Floors on or above grade.
Concrete floors above grade.
Those above grade help isolate noise.
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.
In fact quite a few underlayment options have a moisture barrier built in.
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.
Several ways of building concrete floors above grade are described here.
Grade refers to the location of the cement slab.
500 750 square feet of coverage.
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.
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.
What is the grade level.
It simply means above the ground at ground level or below ground or the.
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.
Use a quality cleaner like zep professional concrete and masonry floor cleaner 27 per gallon.
For the floor adhesive to properly stick the floor must be clean.
Installing a cement underlayment can add 2 to 3 per square foot to the total cost.
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.
We touched on grade earlier.
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.
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.
Level of concrete grinding.
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.
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.
Floor location is also an important factor.
