Duraamen Design Tips For DIYers

While concrete flooring used to be reserved for lackluster driveways, it’s becoming an increasingly popular element of home design thanks to its durability and the fact that stamped concrete floor designs and other decorative styles are visually appealing.  

There are, of course, some pitfalls to avoid and best practices to follow when using concrete in your home. Take a look at Duraamen’s top tips for DIYers to help create beautiful concrete floor designs.  

Concrete Flooring Design Tips  

In order to achieve a high-quality finish with your concrete flooring design, it’s important to know what you’re doing. Follow these flooring design tips for the best results. 

Use metallic epoxy for an artistic touch 

Metallic epoxy coatings are a simple way to create a unique, eye-catching design for your concrete floor. Using just two or three color combinations and a hand trowel or textured roller, you can create a beautiful colored finish for your concrete floor. 

Each metallic epoxy finish is unique, making epoxy floors a work of art you can’t recreate. Because of its unique style, metallic epoxy can be a great option for creative areas, like kid’s rooms. The trick is to pick a combination of colors that will work well together once blended. See this video for a demonstration of how to create epoxy floor designs.  

Opt for polished to achieve a clean aesthetic 

For a clean, minimalist aesthetic, polished concrete is usually the best bet. It has a number of advantages over sealed concrete finishes such as superior durability, low maintenance requirements, and high slip resistance. It is also a simple finish to apply that doesn’t involve any volatile chemicals and results in a beautiful look with an easily controllable level of gloss. 

However, polished concrete is a little more expensive and time-consuming to install than sealed concrete, and offers less stain resistance.  

Add texture with stencils 

Adding texture to an space is a sure-fire way to elevate your home’s aesthetic.  Creating contrast through textured floors can make a patio more visually interesting without the need for bold colors. While stamped concrete floor designs require an experienced professional, most DIYers should be able to create a stenciled concrete effect without difficulty. Since all the work can be done from outside the laid area using long-handled tools, large areas can be poured at once and then worked on from outside, speeding up the process. 

Stencils come in a wide array of patterns replicating all kinds of designs (such as brickwork or stone slabs). To create a natural textured appearance, remove the stencil while the concrete is still drying. Dry shake color hardener can be used to add color to the design, and removing the stencil while the concrete is still drying helps achieve a natural textured appearance. 

Choose from Duraamen‘s range of concrete stencils to create a realistic textured effect on your concrete floor.  

Set the mood with color  

Adding stains to existing concrete give rooms a splash of color. Alternatively, if you’re laying a new concrete floor from scratch, an integral colorant can be included in the mix.  

Pay careful consideration to the kind of impact you want to have when selecting a color. After all, a floor takes up a large part of a room visually, and the color you choose will have a big impact on the mood you create within the room itself. Warmer colors such as red, orange, and yellow lift the energy level within a room, so are best for dining rooms, exercise rooms, and entrances. Cooler colors like blues and greens have a calming effect and are therefore best in bedrooms or bathrooms. 

Things to keep in mind before getting started  

Intended Use 

Before choosing your floor design ask yourself “Do I want to use it or do I want to look at it?” Surfaces in frequent use, such as living rooms or kitchens, should be functional and easy to clean. Concrete floors are a great option here. Floors in spaces used less frequently, such as dining rooms, can be more decorative.  

Also, think about the room’s function before getting carried away with wacky colors or complex designs. An office where you take Zoom calls may not be the best space to indulge your inner Jackson Pollock. 

Flooring Costs  

Your budget will dictate the finish you eventually choose, so it’s important to get an idea of the costs before you finalize your plans. A concrete floor with a basic finish is likely to cost $4.50 to $12 per square foot, depending on the size of the floor. As a rule of thumb, the larger the area, the lower the cost per square foot. 

A decorative finish will then cost extra, depending on the finish you go for. This can range from $4.50-$12 per square foot.  

Concrete floors don’t have to be drab affairs. Using the above tips, you can turn an indoor space into a unique eye-catching design. Browse the Duraamen shop for inspiration, and create the perfect floor for your home.