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Polished concrete in a family room?

ShawnWilkey
Getting Established

Polished concrete in a family room?

Just wondering people's opinions on whether you'd recommend polished concrete in our main family room? It's a late 70s extension and currently has carpet squares which are awful. We were thinking of putting a floating timber floor but have seen that polished concrete looks really good. I worry that it will be too cold though in winter. Not really concerned about stuff breaking on the hard surface, although other people have mentioned that.... 

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Polished concrete in a family room?

We've gone with a polished concrete floor in our new backyard games room @ShawnWilkey. We're happy with the look and feel. We're finding it surprisingly warm underfoot.  

 

I take it you are thinking of polishing an existing concrete slab? If you were putting down a new floor you could obviously investigate in-slab heating. 

 

I think for a family room you would also want to consider a rug, especially if its an area in which family members typically sit on the floor such as when watching television or playing games. But you would probably want a rug anyway even if you went for timber or tiles.  

 

I'll pop a photo of our floor below. Hope it helps.

 

Jason

 

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Andy_Mann
Former Community Member

Re: Polished concrete in a family room?

@ShawnWilkey, I totally agree with @Jason on his experience & suggestions, with the proviso that your existing floors are concrete. If your family room has a Northern aspect, you'll get thermal gains from the sunlight, the thermal mass will hold it & release that warmth into the room of an evening.

If your family room has a Southern aspect, then underfloor heating (I love the concept) would be advisable. Trouble being that it will require a concrete float over the in-floor elements & your existing floor, so will raise your floor level. If that's a non-factor, & the expense is outweighed by comfort, then it's a winner.

Eastern & Western aspects will need shielding/shading from the Summer blazes, but can work for you in Winter.

We had quarry triles laid in our Southern aspect entry, & it continued down the central passageway when we built in '75. Yes it's cooler, but virtually a constant temperature year round, so if it were a room, dressing appropriately & having scattered rugs on the floor, it would be fine.

Re: Polished concrete in a family room?

I love the concrete look @ShawnWilkey. Id have slight concerns about the winter cold but i tend to go for style over comfort sometimes haha.

A rug should help like @Jason said and given i like a gadgety thing or two I'd be looking at the heated flooring.

I also love timber though so a nice timber finish would be lovely too or floating boards.
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