ᐅ So, which is it: cost-effective or expensive exposed screed?
Created on: 20 Mar 2015 11:05
W
Willem81
Hello everyone!
My family and I are currently planning to build our own home. We have found a nice and affordable plot of land and are in the process of purchasing it. We have found a great architect who wants to bring our partly very concrete ideas to life. Since the planning has just begun, but I already enjoy dealing with details, I have a question for you.
To briefly explain:
Over the past few years, I have read a lot about architecture, especially on how to build cost-effectively without compromising on quality. Great books on this topic are, for example, "Attractive Building on a Small Budget" by Achim Linhardt and "The Wooden House of the Future" by Marc Lettau and Markus Mosimann. The discussions often lead to more philosophical questions like: What do I actually need? For whom am I building? Do I focus on outward appearance or coziness? Where do I set priorities? What is really important to me? Do I have to build the way “it is usually done,” or can unconventional solutions that save money also have a special appeal?
Besides these fundamental questions, which relate to construction type, concept, floor plan, and features, material choice is also a very important aspect. The general advice is: avoid mixing materials and allow unconventional solutions (for example, do bathrooms and kitchens always have to be tiled?).
One thing that kept coming up is polished screed flooring. Many books and magazines mention that a flowable screed treated with epoxy resin or other materials can be a very affordable floor covering. However, it is actually hard to find much information about it online. No one really quotes realistic prices; you mostly just read that polished screed is very expensive. In forums, some say the floor cost about 150 euros per square meter (about 14 USD per square foot), while others claim to have installed such floors for 7 euros per square meter (about 0.65 USD per square foot). So the range is very wide. Has anyone here had experience with this? I'm not looking for sugar-coated answers—if it’s too expensive, it’s not an option. I just find it interesting that the information varies so much. I look forward to hearing your experiences.
My family and I are currently planning to build our own home. We have found a nice and affordable plot of land and are in the process of purchasing it. We have found a great architect who wants to bring our partly very concrete ideas to life. Since the planning has just begun, but I already enjoy dealing with details, I have a question for you.
To briefly explain:
Over the past few years, I have read a lot about architecture, especially on how to build cost-effectively without compromising on quality. Great books on this topic are, for example, "Attractive Building on a Small Budget" by Achim Linhardt and "The Wooden House of the Future" by Marc Lettau and Markus Mosimann. The discussions often lead to more philosophical questions like: What do I actually need? For whom am I building? Do I focus on outward appearance or coziness? Where do I set priorities? What is really important to me? Do I have to build the way “it is usually done,” or can unconventional solutions that save money also have a special appeal?
Besides these fundamental questions, which relate to construction type, concept, floor plan, and features, material choice is also a very important aspect. The general advice is: avoid mixing materials and allow unconventional solutions (for example, do bathrooms and kitchens always have to be tiled?).
One thing that kept coming up is polished screed flooring. Many books and magazines mention that a flowable screed treated with epoxy resin or other materials can be a very affordable floor covering. However, it is actually hard to find much information about it online. No one really quotes realistic prices; you mostly just read that polished screed is very expensive. In forums, some say the floor cost about 150 euros per square meter (about 14 USD per square foot), while others claim to have installed such floors for 7 euros per square meter (about 0.65 USD per square foot). So the range is very wide. Has anyone here had experience with this? I'm not looking for sugar-coated answers—if it’s too expensive, it’s not an option. I just find it interesting that the information varies so much. I look forward to hearing your experiences.
You probably save the effort of creating a separate visible surface or covering if you opt for exposed masonry or exposed screed. However, what is usually hidden then has to be finished with an exceptionally fine surface quality, which takes time and labor costs. I don’t see significant savings there. Such a "loft floor" is more for purists. Used throughout all rooms, it can be overwhelming. Therefore, I think it’s not really a feasible alternative unless you commit to applying it consistently across the entire floor area (meaning all rooms). The only thing I have exposed on plaster is the Wi-Fi.
From my perspective, clearly yes. For anything beyond routine work, it’s worth asking for specific references. But a non-specialist can meticulously approach a masterpiece, whereas a specialist, due to busy periods, might assign inexperienced staff and rush through the job carelessly.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Arifas schrieb:
And can this be done by a "regular" tradesperson? Or should you look for specialists?
From my perspective, clearly yes. For anything beyond routine work, it’s worth asking for specific references. But a non-specialist can meticulously approach a masterpiece, whereas a specialist, due to busy periods, might assign inexperienced staff and rush through the job carelessly.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
You don’t save anything because this special screed also comes with very specific prices.
I heard from neighbors that they have this type of screed and are unhappy: every stain is visible, grease seems to penetrate, moisture, everything is very crumbly.
However, I don’t know if they had it sealed or not.
I heard from neighbors that they have this type of screed and are unhappy: every stain is visible, grease seems to penetrate, moisture, everything is very crumbly.
However, I don’t know if they had it sealed or not.
ypg schrieb:
You don’t save anything because this special screed also comes with a special price.
I heard from neighbors who have this screed and are unhappy: every stain is visible, grease apparently soaks in, moisture, everything is very fragile.
However, I don’t know to what extent they had it sealed. Don’t you at least save time?
Friends of ours also have exposed screed and love it. They say it’s very low-maintenance, and even the kids ride their push cars on it.
If it is now comparable in price to quality tile or floorboards, it would definitely be an option for us.
We have already asked the general contractor and are looking forward to their response.
Arifas schrieb:
Friends of ours also have exposed screed and love it. It is said to be very low-maintenance, and the children even ride their toy cars on it. Probably sealed, as is common in garages or workshops(?)
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
Probably coated, which is common in garages or workshops (?)Definitely. It is glossy and occasionally needs to be cleaned with a maintenance solution.Uncoated screed, even when smoothed, is sensitive to coffee stains, etc., and plant oil also leaves marks.
Therefore, it should be coated. Epoxy resin coatings can be partly concerning in terms of emissions.
For a 2-component PU floor coating, you usually have to budget more than 120 Euros per square meter (over $12 per square foot), otherwise it looks like a warehouse floor. With that budget, you can also have nice 90 x 90 cm (35 x 35 inch) tiles installed.
Therefore, it should be coated. Epoxy resin coatings can be partly concerning in terms of emissions.
For a 2-component PU floor coating, you usually have to budget more than 120 Euros per square meter (over $12 per square foot), otherwise it looks like a warehouse floor. With that budget, you can also have nice 90 x 90 cm (35 x 35 inch) tiles installed.