Al Carrell: One of the most important considerations in your new house is flooring. And as you'll see, this house has really got a lot of activity going on around here. Today we're going to talk about flooring though, and there are lots of different options. One is one that's one of the oldest materials around, and that is concrete. And we've got some unusual treatment for this concrete. First though, I want you to meet David Goodroe, who is the contractor on this house. And David, thanks for letting us come in here.
David Goodroe: Oh, you're quite welcome. This is an exciting floor.
A.C.: Well, it's an exciting house, too. Tell me about the floor.
D.G.: The flooring is raw concrete. We're trying to create a look of ceramic without the expense of the ceramic tile. There are three steps in the process. The first step, of course, is the cutting and the laying out of the floor. This particular home is not a straight home in the fact that it's not a flat ranch, it is almost in a "U" shape. And so what we wanted to do was determine the location of the front door and then make our line mark at the center of that and then go throughout the home with our pattern.
A.C.: Throughout the entire house, with this particular flooring.
D.G.: Correct. This particular floor style and design is throughout the whole home. The cut is made by a hand saw and it's cut about an eighth of an inch deep.
A.C.: Well now, one advantage that I can see right off the bat is, besides the fact that it's going to look beautiful, is the fact that it costs a lot less than many other flooring materials.
D.G.: It does. Our costs on this, the contractors costs, runs about $2.50 to $3.00 per square foot of flooring material.
A.C.: That's very good.
D.G.: Yes it is.
A.C.: Well, David, now that the cutting is done, what is the next step?
D.G.: The next step is to clean the floor and then they would spray on the stain and let it actually permeate the surface of the concrete.
A.C.: Okay, now this is a stain that's made for concrete? Or is it just like similar to a wood stain?
D.G.: It is a concrete stain. Wood stain may bubble up.
A.C.: Now David, will this stain just be on the surface or does it actually penetrate the concrete?
D.G.: It actually penetrates, Al. It goes into the surface about a quarter of an inch and is permanent.
A.C.: Now as we see this color going down, is that the color it's going to ultimately be?
D.G.: This is a hydrochloric acid substance, and it takes time in order to build the stain into the product, into the actual concrete, and in about seven or eight hours we'll actually see the color of the floor.
A.C.: Will it be the same color throughout the home?
D.G.: This particular homeowner has chosen the same color throughout the home. However, you can choose multitudes of colors if you like.
A.C.: If they decide later on that they want to change the color of one room, is that going to be a difficult thing to do?
D.G.: Once the staining has been done, the staining has been done. So that needs to be decided on the front end of the project and not after the project had been completed. One of the beauties of this type of floor is that if the homeowner were to elect, some date in the future, to go with carpet or vinyl or ceramic tile, it can be laid right over this with no problem at all.
A.C.: Well, sure, because most of the homes being built today are on slab foundation and that's exactly what they do. After the staining is done I would assume you put some sort of sealer over that.
D.G.: Right. That is the third step. After the home is completely done and completed. All the walls have been finished out, all the painting and all the cabinets have been installed, then this contractor will come back and seal the floor right before the homeowner moves in.
A.C.: And what will they seal it with?
D.G.: Well the final process, they will come in with a wax and buff it and burnish it into the surface of the floor so that it gives it a nice sheen.
A.C.: At some point are they going to need to strip the wax off and re-wax it, or is this something that's going to last forever?
D.G.: It'll last for a long, long time.
A.C.: I see another great advantage to this floor and that is the fact that you're not going to have to spend a lot of time maintaining it. It looks to me like a damp mop would be all you'd ever need to do to it.
D.G.: Damp mop and broom and that's it. Easy maintenance.
Contact you local Sherwin Williams store for a complete line of concrete flooring products
Episode 017 1995 - 96 Season
| Vinyl Flooring | Removing Candle Wax | Carpet | Deck Building Software | Stained Concrete Flooring | What Income Counts | LIST |
To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #017.