In most houses, not much care and caution are exercised while finishing concrete floors. The basement of your house may need a concrete floor as a part of remodeling, redesigning or renovating this particular part of your house. Structurally, the concrete floor is not a part of the basement foundation. It is installed to enhance the permanency and value of the basement.
As a means to proper draining system for finishing concrete floors, you should arrange for laying typically gravel or crushed stone particles under the concrete floor of the basement. This concrete flooring has a thickness of about four inches or hundred millimeters and it rests on top of the foundation footings.
However, it doesn’t matter if the floor has any leakage because it is usually slopped towards a drain point to avoid unnecessary water hazards and the resulting structural complications.
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During the cold winter months, heating apparatus are entrenched right within the concrete floors as a part of finishing the concrete floor for your basement project. Even if unoccupied and unfinished, basements need to be heated or thermally insulated in order to ensure comparative warmth of the floor above.
However, for a well-executed basement concrete floor, you can definitely make use of linoleum blocks as a means to cover the concrete floor. But when trying such an option you should stay prepared for unnecessary dampness and wetting which tend to make the floor loose and improper. A good paint will look quite decent on a concrete flooring and it is also a good way to make the floor more durable and resistant.
Before you decide to paint, you have to work upon the moisture problem that may have been a constant burden or has been caused due to an annual rainfall. You must be prepared to solve the problem by cleaning out gutters, or identifying the source of downspouts. If the dampness has resulted due to constant rainfall you have to wait until the moisture dries up completely. Make use of a humidifier before you start. This will help the paint to set in well. Once the paint sets in, you can obviously boast of a perfect finished basement concrete floor.
The various paint types for concrete floors for basements are;
• The epoxy kit made by Rustoleum. It is a water based paint and it can be applied quite easily. This paint is never in need of primer and most often comes in gray or tan.
• Sponge paint has the look of granite. This can be done by using ordinary latex paint. After the paint is applied it has to be coated with four coats of low gloss varnish as a proper protection to the concrete floor paint. It stays on for quite a long time and it can be cleaned easily.
• Concrete staining is another most trusted way of floor coverage. These stains are mostly water based and they are sprayed on several colors or layers. After this, they are sealed with multiple layers of sealer. You can also make use of beautiful personalized designs for that remarkable long lasting transformation in concrete floor coloring.
• Boat deck paint is another valuable option for finishing concrete floors basement. This paint variety is non-slip and it is extremely durable.
Carpet, ceramic and vinyl tiles too act as superb concrete floor covering options. Wood floors especially laminate, looks stunning on concrete floors. These flooring varieties are extremely moisture resistant and they can be installed without much of a hassle with thin underlay. Remember with a perfect finishing concrete floors basement you can simply change the way you stay.
by Manuel Kupka
