When considering renovating your business’s flooring, you may have difficulty deciding which flooring material will serve a functional purpose while providing the highest level of aesthetics for your facility. From tile and stone to wood and vinyl, there are a number of flooring materials that are intended for a variety of uses. However, there is one flooring material that stands out from the rest due to its versatility and aesthetic characteristics: concrete. While you may not think that concrete is right for your business, the truth is that epoxy flooring can accommodate nearly every type of business imaginable. In today’s article, we will be comparing concrete to a variety of other flooring materials, while highlighting each material’s benefits and flaws.
PPI Flooring has provided the top concrete flooring services to businesses in Orlando, the surrounding areas of Florida, and a variety of companies located around the world. With more than 25 years of successful concrete flooring installations, we have the collective knowledge and expertise to ensure that your floor installation needs are exceeded in an efficient and timely manner. We have provided concrete staining and floor installation services for a number of industries including commercial, pharmaceutical, aviation, and a number of other specialized industries. To learn if concrete floors are right for your business, read our concrete comparison below!
Wood Flooring
Many people are fond of wood flooring given its natural look and high-end aesthetics. Wood floors have the capacity to transform any environment from drab to upscale, however, when compared to concrete flooring, wood floors are hampered by quite a few limitations. When wood floors are unintentionally introduced to moisture, they can become warped over time and are susceptible to both mold and mildew. This can present a host of problems that, in extreme circumstances, may require you to replace your flooring.
Concrete flooring, however, is protected from any humidity or moisture when it is properly sealed and finished. With concrete flooring, spills and stains are a thing of the past as they can easily be wiped up without worry of causing damage to your floors. The longevity and liquid resistant properties that concrete possesses is just one of the reasons why it is such a popular flooring material for businesses around the globe.
Vinyl Flooring
A tried and true flooring found in older homes around the country, vinyl flooring first appeared in the United States in the late 1800s! Used as a flooring application for countless homes, linoleum was one of the most popular flooring materials for nearly 70 years. However, vinyl flooring can present a number of problems when considering its longevity and its lack of moisture resistance. Not only is linoleum intolerant to moisture, it is only available in a limited amount of colors and designs.
When compared to stained concrete, vinyl flooring lacks many of the desirable traits that epoxy flooring can provide. For example, over time, linoleum can begin to lift around the corners and edges of your flooring if not properly applied. This can cause your flooring to deteriorate at a much quicker pace than usual. Comparatively, epoxy flooring is built to last, and requires little maintenance other than the occasional resealing of your concrete surface.
Ceramic Flooring
Ceramic tiling is one of the more popular flooring materials in modern times given its durability and low level of maintenance. Providing a desirable level of aesthetics, ceramic tiling has the ability to bring your business’s environment to life. There are, however, several drawbacks that you should consider before deciding to install ceramic tiling in your facility. For starters, ceramic tiles do not retain heat well. This can cause your energy bill to drastically increase during the winter months, leading you to pay much more for your flooring than you had previously expected.
When considering which flooring material is best for retaining heat over an extended period of time, concrete stands out as the leading floor product. Due to its thermal mass, concrete is excellent for absorbing and retaining heat, providing your facility with a heating source directly beneath your feet. Heating coils can also be installed in your concrete flooring, allowing your facility to be heated evenly without requiring a forced central air system.
Stone Flooring
An excellent choice for achieving a minimal look and feel in your facility, natural stone can transform the most boring interior into a beautiful work of art. One of stone’s limitations, however, is that it can sometimes be brittle, causing scratches and chipping if not carefully taken care of. Although there are quite a few choices when it comes to stone design and color, your options remain limited when compared to concrete.
One of the main reasons business owners have taken a liking to epoxy flooring is because of its unlimited styles of staining. This allows individuals to customize their flooring to their liking, which can help to unify a facility’s look and feel with ease. At PPI Flooring we offer a variety of concrete staining options, as well as a number of concrete finishes including, flake, gloss, satin, metallic, quartz, and many more concrete finishing options.
Carpeted Flooring
Carpet is a popular choice for homeowners who are looking for the best way to make their home more inviting and cozy. While carpet may feel good on your feet, its downfall lies in its longevity and intolerance to moisture. If there is one thing that carpet is best at, it is its ability to collect dirt, grime, and other undesirable substances. Over the course of years, dirt can become trapped in carpet, causing it to become soiled and stained. This can lead to your carpet retaining odors and moisture, making carpet replacement an inevitable necessity. Worse yet, excessive moisture can lead to mold and mildew accumulation, which may require you to tear out both your carpet and underlay if not properly cared for.
Concrete floors are resilient where mold and mildew are concerned, and can turn the most stale environment into a warm and welcoming space. If, for some reason, you are unsure of what type of concrete finish will look best in your business, our staff of professionals are trained in assisting business owners in finding the perfect floor product for their needs.
As you can see, while there are a number of flooring materials to choose from, concrete flooring offers the most in versatility, durability, and sustainability. If you are interested in learning more, or would like to receive a no-obligation, no-risk proposal from PPI Flooring, get in touch with Florida’s best floor installation company today. We specialize in designing the optimal floor systems for your facility’s needs and work with business owners so that they can continue to operate their business while experiencing minimum downtime.