Did you know that concrete has 11 different textures? Concreting work might sound like the most boring part of construction, but given how many new textures and finishes have evolved in the last decade, it definitely doesn’t seem so anymore.
The fact that contractors have started using it for decorative designs and architecturally rich facades shows that there’s still a lot to explore regarding cement finishes. Not only that, but concrete is suitable for DIY projects as well because it is cost-effective and abundantly available. Use this guide as a way to explore a list of different techniques used to achieve specific concrete textures in indoor and outdoor spaces.
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Best Concrete Finishes For Outdoors
The traditional concrete floor texture is usually plain and monotonous, but it can be upgraded into something interesting with contemporary concreting techniques. Here are some fun ideas to apply to outdoor flooring, cladding, or walls. Instead of resorting to cement effect spray paints to save money, here is what you can do.
1. Smooth Finish
After a successful cement laying session, the concrete dries to reveal its original greyish brown flat finish. This is a practical choice for outdoors, and requires minimum to zero maintenance. Additionally, you can use a trowel tool to enhance the classic grey finish with smooth or lightly contoured surface. It’s a cost effective choice, with the ability to blend into both exteriors and interiors, including floors, countertops, walls, and more.
2. Stamped Concrete Texture
Stamped concrete offers a cheat code for stoned cement floor texture. It’s a budget friendly substitute for cobblestones, slate, flagstone, and limestone. If you apply the right technique, you can also imitate wood, tile, and slab textures. Additives like color hardeners achieve the stamped pattern by introducing some texture and dimension into the flat cement finish. It makes a great choice when you want to incorporate that unique vintage-like texture into cement walls, flooring, or fireplace framing.
Although stamped concrete is easy and quick to install, it does require occasional cleaning and sealing to retain the imitated texture, as well as avoid degradation related to freeze thaw cycles.
3. Broom Finish
Broom finish is simple to achieve. Once the cement is laid out, you run a broom across the length of the surface to get a textured finish. This is a practical, cost effective choice for outdoor concrete floors, working as a non slip floor in driveways, patios, and sidewalks. The light groved lines created after the broom finish offer a practical, yet attractive look that stears far from the standard flat concrete look.
4. Float Finishes
Float finishes, commonly referred to as trowel finishes, feature a repeated pattern of swirls or spirals. A trowel tool, swirl tool, or other specialized tools can fashion them into smooth or coarse textures.
For example, steel trowels produce smooth, clear lines and arcs, whereas a wood float might be more suited for rugged finishes.
5. Exposed Aggregate
In exposed concrete, the design exposes a texture that reveals the interior aggregates, creating an appearance similar to chipped flooring. The surface is first covered in concrete on top of the premium natural stone chips like quartz, basalts, limestone, & granite. After that, the top layer is sanded to reveal the beautiful layout of the stones underneath. You could opt for a light, medium, and heavy grind look depending upon the desired texture and grain ratio.
6. Rock Salt Finish
Rock salt cement is a salt infused crystalloid cement. It is frequently used to achieve a weathered stone finish with small holes for a granular texture. Before laying, the concrete is mixed with water softeners and salt particles — ⅛ to ⅜ inch in size — into the mixture.
Once the surface is laid, it is washed with water softeners to dissolve salt particles. Large rollers run through the base to compress the outer layer, merging crystal and concrete for a textured rock salt finish.
Best Concrete Finishes For Indoors
Among concrete finishes, there are many options that fit into the design spectrum of residential and commercial interiors for flooring, walls, and more. Here are some examples of cement finishes you can consider for indoors.
7. Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is like covering your standard exposed finish with a shiny layer of polish. The coating gives it a smooth, satin like texture, which is suitable for indoor spaces, including living rooms, hallways, and bedrooms. Next comes polishing, done using floor grinders attached to high end diamond blades.
Polished concrete texture is becoming quite popular in the commercial sector, with many retail stores, malls, and hotels switching to this low cost, high-luster concrete flooring option.
8. Stained Concrete Texture
Stained concrete is a popular flooring choice, and is quite the talk in the modern construction world. It uses a special technique that adds a unique colour effect to the surface of cement. The color is added using water based stains and staining acids.
The dense and vivid colours in stained flooring highlight an eye catching charm, supplementing indoor beauty with their rich texture. In addition, they are resistant to peeling, chipping, and stains, which means win-win for every interior space!
9. Stenciled Concrete Texture
Stenciling is an art form that is now being incorporated in concreting work as well. This is a great choice when you want to add a touch of exquisite appeal and design to a space.
With their elaborate sequence of intricate patterns and geometric lines, concrete stencils add design to interior walls, floors, and built in shelving. The stencil bricks or stones can be used to stain existing floors or add texture to the concrete. They allow you to choose from an endless list of shapes, like diamond tiling, fish scale, weaves, and more.
10. Concrete Engraving
Concrete engraving tools have altered the standard for existing interior decor. The method applies pressure to produce specific shapes on cement surfaces and allows users to draw outlines on walls, ceilings, and more. This concrete texture easily merges into the design of driveways, gardens, and patios, supplying a distinct style.
Concrete engraving or etching is a way to customize your indoor or outdoor space. The crevices and cuts can be stained, or painted as per the requirement for an appealing look.
11. Seeding Concrete Floors
Seeding aggregate works really well as a substitute for exposed concrete. This method disregards the need for pouring heavy and expensive aggregates into the concrete. Instead, seeding concrete uses budget friendly aggregate options. This includes silicon carbide, small metal, and glass bits to offer a similar look.
The technique involves scattering seeding rocks on the surface of concrete. Next comes grounding the mixture, and polishing it for an aesthetically pleasing flooring surface.
Conclusion
There is a lot of contemplation around the topic of cement textures and finishes. We have tried to share all the latest design options here. This will help you determine the best concrete finishing for your indoors and outdoors. From simple flat finish, to troweled concrete, float finishes, and engravings, each concrete texture is designed to integrate beautifully into different spaces within a home.
With concrete, there is a lot you can do. But technique and tools are key elements to getting the perfect finish. The key is to plan ahead, keeping factors like budget and visual requirements in mind. It is also essential to have the right building material and supplies to get the desired texture done flawlessly.
