At Home: Concrete versatile flooring option
Last week I mentioned concrete countertops as an emerging trend because of the versatility this medium provides when designing a kitchen or bathroom.
As someone who wants new countertops, I decided to delve further into the world of decorative concrete, with help from local expert Doug Atkins, owner of Creative Concrete Solutions in Murfreesboro.
"The beautiful thing about concrete is just about all of [the products created] are custom," says Atkins from his new office and showroom on Middle Tennessee Boulevard. "When we do countertops for customers, they love the fact that they have input on color and design."
Concrete offers stunning color and texture options for countertops, floors, patios, sidewalks and driveways. The looks achieved through stamped, dyed or stained concrete are eye-catching, unique and have evolved rapidly in recent years.
Acid, water and acetone-based staining are techniques that produce a unique variation of colors, which can be adjusted to a customer's preference until the product is sealed.
"Usually you don't know what the true color is going to look like until you seal it," says Atkins, a mechanical engineer by trade. "Sealing really makes the colors pop, but once you seal it, you can't change it."
For homeowners who want to update or repair their countertops, floors, or outdoor patios with concrete, professionals will install an "overlay," which Atkins says should chemically bond to existing concrete, improving appearance and preventing future weather damage.
Concrete can be a much less expensive option for a pool deck or floor, compared to wood, stone, and other natural materials. However, the time and effort required to create concrete countertops raises the cost to about twice that of granite.
"We have decorative finished concrete floors and countertops in the entire first floor of our house, and we love them," says Neely Embree, a Murfreesboro homeowner whose husband graduated from the concrete industry management program at Middle Tennessee State University.
When a washing machine overflowed and left standing water while the family was away, the floors sustained no damage. In fact, Embree says "it actually took care of my floor cleaning for the week."
"We love the clean, timeless, modern look the concrete floors and countertops give us," she says. "They are easy to clean and extremely durable. With two small children and two pets, we are hard on our floors, and they withstand it all with no flaws."
Contact Colleen Johnson-Bryant at colleen.mj@gmail.com.
At Home
Each week, The Daily News Journal showcases creative ideas for home and garden. The series runs every Sunday in this section.