Monday, 21 October 2013

How To Overcome Cons Of Polished Concrete With Its Pros?

Polished Concrete
The modern option in the indoor flooring material is the concrete and it is a highly functional, Eco-friendly, versatile and less expensive choice when compared with other flooring options. The appealing look to the concrete floor can be created by adding color or stencil to it. The positive and negative aspects of the polished concrete flooring should be considered by a person prior to construction.

Cons of Polished Concrete
  • The fixing up of polished concrete is a chaotic job and to protect your walls and furniture extra care needs to be taken.
  • Highly specialised labor is involved in the process of installation.
  • Polished floors are more slippery and lead to falls and injuries.
  • Foot fatigue may be caused after long standing periods.
  • The floors are colder to step on throughout the year, but can be solved by putting in few area rugs.
  • Though resealing is inexpensive, high traffic areas will need it every few months.
  • Transmitssound too easily and even creates echoes.
  • Fluctuations in the temperature may cause cracks on the concrete floor.

Overcome Cons Of Polished Concrete With Its Pros


Durable, Strong Material
  • Hardest material which makes it the most durable.
  • Highly resistant to scratch when laid and cured properly.
  • Easily available and less expensive.
  • Long lasting.
Hygiene
  • Prevents the development of dust, dust mites and animal dander. 
  • Facilitates easy removal of the allergens which live deep in carpet as they can be easily swept, mopped and vacuumed whenever needed.
Polished Concrete
Environmentally Friendly
  • Trees are not cut down for the making of concrete.
  • Energy produced is less when compared with other flooring types
  • Minimises the waste products.
  • Devoid of harmful volatile organic compounds unlike other flooring options.
Cost Efficient Option
  • One time investment as the floor never needs to be replaced.
  • It also requires lower maintenance as it involves simple sweeping and washing.

Coloured Concrete

Friday, 4 October 2013

Aspects to consider for the creation and purchase of Quality Concrete

The aesthetic appeal for a dwelling is acquired from several factors, with the flooring options having greater influence towards the cause. Concrete is the preferred flooring option for many as it offers different design options, durable, easy to maintain, environmentally friendly, long lasting and many.

Normal concrete is the combination of cement, aggregates (coarse and fine), water and admixture in which cement is the most important factor that influence the characteristics of the concrete.

Quality Concrete

“Curing concrete” refers to the time that the concrete needs to reach maximum hardness. One should be depending on the concrete structures to withstand all kinds of weather and temperature changes. In order to attain this, optimum crystal growth within the concrete mixture is important. When Portland cement is mixed with water, crystals are formed and they bind the materials in the concrete mix into an incredibly strong rock like mass.

During the manufacture of concrete, the best crystal formation in the cement is supported by the following factors: 

  • Optimum temperature, which should not drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Centigrade) and ideally should be 50 degrees (10 degrees Centigrade) or higher. Very high temperature will result in the production of heat during the chemical process and the will lead to the cracking of the concrete product.
  • Like temperature water also has its impact on the chemical reaction. Correct proportion of water in the concrete aids proper growth of the crystals and increases the bond by intertwining round the sand and the gravel.
  • Also, for proper curing, the surface of the concrete must be kept damp and hence sprayed down with water.
  • The strength and hardness of the concrete is also determined with the proper mixing of the ingredients resulting in a homogeneous mixture before adding water. This will avoid the differing degrees of hardness in the various parts of the finished product.

The best quality mixes can be acquired from a credible supplier after conducting little research. In order to please the clients and gain new ones one needs to know which supplier will be able to offer the best quality mix.