Should you seal concrete flooring before tiling or carpeting?

Many people choose to put either carpeting or tiling over parts of their home or commercial space that have concrete floors. That is because concrete can be a cold and hard surface for walking on and is also not the most visually appealing type of floor.

The issue of whether any sealing is needed before putting down the carpets or tiling is one that people often neglect though. That is what we will be looking at in this piece.

Should you seal the floor first?

Concrete floors can be found in many parts of a commercial space, but in a home the most likely room to have one in is a basement. That is a part of the home that is particularly at risk from moisture, which will cause a significant amount of damage to either carpets or tiles. Mildew, mould and rot are all common forms of damage caused by too much moisture.

Basements are prone to excess moisture because the air is a higher temperature than the floor or the walls. That creates condensation of the same sort found on a cold glass in hot weather.

Most concrete floors are fitted with damp-proof membranes that are designed to prevent moisture from getting through them. Although certainly not useless, these membranes are not always as effective at doing this as would be ideal.

Sealing the floor will fill up surface pores in the concrete with polymer molecules. That keeps both moisture and dirt from getting through to the tiles or carpet.

How do you seal the floors?

Start by filling in any holes or dips in the floor using a levelling compound. After that you should sweep the floor to get rid of debris and dirt that has built up. You can also wash it with a mop if you wish but give it time to dry before adding the sealant if you do.

Now it is time to put the sealant down. Choose one that is designed for concrete floors and spread it over the surface using a paint roller. A single gallon of it will be enough to coat most concrete floors, although more may be needed if it is a larger commercial space.

Wait two hours minimum after applying the first coat, to let it dry, then add a second coat. Once that is dry you will be ready to put down your carpet or tiles and should be protected against moisture.

New machine detects and removes carpet stains

Carpets in Chester and North Wales homes are easy to keep clean, except when there are stubborn stains that cannot be removed by a vacuum. A new carpet cleaning gadget makes removing stains easy by automatically detecting and cleaning them.

There are solutions that claim to remove stains from carpets, but stubborn stains often require hard rubbing to completely vanish. Tineco, a floor care appliance maker, has announced the launch of CARPET ONE Spot, a machine for use on carpets, upholstery and in cars. It contains Tineco’s iLoop Smart Sensor technology which detects, and then scrubs stains without needing an operator. Tough stains are removed without requiring manual scrubbing. The machine senses how tough the stain is and automatically adjusts its water flow and roller speed. The machine can even tackle stains spread over a large area.

The CARPET ONE Spot is portable and cordless, lasting up to 40 minutes on one charge. Carpet or upholstery settings and cleaning levels can be selected. The appliance is self-cleaning, removing dirt collected by the hose and brushes.

The Tineco CARPET ONE Spot is currently not available in the UK, though other Tineco carpet cleaners are on sale here. A cheaper option is to use a carpet stain remover such as Vanish which cleans stains and odours on carpets and upholstery, but this may involve hard scrubbing. It’s recommended that carpets are professionally deep cleaned at least once a year. A decent quality, well-maintained carpet lasts a long time.

Carpet Recycling UK reports growing support

Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) reports that around half of Britain’s carpet manufacturers and distributors support its schemes to recycle used carpets. They say that this shows increasing support for their aim to reduce wasted textile flooring and resources.

At the 2022 Harrogate Flooring Show, CRUK manager, Adnan Zeo-Khn said:

“We want to have more conversations with raw materials suppliers about the supply of recycled and more sustainable materials as well as, the challenges of decommissioning carpets at the end of life, what is being done and how can we help.”

He said that he had positive talks with manufactures and suppliers of carpets at the show and hoped that more will join CRUK.

Many carpet manufacturers are committed to the circular economy where products are made from recycled materials. CRUK advises carpet companies on how to reduce costs and resources by using more recycled materials.

Another sector that CRUK helps is carpet contractors, who often have substantial amounts of waste carpet after completing a large flooring contract. If they become members of the CRUK scheme, they will be assisted in ways to recycle leftover carpet pieces.

CRUK is working with organisations that train carpet fitters. They want educational programs to include a section on how waste carpets are collected, sorted, and processed.

When choosing Carpets for North Wales homes, an option is carpets that include recycled materials. Wool carpets are made from natural sustainable fibres, which can easily be recycled at the end of the carpet’s life.

Museum of Carpet designs inspire modern carpets

The Museum of Carpet in Kidderminster stores historical records related to the carpet industry from the 18th century to the present day. The museum plans to increase their income by licensing many of the designs from their extensive carpet archive. The patterns of carpets for Chester, Wrexham and North Wales homes and businesses could soon be influenced by traditional patterns recorded in the museum

The Museum is appealing to raise £20,000 to make up for a reduction in their income caused by rising energy bills and a shortfall in visitor numbers following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chairman of the museum trustees Vicky Bagnall told visitors to the museum’s tenth anniversary celebrations that they need extra money to cover costs for the next six months. She said that extra staff had been recruited and:

"Over the last two years people have been nervous to come out into closed environments. School visits have picked up, but group visits have also fallen."

She said that they needed to pay these staff and, earlier this year, their gas bill went from £4,000 to £16,000-a-year.

Kidderminster, where the museum is located, used to be known as the “Carpet Capital of the World,” due to the many carpet manufacturers based in the region. Though carpet manufacturing has declined in Kidderminster and the rest of Britain, there are still some flourishing UK brands, especially in the luxury carpet sector. British sheep are used to provide the wool for premium quality UK wool carpets.

Global carpet markets forecast to be worth $40.2 billion by 2027

A report by MarketGlass Research reveals that the worldwide carpet market was worth US$32 million in 2020 and is expected to grow to be worth $40.2 billion in 2027.

Carpet manufacturers face fierce competition from hard surface flooring manufacturers. There are several reasons why there is a continuing high demand for carpets. In many countries, there has been an increase in construction activity. In commercial buildings, carpets are still regarded as a quality floor covering by businesses.

Carpets are visually appealing and available in both traditional and contemporary designs. Innovation helps drive the carpet market. Manufacturers have developed carpets that are long lasting, stain-resistant and easier to keep clean. Self-cleaning carpets have been created that require little maintenance. Waterproof and pet-friendly carpets are also available.

In Europe, carpets are mainly produced by machines. However, in Asia, hand woven carpets dominate the market.

Manufacturers have made improvements that make carpets more environmentally friendly, with many carpets fully recyclable. Wool carpets are made from natural sustainable materials.

Carpets are a two-dimensional floor covering, although optical illusion techniques create a sense of depth and deep textures,

There has been a significant increase in the high-end luxury carpet market in the residential sector. Carpet tiles are mainly used in commercial buildings, but many consumers are installing tiles in their homes.

Though there has been an increase in online sales, carpets in Cheshire and Wirral homes are usually bought from local carpet retailers.