Why Concrete Floors?
There are more benefits to concrete floors than just aesthetics and easy maintenance.
Concrete Provides Beautiful Hypo-allergenic Flooring.
Replacing Carpet with Concrete Floors Helps Reduce Allergy Symptoms
Avoiding Carpet
Concrete floors are an allergy free alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting. In fact, when it comes to poor indoor air quality, carpeting can be one of the worst offenders.
If you're looking for allergy relief, removing your carpeting and opting for decorative concrete floor is a great option.
First, carpet is difficult to keep clean and often becomes a haven for dust mites and other allergens.
Tens of millions of these little critters can live in a square foot of carpeting, and they aren't removed by routine vacuuming. According to Mayo Clinic, an allergy to dust mites can trigger symptoms similar to a cold or hay fever, including congestion and frequent sneezing. Dust mites can even cause a form of asthma, with chronic shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. To minimize exposure, Mayo recommends removing carpeting where possible.
Bare concrete floors won't harbor dust mites and are easy to keep clean with periodic dusting or damp mopping.
VOCs and Mold
Synthetic carpets can also emit volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, as can some of the products that accompany carpet installation such as adhesives and padding. Some of the adhesives used under vinyl sheet goods and linoleum can also emit VOCs.
Concrete floors, stained with nontoxic pigments, do not emit harmful VOCs.
In fact, VOC emissions from concrete building products are much lower than those for most other building materials, according to the Portland Cement Association.
Carpet can also be a major source of mold, especially if it becomes wet and the moisture isn't removed completely.
Exposure to toxic mold in homes and buildings has been blamed for ailments ranging from headaches to severe respiratory infections and immune system disorders. Mold can thrive on any organic material, especially in warm, moist, humid conditions.
Concrete floors won't support the growth of toxic mold.
Concrete floors are an allergy friendly option because they don't harbor allergens, are easy to clean, and provide limitless decorative options. Make sure that your concrete floors are finished properly with a VOC free sealer and you will have a gorgeous floor that will help you find relief from common household allergens.
Expert, Bob Harris explains the many advantages to having concrete floors because of low cost, longevity, and durability, along with personal benefits such as reduced allergens, etc.
Concrete Floors Help Prevent Mold Growth
Harris discusses a benefit of concrete floors that is often overlooked—they won't support the growth of toxic mold, unlike organic materials such as carpet, drywall and wood.
People exposed to mold can suffer serious symptoms ranging from headaches and breathing problems to immune system disorders.
Concrete Floors Are Great for Those with Allergies
It's not just the aesthetic appeal of concrete floors that draws people to them. Harris says he is seeing demand grow among his clients because concrete floors don't trap dirt and are easy to clean. He describes how one client with severe allergies to pollen and pet dander reduced her suffering by opting to go with polished concrete floors.
Controlling Allergens with Concrete Floors
Harris explains why concrete is a great alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting for people who suffer from allergy problems. According to the American Lung Association, keeping floors clean is very important for people who are allergic to animal dander and dust mites. Dust mites live deep in carpeted floors and are not removed by vacuuming.
