Scarlett Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 So we have this new (ha!) house. Concret floors. We've pulled all the flooring out down to concrete. Our plan was to stain the concrete. I'm feeling less thrilled with that idea due to the amount of work I think it is going to take for dh. I haven't had time to voice my concerns and feelings on it but I thought I would get ideas here... If you were to replace all your floors with anything except carpet what would you do? I really don't want carpet AT ALL... The front door opens straight to a living area. Straight ahead is the hall way to the back door and laundry room. To the left is the eating area/kitchen and big family on the other side of that---all open. In fact, the front living room, eating area, kitchen and family room are all very open and flow nicely. I know I want wood floors in the family room and tile in the eating area/kitchen. So what would you do with the front living room? Tile? Or wood floors? Or stain the concrete? Since the front room connects to the hall that leads to laundry room/back door/pool I am leaning toward tile for the entire front room. Is that too cold (feeling) though? I'm so confused. I don't want it to be choppy....and I am afraid if I try to do the hall and laundry room with tile and wood floors in the living room that connects to it that it will be chopped up. Especially since the eating area and kitchen (which connect to front living room) will be tiled. Also to the right of of the front living room is the hall to the bedrooms. I think that hall would have to be the same as the front living room too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 We live in Florida where it is hot and has a large hispanic population. Our realtor who was flipping houses when the market was good suggested large tiles throughout for resale. That is what we did. The only problem that we have had is that it is hard to stand on for long periods of time but so is bare concrete. We love the way it turned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 You could try doing a wood/tile combo in the hallways. Neighbor just did this and it is really nice and ties all her floors together. The halls have a tile border near the walls, then it goes to the living room- all wood. Then her kitchen is all tile and it connects back to the hallway. I would put wood down myself because tile hurts my knees after while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 i'd choose vinyl plank flooring. i like the brand allure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) You could try doing a wood/tile combo in the hallways. Neighbor just did this and it is really nice and ties all her floors together. The halls have a tile border near the walls, then it goes to the living room- all wood. Then her kitchen is all tile and it connects back to the hallway. I would put wood down myself because tile hurts my knees after while. That sounds really interesting! We did Marmoleum throughout in our "new" home and I love it. If you're not concerned about moisture issues with wood on concrete of your two choices I'd select wood. I lived in a home with hard tile in the dining/kitchen/laundry and hall. I did not like it for cleaning (grout) or standing/walking myself. We had wood in our previous home and I do like that. I didn't think wood was ok on concrete but maybe that's specific to our region. Edited September 12, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I have concrete stained floors can I weigh in my 2 cents? If you go with the concrete do not put a polyurethane coating on it. You want to wax it. Otherwise you get white streaks from chairs and then strip and wax it never being truly happy with it. We went dark...bad idea, white gravel and a light colored dog makes us have dirty looking floors 95% of the time. Have fund choosing a flooring option. My parents have tile in the living areas and I really like it. Truth be told I long for a carpeted room but with kids and pets won't be having carpet anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 We have the Allure vinyl planking. Cheap, easy to install, looks fab! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I have travertine and I hate it. I have to wear Fit Flops in the house all the time because they are the only shoes that give me enough cushion to cut through the stone-induced fatigue. I can imagine concrete feeling the same. We had wood flooriing in our old place and it was more forgiving. I'd go back to wood or maybe even Pergo if it didn't feel wasteful to tear up perfectly good (and probably expensive) flooring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Cork? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 One of the houses we lived in when we were in Florida had terrazzo floors. Loved them! You might be able to pour it over the top of the concrete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 How about finishing the concrete and then using something for rugs in some areas. I knew someone who did concrete with cool stains though out their entire 1st floor and then did the carpet squares that you can pop on and remove as you choose..... it was awesome... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 We have laminate through the whole house basically. Easier on the feet than wood or gasp, concrete. And not too expensive. We got it at Lowes for a steal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Have you seen the BEAUTIFUL things they do with concrete these days? I wish I remember the names of the procedures. I found out about ALL of them here. just BEAUTIFUL!!! But I think my pain levels woud be horrid if I had concrete floors. :sad: My house is totally open concept, too. You truly do need to be careful not to chop it all up. Ours is all wood until you get to the kitchen and back addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Cork and bamboo pending location in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Have you seen the BEAUTIFUL things they do with concrete these days? I wish I remember the names of the procedures. I found out about ALL of them here. just BEAUTIFUL!!! But I think my pain levels woud be horrid if I had concrete floors. :sad: My house is totally open concept, too. You truly do need to be careful not to chop it all up. Ours is all wood until you get to the kitchen and back addition. Well, I haven't talked to dh---he may really want the concrete stained. I am really worried about the choppiness possibility. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Well, I haven't talked to dh---he may really want the concrete stained. I am really worried about the choppiness possibility. :( Have you seen the different finishes of the stain? They are truly stunning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I have a friend with bamboo floors - she loves them & they look beautiful. No way I could do concrete floors now - maybe when I was younger, but the arthritis I have now would reduce me to purple puddles if I had to manage on concrete. OTOH, maybe I could use a wheelchair more easily on concrete???:D Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Have you seen the different finishes of the stain? They are truly stunning! I have seen them. Absolutely gorgeous. My issue is the existing concrete and how much WORK will be involved in making them gorgeous. When you start with fresh concrete KNOWING you will stain it you keep it clean and it doesn't have pits from tac strips and 30 years worth of gunk. Dh is not well---I am really worried about his health and I'm just trying to avoid anything that will be labor intensive for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Hard wood. I loves me some hardwood floors.:001_wub: I've had hardwood floors in the last two homes I've owned, and I don't plan to ever have anything different. This house has it in the kitchen, too, and I love that. Well-finished hardwood floors wear like iron, and are easy to clean. A few scratches here and there give them character. I would recommend a lighter color than a darker, because the lighter will show every.little.hair. Of course, that's incentive to dustmop/vacuum, but still...:-) And there's bamboo, and cork, and maple, and others in addition to oak. My neighbor installed the prefinished oak, and I don't like it, because when I walk barefooted on it I can feel all of the grooves--the little bitty spaces between each plank (I don't know if "plank" is the right word or not, but you know, each individual piece of wood). When you lay the hardwood strips and then finish them (multiple coats of polyurethane) your floor becomes very smooth and feels seamless. I prefer that. It's more work, and y'all have to be out of your house for several days, but IMHO it's worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Hard wood. I loves me some hardwood floors.:001_wub: I've had hardwood floors in the last two homes I've owned, and I don't plan to ever have anything different. This house has it in the kitchen, too, and I love that. Well-finished hardwood floors wear like iron, and are easy to clean. A few scratches here and there give them character. I would recommend a lighter color than a darker, because the lighter will show every.little.hair. Of course, that's incentive to dustmop/vacuum, but still...:-) And there's bamboo, and cork, and maple, and others in addition to oak. My neighbor installed the prefinished oak, and I don't like it, because when I walk barefooted on it I can feel all of the grooves--the little bitty spaces between each plank (I don't know if "plank" is the right word or not, but you know, each individual piece of wood). When you lay the hardwood strips and then finish them (multiple coats of polyurethane) your floor becomes very smooth and feels seamless. I prefer that. It's more work, and y'all have to be out of your house for several days, but IMHO it's worth it. Do you have wood in your kitchen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Do you have wood in your kitchen? Yup, sure do. All 1500 sq.ft. of my downstairs is hardwood, except for the bathroom and laundry room, and I'm thinking of taking out the tile in the bathroom and installing hardwood. The hardwood cleans easily (I use Bona), and it looks loverly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Yup, sure do. All 1500 sq.ft. of my downstairs is hardwood, except for the bathroom and laundry room, and I'm thinking of taking out the tile in the bathroom and installing hardwood. The hardwood cleans easily (I use Bona), and it looks loverly. So far wood floors in all downstairs (except 2 bathrooms and laundry room) is the only thing that feels 'right' to me. Well, except for that pesky thing called price point. :glare: I was a little worried about having wood in my kitchen....I had a friend who had some damage in front of her refrigerator from ice chips hitting the floor over time. I guess it is not a reason to avoid wood in the kitchen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Wood for everything except the kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I don't remember if you have dogs, but big dogs are hard on hardwoods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 I don't remember if you have dogs, but big dogs are hard on hardwoods. I have a 50 lb dog. She is 8 years old though....not puppy crazy although plenty active... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 So far wood floors in all downstairs (except 2 bathrooms and laundry room) is the only thing that feels 'right' to me. Well, except for that pesky thing called price point. :glare: I was a little worried about having wood in my kitchen....I had a friend who had some damage in front of her refrigerator from ice chips hitting the floor over time. I guess it is not a reason to avoid wood in the kitchen though. Did she have hardwood, or laminate? Because my floor gets drips all the time, and all I do is wipe them up. Even if they dry before I see the, there's never been any damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I don't remember if you have dogs, but big dogs are hard on hardwoods. We had a greyhound in our last house. The hardwood was just fine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 We had a greyhound in our last house. The hardwood was just fine. :) I had hardwood in my house when my dog was a puppy. It was cherry too which is a softer wood...but it was fine. A few scratches but that doesn't bother me. My friend had real oak flooring. Maybe the install was not great that allowed it to buckle up there. When I think about it though, wood floors were in kitchens for centuries and never a problem..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 My entire house is wood floors. We had a dog for awhile, I have littles who spill a lot, I'm a messy cook and have hardwoods in my kitchen.... I love them. They need a coat of poly at the moment, but they're really quite durable. I have the ones like Ellie describes, where you put them in then finish them. They're 80 years old and look really good (except the bits that need poly...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 My friend had real oak flooring. Maybe the install was not great that allowed it to buckle up there. When I think about it though, wood floors were in kitchens for centuries and never a problem..... I don't like wood floors in kitchens and bathrooms, but we just bought my aunts a home that has hardwood in both PLUS the laundry room. It's on my short-but-not-immediate list of things to remodel. (And over the past centuries, leaky and convenient appliances weren't a problem, therefore wood floors in kitchens were less of a problem as well!) If you stain the concrete to blend with the wood floors, I don't think it'll look too choppy - it's just about selecting shades and blending the spaces. It could look choppy if there were three different floorings going on in one sweeping view, and they were all extremely different textures and colors. I think tile throughout depends on where you live, and what your market is. Like a PP, I've lived in South Florida and in the islands where it's the local culture to have tile throughout. Where I live now, ... not so much. A home with that in my region would stand out. If you're going to live there for 10+ years, who cares :) put tile in if you'd like! But if you may sell before that point, it might not be the best investment flooring-wise if it doesn't fit your local, regional culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 I don't like wood floors in kitchens and bathrooms, but we just bought my aunts a home that has hardwood in both PLUS the laundry room. It's on my short-but-not-immediate list of things to remodel. (And over the past centuries, leaky and convenient appliances weren't a problem, therefore wood floors in kitchens were less of a problem as well!) If you stain the concrete to blend with the wood floors, I don't think it'll look too choppy - it's just about selecting shades and blending the spaces. It could look choppy if there were three different floorings going on in one sweeping view, and they were all extremely different textures and colors. I think tile throughout depends on where you live, and what your market is. Like a PP, I've lived in South Florida and in the islands where it's the local culture to have tile throughout. Where I live now, ... not so much. A home with that in my region would stand out. If you're going to live there for 10+ years, who cares :) put tile in if you'd like! But if you may sell before that point, it might not be the best investment flooring-wise if it doesn't fit your local, regional culture. That is why I keep going back to wood. I think it would be the best for a)what I want b) resell if we need to sell. Cost is the biggest factor. I don't know what my sf is....probably between 1000 and 1500.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 (And over the past centuries, leaky and convenient appliances weren't a problem, therefore wood floors in kitchens were less of a problem as well!) . Good point! But on the other hand, if something leaks and damages some of the wood dh will just fix it! He is awesome like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Good point! But on the other hand, if something leaks and damages some of the wood dh will just fix it! He is awesome like that. :D Sounds like a keeper! Go wood :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 That is why I keep going back to wood. I think it would be the best for a)what I want b) resell if we need to sell. Cost is the biggest factor. I don't know what my sf is....probably between 1000 and 1500.... Engineered hardwood installs like laminate and starts @ $3 a sf. I just priced it out for all my living areas and it came to about $3900 with underlayment and trim for around 1100 square feet including 15% for waste and rounding up a couple of boxes. This does not include labor of course. I have areas broken up a bit oddly now, and I'm beginning to hate it. Continuous flooring in the living area is going to be at the top of my to-do list next summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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