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Posted: 8/22/2023 3:22:03 PM EST
I’m not a highly-skilled DIYer and I’ve always lived in houses with hardwood floors before now, so I’m not entirely sure what I want to do and what the proper terminology is.
A good deal of this project is subject to wife approval so things may not go as smoothly as I initially hope. I’ve searched and read a ton online and I’m still not sure I have this all figured out. We live in a ranch house on a slab. We have decided we want to not put a hardwood floating floor in one of the bedrooms, instead opting for some kind of coating. That’s where my questions are. Does one epoxy such a floor and then paint it? Or paint first then apply clear epoxy? Or buy an epoxy product that can be tinted, eliminating the need for paint? For those who are familiar with this, what kind of end finish is most desirable? I’m fairly sure flat is a bad choice as it’s essentially a chalkboard for dirt. My wife thinks something super glossy but I’d imagine that would be slippery for placing rugs down. I’m thinking something in the middle like a satin finish |
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Posted: 8/22/2023 4:01:08 PM EST
[#1]
Its not inexpensive, but you can have it polished. It can be dyed most colors too.
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Posted: 8/22/2023 4:23:27 PM EST
[#2]
I had an epoxy floor in the basement of my old house. The problem I had was the epoxy did not adhere well to the concrete and it did not wear well. There probably are commercial products that might work better idk. The adhesion problem with mine was so bad the installer (from arfcom) told not to put tape on the floor b/c it would remove the finish.
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Posted: 8/22/2023 4:41:26 PM EST
[#3]
I'm a cheapskate, would probably go with some kind of vinyl depending on what the room's actually going to be used for. It would probably be a much easier first-timer DIY'er project and I'm guessing a LOT easier to clean up if things don't go as planned.
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Posted: 8/22/2023 4:52:00 PM EST
[#4]
We have concrete floors in our home. Kemiko acid stain. Pick your color and spray it on. Wife has lots of oriental rugs to keep the sound down. Happy to give you all the tips to doing it right. After 27 years there is little difference in appearance. We would love hardwoods but there is always something else that needs fixing first.
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Posted: 8/22/2023 5:04:49 PM EST
[#5]
Since you ruled out hardwood, look at the snap in bamboo.
Failing that, stain and seal. I personally like the rust color. Put down rugs. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/22/2023 5:10:00 PM EST
[#6]
Have a pattern cut into it and stain. The houses I have seen with it here look very nice.
OF course, cold floors in the morning are not a problem here. |
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Posted: 8/22/2023 6:51:41 PM EST
[#7]
I did this epoxy in my garage.
I think you can have any color you want as long as it's battleship grey. For inside I'd do without the sparkles. Easy to put down and super durable Good luck |
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Posted: 8/22/2023 7:15:11 PM EST
[#8]
Luxury vinyl tile. Looks like hardwood. Feels good underfoot. Quick and easy.
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OH, USA
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Posted: 8/22/2023 7:53:44 PM EST
[#9]
I wouldn’t do concrete in Vermont as it will be an ice cube in the winter. I’ve installed decorative epoxy floors and polished concrete for 13 years. We’ve polished industrial houses and they always end up putting rugs everywhere in the winter. Luxury vinyl plank is ash and fairly inexpensive and will hold up for years to come.
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Posted: 8/22/2023 8:13:40 PM EST
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Maine_11B_to_Nurse: Its not inexpensive, but you can have it polished. It can be dyed most colors too. |
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Posted: 8/22/2023 9:46:12 PM EST
[Last Edit: Stryfe]
[#11]
I too am in a ranch on a slab.
Bathroom and utility room are tiled. Family room and bedrooms are wall to wall carpeting. Kitchen and dining room are a floating hardwood laminate. Of the 3 options this is the one I regret. If LVP was an option at the time I had no idea. If money were no object I'd have the two tiled together in complimentary patterns. I wish I had just done pergo. I never considered just finishing the concrete. Though some of the industrial epoxy finishes I've seen look cool. But seem labor intensive. |
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Posted: 8/22/2023 11:57:32 PM EST
[Last Edit: Threefingers]
[#12]
Bare floors in Vermont? I would recommend the laminate it has some insulation properties and carpeting
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Posted: 8/23/2023 5:51:24 AM EST
[#13]
We did commercial carpet tiles in our bedroom. Works great
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LA, USA
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Posted: 8/23/2023 6:21:25 AM EST
[#14]
I once dated a girl who had scored concrete floors throughout her entire house. It was stained in what I would call a Texas A&M maroon color. I had never seen that done before but it did make sense to me. It seemed really easy to clean and, of course, it had to be extremely durable. She bought one of those robot floor cleaners that she told me really made a difference in keeping the floor clean. It's hot here year-around, so that kind of flooring was practical.
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Posted: 8/24/2023 7:19:44 PM EST
[Last Edit: Gordo556]
[#15]
hopefully you have a heated slab
your going to have some cold floors come November. |
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KS, USA
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Posted: 8/25/2023 12:07:31 PM EST
[#16]
Here's my epoxy garage floor build:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/completed-epoxy-floor-alpha-garage-wolverine-coatings-hand-ground-quick-review-and-pics.519146/ It looks so good and they have tons of colors. You can do solid, designs, etc. It's so low odor I would do this in a finished area Prep would likely be easier when it's not in a garage. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 8/25/2023 12:37:09 PM EST
[#17]
If you want it to look and wear like paint, use epoxy. It will last a long time, but you will have wear at ten years or earlier.
If you want it to look like concrete, burnish or polish (grinding with successively finer grits) the floor then finish with a penetrating hardener/densifier. This is the better way to go in my opinion. They aren’t as slick as one would think. |
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Posted: 8/25/2023 3:19:55 PM EST
[#18]
We had concrete in our family room. Used Luxury vinyl plank. Have been really happy with it. Durable and waterproof. You can find something decent for under $4 a sq foot and super easy to install. We went with Smartcore from Lowes
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Posted: 8/25/2023 3:21:06 PM EST
[#19]
LPV FTW
Love that stuff |
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AK, USA
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Posted: 8/26/2023 5:13:58 PM EST
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By dogtired: Luxury vinyl tile. Looks like hardwood. Feels good underfoot. Quick and easy. I was at a place where they installed some rubbery 1/4 inch underlayment to deaden noise and insulate the lvp and not be as cold. |
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Posted: 8/27/2023 12:34:49 AM EST
[#21]
How about cork?
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Posted: 8/27/2023 1:04:35 AM EST
[#22]
If you have an attached master bath you do not want anything that will be slippery when wet!
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FL, USA
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Posted: 8/27/2023 1:20:14 AM EST
[#23]
Acid stain, seal (solvent-based), wax, and enjoy.
If the concrete isn't very smooth, first rent a floor buffer with sanding discs, and wet sand it. Use the hose and a shop vac. I've had good results with products from Direct Colors . |
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Posted: 8/27/2023 2:13:57 PM EST
[#24]
Luxury vinyl plank or tile is not the same as wood laminate floors. It is rubberized and does not require underlayment, it will cover defects somewhat (eventually would bleed thru) and be quiet. Wood laminate bounces on concrete and sounds hollow, it has improved and some have a deadening layer underneath.
Not selling for Lowes, just a link to some luxury tile/plank |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 8/27/2023 2:22:11 PM EST
[#25]
I really need a pic , and alot of conditions apply here. If concrete was sealed, that means eliminate a lot of solutions. If it wasnt, then you do have options. Acid stain, and seal, for example. If sealed, epoxy wont adhere properly. May as well leave it at that, for now.
Hardwood? U might cld do that, depending. Plastic laminate, maybe also. I like acid stain & seal bc of height issue. And then later ucan always tile/carpet/laminate over it. Until pic is posted, no one can properly reply. I like insulation. If u wanted hardwood id def seal the fk out of it and insulate somehow. Hard to say. |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 8/27/2023 2:25:12 PM EST
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By cmc201: We have concrete floors in our home. Kemiko acid stain. Pick your color and spray it on. Wife has lots of oriental rugs to keep the sound down. Happy to give you all the tips to doing it right. After 27 years there is little difference in appearance. We would love hardwoods but there is always something else that needs fixing first. This. Of u do this (because never been sealed) pm me. I have a great technique for applying color. Ive done several floors and learned on each. Glad to pass on that knowledge. |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 8/27/2023 2:26:55 PM EST
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By John-in-austin: Have a pattern cut into it and stain. The houses I have seen with it here look very nice. OF course, cold floors in the morning are not a problem here. I also did this in the basement of my 50+ yr old house. Sawing the kerfs was a bitch. Never went so far as to grout them, but wld look nice. |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 8/27/2023 2:27:57 PM EST
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Threefingers: Bare floors in Vermont? I would recommend the laminate it has some insulation properties and carpeting +1 but seal it first |
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