Construction & Contractors Blog
The flooring within a bathroom has a significant impact on its overall design, covering such a vast area of the room. Rather than going with a more common option such as stone or ceramic tiles, why not create a different look with concrete polishing? Here are several reasons to go down this path when planning your new bathroom.
Replicates The Earthiness Of Stone
Polished concrete flooring will help you to create a tranquil earthy aesthetic in your bathroom by channelling the organic feel of natural stone. Contractors can polish grey cement to bring out its rustic character, or they can apply stains and dyes during installation. Layering various tones of greys, blues, fawns or tans adds depth and variation to the colours. Another option is to fill the cement with pebble or gravel aggregates, which will display their natural hues once polishing removes the top cement layer.
Creates An Even, Continuous Surface
To induce a calm feeling, nothing works so well as eliminating unnecessary detail on all the different surfaces in a room. Busy aspects provide many distractions and points of interest for the eye to follow, which can be tiring. Concrete is unique amongst hard materials because it covers the floor in one piece. Other comparable substances such as ceramic and stone go across the ground in individual tiles. Even timber floors use separate planks. Concrete, though, without multiple joints, provides a pleasantly smooth, unbroken appearance.
Hygienic And Waterproof
While mould-collecting grout can harbour germs, polished concrete affords a hygienic, watertight surface. Your contractor can advise on specific waterproofing choices for your installation. Some options might include adding a membrane to a sub-layer of concrete, after which a topping layer of cement undergoes a concrete polishing process. Alternatively, one layer of concrete might undergo waterproofing.
Saves Energy: Lighting And Heating
The sheen on sparkling concrete floors reflects light around the bathroom, allowing you to either turn on lights less frequently or install low-watt globes. Over time, these savings will be reflected in your bills.
Additionally, you could install radiant underfloor heating in your bathroom for a luxurious, pampered experience. Because concrete has a high thermal mass (it absorbs and stores heat), you can potentially save on energy costs. When you turn on the heating, the concrete will collect heat rather than merely dissipating it immediately into the air. Then, later on, even with the heating turned off, the floor will continue to slowly release this stored inner warmth.
Share30 March 2020
Hello, my name is Colin and this is my construction blog. When people think of the construction industry, they often just imagine guys in hard hats building brick walls. While this is a popular image of the industry, it doesn't reflect the true diversity of different contractors and tradesmen who are involved in a construction project. Lasy year, my wife and I decided to construct our dream home. I had to arrange visits of plumbers, roofers, electricians, surveyors and home builders in order to get the job done. I learnt a lot during that experience, so I decided to start this blog.