Dupe the concrete effect flooring

A concrete effect flooring is often the first choice when it comes to designing modern rooms in both private homes and rented flats. People appreciate concrete for its discreet yet modern look. Additionally, the thickness and robust appearance of the concrete give it a very high-quality feel. Designers often use concrete flooring in styles such as industrial, brutalism, and minimalism.

However, a real concrete floor is rarely an option, especially in rented flats. And even in houses, the floor has too many disadvantages to make it worth the effort of hiring a construction company to pour concrete. Today, however, there are numerous alternatives. A concrete-look floor is not available for little money, but can also impress with its high level of comfort and excellent maintenance properties. In this article, we present a few alternatives!

Concrete look flooring: A floor for the ambitious

People often prefer real concrete floors over imitations, but valid reasons seldom find concrete flooring in residential buildings or rented flats. Several reasons argue against opting for a real concrete floor. Firstly, the cost and time involved in the installation are significant. Professionals are best suited for achieving a smooth surface without air pockets, thereby making the process more expensive. Additionally, depending on the structure of the house, a structural engineer should assess the feasibility, as concrete is inherently heavy.

What's more, concrete doesn't exactly have the best environmental footprint. Although concrete itself is very easy to clean, the material makes for unpleasant acoustics. The flooring is also very cold in winter and very warm in summer. In terms of comfort, concrete flooring is therefore not the best choice. You should also bear in mind that the concrete floor needs at least a week to dry. Once laid, however, the concrete floor is very durable. Therefore, only determined individuals can realize a real concrete floor in private homes.

So, it's a good thing that concrete-look flooring is now available that realistically imitates the original, but offers significantly more advantages in terms of sustainability, maintenance, acoustics, temperature and cosiness.

Concrete look flooring - What alternatives are there?

As the concrete look has become a timeless living trend in recent years, there are numerous alternatives to real concrete flooring. If you are looking for a concrete effect floor, you have a wide range of options. Which flooring you ultimately choose depends primarily on your requirements in terms of robustness, sustainability, maintenance and suitability for everyday use.

You can choose between resilient floor coverings such as vinyl flooring, and linoleum as well as hard floor coverings such as tiles and laminate flooring. Innovative designer flooring also offers a wide selection of concrete decors for modern interior design.

Resilient flooring in concrete effect - Easy to clean and comfortable

If you are looking for a concrete-look floor, you will probably stumble across several resilient floor coverings in attractive stone decors. People particularly favour floor coverings made of PVC or vinyl (polyvinyl chloride) for their good price, comfortable properties, versatility, and flexibility. We present vinyl flooring, PVC flooring and linoleum flooring here.

Vinyl flooring - The trend flooring in concrete effect

Vinyl flooring is particularly popular and is now at the forefront of modern floor coverings. PVC design floor covering in plank and tile form, known as vinyl flooring, can be used in a variety of ways. Various product types make vinyl flooring in a concrete look a real all-rounder. Overall, this concrete-look flooring impresses with very pleasant acoustics and warmth underfoot, offers a comfortable walking experience, and is very durable, easy to maintain and inexpensive. A particular advantage: the vinyl floor is available in numerous concrete designs, from vinyl flooring in light grey to dark grey click vinyl, everything is available here.

Click vinyl with a concrete look is particularly popular in the home, as this vinyl design flooring is easy to install yourself. Increasingly, commercial premises value adhesive vinyl as the somewhat more durable vinyl flooring, requiring the bonding of vinyl planks and tiles over the entire surface with dispersion adhesive. Self-adhesive vinyl flooring is also suitable for smaller rooms. A self-adhesive vinyl floor with a concrete look - also known as loose-lay vinyl - can even be used at trade fairs, depending on the usage class, and can simply be laid in place without glueing.

Always pay attention to the usage classes to find the right concrete-look flooring. Class 23 vinyl flooring, for example, is suitable for heavy-duty living areas. Always pay attention to the "damp room suitability" or "water resistance" label if you want to install the design flooring in the bathroom. In itself, however, vinyl is very suitable for the bathroom.

PVC flooring - The big brother of vinyl flooring

Manufacturers produce PVC flooring from vinyl but offer it by the meter in widths ranging from two to five meters. The term "PVC flooring" has become established to distinguish vinyl flooring in plank and tile format from sheet vinyl. A PVC floor with a concrete look is usually very affordable and comfortable. As the roll material is often somewhat more elastic and "softer" than vinyl flooring, it impresses with a particularly pleasant feel and good acoustic properties. Depending on the utilisation class, it can be used in living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms as well as offices or commercial spaces.

Linoleum - The sustainable floor with a concrete effect

Linoleum flooring is still often confused with PVC flooring. However, while PVC flooring is made from a synthetic material. Linoleum flooring is also made almost exclusively from natural and rapidly renewable raw materials. This makes concrete-look linoleum ideal for sustainable building and green living. Due to the manufacturing process, very elaborate designs are hardly possible with linoleum flooring. On the contrary, the technology for imitating wood or stone looks is constantly improving.

As linoleum flooring is usually marbled, some decors are reminiscent of concrete. Linoleum flooring is increasingly used in high-traffic areas such as schools or public buildings. Plus, it is also often used in care facilities and hospitals due to its optimum hygienic properties. However, modern solutions such as click linoleum from Forbo Marmoleum Click are also becoming increasingly popular in residential areas. By its very nature, concrete-look linoleum is highly durable and hard-wearing and is very long-lasting.

Hard flooring in a concrete effect

Hard floor coverings include parquet, laminate and tiles. Of course, you won't find concrete decors on wooden parquet flooring. However, you will find them on tiles and laminate flooring. The hard floorings are also often characterised by a somewhat more solid structure and therefore appear somewhat more valuable. In return, you often have to accept poorer room acoustics and a less pleasant walking sensation. Laminate flooring with a concrete look has almost been superseded by vinyl flooring, but many people still favour laminate flooring. If you opt for a high-quality product, the hard-decorative layer can imitate concrete in a very authentic way.

Design flooring in concrete look - Either laminate or vinyl

To distinguish sustainable flooring solutions in highly appealing, authentic designs from vinyl flooring, we call them "design flooring". Here, too, there is concrete effect flooring that combines an aesthetic design with high durability and a good eco-balance. Some manufacturers now offer design flooring that is as durable as the popular vinyl flooring. On the good side, it is made from innovative sustainable materials or natural raw materials. Concrete-look design flooring can often be laid in the bathroom without any problems.

Concrete effect tiles - The authentic alternative

Because the feel comes closest to a real concrete floor, concrete effect tiles are a good alternative to concrete floors. However, the price is also somewhat higher than vinyl flooring. Ceramic tiles generally have a very stylish and high-quality appearance. They are of course particularly suitable for kitchens and bathrooms due to their hygienic properties. However, this concrete-look flooring is also becoming increasingly popular in living rooms and even bedrooms. For example, high-quality porcelain stoneware tiles can look very elegant yet modern. In combination with modern home accessories, you can create a truly modern feel-good ambience.