05 Sep Personalise Your Concrete Finish

On the surface, concrete is a very basic material, made by mixing gravel, sand, water, and cement. However, when used correctly, this substance also has the unique ability to create stunning aesthetic effects.

Whether you’re looking for a sophisticated and sleek look for your commercial space, or you’re interested in the “industrial chic” concept, concrete can easily transform any space.

In today’s article, we’ll be looking at just some of the ways that commercial properties can personalise their concrete floors and services for a truly unforgettable look.

Concrete is Ideal for Commercial Spaces

One of the most appealing features of concrete is how malleable it is. A concrete surface lends itself perfectly to the creation of patterns, the addition of colour, and even the embedding of decorative objects. By combining concrete with glass, steel, wood, stones, and other elements, it’s possible to achieve endless fantastic concrete finishes.

Concrete also possesses an unmatched durability and strength which means that your commercial environments can be both beautiful, and functional at the same time. Because it’s impervious to damage for long periods of times, and you can seal your design choices with special solutions, your concrete finish will delight you for years to come.

Some personalisation options include:

Stamped Concrete

Perhaps the most common form of personalised concrete is “stamped” concrete. Otherwise known as patterned or imprinted concrete, stamped concrete appeared first within the 1950s, and often showed up throughout America, particularly in California. However, it’s possible to find stamped concrete today almost anywhere, in a range of styles and textures. Usually, stamped concrete is best for giving a unique experience on the outside of your commercial business.

You can also stamp concrete to make it look like other materials. For instance, a well-placed stamp can recreate the effect of brick or tile.

Polished Concrete

A particularly sleek and streamlined look for concrete comes in the form of “polished” concrete, which delivers an elegant and glossy stone appearance. Polished concrete makes it look as though your floor or surface was carved out of a single piece of stone, rather than poured with cement.

The process of polishing concrete requires a lot of attention to detail and care to get right. Most of the time, experts will need to use fine diamond pads to grind the poured concrete down into a stunning shine. Polished concrete can be particularly practical for commercial businesses with a high amount of footfall because it’s easy to clean away any stains or dirt that might be left behind by visitors.

Stained Concrete

For commercial properties that want to go beyond the standard industrial look with their concrete, there’s the option to stain your floors or surfaces to get a more unique look. Stained concrete comes in two different formats. The first option is to use a tinted sealer that ensures the durability of your concrete surface, while also adding a hint of additional colour and depth.

The alternative to tinted sealer is to use a dyed concrete, which involves infusing a dye with the concrete as it’s being mixed. You can find concrete stains that come in matte colours, high-gloss finishes and more. It’s an excellent way to spruce up your concrete, and because the finish is very smooth, it’s often easy to maintain and clean too.

Coloured Concrete

Coloured concrete is probably the easiest way to customise the finish of your concrete. When pigments are added to your concrete mixture, you can transform any plain-looking concrete into a beautiful floor or surface. You’ll need to make sure that you’re using the right materials to colour your concrete, however, if you want to get the correct results.

Experts use a colouring agent known as a “dry shake” or “dust-on colour” to add to your concrete. Coloured concrete can even be more durable than its counterpart, but it may require an additional seal to ensure that it keeps its shade for as long as possible.

Decorative Overlays

Finally, decorative overlays aren’t quite as common as some of the other options we’ve mentioned in this article. However, they are a great way to customise your concrete flooring. Overlays can be applied over dull or outdated looking concrete surfaces, so you don’t need to replace the solutions you already have.

Overlays can be imprinted to make it look as though you have stamped concrete, or you can opt for a smooth and sophisticated look. Additionally, many decorative overlays can also work well with stains if you want to add more colour to your finished look.