Just a question to those maybee more experienced in life than myself. I’m pretty well finished a year and a half long remodel of my first home. I’ve still got my side entrance to finish. It’s the most commonly used one for myself and my wife as our parking is in the rear and the formal entrance is quite a distance from the cars. I’m faced with a problem probably very common to many of you, dirty boots. Usually covered with a layer of mud or sometimes just snow and salt. I need a durable easy to clean product with good slip resistance to use in the entry. I’ve thought of maybee a slate but I’m thinking this is to hard to get clean, I’t not a big area so cost is not a huge concern. If possible I would go down the stairs to my basement with this product. ANy thoughts?
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how about a dry well with a grate outside ...
and a hose bib.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Yippers, another vote for high end viynl. That stuff is shore nuff tuff.
I think though that as Jeff said the problem is really out side. You need a covered porch. While you are at it screen it and put some high end lawn furniture in there so she can fetch ya a beer . Or you could just have a fridge out there and she wouldnt know how many yer drinkin. The possibilities are endless.
In the basement the only thing that I know that will work is concrete , tile, slate, or flag stone.
hubbba hubba
edit;did I mention reason for a new tile saw?
Tim
Edited 5/12/2006 8:35 pm by Mooney
I was thinking slate, also.
Grunge on. http://grungefm.com
I'd skip the slate myself and go with linoleum or a high end vinyl sheet.
slate would be prettier ... but grout lines are grout lines.
even a laminate would work.
Like I tell my wife .... I work in million dollar kitchens every day ... and PLam is still the toughest counter top and vinyl floor still clean up the easiest.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Grout lines can be black with slate, hide the dirt and clean up nice after a good sealing.
You work in Million dollar kitchens everyday? I've never even seen a million dollar kitchen.
You must be loaded, big time! Why do you spend your time on a constr forum?
Grunge on. http://grungefm.com
"Why do you spend your time on a constr forum?"
to slum it and remember my roots.
black grout turns grey ... and is still a PITA to clean.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I just installed two bathrooms with high end vinyl for my parents.
Thank gawd I talked them out of tile . A tile salesman talked my
wife into choosing grout color ,the color of the dirt native to our area,
now I have white tile with a turd colored grout. Doesnt show that
much dirt though.heeheh
how about one of them boot scrapers with the brushes on the side- stuck in the concrete outside....
Course, I know most of em are just for a single boot, so if you wanted to go upscale, you could try to find the two boot cleaner. Lotsa cowboys round here have em....
Eric
in Cowtown
I like the slate, myself. Dark slate with dark gray grout.
My second choice, if it was practical, might be acid stained concrete. It's more slippery than slate, but easy to clean, durable, and cheap if you can just pour it on grade.
zak
"so it goes"
we installed a sissel carpet in a steel pan for a family of 7 when it gets dirty you take it out and wash it and if it gets to bad you replace the piece. nice looking product with bound edges and kind of a sandy color.
Always thought it would be nice to have an entry area that was pitched to a floor drain. They you could hose it down.
I have two mudrooms the first is an unheated area to take off the muddy boots ,store auto stuff, garbage, recyclables, place for the ferel cats in the winter etc. It is pea gravel concrete with carpet tiles I got for free just replace them when too nasty or wash.
The inner mudroom is the laundry room, utility sink, broom closet ,bad pet confinement and pet feeding area. Tile floor easy enough to keep clean this tiled area has 2 doors one into kitchen and one into masterbath both have tile floors, so I can come in and not track up the carpets and cover about all necessities without taking shoes off ,or strip all mud laden clothing and throw in utility sink then go straight to hot shower. This works better than I envisioned when I designed it and would definately do it again if I built another house for myself.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
....entry area that was pitched to a floor drain. They you could hose it down.
I was watching a show, maybe TOH, they were over in one of the scandanavian countries. Seams the senario that you mentioned is quite common over their.
Looked like a good idea, especially if you do outdoor stuff on a regular bases, like farming, construction work....
Doug
"Looked like a good idea, especially if you do outdoor stuff on a regular bases, like farming, construction work...."
I think the situation is bad enough with just the regular yardwork, kids and snow. That's part of my dream mudroom design.
Along the same lines, I'm actually designing a small 1/2 bath pitched to a floor drain. It will be so much easier to clean that way!-The poster formerly known as csnow
Where I am most job sites are substantially different. One side of the city rocks gravel and sand. The other Clay, really sticky clay. Some spots I work are a really red clay. I guess for ease of cleaning sheetgoods would be fine. I've yet to really see a pattern I don't mind. I don't think I'm going to do a turn colored grout in anycase. I've seen a nice rusty slate in 12x12 With a dark grey grout would match my bathroom sort of(black slate grey grout) I've got an idea in my head to hook up one of those centralvac sweep in units, put it right by the shoe rack so I can keep on top of stuff when it's dried. The laminate was a good option. I've finished the stairs up to the mainfloor in brazil cherry and ther remainder of the main floor aswell. So a similar laminate maybee a good looking option. I actually used to have concrete there. The old landing had the top half of the joists filled with concrete and mesh, common practice in 1907 for installing tile ontop of. The only reason I took it out was b/c me and my grandfather spilled a bunch of oil on the landing taking the oil tank out of the basment. Oil got into all the old wood ect. I didn't have much of a choice. Any thoughts on slate with 1/16 spaces, no grout? or am I asking for trouble letting wate get into the thinset?