Who can imagine going for stained concrete over wooden floors, when the latter is the quintessential classy flooring material? But wooden floors can come with a lot of trouble that can easily be avoided. Faux wood floors combine the aesthetic beauty of the real thing with the functionality and cost-efficiency of concrete staining. Here, we break down why faux wood is the way to go:
#1 It’s much cheaper
If you didn’t know it yet, wood is expensive. It can run from about $3 per square foot and go up to $20 if you want a rarer kind of wood. And that cost doesn’t include the prep work to accomplish or the labor itself, as wooden floors are almost impossible to DIY.
Concrete, by comparison, runs much cheaper. Concrete staining can be done on both new and old concrete so if you already have concrete floors at home it’s a simple transformation to make them look like wooden floors. And if you want to get the full fantasy, you can get concrete stamping done to mimic the grooves of real wood. Staining concrete is a kind of concrete refinishing that is easy, cost-effective, and fool-proof, but the results are gorgeous and realistic.
#2 Stained concrete is durable and does not mark easily
Normal day-to-day activities can very easily scratch or mark wooden floors and if you install them in a high-traffic area like hallways and living rooms, the more obvious the damage will be. Refinishing them is not only costly but will also need to be done more regularly.
You don’t have to worry about damage when you have faux wood floors. Not only is concrete durable, but both acid and water-based stains penetrate the slab so it doesn’t come off. A sealer can help the concrete staining job last even longer.
#3 It can mimic almost any design
If you have a specific design in mind for your floors, staining concrete floors is an accessible and beautiful choice. You may want a specific type of wood that is either hard to find and will have to be shipped in from overseas (adding to the already high cost), too expensive, or simply not the groove design or exact color you want. With concrete staining, any kind of “wood” and any kind of look can be achieved and your local concrete contractor will deliver exactly what you want. Water-based stains are capable of a broad range of colors and can be easily mixed and blended to give a unique and realistic feel to your faux wood floors. There are simply no limits to the customizability that comes with staining concrete.
