A Guide to Installing Concrete Kitchen Floors
Kitchen flooring trends have favoured stone, vinyl, and wood finishes over the years. The trend for the 21st century though, has to be polished concrete kitchen floors. The minimalist elegance of polished concrete is the brainchild of interior designers. They have created a new incarnation for industrial concrete, by celebrating its unique patterning and texture, revealed in the polishing process.
At DirectStone our flooring specialists create beautiful, polished concrete for every room in the house. But kitchen installations are particularly popular. Many of our customers choose polished concrete kitchen floors because of their blend of practicality and glamour. They’re perfect for a kitchen which is both the heart of the house, and the site of meals with friends.
WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE CONCRETE KITCHEN FLOORS?
Of course, every client has their own unique reasons for choosing a polished concrete kitchen floor. But there are 5 distinct advantages that come with installing polished concrete flooring:
- Sustainability. Often the concrete slab that is to be polished already exists and, as no extra materials are added, it’s a flooring choice with zero carbon consequences.
- Design Options. There is a huge variety of different ways that your concrete floor can be finished, including staining, high gloss/matte polishes, and colours.
- A Concrete Floor Lasts. Unlike other flooring finishes, concrete kitchen floors are extremely durable and will stay looking good for decades.
- A Great UFH Option. Concrete is an ideal conductor of heat, which makes polished concrete flooring a perfect partner for underfloor heating in your kitchen.
- Low Maintenance. Once your polished concrete kitchen floor is installed is requires only regular sweeping and mopping to keep it looking good as new.
AND THE DISADVANTAGES OF A CONCRETE KITCHEN FLOOR?
Every flooring type comes with its disadvantages, so these are the ‘cons’ of choosing a polished concrete kitchen:
- A Job For Professionals. You’ll need a team of concrete flooring specialists to install a polished concrete floor.
- Concrete is Cold Underfoot. Your concrete kitchen floor will be cold underfoot, but this can be remedied with underfloor heating which works well with concrete.
- Concrete is a Hard Surface. If you drop plates or glasses on polished concrete they will most likely break.
- Susceptible to Staining. Concrete is a porous material; a sealant is added to reduce staining, but we would still recommend that spills are dealt with immediately.
- Concrete Can Chip. If heavy objects are dropped on a concrete floor this can cause it to chip.
THE POLISHED CONCRETE INSTALLATION PROCESS
A polished concrete floor installation is made up of three stages:
- Diamond Grinding. The concrete slab is cleaned and then, in most cases, the surface paste is ground back to reveal the aggregate and ballast beneath. The DirectStone team use HTC Superfloor™ diamond grinding machines to prepare the concrete.
- Concrete Polishing. The newly revealed surface of the concrete is hardened with a densifier. Diamond polishing pads are then used to create the desired finish, whether gloss, high gloss, or matte.
- Concrete Sealer. Concrete is a porous material which means that it stains easily. A sealer is added to reduce the likelihood of staining and protect the surface from scuffs.
POLISHING A NEWLY LAID CONCRETE SLAB
When we polish a newly poured slab, the concrete needs to ‘cure’ and dry thoroughly before we can start the polishing process. This takes between 3-4 weeks. Once we are satisfied that the concrete is ready for the next stage, we start the grinding and polishing process. This is carried out dry and coupled with the use of a HEPA filter vacuum which ensures the air remains virtually dust-free.
RETROFITTED POLISHED KITCHEN CONCRETE FLOORS
Many people have a concrete slab in their kitchen that’s been covered by carpeting or tiles. We can normally use this slab to create the finish you want. DirectStone flooring specialists will take a look at its condition and advise on exactly what can be achieved. If it requires repairs, these are factored in to the overall process. HEPA filtered extraction is used to maintain a good quality of air throughout.
A POLISHED CONCRETE OVERLAY IN THE KITCHEN
It’s rare that an existing concrete slab cannot be polished, but it does happen. Sometimes the concrete is in too poor a state, or it may be too badly damaged for repairs to be effective. It is, however, still possible to achieve a polished concrete look for your kitchen using polished concrete overlay which requires a slightly different installation.
The existing tiles or carpet is removed, and the concrete slab may need re-profiling. Then the overlay, a high-performance architectural topping and resurfacer, is poured. Once the overlay is dry – which normally takes 12 hours – the polishing process is then exactly the same as for any concrete floor, and we are able to achieve the finish you require.
CONCRETE KITCHEN FLOORS DESIGN IDEAS
Thinking of installing a concrete kitchen floor as part of a complete kitchen makeover? Or freshening up your existing kitchen design? Either way, there’s now a magnificent range of design options to choose from.
Polished concrete flooring produces a range of finishes from a low-lustre matte, to a high-gloss kitchen floor that will wow your dinner guests. Staining or colouring the concrete allows you to match your flooring to your kitchen décor. Or embedding concrete with materials such as glass or crystals, gives your flooring a fascinating texture and reflective sheen.
CASE STUDY – OPEN PLAN KITCHEN/LOUNGE/DINING AREA
Our client in Norwich was keen to make the most of an open plan area, and a polished concrete floor was an ideal solution. The flooring pulled together the different living areas effectively, whilst shimmering hues in the concrete were picked up by an eclectic range of furnishing accessories. Interior features introduced metal, wood, and leather textures, all of which work beautifully with the polished concrete floor tones.
ABOUT DIRECTSTONE
DirectStone is a family-run business with a passion for creating beautiful concrete kitchen floors. We provide residential polished kitchen flooring, and commercial concrete floors for hotels, airports, offices and showrooms. We work throughout the UK mainly in London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
If you are interested in polished concrete kitchen flooring and have any questions, or would like a project priced please call us today on 01525 20863920
