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We are in the very early phases of purchasing a completely gutted home to remodel. The bottom floor is concrete that I would like to have stained to give it that industrial-loft feeling. What should one expect to pay per sq. ft. on something like that?
Also- I think I know the answer to this already, but is it possible to lay concrete floor on the upper levels of the house? I figure some kind of significant reinforcement of the structure would be needed that would make it not worth doing, but maybe I'm wrong.
Putting a concrete floor is not a bad idea but you just have to pick the right areas to do that. The upper levels of the house are seems to be OK then.
The question is not is it possible to lay concrete on the upper levels the question is why. It's your money, your house, but concrete flooring on the upper levels is incredibly unappealing. It's a brutally hard and often cold surface. I'm assuming you are talking about continuing the stained concrete and not using concrete as a sub floor.
i'm not sure if it's worth the extra money to reinforce the structure for that.
The question is not is it possible to lay concrete on the upper levels the question is why. It's your money, your house, but concrete flooring on the upper levels is incredibly unappealing. It's a brutally hard and often cold surface. I'm assuming you are talking about continuing the stained concrete and not using concrete as a sub floor.
i'm not sure if it's worth the extra money to reinforce the structure for that.
I have concrete floors through out my multi level home.
Everyone loves them.
Some places they are stamped to look like stone but most places it is flat.
Of curse I built the house like this. You can sit in the bedrooms up stairs while there is a band playing down stairs and not hear them at all.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I have a slab foundation. When re-modeling my house, I planned to have it stained. It was going to be pricey so I figured I would first paint the floors to see how we liked concrete.
The concrete was incredibly uncomfortable. I suggest living with the concrete (even if it's not stained or painted) just to see how you like it. Walk around barefoot or with socks if that's how you normally live. Cook in the kitchen for an hour.
It might work for you, but it definitely did not for me. My legs hurt, it was cold, I just did not like it.
I have concrete floors through out my multi level home.
Everyone loves them.
Some places they are stamped to look like stone but most places it is flat.
Of curse I built the house like this. You can sit in the bedrooms up stairs while there is a band playing down stairs and not hear them at all.
Like I said, your money your house. I can say unequivocally, though, that I would not buy a house that has concrete flooring on the second floor. Unflinchingly hard surface throughout a second floor doesn't sound appealing to me at least. Wood is another thing.
We are in the very early phases of purchasing a completely gutted home to remodel. The bottom floor is concrete that I would like to have stained to give it that industrial-loft feeling. What should one expect to pay per sq. ft. on something like that?
Also- I think I know the answer to this already, but is it possible to lay concrete floor on the upper levels of the house? I figure some kind of significant reinforcement of the structure would be needed that would make it not worth doing, but maybe I'm wrong.
Assuming the concrete is already there, I believe a local place told me $6 SF a few years back.
It's difficult to use a per square foot price without knowing what is included in that price. Plain staining of concrete is not that hard compared to the preparation for the staining. The more prep work, the more per square foot it will cost. You also have different types of stain products that will also impact the per foot price. And, lets not forget the cha-ching when you start getting a little fancy with designs, multiple color layers, inlays, artistic cover-ups of repaired cracks, etc.
Like I said, your money your house. I can say unequivocally, though, that I would not buy a house that has concrete flooring on the second floor. Unflinchingly hard surface throughout a second floor doesn't sound appealing to me at least. Wood is another thing.
Keep in mind that if your floors develop hairline cracks (very common in many areas due to the type of soil underneath), you will not be able to camouflage this issue at all, and if you plan to resell the home, it will be a big detriment and a big worry to most home buyers, even if the crack remains a hairline crack and doesn't actually affect the structural integrity of the house.
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