How Allergen-Free Decorative Concrete Floors Improve Indoor Air Quality
May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month so it’s a good time to talk about air quality in your home. Spring is a peak suffering season for people with asthma and allergies and learning what you can do to reduce indoor allergens in your home will keep your family healthier and happier. Decorative concrete floors from Concrete Craft® can help your home stay cleaner, resulting in better air quality in three important ways:
- Surfaces are easy to clean
- Finishes are moisture-resistant
- No chemical emissions from our resurfacing products
If you suffer from allergies, you’re not alone, but you can do something about it
With allergies, we usually think of outside irritants like pollen, insect bites, and dust particles blowing in the wind. But the indoors can harbor allergens as well, including dust, smoke, mold, chemicals, and even the family pets. We’ve all seen the commercials of nasty things lurking in mattresses, HVAC units, and under sinks; and the bad news is, it’s true. For allergy and asthma sufferers, “home, sweet home” can translate to any number of unpleasant symptoms:
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Fever
There are measures you can take to reduce harmful allergens in your home, starting with polished concrete, stained, stamped, and resurfaced decorative concrete floors.
Reduce harmful dust with easy-to-clean surfaces
According to emedicinehealth.com, house dust is the main culprit for setting off indoor allergies. They define house dust as “an airborne mixture” of everything in your home from food to clothes to furniture, plus human, pet, and plant residuals. This means all the common call-outs—dust mites, mold spores, human and pet dander—are joined by fabric fibers, insect fragments, and their waste, food particles, and other debris, including tracked in pollen, dust, and dirt from the outside. Flooring that keeps dust accumulation to a minimum will go a long way to making your home more allergen-free.
There’s no place for dust to hide with a stained concrete floor that resists spills and dust buildup
- Replace carpet and carpet padding that can harbor high levels of dust mites, pet dander, mold, and mildew with allergen-free decorative concrete and polished concrete floors.
- Decorative concrete finishes resist dust and dirt buildup and clean up with a dust mop and occasional wet mopping to keep the surfaces like new.
- It’s easy to get behind and under furniture with a dust mop to keep your floors free of debris and hidden dust bunnies.
Eliminate hidden moisture factors
Mold and mold spores that depend on moisture to live and grow can be severe triggers to asthma and allergy attacks. When moisture is hidden, you may not be aware of the problem, such as grouted tile or vinyl and laminate floors that have seams where water can seep in and not dry out. Also, carpeting can hold moisture from spills and cleaning products below the surface. Mold and bacteria love dark, damp places where they can flourish unseen. Decorative concrete floors are water-resistant with finishes that resist spills and stains so nothing can penetrate below the surface to become a breeding ground for mold.
No lingering moisture in corners or along baseboards will keep rooms with high humidity cleaner and drier
- Decorative concrete inhibits the growth of mold and mildew in rooms where moisture can be a problem, like kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms.
- Tile, faux stone, and wood plank design decorative concrete floors look like the real materials but don’t have the vulnerable connecting seams and grout, the sealed surface eliminates any possibility of moisture damage.
- Control moisture in a basement with a decorative concrete floor with a moisture barrier and a decorative concrete overlay in a faux stone or wood plank design.
Breathe easier with no chemical emissions
Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from new paint, flooring, and other furnishings can contribute to unhealthy indoor air quality. Going green with natural cleaning products and furnishings is another way to improve indoor air quality by eliminating harmful chemicals. Floor cleaners, waxes, and varnishes often contain toxic chemicals that can cause a flare-up for asthma and allergy sufferers. Concrete Craft’s proprietary blends for resurfaced concrete overlays are eco-friendly and “green rated” according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards and our concrete stains and sealers are low-to-no VOCs.
Enjoy the beauty of wood without varnishes and chemical cleaners with a stenciled wood decorative concrete floor
- Decorative concrete floors don’t need special chemical cleaners as often required for carpet, hardwood, grouted tile, or real stone.
- A safe, non-toxic neutral-pH cleaner like Dawn dish soap is all you need to keep your floors shining.
- The non-porous sealed surface resists stains and spills, including pet accidents, and messes wipe up completely with no lingering residue or odor.
Additional tips to improve in-home air quality
All your cleaning efforts should contribute to reducing the accumulation of dust, pet dander, mold, and other allergens lurking in your home. There are some things you can do to cut your cleaning time as you take steps to ensure that the air in your home is optimally clean and allergen-free.
- Regular dusting and vacuuming physically removes the dust from shelves, window treatments, tabletops, picture frames, and knickknacks.
- Replace dust-grabbing fabric window coverings with easy-to-clean wood window blinds and shutters. If you must have curtains, choose washable fabrics.
- Upholstered furniture and cushions should be vacuumed, and pillows and blankets can be “dusted” by a 20-minute, non-heat dryer tumble with organic, fragrance-free wool dryer balls.
- Make bedrooms pet-free zones and protect mattresses, box springs, and pillows with washable, allergy-proof removable covers. (Check Allergy Guard Direct for 100% cotton covers.)
- Brush and groom pets outside or in the garage, bathe pets as necessary and keep all pet bedding clean.
- Replace air filters as recommended for your heating and cooling system, using filters with a high range MERV rating (12-13) for maximum filtration.
- Consider professional air duct cleaning, especially if your system is several years old, to ensure cleaner air and better efficiency from your HVAC system.
- An air purification system with HEPA filters provides additional protection. Consult Consumer Reports’ Air Purifier Buying Guide for helpful information.
- Open windows to let in the fresh air and ventilate windowless rooms with exhaust fans that circulate to the outside.
- Prevent mold by controlling moisture throughout your home. Dry off surfaces where water collects, like shower walls and around bathtubs and kitchen sinks.
- Check for leaks under sinks and cabinets and, if you suspect you have a mold problem, contact AdvantaClean for accurate mold testing, removal, and preventive solutions.
Concrete Craft® would love to help make your home more allergen-free with polished concrete and decorative concrete floors to create a cleaner environment that is easy to maintain. From the look of polished marble to realistic faux stone and wood finishes, there is no limit to the style of flooring you can enjoy. Contact us or go to www.concretecraft.com to find the Concrete Craft location nearest you and request a free in-home or virtual* consultation to learn more. Scroll through our online Interior Design Guide and find your favorite interior floor finishes!
*Virtual consultations may not be available at all locations.
