Benefits of Concrete Floors
Concrete’s versatility makes it a popular material for myriad construction projects. It is used for home foundations, streets, hospital floors and many other surfaces. In order for people to make better green choices and help save the environment they must understand the benefits on concrete floors.
List of Benefits of Concrete Floors
- The other alternative to concrete flooring is installing a wood floor. By using concrete there is no need to cut down any trees.
- Installing a concrete floor helps to minimize the waste created by installing other type of floors.
- The cost to install a concrete floor is higher than other types of floors but you will find that a concrete floor installed by reputable concrete contractors will not need to be replaced as often as other floor types.
- From a medical stand point concrete floors offer a better and cleaner surface for medical practices. An article by The Center For Sustainable Development points out that concrete floors in hospitals can lead to a 78 percent reduction in parasitic infection in children, as well as many other health benefits.
Concrete Floors can Produce Better Homes.
Besides certain benefits that concrete floors can bring to people there are some other ways that the material can help produce better homes.
- Concrete can be fashioned in may different ways. Color can be added for decoration and design can be added for personal taste.
- Concrete materials do not emit harmful VOC’s into the air. Some materials that can put VOC’s in the air include carpet, finished wood floors and tiles.
- Radiant heat can easily be installed before the concrete is poured.
- A concrete floor also can be cleaned more easily that a floor made of wood and other material.
- A concrete patio can help increase the value of a person’s home.
Concrete can be Recycled
Another way concrete can help save the environment is that it can be recycled.
- Broken concrete can be used to build a walkway or a path. Depending on the type of path you are trying to build the concrete will need to be broken up into very small pieces.
- Some gardeners have found that putting concrete under the soil makes for seeds that germinate better in the spring. It can also be used to build raised beds.
- The broken material has also been used to limit erosion and to help build angled retaining walls.
Heating Benefits of Concrete Floors
Concrete floors can be efficiently heated with radiant floor heating system. These energy efficient devices heat a liquid solution which is pumped through the floor. This heats the entire slab of flooring and begins to radiate up, heating the air in the room and the house. It also keeps your feet warm which makes all the difference.
This radiating effect continues even hours after the unit has cycled off. All combined a radiant floor heating system is one of the most effective and energy efficient heaters possible for concrete and other stone flooring, new additions and basements, greenhouses, and more.
Creative Commons image by Josh and Melanie Rosenthal
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