Polished Concrete Vs. Tiles – Which is Better?

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Greg Bell in Blog, Concrete with Comments Disabled

Both polished concrete and tiles are great options for residential and commercial flooring. Both are hard, relatively low maintenance floors and can be very versatile. We at the The Floor Company have polished concrete in many projects and our clients have always asked us how tiles compare to polished concrete floors. Hopefully this post will answer your questions on the matter.

Durability

Polished concrete floors are very durable and with proper maintenance will last you a lifetime. Tiles are also durable but they’re a little more fragile in comparison to concrete. If you drop something heavy on a tiled floor, it’s likely to crack and chip. With proper maintenance, tiles are quite durable as well but you need to be careful and make sure nothing heavy falls on the floor (this is something to keep in mind for industrial and commercial locations.

Design

Both tiles and polished concrete some in a variety of colours and finishes but polished concrete can actually be customized to your preferences. You can choose any colour or design you want because your options are unlimited. With tiles, you can only choose from the inventory the seller might have. A good contractor will be able to add any design or pattern you want to your concrete floor so all you need to do is explain your preferences to them.

Sustainability

Both tile and concrete floors are quite eco-friendly and sustainable so you can install either of them in your property without guilt. Concrete flooring can be constantly refinished to improve its looks after the polish has somewhat faded. But the tiles need to be replaced if the finish has worn off or they’ve cracked and chipped. That has a greater impact on the environment than concrete flooring.

Maintenance

Both are low maintenance floors but polished concrete requires a little more care than tiles, especially in high traffic areas. Polished concrete doesn’t require sealers or waxing, but it’s a good idea to dust and wet mop the surface regularly. You need to make sure that there’s no dirt or grime build-up on the floor. Tiled floors are relatively easily to maintain but you do need to carefully clean the grout to maintain its looks.

For information on polished concrete or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Are Concrete Floors Pet Friendly?

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Greg Bell in Blog with Comments Disabled

Pets bring happiness to the lives of their owners. They’re wonderful companions and can be very entertaining as well. Most pet owners want their faithful companions to be comfortable in their homes. That’s why when you’re choosing a floor system for your home, you might want to consider a pet-friendly option.

There are several types of flooring systems available in the market, some of them are ideal for households with pets and others are not. At The Floor Company, we believe that concrete floors are great for homes with pets and here are some reasons why.

Easy to Clean- One of the best advantages of concrete floors is that they’re very easy to clean. All you need is a broom, a rag, or a mop and your floor will be clean within minutes. That can be very helpful to pet owners because pets have a tendency to shed fur, drag in mud and dirt and litter the floors.

Pet Stains and Odors- Even a well-trained pet can cause a mess inside the house. Unfortunately, some floors can absorb these pet stains and develop odor over time. Most concrete floors have a seal over them that prevent liquid and stains from sinking into the surface. You can be certain that the odor or the stains will be easily removed. If the floor isn’t sealed, you can use products available in the market to remove the stains.

Won’t Trap Fleas, Mites and Dander- Unlike carpet or wood flooring, concrete flooring has a sealed and smooth surface that won’t trap fleas, mites, and dander. These things can create an unhealthy environment in your home. Pet dander can be easily cleaned and the fleas and mites won’t have any place to hide on concrete floors.

Scratch Resistant- Pets are fond of running around and being active. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm can be very apparent on some floors. Claws can scratch the surface and leave behind unsightly marks. However, this isn’t the case with concrete floors. They’re naturally scratch resistant and some seals and coatings can make them scratch proof.

As you can see, concrete flooring is ideal for your pets. For more information on concrete floors or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Common Questions about Concrete Floors ANSWERED

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Concrete floors have been around for a long time, but only recently have they become more popular. An increasing number of people are installing these floors in their commercial as well as residential properties. That’s because the technology has evolved. Concrete floors are no longer dull and boring.

They can be stained, etched, stamped, and polished to a glossy shine. These treatments have made concrete floors very popular. However, people are still uncertain about this flooring option and have questions. We at The Flooring Company have put together a list of some common questions our clients ask us.

Do Concrete Floors Crack?

Concrete can develop minor cracks, especially if it’s not installed carefully. These cracks usually add to the aesthetic beauty of the concrete. However, if you want a smooth, flawless finish, there are several topical treatments available that will hide the cracks. Overlays and coatings will also give your floor an even finish.

Do Concrete Floors become Cold?

This is a major concern for people in Canada. Yes, concrete can be cold because it has the ability to absorb the temperature of its surroundings. So, in cold environments, it’s cold and in warm environments it can be warm. It has the ability to store and retain heat that can easily help you keep your home warm. You can keep the windows and doors open to let sunlight in or install radiant heat cables under the floor. These steps will keep the floor warm and comfortable.

Is Concrete Hard on your Feet?

Concrete is a hard floor so it can be hard on your feet. You can resolve this problem by adding area rugs and other such floor treatments. Area rugs wouldn’t cover the entire floor but would offer your feet some comfort. Hard floors are actually preferable for commercial use. After all, they provide a smooth, even surface for heavy foot traffic and vehicles like forklifts. The hardness of concrete is the reason behind its durability and resilience. It’s also the reason why these floors are easier to maintain.

If you have any more questions on concrete floors or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Bellevielle, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Concrete Repair in Ottawa

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Concrete flooring is very resilient. It will last for several years with little care and maintenance. All you need to do is refresh the coating on your commercial location floors every few years and they will last for a very long time. However, in all its resilience, concrete can still get damaged. At The Floor Company, we’ve seen several different kinds of damage on concrete floors; but most of these can be repaired by concrete professionals. the floor company concrete repair ottawa

The Most Common Problems with Concrete Floors

There are different kinds of damage that can occur on concrete floors. If we don’t understand the source of the damage, we may not be able to repair it fully. In some cases, you need to address the underlying cause of the problem before the surface can be prepared. Here’s a list of the most common problems.

Cracks and damage caused by freezing, thawing or moisture.
Dents caused by heavy objects falling on the parking garage floors.
Staining due to oil spills or chemical spills on floors without the proper coating.
Scaling caused by inefficient sealing or curing in freezing temperatures.

The Process of Repairing Concrete Flooring

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can move onto repairing it. You should be very meticulous in your repairs if you want to make sure the results last for a long time. Here’s what you need to do:

Measure the damaged area carefully and make sure that you don’t miss any spots. If the concrete surface isn’t level, you don’t need to mark and chip away at the floor. You should use a floor leveling compound for that.

You need to remove the damaged surface with a chipping hammer. If the damaged area is large, you might need professional tools to remove it.

The surface needs to be rough and clean so that the repair mixture will bond correctly. You should brush away the debris and wipe it with a wet cloth.

After this, you need to apply the repair mixture onto the damaged area of the the concrete flooring.

For more information on repairing your commercial concrete floors or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

Decorative Staining For Indoor Concrete Flooring Systems

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Decorative staining for indoor concrete flooring systems make room for a wide range of designs to be achieved when it comes to both interior and exterior spaces. These floors come with the look of natural stone, and they have an attractive and interesting high gloss finish. You can choose from a wide array of colouring options and design possibilities when it comes to decorative concrete flooring systems.

How Does Decorative Staining Work?

Decorative stains for indoor concrete flooring are applied after the concrete has been cured. It is possible to apply stains to older concrete, yet repairs and cleaning may be necessary. The colour of your choice and its intensity determines the stain mix. You, or the project manager, will have to decide on a colour and how intense it will be. After the chemical reaction that makes the colouring possible has taken its time to complete, the floor then gets washed and left alone to dry. After this step, a protective resin has to be applied on top. This is what gives the glossy look to the concrete floor.

The Finished Look

The finished look of decorative staining is indeed very stylish and classy. While it is glossy, it is also non-slip which makes it an ideal solution for homes and commercial shops. Depending on your preferences, indoor concrete flooring systems and their decorative designs can be textured or flat, and have many different colours and patterns. Decorative stained concrete is the one feature that will make your home, office or shop stand out from the crowd. You will surely get many compliments and questions on your stunning new space and floor.

How to Maintain Stained Concrete Floors

In case you are looking for low maintenance alternatives to other flooring options, you can’t avoid concrete floors. Everything is easy to clean and maintain with these kinds of floors. No matter where the indoor concrete flooring system is being placed, whether the home or workplaces, harsh chemicals and cleaners are no longer required. You can just clean your concrete floor with warm water and a mild soap.

Indoor concrete flooring systems can be applied in both your home and workplace. It doesn’t matter where you would like this type of flooring, it will look sleek and modern.

If you would like more information about concrete flooring systems, contact one of our installers today for a free estimate or for any questions you may have. Be sure to also check out our concrete flooring gallery to view many more options available to you.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

How Long Does It Take to Polish a Concrete Floor?

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

Polished concrete floors are fast becoming a popular flooring option in commercial and residential properties. Concrete is certainly more resilient than most other flooring materials available today. It is also low maintenance so you don’t need to worry about doing more than an occasional mopping to maintain its looks.

The polishing time depends entirely on what level of polish you want, the size of the floor, and the obstructions. Here’s a look at what’s involved in the polishing process.

The Polishing Process

There are four different levels of polish, from satin-like finish to very high-gloss. To attain different finishes, we use progressively finer grinders. Needless to say, the lower levels of polish take less time. However, the process is the same.

Step One – We start by using coarse diamond and metallic matrix grinders. These are enough to remove any kind of blemish, stains, small pits, coatings etc. This process essentially prepares the floor for further polishing.
Step Two – During this process, we use grinders with diamond abrasives in resin or plastic matrix. Depending on the level of polish we need, we use increasingly finer grits to achieve the task. For high gloss finish, most contractors will use 1500 or finer grit.
Step Three – During the polishing process, we also apply internal impregnating sealer to the floor. This penetrates the concrete surface and protects it. It also densifies and hardens it, making the surface more resilient. The hardened surface doesn’t need much maintenance.

What Tools Are Used?

The polishing process is achieved through a machine with different levels of grinding grits. The process is quite akin to sanding wood; for more shine, finer sandpaper is used.

Accordingly, for the first step, about 16-20 grit is used to remove any coating, and to level the surface. Then we move from one level of grit to other. After the surface is polished with a 150-grit, a chemical hardener is added to the floor.

After that progressively finer grits are used to achieve the desired levels of gloss. Depending on the area, the level of polish, and the obstacles, the polishing can take upwards of 2 to 3 days. However, you can use the surface immediately after the polishing is done.

For more information on polished concrete, or to get an estimate, you can contact us at The Floor Company. If you’re calling from Ottawa and surrounding areas, dial 1800 461 3121. If you’re calling from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough and Durham, dial 1877 277 9877. You can also email us at info@thefloorcompany.com or fill in this contact us form.

The Floor Company

Address: 1117 Newmarket Street, Unit B, Ottawa, ON K1B 4N4

Phone:(613) 706-6664

The “Cool” Factor of Decorative Concrete and How to Not to Over-Do It

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Greg Bell in Concrete with Comments Disabled

There is absolutely no doubt that decorative concrete is finally picking up steam in the finished flooring space. It fits in well with just about any environment: inside or outside, commercial, residential or industrial.

Some of the more popular features that lead to this innovative selection of concrete flooring systems making their way into the mainstream are that they are:

-Hypoallergenic
-Seamless
-Totally customizable
-Easy to clean
-Modern

It’s pretty common to see seamless epoxy, brilliant polished concrete and randomly troweled and coloured overlays in places of business, commerce and manufacturing.

When decorative concrete first started to become more noticeable in Canada there were a lot of mistakes happening with it sadly. We’ve all seen that tacky floor somewhere and wondered: “What were they THINKING?” That’s so hilariously ugly.

The trend of decorative concrete has moved to become more of a staple in modern design. With that move came a lot of change. Change not only in process and options but mostly in concept. No longer are decorative concrete floors installed to be a major attraction in design, they are now meant to be almost a mute feature in the overlay design concept.

Keep in mind there are always exceptions to the rule. Take for example floors with branding, themes or directional marks. However, overall the interior design concepts of today and the future are going to be expansive, sleek, minimalist finishes that lend well to the idea and feeling of “modern”.

When choosing flooring, especially for a commercial application, it’s exceedingly important to keep this in mind. Even though you may like to have bright colours or graphics in your floors, your customers or the eventual occupant for your current space may not be a fan.

The good news is that when you select a finish and design concept for your floors, your design consultant should be able to steer you in the right way in terms of choosing floor that will be appreciated by most, or, a method that creates a floor that can be easily reversed.

A good way to do this would be a solid colour floor or polished concrete with a logo or graphic from your brand embedded into a separate top layer of coating. When the time comes to move on, a concrete artisan can remove these graphics revealing the sleek floor below.

Always feel free to contact a concrete flooring expert for more ideas. We are a friendly bunch.

Are Concrete Floors Cold and Damp?

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Greg Bell in Blog with Comments Disabled

Concrete can be a very cold material, as the material itself is smooth and unforgiving…however, concrete is no colder than ceramic or stone, so why give concrete the cold shoulder?

Unlike other materials, with concrete, you have the ability to install radiant heating cables, which are special cables that give off plenty of heat. By putting these in your concrete floors, you will experience heated flooring with concrete!

Concrete floors end up being warmer with this method, and if you are designing a home as opposed to simply re-flooring a room, see about allowing as many windows as possible, so that the concrete can take in the heat from the sunlight and hold it in, thereby making the floors even warmer (wintertime would be a nightmare without any sort of heating for your concrete floors).

It can become a terrible hassle if a concrete floor is built on a subgrade that does not drain accordingly, as this will cause your concrete floor to become awfully damp. Dampness can also occur from not having insulated the area properly enough, as moisture and water will then seep into the concrete and cause inevitable dampness.

So, for ensuring that your concrete floors are warm and dry, you must make sure that your floors are laid and installed correctly, and a bit of research on your own time would not go astray, as it would be in the greatest of benefits to you to know about concrete flooring installation beforehand, that way you can make sure the contractor is doing things correctly (if it’s a younger contractor, you run the risk of him not knowing any “tricks of the trade” or whatnot).

In today’s society, methods are being used to help stop moisture and water from getting in and under your concrete floors (besides insulation), and that is through contractors and carpenters placing a vapour barrier within the concrete slab, in order to protect from the invasion of moisture.

You see, at the end of the day, if your concrete floors are put in correctly, and they are heated properly, you would not have much to worry about in the way of walking on a stone-cold floor in the wintertime.

If you have any questions for a concrete professional, contact us today!

Blog

All posts tagged decorative concrete floors

Do Concrete Floors Crack?

Do Concrete Floors become Cold?

Is Concrete Hard on your Feet?

The Most Common Problems with Concrete Floors

The Process of Repairing Concrete Flooring

The Polishing Process

What Tools Are Used?