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Opinions wanted: What do you think of stained, polished concrete flooring?
DH and I know the time has come to replace our carpeting...the question is really what to replace it with. Our bathrooms are currently tile, the entry and kitchen/dining are wood, and everything else is carpet. We may stck with carpet in the bedrooms, but for the living areas and hallways, what do you think about stained, polished concrete?
We've talked about more wood, but our existing wood will be tough to match and runs in two different directions, so one space or the other would have to be ripped out to all match. plus, wood is just SO expensive. We've also talked about tile or stone, but the the hall tile won't match the hall bath tile, and I don't really want to retile that bathroom. So, what do you think about stained concrete?
In case it matters, our house was built in the 1960s. We'll be looking to sell in about two years, so resale is a factor, too. Thanks in advance for the opinions!
Re: Opinions wanted: What do you think of stained, polished concrete flooring?
I love concrete floors. I would totally do that in our house if our house wasn't so traditional. Even so, I'm thinking of doing it for the sunroom after we get our foundation fixed.
I'd check with a realtor and show her some photos of examples of how you want it to look to see if she thinks it'd be a problem with resale. But I think it's a cool idea.
BFP 12.20.2010 :: missed m/c 1/2011 around 8 weeks
BFP @ 9dpo 5.24.2011 :: missed m/c 6/2011 around 7 weeks
positive for ANAs (1:40) with a speckled pattern
MTHFR c677t mutation (heterozygous)
*folic acid, baby asprin, Prometrium, acupuncture, Lovenox*
BFP @ 9dpo 2.1.2012 || HCG = 8 : Progesterone = 19.2
2nd HCG @ 11dpo = 40 || 3rd HCG @ 21dpo = over 5000!
Stick, little one, stick! EDD October 15, 2012
I love the look! my concern would be about resale value though - not sure if it would devalue a house or not.
I've also heard it's quite time-consuming - not sure if you were planning on DIY, but I believe you need to etch the concrete first (which is AWFUL!) and then stain it. but if you are hiring someone to do it, no need to worry about that part.
Q about the tile you have - could you find a tile that would compliment what you currently have? I know you said you don't want to remove it, but if it's a small area, it shouldn't cost too much $$ to remove it.
We have stained concrete floors, but our house is very modern. I think it would depend on the overall style of your house/decor.
ETA: To add on to that, just a few things I've noticed: The wax sealant tends to show scuffs pretty easily, and furniture will slide easily across the surface unless you put some sort of non-skid pads on the bottom of the legs. Also, if any water pools on the surface, it can cause discoloration (you can reapply wax to spots to fix this, so I'm told). And I think it's recommended that resealing should be done once every year or so. That being said, it does look nice, it's pretty easy to clean, and it's nice and cool during the hot summers!
We did it ourselves in our kitchen. It was kind of a long process, but we knew what to expect. We're DIY'ers and we've etched and stained a floor before in a different house. We put a certain sealant on (not wax) that doesn't need to be maintained. It's super easy to clean and I think it looks great. I'd probably get a realtor's take on it, but otherwise, I would do it. It probably cost us about $50 (to do it ourselves), so much cheaper than wood and doesn't need to be replaced like carpet, unless we just change our minds about what we want on the floor.
It does get super slippery if it gets wet, but we haven't had issues with scuffing, scratching or discoloration. We did put those felt things on the bottoms of the chair and table legs. We also don't have animals/dogs to aid in the wear and tear, just kids.
EX: From my bedroom you can see my bedroom floor, the entry floor and the powder room floor. There should only be two different types of flooring visible. So there is wood in my room and the entry and powder room have the same tile.
Our house is a total no-no then. From the hall you can see wood (hall), tile (bath), and carpet (bedrooms). From the dining room you can see wood (main living areas), tile (kitchen) and bigger tile (sunroom). Same with back door if the laundry area is open. However no where does tile meet a different tile or wood meet a different wood and everything is pretty neutral, flooring-wise.
BFP 12.20.2010 :: missed m/c 1/2011 around 8 weeks
BFP @ 9dpo 5.24.2011 :: missed m/c 6/2011 around 7 weeks
positive for ANAs (1:40) with a speckled pattern
MTHFR c677t mutation (heterozygous)
*folic acid, baby asprin, Prometrium, acupuncture, Lovenox*
BFP @ 9dpo 2.1.2012 || HCG = 8 : Progesterone = 19.2
2nd HCG @ 11dpo = 40 || 3rd HCG @ 21dpo = over 5000!
Stick, little one, stick! EDD October 15, 2012
I would say if you are psyched about concrete floors then go for it.
I understand how hard it is to match the flooring, but I have a great flooring guy that may be able to match the wood, I can send you his info if you want. Id be more concerned as to having two very different wood colors then the direction of the wood.
As for the resale, depending on how much longer you plan on being in the house ,if you are going to do the concrete you may be able to match the carpet to the rest of the house if the concrete doesnt make buyers make offers. Just make sure and write down the product info so you can try to match it if needed.
You can email me at findyourwayhomeinaustin at gmail dot com and I can send you the flooring guys info. Good luck!
Sometimes I pin stuff
That's true. I think it could work in a rustic setting as well or a traditional house, given the right neighborhood.
BFP 12.20.2010 :: missed m/c 1/2011 around 8 weeks
BFP @ 9dpo 5.24.2011 :: missed m/c 6/2011 around 7 weeks
positive for ANAs (1:40) with a speckled pattern
MTHFR c677t mutation (heterozygous)
*folic acid, baby asprin, Prometrium, acupuncture, Lovenox*
BFP @ 9dpo 2.1.2012 || HCG = 8 : Progesterone = 19.2
2nd HCG @ 11dpo = 40 || 3rd HCG @ 21dpo = over 5000!
Stick, little one, stick! EDD October 15, 2012
TTC #1 since February 2011
BFP #1 1/14/12 EDD 9/24/12 m/c at 8w4d on 2/20/12
March 2012- Dx with PCOS, started metformin
July 2012- SA completely normal
LOVE THEM. Duck's folks put stained concrete in their lakehouse and you can see tile and carpet from the main room and it doesn't look bad at all. They went for a more rustic look.
My folks are putting them in when they build the next house. I probably will too. They stand up to pets better than wood and if done right, have less issues with cracking and whatnot than tile floors. The ease of cleaning them is what draws me to them. After the house I've been in now, Ill never have wood floors again if I can help it. And I'm not a fan or carpet in heavy traffic areas.
The designs they can do with concrete is amazing. And as long as they are properly sealed will stand up to anything.