Although the increased availability of a variety of stains, stamps, and techniques, are making decorative concrete floors attractive for home owners, all concrete floors offer sustainable benefits.

Concrete—plain and decorative—is an excellent flooring material combining the economy, durability, and strength inherent in concrete. These floors also provide the thermal mass for passive solar heating. From a real estate marketing standpoint, special concrete finishing, both indoors and outdoors, enhances the prestige and value of property while contributing several environmental benefits.

Resource Efficient. Uncovered concrete floors reduce the need for finishes in general, including carpet which is associated with indoor air quality problems.

Energy Performance and Thermal Mass. The thermal mass of concrete improves a buildings energy performance when appropriately insulated.

Durable. Concrete stands up to natural disasters, wind-driven rain, moisture damage, and sun damage. Less replacement means reduced resource requirements.

Cool. Using light- or natural-colored material helps reduce the heat island affect.

Low emitting. Concrete has low VOC emission and does not degrade indoor air quality.

Recyclable. Techniques such as microtopping and polishing allow concrete artisans to change a drab gray in-place concrete slab into a floor of beauty without having to use the natural resources that would be necessary to produce a new slab.

Local. Materials are usually extracted and manufactured locally.

Recycled content. Fly ash, slag cement, or silica fume can substitute partially for cement, and recycled aggregates can replace newly mined gravel.