Flooring Options on Cement Slab?

[dallas]

I would love some opinions on possible flooring options to go on some space under my house... as I've previously mentioned, I'm removing piers under my house to create more space, and will put down a concrete slab. As this place will ultimately become another living area, I was thinking about putting down some second hand floorboards... the plan would go something like this..

install new wooden 'joists' directly to slab. attach to slab. Joist would be something like 19mm x 30-45mm, just enough to sit the boards above the slab
install floorboards onto new joists as normal installation.

I am currently on the lookout trying to pick up some second hand floorboards, thinking house demolitions / auctions would be the way to go... My guestimate for price would be around the $2-$3K mark for a 'standard' house worth of floorboards (second hand)....

what I want to know is..... does this sound like a reasonable idea, or insanity??



D

[johnmc]

If you're going to put down a slab, I'd choose tiles as the flooring.

But if you want the wood look, perhaps a floating timber flooring product would do ?

I don't like the idea of sitting joists directly on the slab - too much potential to rot.

[glock40sw]

G'day.

membrane the slab with poly sheeting. Tape the joins with high quality tape.
Run the poly up the walls 100mm.

Fix 50x38mm hardwood battens to slab at 450mm centres with tiger bolts at 600mm centres.
Lay T&G flooring over the battens with top nail or secret nail.

Ensure that you wait until the slab has cured B4 laying T&G Approx. 1 month per inch of concrete thickness. Test slab by taping down a 400x400mm square of plastic for 24 hours. If condensation on the plastic or the concrete is a differend colour to the rest of the slab, wait another month.

Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor
Grafton

[seriph1]

ok , now that I know where Shellharbour is, I agree with the Glockmeister...... Dallas, do you have any idea as to the total square metre-age area you need boards for?

Reason I ask is: I believe you should be able to get a houselot or at least several packs of matching flooring for less than $2-3K..... unless of course it is a very large area. Just wondering though - why lay concrete then flooring - can't you do a stumps/bearers/joists floor? Perhaps the space available is to low for it.....

John's idea for tiles is worthy of thought too, as is a floating floor, though I am not a fan.

BTW in the pics I have now seen, Shellharbour looks lovely.

[dallas]

thanks guys...

i've managed to dig up some pictures of the space to be, so i guess i'll let the pictures speak for themselves...





as mentioned before, i'm in the process of getting the piers removed, and opening up the space... I won't be classing it as a living area, but as a 'storage area', but will throw in a bar and some lounges for good measure..

I'm also planning on taking out the wall between the garage and the space, and will open up the area quite significantly... eventually will drop in a window or two for some natural light also... off to the side of the space there are annex's which I will close off to become storage spaces, and a 2000 odd bottle wine / beer cellar!


johnmc - i'm prob trying to stay away from tiles, as i'll be putting lots of tiles up stairs, and also the $$$ for nice looking ones is alittle unattrtactive...although i must admit i havn't given the tiles a good consideration... the space is going to ulitmately become a bar / lounge area, and kinda liked the floorboards look... at the moment it's really a question of looks vs $$$ (always is, isn't it?)

Trev - didn't know about the curing rate, so have filed that one in a handy place... neat trick and will try it when the slab is laid..

steve - total area is aprox 86m2 (14m x 6m)... as you can see, there isn't alot of room to put bearers and joists down again, as i'm already tight on head room (around 2.2 - 2.4m odd meters)

shellharbour is a fantastic place, super beaches and pretty laid back... but unfortunateyl is getting pretty built up now... i'm in an older part of shellharbour, so very nice, close to everything withoutt he $$$ of the 'new' shellharbour..

cheers..


D

[wombat47]

I'd kill for storage space like that!!

Have you considered painting the concrete? There are some very interesting effects you can achieve with paint and stain.

[Toymaker Len]

A factory outlet near us put in a polished and stained slab floor a couple of years ago. It is pretty spectacular and still looks brand new.
But about the wood floor... I put down a bluegum floor glued straight to the slab. Used a bostick moisture barrier followed by a bostick glue which they will guarantee for twenty years. It was a pain to do because I had to use about a ton of bricks to hold the boards down while the glue set over six hours, as well as clamping them up tight. So I could only glue twelve boards a day. I didn't like the method but we didn't have the head room to put in battens as the room comes within millimetres of the legal minimum. The good bit is that after sanding and polishing I've got a beautiful seamless bluegum floor with a red ironbark border that feels as solid and cool as concrete. Now I just keep my fingers crossed that the moisture barrier doesn't fail...
P.S. Picked up the floorboards as a couple of undersized packs at one of Eatons auctions at Wyong. Third grade bluegum about $2.30pm and clear ironbark about $2.80pm.

[seriph1]

sounds nice mate
any chance of a pic or two?

[Toymaker Len]

Will try to post a pic but so far my digital efforts have been all thumbs.