ᐅ Saving costs / basement / affordable tiles / sealed screed?

Hello,
since my girlfriend wants to spend a bit more on the hardwood flooring upstairs, I need to find where we can save money elsewhere. Naturally, the flooring in the basement came to mind as a potential cost-saving area—specifically in the storage room (unheated) and my planned workshop/office combination (planned with underfloor heating to prevent it from getting too cold).

The first idea was to use anhydrite screed or anhydrite heated screed laid on insulation boards, with inexpensive tiles on top. Both rooms would also work fine with cheaper floor coverings—if the potential savings are significant enough. However, it seems that if we skip the tiles, the screed might need to be sealed differently or maybe even a different screed should be used. So, it’s not really clear whether savings are actually possible here...

As someone with no building expertise, my question is: what cheaper alternatives exist—and how much could be saved compared to affordable tiles (material cost under 12€/m²)?

Regards from Lower Franconia
I.

Who installs the tiles in the basement... because this is where you can save money.
I received quotes ranging from 35 to 70 € per square meter (ft²) from various tilers. Often, additional costs for adhesive, baseboards, and silicone sealant were added.

The plan is to have the tile setter who will also install all the other tiles in the house. The prices are on the lower end (including materials), and he is a local tradesman who values good workmanship more than a fancy car. I also lack the time and experience to do a comparable job myself.

So my main question is, what would the effort involved be for sealing the screed (labor and materials) – and who usually seals the screed (OK, I’m realistic enough to know that won’t be me)?

How about cement screed? This can also save you some money quickly.

Hello,

Irgendwoabaier schrieb:

So the question is more about what the effort would be to seal the screed (labor + materials) – and who would seal the screed (OK, I’m realistic enough to know it won’t be me)?

I don’t really understand your question; sorry.

You must have informed your supplier about the floor coverings you plan to install, right? Then it is their responsibility to prepare the substrate (for example, the screed thickness) to accommodate the flooring, unless you have agreed otherwise. If that is the case, ask your future tiler how they want the floor to be prepared.

Regards, Bauexperte

As far as I understand, he is considering using the screed as the finished surface instead of tiles to reduce costs.