Pros & Cons Of Concrete Floors – Main Problems With Concrete Floors
Many people choose to have concrete flooring in their homes due to its advantages, such as durability, easy maintenance, versatility, and being environmentally friendly. However, a bare concrete floor or an uncoated concrete floor can lead to many problems, which may prompt you to consider other flooring options such as Epoxy floors, polished concrete floors, .e.t.c. especially in the garage area.
Here in this guide, we have compiled together eight main disadvantages of concrete floors that you must know before installing them in your home. We’ll also distinguish bare concrete floors with epoxy coatings and explain why epoxy flooring is the best option among other flooring materials.
Let’s get started on the disadvantages of concrete flooring!
Main Problems With Concrete Floors
Although often the cheapest option, a plain concrete can lead to a lot of various problems that could incur more costs, hassle, and plenty of time wasted compared to installing a coating such as epoxy in the first place. Here in this guide, we have compiled together eight main disadvantages of concrete floors that you must know before installing them in your home. Here are some of the issues!
1. Susceptible To Trapping Moisture And Cracking
2. Achy Feet
3. Does Not Retain Heat
4. Can Cause Skin Irritation
5. Can Cause Dust To Stir
6. Produces No Light Reflection
7. They Can Lower The Morale Of Employees
8. They’re Uncomfortable
I have explained each of the following in detail below:
1. Susceptible To Trapping Moisture And Cracking
A bare concrete floor is porous, therefore it is sensitive to contaminant penetration. Uncoated concrete is also vulnerable to moisture and could be affected by issues such as freeze-thaw damage and rebar corrosion Moisture trapped in the pores of a bare concrete floor will lead to bacteria growth and cause mold and mildew in your home.
Furthermore, in cold areas, the moisture is likely to freeze and expand, causing cracks to appear in the floor. This seriously damages the integrity of the floor. Over time, you may need to spend a lot to fix the cracked concrete floors. It also worsens the problems I mentioned above and needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. A cracked floor is one of the cons of concrete floors. This does not happen with epoxy coating, which is yet another reason for the garage flooring epoxy upgrade.
2. Achy Feet
Concrete floors are hard, so they are very durable, but that could lead to other problems. Walking on a bare concrete floor, or standing for long durations, will tire the feet. A concrete floor does not absorb shock, so once your feet hit the floor, there is no cushion to protect them from the hard impact. So, you should choose a flooring material that is smooth to walk on.
3. Does Not Retain Heat
Concrete does not store heat, therefore, it tends to remain cold, even in warm temperatures. Exposing your feet to concrete floors will cause your body to maintain the cold, and can cause diseases, such as arthritis, in the future. The use of rugs can prevent the cold from getting through a concrete flooring system.
Also read: Which Floor Coating Should You Select?
4. Can Cause Skin Irritation
Bare concrete floors may lead to skin irritation, due to the chemicals in the cement. The chemicals become active, especially when wet, but even dry concrete may retain some irritant residues. Standing or walking on bare feet, therefore, exposes the skin to the risk of irritation, which can result in rashes. Wearing socks, slippers, or shoes will minimize or eliminate the threat.
5. Can Cause Dust To Stir
Bare concrete floors, when exposed to high traffic from forklift trucks, wheeled equipment, and pedestrians can lead to too much dust stirring from the floors. Dust is the cause of many allergies, and it can also cause perishable products to go bad much more quickly, failure of specific equipment (due to dust buildup in their system), among other issues. Such areas, therefore, need constant cleaning.
6. Produces No Light Reflection
Unlike other flooring alternatives, bare concrete floors don’t reflect light. Concrete flooring doesn’t add any brightness to your space, so they don’t help to reduce your energy bills, like an epoxy floor would, for example. This makes them a bit of an expensive option, in the long run. As for the warmth of the environment, It has been proven how important the subjective feeling of it is and how much impact it has on both productivity and overall enjoyment of the surrounding space. To sum up, compared to bare concrete which has little if any light reflectivity, epoxy flooring can increase light reflectivity by up to three times, lowering light bills and making the room a brighter more pleasant place to be.
7. They Can Lower The Morale Of Employees
Bare concrete floors do not offer eye-catching appeal, because they lack patterns, textures, and colors that enhance the look of your space. A dull finish, especially in the workplace, will affect the morale of employees. In other places, it downplays the confidence of the occupants. A finish with pleasant colors, patterns, and textures has a very positive impact on the morale, confidence, and positivity of people in that environment, whether they are employees or occupants.
8. They’re Uncomfortable
Concrete floors are generally uncomfortable for you to stand on for an extended period, and such discomfort may take a toll on the rest of the body. It can cause leg muscles and your back to ache, while the body feels fatigued. Rubber mats can alleviate such problems in areas where you tend to stand for long periods. For business owners, there is also more wear and tear on your employees’ shoes and possible medical costs of injuries in case of tripping and falling on the harsh and rough concrete surface. This is one of the problems with concrete floors.
Are Concrete Floors Bad For Your Health
Yes, concrete floors are bad for your health and cause many different types of health issues. The health issues are mainly caused by the lack of shock absorbance and the cold nature of the concrete floors. The dusty nature of concrete floors can also cause health issues We have already mentioned some of the health issues. These are some other health issues caused by concrete floors:
- Hip Degeneration
- Lower-Back Pain
- Stress Fracture
- Aggravation Of Arthritis
- Respiratory Tract Irritation
- Eye Irritation
- Allergic Reaction
Advantages Of Concrete Floors
While there are many issues with concrete, there are plenty of remedial actions that you can take to fix these issues. That’s why many people still install concrete floors in their homes and office mainly because of the following advantages:
1. Durability – Concrete floor surfaces are extremely durable. They can easily last over 100 years. It’s the main reason for the concrete floor’s popularity. You don’t have to pay extra for the repair and replace the surface.
2. Strength: Concrete floor can handle any amount of foot traffic or heavy equipment. You can also ride heavy vehicles & forklifts over a concrete surface.
3. Versatility – They have a wide variety of application areas. You can use them for chemical as well as residential use. You can hardly find any structure where concrete floors cannot be used.
4. Easy to maintain – They are extremely easy to maintain. You just have to sweep them on a regular basis when dirt has accumulated. Even if you do nothing, they might become dirty but they will not be damaged.
Also Read: Pros and Cons of Epoxy Floors
Conclusion
Without protection, bare concrete is susceptible to extreme temperatures, harsh chemicals, impacts, tire traffic, de-icing salts that may end up in your garage, and liquids of all kinds. In an industrial area, this could lead to the floor quickly becoming cracked, chipped, contaminated, unsafe, and unclean. In addition, there’s the matter of the dull, unpleasant, and demotivating looks, the absence of light reflectivity, and the overall unpleasant feeling we get from staring at the bare concrete.
Now that you are aware of the many disadvantages of concrete floors, it is best to add some rugs or choose other options that do not have as many drawbacks, such as the option of epoxy floors and concrete resurfacing & overlays. The installation process of epoxy floors by a reputable epoxy flooring company is done professionally which ensures that you get the most out of your investment.
So are you all set to invest in epoxy flooring? If yes, then give us a call. Our team of experienced floor installers will inspect your living space and give you expert advice along with a fixed price quote.
Also Read: How To Prep Concrete For Epoxy?
Frequently Asked Questions
Are concrete floors unhealthy?
One of the advantages of concrete floors is their hardness, but this same advantage is the main disadvantage at the same time. The concrete floors lead to achy feet when walked or stood on for long durations. Additionally, concrete floors are uncomfortable and can cause skin irritation and other health issues, including arthritis, lower back pain, and joint pains.
Is epoxy floor better than concrete?
Epoxy floors and concrete floors serve almost the same kind of benefits. However, unlike concrete floors, epoxy doesn’t have any health issues and is comfortable for people to walk on. Epoxy has a lustrous appearance, and the maintenance cost is comparatively lower than the concrete floors. It is a better choice for places with higher traffic.
Is epoxy stronger than concrete?
Epoxy is two to three times stronger than concrete; that is why it is preferred by most garage owners and commercial building owners with frequent traffic and loads.
Is epoxy easier to clean than concrete?
Yes, epoxy is far easier to clean and maintain than a concrete floor. Sweeping daily and moping once a week can keep the floor in perfect condition. Epoxy is a low-maintenance flooring solution than most other flooring options available.