While a concrete floor would seem to be about as durable as any building material could possibly be, the list of way in which such floors can break down is quite long. Some defects are caused by mistakes made at the time the floor was laid. Others develop because of exterior pressures and stresses. And still more trouble can arise from continued heavy usage.
A list of some of these defects might include;
1. A dusty surface that no amount of sweeping will improve.
2. A sandy, pitted surface with small gravel constantly being dislodged.
3. Unevenness-bumps and depressions.
4. Cracks-hairline and some much wider and deeper.
5. Dampness-ever-present, owing to seepage through from below or condensation of moisture from the air.
6. Stains such as oil spots, paint stains and an assortment of discolorations due to use.
The first three are the result of poor workmanship right from the start. Too little cement in the mixture leads to a "sandy" surface later. Too much water allowed to run off rapidly from the wet surface produces a similar result, as does freezing before the cement has cured. Excessive troweling, which brings the cement to the surface not improved by sweeping. Hasty work and failure to level the floor during the laying process will, of course, leave the surface irregular.
The presence of water under pressure beneath a floor is usually the cracks. When the floor is laid below grade, an excavation is often made below existing water tables and it's up to the concrete floor to shut the water out, If the concrete is to thin or not property reinforced, pressure from below push it up and cracks develop. Even when properly built, such a floor will remain clod, and if the air in the room is moist, the moisture will condense on the colder surface-the floor-and leave it wet. These are the two basic causes of the wet basement, the most common ailment of many homes.
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