breeze. Maintaining the barrier requires sealing or waxing it every from three to nine month, depending on the amount of foot activity. A neutral cleaning product can be used to mop the floor on a regular basis to keep it looking good. Use a purple utility pad on stains that just won't come out.
Over time, concrete floors can settle and develop cracks. This is especially common in basement or loft conversions, when the original structural slab has been modified to accommodate the new use as a residential flooring surface. Even if the floor is severely damaged, it can be patched, ground, and refinished to look like new.
Design
Concrete floors complement contemporary and industrial decor but clash with traditional and antique themes. A polished & acid-stained concrete floor, for instance, would be out of place in a traditional Colonial home but would look great in a more modern one.
A concrete floor is no longer limited to a poured or polished slab. Whilst a smooth, polished slab may meet all of a homeowner's requirements at other times, many other surface treatments are available.
- A concrete overlay is a light dusting of new concrete that is placed over an old slab to make it seem and feel like new again. The overlay is treated as a brand-new slab, with the same polishing and staining procedures.
- A simple poured slab and overlay can be polished to a mirror-like sheen by using increasingly finer abrasive pads. A floor that has been sealed and then polished looks fantastic.
- Treatment with moderate acids causes concrete's aggregates to react, creating a colourful, mottled surface reminiscent of marble. Each story is different from the others.
- The concrete can also be dyed by adding a solid colourant to the surface after it has been poured. Dyeing, in contrast to acid staining, results in a uniform coloration.
- To give concrete a three-dimensional appearance, it can be "texturized" by brushing, stamping, or embedding it with beads or quarry dust while it is still wet.
- Separated into geometric patterns, high-end concrete floors often feature a variety of colours and textures for visual interest.
- Concrete floors make great canvases for stencilling or airbrushing, among other artistic painting techniques.
Installation Of A Concrete Floor
The typical method for making a polished, coloured, or textured concrete floor in a home involves grinding down an already-existing structural concrete slab but then adding the desired finish. The first step is to expose the concrete floor by taking up any carpeting or vinyl that might be there. If the slab is in bad shape, a new layer of concrete could be poured on top of it and used as a foundation for decorative finishes like staining, colouring, or texturing. While pouring a new slab or overlay, colouring additives can be incorporated into the concrete. Instead, staining or dying is typically done after concrete has indeed been polished using grinding pads of increasingly finer grits.
The last step is to seal the concrete to prevent water damage. This procedure will require periodic touch-ups; once a year is recommended by some experts.
In some unusual cases, concrete flooring can even be installed over a lumber subfloor. Here, a thin layer of replacement concrete is poured over a well cleaned and sanded subfloor before the desired colouring and polishing processes are applied. However, even a concrete wall overlay is rather heavy, so the wood structure usually needs to be reinforced before the operation can begin.
Concrete floors are often placed and finished professional professionals because the work is difficult and requires specialised tools, whether a new slab is being poured, an existing slab is being modified, or an overlay is being poured. Renting a grinder and honing a concrete slab yourself is possible for the DIY-curious, but it's not a good idea.
Any kind of flooring material can be used on concrete if the surface is flat, even, and free of faults. As a result, you have a lot of options for the rest of your home's decor when you start with a concrete floor.
Downsides
This material's high strength and durability are both assets and potential drawbacks. Concrete floors are extremely tough, thus any kind of fall into them can cause significant pain or even major injury. The same holds true for fragile items dropped on such floors. This is why you shouldn't put concrete in areas frequented by kids or the elderly, or even in kitchens where dishes are frequently dropped. It's not pleasant to stand on concrete for extended periods of time due to its extreme hardness.
High-gloss finishes, such as those achieved by polishing or buffing concrete, or by applying a sealer, can make the material dangerously slippery when wet. This is especially true of concrete in humid environments like those found in kitchens, bathrooms, and foyers. Also, unless a radiant radiant floor system is built, bare feet on concrete in the winter will be a bit chilly. Carpets & throw rugs help mitigate concrete's chilliness, but they can't completely eliminate it.
When placed on bare soil, concrete is easily damaged by water if not adequately sealed on both the top and bottom. Concrete's coolness can also lead to condensation in humid climates. Mold and mildew can flourish in your home if water seeps through the concrete and into the pores below. In some places, you'll additionally need to worry about the floor cracking due to moisture chilling, expanding, and thawing.
As there is no need to produce new concrete, eco-conscious buyers can rest easy while completing an old concrete slab. The production of concrete, however, necessitates a substantial outlay of energy and produces enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, giving homeowners cause for concern when contemplating a new slab or overlay.
Is A Concrete Floor The Right Choice For You?
If your home already has a slab foundation and you like the way the polished shimmer of honed concrete complements your design aesthetic, a concrete floor may be the best option. Concrete floors are popular because they are inexpensive and durable. In fact, you may never have to replace a concrete floor because of its longevity. But, the floor is really hard and will be quite cold.
Conclusion
Concrete flooring poses a number of health risks, such as discomfort in the feet, hip dysplasia, lower-leg ache, and backache in the lower back. Before laying concrete flooring, it is important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks. Concrete flooring has many health benefits, such as protecting from harmful chemicals, improving indoor air quality, and preventing sneezing. Radiant in-floor heat pumps are a great way to save money and reduce toxic chemical exposure, while polished concrete floors are safe for both pets and their owners. Concrete flooring has many benefits, such as increased light reflectance, energy conservation, and psychological benefits, but can also be uncomfortable due to its hardness and chilliness.
Concrete flooring has a wide range of installed prices, ranging from $2 for the most basic to $30 or higher for the most elaborately designed floors. Repair and maintenance is a breeze, but over time, concrete floors can settle and develop cracks. Concrete floors complement contemporary and industrial decor but clash with traditional and antique themes. They can be polished to a mirror-like sheen, dyed, texturized, and stencilled or airbrushed. Concrete floors are difficult and require specialised tools, but can be used if the surface is flat, even, and free of faults. Concrete floors are popular because they are inexpensive and durable, but can be difficult to maintain due to their hardness and coolness.
Content Summary
- Despite their popularity, concrete floors pose a number of health risks for those who must walk on them every day.
- It's true that concrete flooring have their benefits and drawbacks, but they're still a terrific option to consider.
- Read on to find out the benefits and drawbacks of concrete floors so that you can make a well-informed decision for your home and family.
- But, before you decide to go through with laying concrete flooring in your home, you should weigh all of the benefits and drawbacks.
- Because of this, most people who choose to live in an apartment with a concrete floor will only endure temporary discomfort in their lower back.
- It is uncommon for homeowners to think about their health and wellbeing while making flooring decisions.
- If you suffer from allergies, you may find relief in installing concrete flooring in your home due to its lack of porosity and ease of maintenance.
- Radiant in-floor heat pumps are a great way to save money, and they work well with polished concrete floors.
- In contrast to forced-air heating, radiant in-floor heating allows you to reduce the thermostat setting without sacrificing comfort.
- Another perk of in-floor radiant heating is that it prevents the recirculation of dust and grime that can occur in houses when using forced-air heating systems.
- Which flooring materials have the least impact on the quality of air in a room?
- Because they are not sealed with volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting chemicals, concrete floors floors are a non-toxic flooring option.
- Polished concrete floors have a high light reflectance, making a room brighter than it otherwise would be.
- By increasing the quantity of sunlight that enters a home throughout the day and decreasing the necessity of artificial illumination at night, installing light-colored concrete floors floors can contribute to energy conservation and cut lighting expenses.
- Using dyes, dyes, and artistic etching, the possibilities for personalising the look of polished concrete floors for the sake of feng shui are practically unlimited.
- If you have a concrete floor poured in your home and keep it in good condition, it will likely last as long as you do.
- There is a wide range of installed prices for concrete floors due to the variety of available finishes.
- Really creative flooring.
- When used as a flooring material in a home, concrete offers similar benefits.
- Maintaining a concrete floor's pristine appearance is a breeze.
- Concrete floors complement contemporary and industrial decor but clash with traditional and antique themes.
- A concrete floor is no longer limited to a poured or polished slab.
- The typical method for making a polished, coloured, or textured concrete floor in a home involves grinding down an already-existing structural concrete slab but then adding the desired finish.
- While pouring a new slab or overlay, colouring additives can be incorporated into the concrete.
- In some unusual cases, concrete flooring can even be installed over a lumber subfloor.
- Any kind of flooring material can be used on concrete if the surface is flat, even, and free of faults.
- As a result, you have a lot of options for the rest of your home's decor when you start with a concrete floor.
- This material's high strength and durability are both assets and potential drawbacks.
- It's not pleasant to stand on concrete for extended periods of time due to its extreme hardness.
- Also, unless a radiant radiant floor system is built, bare feet on concrete in the winter will be a bit chilly.
- As there is no need to produce new concrete, eco-conscious buyers can rest easy while completing an old concrete slab.
- If your home already has a slab foundation and you like the way the polished shimmer of honed concrete complements your design aesthetic, a concrete floor may be the best option.
- In fact, you may never have to replace a concrete floor because of its longevity.
- But, the floor is really hard and will be quite cold.
