Hi I have old carpet in my house with house that needs replacing. We would love concrete floors or tile, but wonder if this is a DIY type job or would we have to pay someone to do it? Also, our house is only about 1000 sq/ft max and I heard that smaller spaces cost more for some reason. Why is that? We already have a concrete sub floor, its a 20 yr old house in Southern California. Not a tricky floor plan. I would like concrete in all but two rooms (the bedrooms) but if its cost effective then throughout the house.
Any advice for someone considering this project? What kind of prices am I looking at? Im in Bakersfield, CA not in LA or anything.
Update:Im not really into vinyl tiles cos the housing market is pretty bad in california right now and anything I do to my house, Id like it to give the house an edge. And I dont think vinyl tiles add anything to the value of a house. Im 27, its our first home and when we sell it, we would like to appeal to a young, starter-house market, make it modern and urban. We both are into a more contemporary simple look. Industrial minimalism even. Thats why we like the idea of concrete but if not concrete then maybe tile is the way to go. Something with a stone look. We plan on having lots of rugs too. We arent worried about the floors being cold seeing as how Bakersfield is hellish hot for most of the year and the temperature can creep to over 110 degrees in the summer most days.
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Are you looking at fininhing or staining the concrete?
If so this can be a DIY project.
Tile is a relatively simple DIY project. There are several step by step books on this, and you can pick up tile for as low as .78 a sqft.
The home stores can help you find the right products for your house.
The most difficult parts of installing tile is cutting (Rent a wet tile saw) and grouting (Takes a while to do).
But oncer it is done and you have done it yourself, there is a great pleasure.
My wife and I has installed tile in three sperate houses we have purchased and enjoyed the process each time...even with the occasional tiffs.
Have fun!
Stained concrete can look quite nice but it isn't for everyone. Ceramic tile is probably a safer bet. I think more people would like the tile than the concrete.
Anyone with a bit of common sense and the time to learn how to lay tile before they start can do a really nice job. There are several booklets and some videos that can help you if you really want to learn.
You can get a pretty good idea of material costs by going to a couple of flooring stores or Home Depot.
A wet saw (either purchased or rented) can be a real asset in the long run.
Also remember you don't have to do it all at once.
We have a 3000 square foot house and it is all ceramic tile.
Hi this is my specialty. If you want Ceramic floors it would probally be worth paying someone to do it because it can be very complicated. But if you want something you can do yourself check out Nafco Products. It's a Vinyl tile that has the look of ceramic, slate, or marble. Plus it's easy to install. It's not cold like concrete and it won't crack. Check it out.