With the weather outside cold and frightful in many areas around the country, you may be thinking of ways to keep your home warm and cozy. But not in a temporary way, like throwing on a warm blanket or firing up a space heater. What is a long-lasting, home value-increasing solution?
Believe it or not, concrete is. Normally you wouldn’t associate cool, gray concrete with toasty warmth, but in fact, it has amazing thermal power. Once harnessed, you can use concrete to give you toasty warm floors, inviting indoor fireplaces, spa-like soaking tubs or attractive draft-proof walls. Contact your local contractor and try some of these features to make your home both stylish and comfortable for winters to come.
Concrete Fireplaces
The chill of winter makes many homeowners reawaken their fireplaces so they can bask in the cozy warmth and ambiance of the flickering flames. But even when the fireplace isn’t in use, it often remains the focal point of a room and makes an important design statement. That’s why more homeowners are choosing the unique look of concrete to create custom fireplaces, hearths and mantels.
Unlike traditional brick or stone fireplaces, there are more finish and color choices for concrete fireplaces. Since concrete can be molded, it can be molded to your unique taste, whether your want something more contemporary or traditional. With concrete, you can even integrate things like built-in shelves or seating.
Concrete Floors
Heating your home with a furnace and vents isn’t your only option. You can harness the power of rising heat with radiating concrete floors. By having the floor itself distribute the heat from the ground up using a radiant in-floor heating system, you will save energy and create a more comfortable living environment.
The science behind radiant floor heating is simple: tubes that circulate hot water or electrical heating elements are installed in a concrete slab when it’s poured, fusing the concrete into a source of evenly distributed heat.
And even if you don’t have the option of installing brand new concrete floors, there are other ways you can take advantage of radiant heat. You can incorporate it into existing floors using ultra-thin electric heating mats are that can be embedded in thin-set cement overlays, allowing retrofitting over existing slabs without significantly raising the floor height. This process is a great way to warm floors in cold bathrooms, bedrooms, dressing areas and entryways. You can even retrofit cold basement floors with radiant heating to make them more comfortable.
So, reach out to your contractor, and discuss the various concrete options you have available to you. This will allow you to relish in warmth and your personal style for years to come.
