The more elaborate your design the more it will cost.
Concrete floors above grade.
We touched on grade earlier.
In fact quite a few underlayment options have a moisture barrier built in.
Features flexible encapsulated polymers for a beautiful smooth waterproof finish.
Because you re installing your floors above grade you do not need the maximum level of protection against moisture since it s not as high of a risk.
Using a glue down floor is an option in above grade installation only since installation below grade requires a plastic barrier on top of the concrete.
For the floor adhesive to properly stick the floor must be clean.
Floor location is also an important factor.
Level of concrete grinding.
500 750 square feet of coverage.
Floors on or above grade.
Use a quality cleaner like zep professional concrete and masonry floor cleaner 27 per gallon.
Your flooring expert will ask you if the concrete slab is above at or below grade.
Grade refers to the location of the cement slab.
What is the grade level.
Several ways of building concrete floors above grade are described here.
Drylok extreme latex base masonry waterproof coating is drylok extreme latex base masonry waterproof coating is ideal for interior exterior above or below grade masonry walls basement walls foundations landscape walls cinder blocks concrete blocks bare concrete swimming pools stucco and brick.
Many people use this in addition to the underlayment which cushions the floors.
The level of grinding determines the sheen your finished concrete floor will have.
Installing a cement underlayment can add 2 to 3 per square foot to the total cost.
Concrete is the only below grade flooring that does not work upstairs due to weight limitations.
Concrete is one of the most durable construction materials around but the characteristic dull gray of a concrete slab can seem cold and unappealing especially as flooring.
Those above grade help isolate noise.
Make a list so you ll know what to look for and what to avoid when floor shopping.
A system called the integrated distribution i d floor system is designed to incorporate heating plumbing and electrical utilities economically.
Moisture can pose problems for solid hardwood floors below ground level so engineered wood floors made of layers of wood glued together are the best.
With dry concrete and the right subfloors and vapor retarders solid hardwood floors can be installed on slabs that are either on grade at ground level or above grade above ground level.