Sunday, February 28, 2010
concrete flooring
Beyond aesthetic preferences, decorative concrete offers practical advantages over other types of flooring, owners and contractors say:
It’s more durable than hardwood, vinyl or carpet, especially for leaky basements in the rain-soaked Northwest. If properly installed and finished, concrete never needs to be replaced.
It’s environmentally friendly. Making slab foundations do double duty as flooring allows homeowners to skip buying glue, wood or other materials to cover the concrete; that saves resources, according to “Ed Begley Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living.” Plus, concrete’s main ingredient, limestone, is so abundant people needn’t worry about using a disappearing resource. Consumers can look for concrete mixes with a high rate of recycled materials such as fly ash, a by-product of coal-burning plants, actor and environmentalist Begley writes in his 2009 book.
It’s a healthy option for allergy sufferers. Wall-to-wall carpet can harbor dust mites, grime and mold, and emit harmful gases called volatile organic compounds. Dirt, pet dander and the like can be easily removed from concrete floors through damp mopping with water or a neutral pH cleaner.
Source: McClatchy Newspapers