When it comes to concrete floors and pads, there are a few pretty common finishing methods that people fall back on. Most notably, stenciling and stamping are the two most popular because these methods allow for creating most any appearance, including stone, brick, or any other clearly-defined objective appearance. However, there are a few other finishing methods that can be used for creating more unique finishes. Here are a couple of finishing options for you to consider.
Sweeping Finish
A sweeping finish on a concrete surface is done with a broom. You can create patterns if you wish, or simply sweep in straight lines. This finish leaves ridges on the surface of the concrete, which is great for traction.
You control how deep the ridges are by how much pressure you apply and what type of broom you use. A traditional household broom is going to leave finer, more shallow ridges than a heavy push-broom, for example.
You can move the broom around the floor to create swirls, rainbow-like shapes, straight lines, or even criss-cross textures. The possibilities are only limited by your own personal movements with the broom's bristles.
Float Finishes
Using a float and trowel is another way to finish your concrete surface. Whether you're looking to create arches, swirls, or any other pattern, you just need to choose the float that fits the design you're looking for.
You can alter the texture of the finish by how much pressure you apply and how deep the float is that you decide to use. You'll want to talk with a concrete finishes services contractor about the float options available so that you can choose the one that's going to give you the finish that you're looking for.
Rock Salt Finishes
If you've ever seen a concrete surface that almost looks pitted across the entire surface, that's usually done with rock salt. When the concrete is somewhat set but still soft, you coat the surface in rock salt and press it down just below the surface. Then, once the surface has cured some, you can flood it with water to melt the rock salt. This leaves you with a surface that contains pits and other flaws where the rock salt was.
Rock salt finishes are great for a truly unique and one-of-a-kind finishes. You can't get two rock salt finishes to look identical. It also provides a little bit of texture on the floor, though not as much as some of the other options.
Talk with your concrete contractor today about the concrete finishing options that are available, and consider one of these lesser-used options for your floor today.