Most homes have some area where they have concrete flooring. Whether it's the garage, basement, or even main living quarters, there are opportunities to create a warmer, more inviting living space without having to spend the money to layer over it.

Using your concrete flooring helps you:
   * save money
   * be more flexible in your decorating
   * use the solid surface for support

Why some people decide to cover it up:
   * the surface is too hard for their purposes
   * the concrete is stained beyond repair
   * the surface is uneven

Stained concrete flooring is a great look, when you do it intentionally. Concrete flooring is a marvelous solar mass for passive solar-heated homes, as well as a good surface for radiant floors. But having concrete may not be the look you wanted in your home. In that case, applying a stain is the route to go. Acid stain, one staining option, is not a paint or coating agent, but a coloring process involving a chemical reaction. You get a beautiful mottled look to your floor with this finishing approach. And you could even score a pattern or design into the concrete before it's stained to add interest. Once the stain is dry, be sure to apply a protective coat or two, so the stain wears evenly.

Concrete flooring in homes can be painted too. This approach to decorative concrete flooring can be a money saver. You don't have to spend additional money with other flooring options, you just start with clean concrete and decorate them as you wish -- paint, stain, or etching.

Concrete floor designs can be made with stencils or well-placed painting tape in order to use certain colors in certain areas. A polished concrete flooring scheme can look sophisticated and classic. Add a nice cocktail bar and a billiard room and you have a great place for entertaining and relaxing. Consider a checker board pattern by putting tape over the opposing color, letting the paint dry, and then painting the bare areas. Cover with sealant and you're done.

Maintaining a stained or painted concrete floor basically requires regular cleaning and a fresh coat of sealant every few years. Talk about a low maintenance flooring! The shine stays put with regular sweeping and mopping.

Concrete flooring repairs are easily done by the homeowner or by a local concrete floor installer. A professional is probably the better person to tend to repairs. There are several options and a professional will be able to suggest the ones best for your situation. You can patch the problem, do a concrete overlay, or even an epoxy coating could work -- depending on the problem being repaired.

If you are building a new home or office, consider hollow core concrete flooring. It lets you build more quickly, it reduces sound transfer between floors, span longer spaces without support, it's lightweight and fire resistant, and allows design flexibility. If you are planning to paint or stain your concrete flooring, this is just another interesting option.

The average price for concrete flooring is determined by the square footage of surface that you want to cover. Some people even have their original concrete flooring taken out in order to pour a smoother surface -- but this is the costlier option. If you can simply clean the floor, it will save you time and money.

But there are those that don't like the hard surface and support that concrete flooring in your home provides. A working area is great with the hard design, but in a playroom or a workout room, it might not be the best choice.

Always try to save the original concrete flooring if you can, because the options are endless -- just like your ideas.