I contemplating using concrete floors for a finish on a house I plan to build sometime down the line. I am still in the planning stages. Can anyone tell me if there are any financial advantages to using a polished and stained concrete floor. Are there any disadvantages. I thought of one disadvantage: hairline cracks in the concrete would show. My thoughs are though, that the labor involved in getting this finish would equal the cost of ceramic tile or any other decent flooring. Basically I wanna know if it is cheaper, and if it is, would the end result justify it. I have seen them at malls and commercial buildings and they look great. Another problem would be finding someone in my area that know what they are doing.
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cutawooda, now, right now, I'am in the process of staining 1300 sq. ft. of interior concrete, ie, entire livable space. For me, it is, a lot of work, next time around I'am going to push for a colored concrete floor, ie- Color in the concrete, at time of pour. Even if the Redi-Mix company charges $20.00 a yard more for colored mud, or higher, for me it would be worth it. As far as a reputable concrete company, call your local redi-mix company and ask them who. Be safe out there. Jim Jensen
What's your planned heat source? Are you in an area where in-floor hydronic is justified? If so, then you're ahead right now doing concrete floors.
Unless you're going ultra-contemporary, concrete is going to have an informal quality to it. Given that, the fine surface cracking you (might) get can be a pleasing part of the look. Better to accept it than go nuts trying to eliminate it completely, IMHO. Scoring the floor into squares, or on the diagonal, is a great way to create interest in the floor too.
Also worth checking out http://www.concretenetwork.com
Put the zink strips in like in Terazzo that will or should controll cracking
I personally prefer the look of a concrete floor that's been stained after finish to that of the mixed-in powdered dyes. And when you consider the surcharge that most concrete suppliers place on dyed concrete, the liquid stain is a good deal cheaper, too. However, the dye admixture provides a much more consistent color, which is better if you want a more formal look. Either way you do it, you'll need to seal and polish afterward. Any competent concrete finisher can provide a very acceptable finish, in that the finishing techniques are the same whether you stain or not. One exception to that is the after-pour powdered colorants that are available. These are applied to the floor before it's set, and it definitely takes an experienced hand to spread the powder so that the finished product is consistent in appearance.
The nature of your local market, concerning the quality of the concrete finishers, is a big issue if you want the floor scored. In the area I live in now, there's only one concrete finisher I would trust to score a floor properly, either before or after setting, and he tends to keep a 3-6 months backlog. Anybody else would mess the work up bad. You may be in an area where your scheduling worries wouldn't be so great.
Mac