ᐅ So, which is it: cost-effective or expensive exposed screed?

Created on: 20 Mar 2015 11:05
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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.
Arifas23 Nov 2017 00:09
It is also important for us that the concrete color/top layer is safe for health.
Arifas23 Nov 2017 08:08
77. Wow, your basement is truly a dream [emoji3]
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Goldi09111
24 Nov 2017 20:25
I’m curious about how the workbench was built, feel free to share details via private message. [emoji6]
77.willo24 Nov 2017 21:36
The workbench at the very front on the right side, or the cabinets at the back?
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Goldi09111
25 Nov 2017 20:50
The rear cabinets
77.willo26 Nov 2017 01:10
The side walls and back panel are screwed together and glued. The base rests on two 8cm (3-inch) high support beams and is also glued and screwed between the walls. At the top, two square timber beams run across the front and middle, which are joined with two frame beams along the sides using lap joints. The countertop then rests on these.

Everything is made from 18mm (0.7-inch) OSB.

The drawers have a bottom screwed between the sides. Hettich Quattro V6 drawer slides in 55cm (22-inch) length are used for the runners.