Set in concrete

I received an e-mail over the weekend from a reader who had a question that she thought was too boring to put in the comments: "What is the floor of your house made of?" I didn't think it was a boring question at all because it gave me the opportunity to wax poetic about my floor just as I was, well, waxing my floor.


The floor of my house is stained concrete – it's the actual concrete slab on which the house is built, stained to this pretty color. A brightener was added to the concrete as the slab was poured, then the builder applied the stain. I had him score the concrete to look like tile - 12" squares in the dining room and kitchen and 24" squares in the living room. Each of the other rooms is scored 6" from the baseboards, more or less to define the spaces.


As the house has settled, a few cracks have appeared, which are to be expected. I think they add character and charm. I keep hoping that grass will eventually sprout through the cracks. Imagine what a conversation piece that would be.


I love my floor. It may be my single most favorite part of the house. It has texture and irregularity. It is indestructible. It is energy efficient because of its geothermal mass, whatever that is. It is pretty.


My stained concrete floor is also very easy to clean, if you're into that sort of thing. Which I'm not. Pick the right color and the dirt doesn't even show. Every couple of years, you're supposed to "reseal" it. Concrete is very porous so the sealant protects the surface. I spent most of Friday doing this chore. The resealing part was easy, the moving out all of the furniture part - not so much. But in the process, I fell in love with my floor all over again. It looks shiny and brand new.

And now the dust bunnies tumble ever so much faster across the surface.