Concrete in the home
I foresee a lot of concrete being used in my home. For starters, I’m planning on using insulated concrete forms as the building blocks of the structure. Following that, I like Eldorado Stone’s vertical concrete veneer system. There are a ton of other uses for concrete as a structural and decorative item, some of which I like and some of which I don’t care for. Here’s a general list:
- Driveways
- Garages
- Indoor floors
- Patio floors
- Exterior siding (including heavy-duty fences)
- Interior siding
- Countertops
- Fireplaces
- Patio accents (outdoor fireplaces, sitting areas, fire pits, etc.)
I’m not a big fan of concrete driveways or indoor floors. Most sealers I’ve seen give it a kind of glossy “wet look” which I don’t really care for, plus it’s pretty hard underfoot for an indoor flooring (not to mention it hurts more if you fall down!). And the concrete driveways suffer from cracking and other issues, which is why I like the StreetPrint textured asphalt solution for driveways.
What I do like a lot are concrete countertops, especially for using them in an outdoor kitchen setting and for patio accents like sitting-walls, firepits, etc. I’m not entirely sold on using them indoors due to their hardness (kids bonking their heads against it etc.), but for outdoor sitting areas, the covered exterior portion of the patio, the countertops where the grills are, and so on, it seems pretty neat. Here is a link to a great walkthrough on a DIY indoor concrete countertop. And here are some photos of concrete designs…
Acid-stained concrete in an interior room: (not a fan of indoor concrete floors, but this gives you an idea of the decorative possibilities of concrete finishing)
Outdoor countertop & floor: (the stones can also be done with concrete)
I really like this concept - a firepit with a sitting-wall:
Here’s a concrete fence, which would go great with some Kwik Kerb using a mower’s edge for the robotic lawnmower: (and looks easy to do with a system like the one from Better Paths)
Indoor concrete countertop: (from a really nice site called Concrete Decor)
Especially in outdoor applications, concrete seems like the best route to go durability thanks to the various design techniques available. Coupled with paver stones and other materials, you can build an extremely permanent design both indoors & out.
