House plans, home builders & dreams

You need to consider not only the cost and the type of floor covering but also the cost of installing it. For example, marble and porcelain tiles are not always that much more expensive than ceramic tiles but they cost a lot more to have laid because the floor has to be made perfectly flat, otherwise they can crack.

There are a wide range of choices. You should consider the style you have chosen for the house. For example, you wouldn't have a modern ground-back polished concrete floor in a period house. But you might do a delicate leaf acid stencil on the concrete around your pool in a period house.

A lot of floor coverings (eg carpet and tiles) are produced in batch lots. Sometimes it can be hard to get more later on or to find batches that match up with your original batch. That is why it is always best to order more than you need. This also means that you will have some on hand if you ever need to replace a damaged section.

Ensure the contractor lays the floor substrate to the wall not under the wall. If you need to change the floor substrate, you don't want to have to pull it out from under a wall.

You can just leave the concrete bare or you can paint or polish it. Although leaving the concrete bare may seem a cheap alternative, some of the concrete treatments, such as "acid wash", can be very expensive. But they can create very artistic effects and the floor can be easy to maintain.

However, you have to accept the fact that when concrete dries, even if it is done very well, there will be fine cracks in it. And if you chip the concrete, you will have to apply some filler which may or may not tone in well. It can be difficult to replace just one section, like you can in a tiled floor.

Because the cracks in concrete can absorb liquids, some people recommend that you put a sealer on top of concrete floors and counter tops in bathrooms and kitchens for sanitary reasons.

Coloring

You can get the concrete mixed with ochre or other color treatments in it. Check if the color is the shade you want. Some colors can be muted. The advantage of this technique is that even if you chip the concrete you will still reveal the same concrete throughout and it generally gives a consistent color distribution.

Or you can mix a small amount of cement powder with ochre powder (or another color treatment) and then mix this into the top of the concrete while it is still wet. But if you don't mix it in well you can weaken the concrete because there will be dry bits with more ochre in them which just flake off afterwards. You can also get a very patchy result. So make sure whoever does it is a very experienced operator!

If you decide to do this, make sure you also apply a concrete sealer on top. You can also put the ochre in the sealer. But some people say that if you just put the ochre in the sealer and don't put it in the mix or mix it into the top layer, that the color won't stay for very long.

Adding joints

To control cracking footpaths (sidewalks) and small slabs, you need to have joints (also called "grooves") added about every 1200 mm (4 ft). It is important to add joints every 3000 or 3600 mm (10 or 12 ft) on driveways and garage slabs.

Drying and soil movement cause concrete to crack. The joint creates a weakened spot for the crack to form where it won't be seen. To be effective, the joint must be at least one-fourth the depth of the slab.

Floating, trowelling and brooming

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Stamping and stencilling

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Abrasive blasting

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Exposing aggregate

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Acid etching

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Stains

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Polishing

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Rendering and painting

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Sealers

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You can use floor tiles on walls but some wall tiles can't be used on the floor.

Tiles are very good in a cool climate. They can be a bit cold in a very cold climate but they are certainly the best floor covering for a kitchen and dining area as they can be mopped clean. They don't harbor insects or mold or trap hairs and dust. But they are very cold and hard and can easily be scratched by stones in shoes etc. They also can be very noisy, make your legs ache and things break easily when dropped on them and people, especially the young and elderly, can hurt themselves badly if they slip on them. They are especially dangerous when wet (even just a few drops can be disastrous). And they aren't comfortable to lie down on.

A plain tile can look very beautiful but a tile that has a pattern is more serviceable, as you won't notice as easily if there is a spot of dirt on it here and there.

Don't forget to specify your grout colors.

Ceramic tiles

There are two main types: monocottura or bicottura. Usually monocottura are fired at a higher temperature and therefore the base is stronger. This will not make any difference to how the glaze lasts, but it will make the tile more impact-resistant. You should check the "wear rating" of the tile to make sure it suits your needs.

Some tiles are more slippery than others. If they are really smooth, generally they are more slippery. There are glazed (ie glossy) tiles and also non-glazed or semi-glazed tiles. Some people think glossy tiles are more serviceable because they can just be swept or vacuumed regularly and they will look good, whereas less slippery tiles have grooves in which dirt collects and it can't be removed except by mopping them.

So you have to really choose between whether you care about serviceability or about slipperiness and decide which is more important for you and your family. If you have a cleaner who comes regularly or you have elderly people or very young people in the house who aren't that sure of their feet, then you might prefer to go for less slippery tiles.

You can also buy small, hand-made ceramic tiles and a few of these here and there can make your house look very artistic.

Quarry tiles

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Terracotta tiles

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Porcelain tiles

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Mosaic tiles

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Marble tiles

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Slate

Slate is another natural type of tile. The variance makes it interesting although it can be a bit rough with bits that project up and down. Some people say you should seal it as it is a bit porous. There are a variety of different colors and shades.

Other stone tiles

There are other stone tiles, like sandstone and granite. Sandstone is very porous (like most stones), but granite isn't. You can seal sandstone, but the sealant won't be as effective as the glaze on a ceramic tile.

Cork is a soft, cheap natural type of flooring. Some people think it looks too cheap, but if you seal it with a natural sealant (not a poly coating that you will breathe the toxic fumes of forever), then it is an economical alternative. It also has some sound absorptive qualities and isn't as hard under foot as tiles.

Unfortunately they don't make lino any more (or not that I have been able to find). It used to be made from more natural materials and had a thick jute layer in it. Instead, nowadays they produce Marmoleum, which is supposed to have jute in it, but I have found it very thin and hard. Vinyl is also thin and hard under foot and completely artificial. And you have to apply sealant to it regularly. I have found it difficult to keep clean. To do it properly you need a polisher. So, although it is cheap to buy and have installed, in the long term it isn't cheap to maintain.

Carpet provides warmth and softness in a house. It does trap dirt underneath it and may not be a good option if members of your house are sensitive to these sorts of allergies. It probably isn't the best choice in a very warm tropical climate as it can go a bit moldy, especially if it gets wet from rain coming in the window.

I would strongly recommend pure wool carpets over any other choice, as you know what they are made from and that there won't be any unknown health effects in the long term.

There are a number of choices of underlays – foam, rubber (sometimes made from recycled car tyres) and felt. Felt is the most natural substance of the three but it doesn't provide quite as much softness.

Pure white carpet will show every single mark. Even ones with a natural fleck are more serviceable.

Modern jute and sisal floor coverings are a lot better quality than the old seagrass matting. Sisal is a bit rough and scratchy. Jute can be softer. They trap dirt underneath like carpets without providing the softness. You can put underlay under sisal but not under jute. It has a rubber backing and is glued down.

Hardwood flooring

Hardwood flooring is softer than tiles and a good natural alternative. But if you are having them you should make sure they are off the ground at least 60cm (24 inches) so that someone will be able to get underneath regularly to check for termites. After the boards are installed, they need to be sanded.

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Bamboo floorboards are softer than tiles. They are quite expensive as it is a new product. The downside to bamboo is that it generally comes coated as part of the manufacturing process. However, the toxicity of the coating and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off by of it are reduced as it has been UV/EB cured. The bamboo is compressed and comes in different widths and colors.

Parquetry is small bits of wood (the ones that usually would be discarded) that have been cut into small pieces that you can put together in particular patterns (or just in a simple pattern). The wood pieces are glued to the concrete floor below. There are a variety of timbers available and you can also change the shade of a timber using timber stains. After it is installed, it has to be sanded. It is best to use non-toxic finishes.

A skilled tiler knows how to plan the laying of the room so that the cut tiles are not in really noticeable places. He or she is also careful when laying patterned tiles to make sure the overall look is pleasing to the eye.

A good tiler knows that to help the tiles dry without a skin on them, there should not be lots of open windows, fans or air-conditioning in the area where the tiles are being laid.