What type of flooring to put down on concrete slab home?

We just finished installing a cork floating floor in our house. Part of the house is on a concrete slab, and the only precaution was to first roll down a vapor barrier (plastic sheet taped at the seams.)

You can use tile, linoleum or wood. I'd Highly recommend that you don't have the plumbing installed under the slab like they do in California. If you develop a leak, it's a major PIA.

Well Im wanting to use SIP panels..... structurally insulated panels. Given that info how would I run the water lines??

John

I love my Pergo floor, which is on a slab. Vapor barrier goes down first, then spongy floor treatment. They may have a one-product solution now. The Pergo I chose is Alpine Beech (very "blond") and I did a border around it with Pergo "Tiles" that look like stone. Worked out beautifully.

Marc

Not all wood. Standard wood flooring must be on a sub base. Engineered wood can be installed as a floating floor over a water barrier. Big difference. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net

I tried the stickum tiles (12x12) in my Kitchen on bare concrete and over a couple of years they have started coming loose in areas. Even when I applied cement and put them down again they have popped loose. I was thinking about just putting an indoor/outdoor carpet over them and just forgetting about it.

I might have missed something but I did think they would adhere to the cleaned concrete surface! I guess that was my mistake. I did put the squares in my "tiled" bathroom and have had zero problems!

Great!

Please let me know how it works out for you!

Im wanting to build a very small one person home or cabin. Want to use SIP panels....and build it on a slab. Maybe even A frame style not sure.

I do know that one can also just finish the concrete slab and use it that way. See the link. What do you think of this method?

chk out photo gallery in above link

John

Thanks Marc!

Using Pergo was another idea I have had.

However Ive heard Pergo type floors can be a bit hollow sounding when walked on. But I guess you can put down the spongy floor treatment to help that. No?

That's why I was asking abt the tile corks. Supposed to be quieter and allow some insulation from the cold concrete floor

John

Staining concrete can yield an attractive, albeit cold, floor. However before staining it is imperative that the concrete not be "stained." No drops of caulking or liquid nails on the concrete, no PVC cement, no oils, etc. It only looks good when applied to pristine concrete. Most contstruction workers will leave the concrete in a condition that renders it unstainable.

RB

snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net wrote:

You might have a moisture problem. tape a plactic bag over the slab for a day or two and see if the concrete darkens or condensation forms -- if it does, you have a moisture problem which you'll need to address.

And of course, flatness is important.

.max who is reading a book about this stuff, but doesn't actually know anything.

Thanks Max

Will do! Plus that is more knowledge than I had (grin)!

Hi John-

I wouldn't say my floor sounds hollow, but maybe compared to some other floors it does. I like the fact that it's quite resiliant and easy to clean. It has been down for three years so far, and the only scratch on it is where I dropped an AC duct vent. The sharp metal corner dug in a bit, making a small blemish a few mm across. I filled it in with some Pergo putty and it is nearly invisible. It stands up well to the depredations of our cat, spills clean up easily, and the ash dust near the woodburning fireplace has NOT blackened the tiny seams between boards.

Note that I put down the glued version of Pergo, not the glueless version.

My only concern is that if I suffer a catastrophic plumbing failure (or if rain/swow water ever gets in), and the basement floods, the floor is history.

For the bathroom down there, I went with ceramic tile.

Marc

Question.... if this stuff is plastic then how would any water damage it?

John

You answered your own question: it's not plastic. The cores are fiberboard.

John

Ahhhhh!!!!

Now I see!!

Thanks so much!

John

We just finished installing an engineered/floating wood in our house - laid the floor over a product called dri-core. snap together 2'x2' waferboard panels, with a raised/waterproof vapor barrier on the underside. Dri-core uses small metal levelers to ensure a level floor. Worked great, insulated the cold concrete, and the engineered floor went over it without a hitch.

Thanks Steve! Sounds like it worked out great for you.

Im wanting to build a home.... I know very little abt construction..... so trying to learn and teach myself abt various things.

Have been asking myself question such as "What kind of flooring would I use and why"...... "What type of heating and why"...... "What type of water heater and why? Basically just thinking things out a bit....learning...... and then going to an architect and suggesting all these ideas to him and see what he thinks.

John

Careful. We suggested things to our architect and he just went ahead and put them in the plan. Never stopped to tell us that none of it was affordable. 1st quote was 3 times our budget. In the end the architect added 18 months ,little value and lots of money to our project.

Be VERY clear that they are questions and the architect must always work within your budget. If you already have a general contractor, he'll have a much better handle on pricing.

RS