the evolution of a floor

I remember the day the concrete was poured.  So clean, and so pristine.

Very quickly, it got very dirty.  It had coffee stains, and drywall dust.  Paint drips and glue splatters.  Insulation and mud.  It really could get no dirtier.

Getting the floors ready to be sealed was a daunting task.  We swept, and vacuumed, then we scraped the whole floor with teeny tiny window scrapers.  Our hands were sore for days after (well, mine was anyway.. I'm sure my big strong husband would never admit to it).  But it meant the really hard work was done...we were over the hump! 

Then we washed the floor really well (with a  handy machine from Planet Clean), and so it was finally ready to be sealed!

We used VOCOMP-20 by W.R. Meadows purchased through National Concrete.  Very low VOC.  Virtually no odor.  Rolled on easily (we did two coats).  Love it.

And finally three coats of wax.. again from Planet Clean Janitorial Supply.  They carry a fantastic line of cleaning products from M-Chem, and we chose Satin Finish because it is very low VOC, and super easy to apply.  It wipes on with a flat wax mop and doesn't need to be buffed.  There are completely natural products around.. like this one.  I would love to try some (and there's a sales rep in Lumby) but there isn't going to be enough in stock until spring.

Voila!

I could not be happier with the results.  It has a nice glow, and isn't too shiny.  It's very easy to clean and with any luck it will be easy to maintain as well.  It is unrecognizable as the floor from 3 weeks ago.. and I am so glad it is done.

finally.. floors

Wow... we have been so busy at the house, so busy in fact that I have not sat myself down to share what we have been doing (sorry about that)!

The good news is that I now have lots of catching up to do, so without further ado, here's the first on my list of things to show you.

The concrete is in!!  6" of solid grey loveliness.

Isn't it pretty?

The decision to do polished concrete for the floors was one of the easiest decisions we have made so far.  We have always wanted radiant floor heating, and as part of our effort to reduce the layers of finishes on the house it only made sense to leave the concrete exposed.  It also acts as a perfect thermal mass to absorb and radiate our passive solar heat.  The fact that I drool over polished concrete photos like this one has nothing to do with it.. really...

photo from desire to inspire

Our concrete finisher Shawn (S. Guidi Concrete Finishing) recommended polishing the concrete with a power trowel, then coating it with wax (later).  We had him look at the floor in the new grocery section of our local Wal Mart as inspiration.  Don't laugh.. that floor is gorgeous.

Two sample pads to experiment with

the finish right now

the right side has been acid etched,
the white marks are the fibres showing through

We are still experimenting with the finish, to get it just right.  Acid etching the concrete takes away the top layer of concrete, removes trowel marks and exposes some sand.  It also, unfortunately, exposes some fibres.  Right now I am leaning toward the un-etched version.  The next step will be to put some wax on it and see what happens.  

For those of you who are interested, here are the technical details... the pad averages 6" thick, and is about 1700 square feet.  Double fibre was added to the mix for extra strength, and the concrete was poured over three inches of foam and one layer of re bar (18" on center).

Bob the Newfie cutting the lines

well done Bob!

The cut lines (by BTN contracting) are in theory going to minimize cracking, but we are well aware that cracking may be inevitable.  We chose a simple over sized grid, with no lines in the bedrooms.   

We will love you, floor.  Cracks and all.