Browse Forums Bathrooms and Laundry 1 Aug 30, 2008 4:39 pm Hi guys,
I am contemplating polished concrete for my floors in our bathrooms and toilets upstairs and laundry downstairs. In the other areas I am having wood floors downstairs and carpet upstairs. This choice is to be in place of tiles. I have seen a product in polished concrete or honed smooth finished aggregate that is non-slip and can be used in these wet areas. Does anyone have any experience with this product or does anyone have this in their home and can give nme some feedback please? Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 2Sep 03, 2008 5:39 pm No experience, but I LOVE polished concrete floors - sounds gorgeous! Hopefully someone can give you some advice/help ! Dying toi see pics of THAT when it's done! Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 3Sep 05, 2008 12:26 pm Anybody? I love the idea too...but for my entire living space downstairs! Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 4Sep 05, 2008 4:09 pm Building a dream Home(badh for short).
I have seen great pics of living areas using this product. I am just not sure what it would be like living with it. I am worried in the wet areas it would get a little slippery and I don't want it to look like a public toilet block........ Hopefully I can find someone who has it before I have to make my decision. Petal....hopefully the pics will look as good as I envisage......when one day this all happens. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 5Sep 05, 2008 4:18 pm Polished concrete floors look good when done through the entire house. Maybe a bit odd just done in the wet areas? We looked at doing it for a 30sq house, think the extra cost quoted through one project builder was about $20,000 - plus slab heating which I think would be essential in the southern states. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 6Sep 05, 2008 4:36 pm Haven't heard about this type of non-slip polished concrete so I can't really help much .
We're having polished concrete (no infloor heating ) in our living areas and our bedroom and ensuite. We're having tiles in the main bathroom (with undertile heating) so won't have to worry about the slipperyness factor there. Our designer has told us we can look at paying anywhere from $70 - $100 per square metre, or more. $70 isn't too bad if you take into account the cost of tiles and then the labour, but we may change our mind when we actually get proper quotes from builders. 'chelle We have a hand-over date...15/10...but I won't hold my breath! http://people-in-glass-houses.blogspot.com/ Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 7Sep 05, 2008 5:00 pm Thanks Chelle, good to know. We don't really use underfloor hetaing over here so we will have to find out how it will go in the wet areas without it. Good price though, better than I thought. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 8Sep 22, 2008 11:03 pm We considered polished concrete but were told that the concrete used in the slab had to be upgraded from 20mpa to 30 mpa and that was several thousand dollars extra for us. If we wanted nice looking stones, glass etc that was extra again. And colouring........
We had thought that it would be much cheaper to get the slab polished before the frames went up. Wrong again The main cost is the diamond pads they uses to polish not the labour. So it costs the same to do after construction as before. But you still have to get the upgraded concrete. Would love to hear from someone that this is not true! regards sean Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 9Sep 23, 2008 8:17 am yes for polished concrete you do get a thicker type slap. It's quite expensive when i was looking in to ti. more like $100+ a square metre. I really wanted to either do colour stained concrete through the entire house (you then cut into the slap and grout the cuts so it looks like tiles) or polished concrete. It was going to be pretty much the same price as the corking we are planning on now. @ reasons we didn't go with- 1. main reason - was because of my damaged knees. ( decided on a soft flooring) 2- down here it would be too cold. I was advised against it
I love the look of polished concrete gweluphome. You can supposedly get it up walls as well. Not sure who but I've seen pics online. And I do remember seeing photos of bathrooms done this way. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 10Sep 23, 2008 8:59 am We will have to reassess now that it looks like we are going with a project builder as I am not sure they offer this as an option. We would love to to do it just in the laundry and bathrooms but who knows now. Love the no grout idea of it though. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 11Sep 23, 2008 9:07 am I have always been fascinated by polished agg. recently stayed at Tul!p executive ap@rtment in Ballarat where they have renovated while maintaining heritage style. the bathrooms had polished agg. didnt look impressive as there was lot of pitting in the coloured concrete areas and appeared dirty. the stone aggregates were not well dispersed (too close somewhere and too spaced somewhere) H0me HQ in nunawading vic also has polished agg flooring with varying distribition of the stones. I feel too risky for what you might spend.
just my 2 c Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 12Sep 23, 2008 9:10 am All 2c is appreciated with these dollar decisions. It does worry me how it will fare in years to come. I think that is my concern I don't actually no anyone with it to ask. Still a long way off though, who knows how I will change my mind by the time its ready to decide. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 14Sep 23, 2008 1:02 pm I think it is...maybe the only difference is possibly the preparation of the floors. Like using acid wash instead of grinding maybe. I am still researching. Do you know about Terrazzo Southies? Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 15Sep 23, 2008 2:39 pm Quote: Is polished aggregate the same as terrazzo? True terrazzo and polished concrete are not the same. There are ancient Italian craftsman turning over in their graves right now…. True terrazzo is created by exposing marble chips and other fine aggregates on the surface of finished concrete or in modern methods on an epoxy-resin. Referring to Wikipedia: Marble-chip, cementitious terrazzo requires three layers of materials. First, cement masons or terrazzo workers build a solid, level concrete foundation that is 3 to 4 inches deep. After the forms are removed from the foundation, workers add a 1-inch layer of sandy concrete. Before this layer sets, terrazzo workers partially embed metal divider strips in the concrete wherever there is to be a joint or change of color in the terrazzo. For the final layer, terrazzo workers blend and place into each of the panels a fine marble chip mixture that may be color-pigmented. While the mixture is still wet, workers toss additional marble chips of various colors into each panel and roll a lightweight roller over the entire surface. When the terrazzo is thoroughly dry (or cured in the case of thin-set terrazzo), helpers grind it with a terrazzo grinder, which is somewhat like a floor polisher, only much heavier [edit…and a fr*g more expensive]. Slight depressions left by the grinding are filled with a matching grout material and hand-towelled for a smooth, uniform surface. Terrazzo workers then clean, polish, and seal the dry surface for a lustrous finish. Using this process you can create magnificent floors. Unfortunately we can only create knock-offs now and polish concrete…. This may help you understand polished concrete flooring http://www.concrete.net.au/search.php?c ... hed&menu=6 (third reference down Briefing 05 - Polished Concrete Floors) crack control through the use of adequate compaction, higher levels of reinforcement, avoidance of stress concentrations (or good detailing around stress concentrations) and general joint detailing, is vital. The second last reference on the same page gives standard clauses for spec-ing up polished concrete. Here's a photo of a polished concrete floor in "real life"…not sure about the dead bovine but each to their own. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 16Sep 23, 2008 2:48 pm My research is now finished and you know this is another feather in your cap TDL. Did your ears prick up when you saw the word research?
Actually that is a big help I really was looking to find this information but having to tawl through the other garb was slowing me down. No not my taste either, the bovine rug or as my kiwi sister inlaw likes to call them, cattle beast rug. Its a nice pic however I am still unable to find it just used in wet areas........must research that also. Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 17Sep 23, 2008 2:56 pm gweluphome Did your ears prick up when you saw the word research? Actually that is a big help I really was looking to find this information but having to tawl through the other garb was slowing me down. Late lunch and an issue with concrete - a match made in heaven. I'm happy to have saved you from "tawling" did you also "tawt you taw a putty tat"..... Re: Polished Concrete...Smooth Finished Aggregate.....Experience 18Sep 23, 2008 3:02 pm to_do_list gweluphome Did your ears prick up when you saw the word research? Actually that is a big help I really was looking to find this information but having to tawl through the other garb was slowing me down. Late lunch and an issue with concrete - a match made in heaven. I'm happy to have saved you from "tawling" did you also "tawt you taw a putty tat"..... "I did, I did see a putty tat" I think once I have finished tawling I might finish trawling also. Thats hilarious I would probably render it and then paint it as per your other advice, or gyrpock over the top. 1 3328 Last year I had a gas leak at my house. 3 days later, I have about 1 sqm of my exposed aggregate paving broken up. I am not sure how to go about getting it repaired… 0 10410 |