Have you bought an older house with areas of boring grey concrete outside, such as beneath the washing line or forming the patio area or Lapa floor at the back of the house? Perhaps you even have a concrete pathway to the front door or a porch at the front of the house? The chances are high that this concrete is probably looking more than a little the worse for wear, broken in places or cracked with a decoration of established weeds and grass wherever they could gain a roothold. It could even be that you have a new house with a concrete garage floor, which is pretty much the norm these days. These floors look fine when new, but soon become discoloured by oil, dirt and general grime.
Is there any way of replacing a cement floor?
Whichever way you look at it, concrete is not an attractive and inviting option on its own. It presents an industrial, cold and rather forbidding appearance which is not conducive to a relaxing and warm atmosphere. Chances are that you will probably not want to go to the expense and inconvenience of having it broken up by a professional contractor and hauled away, as well as the additional cost of replacing it with paving or brickwork. Whilst you could ask a concrete specialist to come in and fix the cracks or even throw an overlay of new concrete over the old surface, it will still present the same unappealing effect.
Try your hand at creative DIY fixes
But don’t despair! There are a few ways in which you can jazz up a concrete floor and make it look absolutely stunning, and the only limit is your imagination. For the artistic DIYers out there, use your creative skills and paint a design on the surface – it’s the perfect canvas. You can create any design you wish, from the traditional slasto-effect look to something more abstract and colourful and totally unique to yourself. For the less confident person, one could section the floor using masking tape and create the effect of tiles or paving stones with various hues of brown, ochre and even hints of blue. This is an easy fix, as this could be achieved by using a thick sponge dipped in the various paint colours and randomly ‘stamped’ and blended onto the floor to give a natural effect, as no two stones would be exactly the same, as found in nature. Alternatively, a rectangular brick-sized sponge could be used to stamp the effect of brickwork, with spaces between each ‘brick’ forming the grout line. This could also be achieved by masking off the ‘grout’ areas and simply using a paint roller to cover the entire area, which would produce the same effect as stamping the design onto the floor.
Remember – clean first, paint and then seal thoroughly
The main thing to remember before doing any sort of artistic work on an existing concrete floor is first, to ensure that the floor is clean by hosing it down and working with a stiff-bristled brush to scrub away any particularly stubborn dirt and oil build-up. Two, buy the best outdoor quality paints which will stand up to foot traffic and harsh UV rays, and third, to seal the floor properly with two or more coats of the appropriate sealant to protect the paintwork.
There are many professional options available
Revamping a concrete floor can also be achieved through other methods. If you want to go the professional route, you can call in the specialists to revamp your old concrete flooring in a variety of ways. They offer services such as overlaying the existing floor with options such as stone chip or quartz-stone flooring, which is extremely hard-wearing and is available in a range of colours and stones which are ground to a flat and polished surface. Because the layer is between 6 – 10mm thick, this type of overlay is useful across residential, commercial and industrial spheres. Quartz-stone flooring is stain-resistant, UV resistant, extremely hard wearing and non-slip, as well as being low maintenance. You could also opt for cement-stained flooring, which is extremely attractive as the stain penetrates well into the concrete and provides a mottled 3D appearance which provides a very natural aspect. If you prefer a solid colour, you can ask for colour cement flooring (also known as Float & Finish). This cement-based finish is hard-wearing, strong and durable and can also be applied over an existing screed surface, as can epoxy flooring. In all cases, two to three layers of industrial roll-on polyurethane are applied over the surface to provide additional protection to the floor and can be finished in matte, gloss or a satin finish.
Ugly outdoor floors CAN be beautified!
Whichever route you choose to go, there are always options available to you. Either get your artistic and creative DIY hat on and do it yourself – together with the satisfaction that this will bring when it is finished – or you could call in the specialists to do the job for you in a professional manner in half the time. You don’t have to live with ugly flooring outside. Beautify your home and garden areas with attractive and hard-wearing cement or concrete finishes which will add enjoyment and value to the area.
