Building an outdoor oasis requires a few non-negotiable elements. First, a screen room to protect from bugs, rain, and intense sunshine. Second, a ceiling fan and some comfortable furniture to keep you cool and contented through the summer months. And third, a floor that will stand the test of time without showing wear and tear.
Concrete is an excellent choice for outdoor surfaces, but it’s easy to overlook the material since it is so common in daily life. Think about the schools, bridges, tunnels, dams, pavements, runways, and roads—all made from concrete. There is a reason (many, actually) that it’s chosen so frequently! Concrete is affordable, performance-worthy, and even environmentally sustainable.
Affordable
Concrete provides sophisticated outdoor flooring without the price associated with natural stone. Using stamped concrete, you get the exact design you want, like sandstone or coral stone, at just a fraction of the cost.
Strength and Durability
Think of it this way: the Roman Colosseum, built with concrete, is over 1,500 years old and still standing! It’s an undeniable example of concrete’s ability to weather time. This is possible because concrete actually gains strength instead of losing it, and it’s not impacted by moisture, mold, or pests. It’s even fire-resistant!
Environmentally Sustainably
Even in production, concrete uses dramatically less energy than other building materials, including brick, timber, and steel. Thanks to concrete’s excellent thermal mass, concrete floors slow the passage of heat to reduce temperature swings and lessen the need for heating and air-conditioning.
On the same note, concrete is reflective and absorbs less heat, so you don’t have to worry about feeling like you’re in a pressure cooker as you lay outside in August! It’s also locally produced and used due to expensive transportation costs, so you can count on less fossil fuels and energy used in transit!
It’s hard to say no to concrete when its many characteristics have so many benefits.
