The Practical and Aesthetic Benefits of Concrete for Renovating Your Home
Home is where one feels most relaxed and comfortable. It doesn’t need to be lively, sophisticated, or luxurious. The atmosphere of one’s home simply needs to match the preference of the ones living under it. This is why as the years go by, houses will see a lot of renovations according to the whims of its owner. As people change, so do houses.
A lot of home major home renovations include the changing of walls and floors. Homeowners may opt to change the materials that make them up. For instance, homeowners may choose to break down a portion of their wall to replace the material from hardwood to polished concrete. Or some may even opt to change their floors to decorative concrete to achieve artistic patterns.
When it comes to renovating walls and floors, concrete can be a solid option because of its ease of application. Dubbed as the most used construction material in the world, concrete comes in a gooey paste that is mixed, assembled, and applied on site. This is very unlike other construction materials such as brick and hardwood that are essentially chunks that need to fit perfectly together. Aside from the foundation and walls of one’s home, concrete is what makes up most buildings and infrastructure. Some bridges, tunnels, and subways are also constructed with the application of shotcrete, a method of applying concrete through a high-pressure nozzle.
The application of concrete in one’s walls and floors can open up a variety of options for aesthetics. Polished concrete can offer a bright and marble-like appearance to the walls and floors, making it look bright and luxurious especially when paired with clean and lightly coloured furniture.
A concrete supplier in Melbourne can offer various types of polished concrete. One common type of such is called the Grind and Seal, where the top part of the concrete is ground to show as little or as much stone as possible, depending on the homeowner’s choice. A sealer is then applied to the polished concrete to protect it from damage, corrosion, and staining.
The floors and walls of a house can also be installed with decorative concrete. Through this method, concrete is formed and molded into different shapes and figures to achieve an aesthetic appearance. Decorative concrete is commonly applied through stamping. In this case, pre-molded concrete is simply stamped on the ground and cut as needed to fit the desired shape. Color can then be applied to make the stamped concrete look like cobblestone, hardwood, and whatever design the homeowner prefers.
Gone are the days where people needed to carry enormous chunks of stone that need to be cut and applied on site. Generally known as “the recipe for stone”, concrete comes as a bag of powder that can be simply mixed and applied as a gooey paste. Upon mixture, its fluid texture makes it easy for constructors to apply concrete into different shapes. The shotcrete may even be used to improve the integrity of the concrete.
As far as building materials go, concrete is the go-to material for many home renovators. This is because concrete is generally durable, resistant to fire, and easy to apply. It is also more affordable than brick and hardwood.
Renovating can be tough work that requires a lot of planning and creativity. Designs, placements, costs, aesthetics, and compatibility are only a few of the things that need to be considered when planning to add or replace a few touches in one’s home. Whether it’s redecorating one room or the house as a whole, renovating requires a lot of careful planning as the cost of resources can be badly affected if ideas change halfway. Thus, it is better to have a solid image of the desired appearance before finally deciding to renovate. This is why it is best to consult with experienced designers for the best ideas. It would also help to check with a local concrete supplier in Melbourne for materials.
