Cement floors can be cozy too.
Despite its growing use for interior purposes, concrete still carries a reputation for being rough, cold, and unfinished. If you have had any opportunity at all to research some of the beautiful creations out of concrete , you probably quickly realized that cement can be quite attractive. There is no argument concrete can be striking, but how do you overcome the cold and uncomfortable reputation? The following information demonstrates how cement floors can be cozy, too.
Cement floors can be finished in a variety of different ways. They can be dyed before installation, etched with stencils, and laid in various designs. Say for example, you pull-up your old carpet and want to finish the floors underneath, is this possible? The answer is yes; you can grind, polish, and then finish the older concrete into as many beautiful designs as with fresh concrete. If you want a design etched or stenciled in, special tools allow you to cut the concrete to fit your fancy. Concrete can also be painted or covered with an overlay.
Cement is hard and can be cold, although this is a great feature in the summer months. Did you know that cement can also absorb heat from sunny windows? Several northern-facing windows in the winter will warm the cement and it will retain this heat for most of the day. You can optimize this process by laying dark tiles where the sun hits, maximizing on thermal mass . This will cause the floor to absorb more heat and ret...
Read the full article in the CalFinder Remodeling and Home Solar Power Magazine
