Of all the rooms in the house, the kitchen is one of the most important ones. There are many ways you can renovate your kitchen, renew the existing kitchen design or get a new one from scratch.
There are many materials you can use for the renovation, but concrete has become one of the most popular ones over the years. When many people hear about concrete, they think about big, commercial, old, and minimalistic designs.
While that gives a snapshot of the designs you can achieve with concrete, the concept and ideas have evolved dramatically over the years.
Ideas On How To Use Concrete In The Kitchen
One of the best things about interior design is that you can use one material in different ways to achieve different results. If you want to have a completely concrete kitchen, some of the ideas you can incorporate it include;
- Concrete countertops For the longest time, people have dealt with granite countertops, mainly because of their durability. One of the main advantages of having a concrete countertop is that they are heat resistant.With concrete, you can achieve different shapes, designs, and thicknesses of the countertops. Also, while other materials come in different colours, concrete allows you to completely change the colour of your countertop to whatever colour combination you want. You can do this using integral stains and pigments.
Compared to other countertops like granite, concrete is more affordable. You can improve the look of your concrete countertops by adding crushed mirror glass or recycled coloured glass.
Because of its porous nature, you should have a sealant layer on the countertop to protect it from stains and water damage.
- Concrete sinksWith concrete sinks and concrete countertops, you can achieve a seamless and unified look in your kitchen. You can get a pre-manufactured sink mould, and they come in a wide variety of styles and shapes, depending on the final kitchen design you want to achieve.
- Concrete backsplashes This is a perfect way to complement the concrete sink and countertops and achieve a uniform concrete design in your kitchen. You can use different colour patterns, shapes, and designs to add to the decorative interest of the kitchen.You can also use hand-curved overlays that look like conventional tiles. One advantage of using concrete backsplashes is that you can use them with the old countertops and sink. By choosing a matching colour, design, and style, they will blend perfectly with the old structures.
Why Is Concrete Good For The Kitchen?
- Durable – One of the main reasons people use concrete in their kitchen is that it is durable. If you take care of the concrete surfaces, they can last a lifetime.
- Customisation – In interior design, people love playing around with different ideas, which is possible when working on a concrete kitchen design. You can choose from a variety of colours, styles, shapes, and finishes.
Is a Concrete Floor Right for You?
Apart from using it on countertops and sinks, concrete is a great material to use for your kitchen floor. That is because it is easy to clean after meals and is durable.
One of the main advantages is that you can enhance its natural look, whether it is an existing floor or a new one. Some of the ways you can enhance the look of your concrete floor include:
- Polishing and honing This is a perfect way to make the floor even and make it smooth to the feet. Polishing also makes it easy to clean the concrete floor. One of the drawbacks is that it makes the surface so smooth that it might become slippery if any liquid spills on it.However, to avoid that, you can use a sealant that has an anti-slip to it. You can add the anti-slip agent depending on how much traction you want the floor to have.
- Tinted concrete Before pouring the wet concrete mixture, the installers can add powdered pigments to give the slab a uniform and permanent colour.
Advantages of Concrete Floors
- Durability
- High thermal mass, which makes them energy efficient
- Stiff and strong
- Fast to construct than other materials
- Easy and cheap to maintain
- Fire resistant
- Damp resistant
- Versatile and easy to customise
Disadvantages of Concrete Floors
- Prone to cracks
- It is hard, which makes it hard to stand on for long periods
- Cold
- Requires sealing
- Hard to repair any defects
- You have to seal it to protect it from stains and moisture
How to clean concrete floors
Unlike other flooring materials like hardwood, concrete is easy to clean. However, to achieve a perfect surface and avoid damaging it, there are some proper ways to clean concrete floors.
- Sweep first – If there are any particles on the floor, you need to remove them either using a vacuum or broom. However, avoid using a hard brush or one with metal bristles to avoid scratching the surface.
- Remove stains – While concrete doesn’t easily stain, you might find a few stubborn stains. Before you use a cleaning solution to remove the stains, ensure it will not damage the sealant on the surface.
- Wash and dry – After all the stains are gone, use a mop to remove any other type of dirt and grime on the surface. You can dry it with a rag or let it air dry, especially if there is sun outside.
The key to maintaining your concrete looking new and in the best condition is constantly resealing the surfaces. Also, whenever you notice any cracks, repair them immediately to avoid them becoming bigger and non-repairable.
