Make a list so you ll know what to look for and what to avoid when floor shopping.
Concrete floors above grade.
Many people use this in addition to the underlayment which cushions the floors.
Floors on or above grade.
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.
A system called the integrated distribution i d floor system is designed to incorporate heating plumbing and electrical utilities economically.
Features flexible encapsulated polymers for a beautiful smooth waterproof finish.
What is the grade level.
Grade refers to the location of the cement slab.
The more elaborate your design the more it will cost.
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.
Plain concrete slabs have served as the flooring material for basements garages patios and utility areas for many years but concrete is now also a viable material in home interiors where it can be polished etched or stained to serve as the finished flooring surface if you are used to thinking of concrete as a utilitarian surface suitable only for utilitarian surfaces the many virtues.
The level of grinding determines the sheen your finished concrete floor will have.
In fact quite a few underlayment options have a moisture barrier built in.
For the floor adhesive to properly stick the floor must be clean.
Use a quality cleaner like zep professional concrete and masonry floor cleaner 27 per gallon.
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.
It simply means above the ground at ground level or below ground or the.
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.
Several ways of building concrete floors above grade are described here.
Concrete is the only below grade flooring that does not work upstairs due to weight limitations.
500 750 square feet of coverage.
Those above grade help isolate noise.
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.
Your flooring expert will ask you if the concrete slab is above at or below grade.
Installing a cement underlayment can add 2 to 3 per square foot to the total cost.
All floor coverings that are deemed perfect for basements ceramic tile porcelain tile all forms of vinyl flooring and natural stone can be used above grade.
Level of concrete grinding.