Floored By In-Laws

[Saan]

My in-laws in Roi Et have concrete floors inside and they have a very rough finish - so rough that they cover it with plastic so they can walk a little more comfortably. I was wondering if it were possible to have the floors polished. Having no real knowledge of he technique I wonder if it would be a cheaper method than having the area tiled.

First of all is there anyone around Roi Et that has a concrete polisher and can do the job? If it ends up tiles can I buy some that don't turn the floor into a skating rink when wet.

Any suggestions or costing will be gratefully received.

[NeverSure]

There are for sure rotary concrete grinders for that purpose. If you rent one, rent a big one and then rent the small one for corners. The grinding disks are usually industrial diamond. On some of them, they mic the thickness of the grinding wheel when you rent, then mic it again and charge you for the wear. That's fair, and it's in addition to the rental charge.

If you rent one, be sure to get one that works wet. Outside a dry one isn't so bad, but you do.not.want. concrete dust in every crevice in a building, especially a house. Even though it has a vacuum, that won't get it all and you just don't want concrete dust. Trust me on that one.

Look through these and you'll get the idea by looking at the upright units. Link

Here, I found a decent video. Be sure to see the final product. Don't forget they sell color that is permanent and made from stone dust that will really dress it up if you want.

Edited March 19, 2013 by NeverSure

[Thaddeus]

Another alternative is to varnish them, the floors not the in-laws.

Depending on how rough the floors are, a bit of grinding down may be needed beforehand.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Thaddeus

[bunnydrops]

I just did one back in the states and it was not too hard. BUT it was a new poured floor. I can imagine it could be hell on an old farm poured. I was thinking of doing the same on my Thai home, but went with tile since I could not find a grinder and time was running short. The one in the states was stained and then three layers of industrial grade Minwax. The stain is very expensive.

[cdmtdm]

the rough finish is normal where the floor is to be tiled on new houses here , tiles are cheap that would be the best option ... the grinder if you can find one will make a big mess in the progress ... another option is to use a skim coat , comes in bags bit smaller than cement bags , mix it up and trowel it on , the more you skim with the trowel and a bit of water the smoother it gets ... comes up a bit like polished concrete ...

[boloa]

The cheapest option would be to buy some Tiles ( 150Baht squ/m ). For a little extra you could get non-slip tiles,.Easy to lay with the new tile cements available

[wayned]

Tiles. But have them installed by someone that knows what they are doing, otherwise you could have a real mess!

[NeverSure]

I too would prefer the tiles, but I gave the OP the answer to his question. Tiles are cheap and look so much warmer and homey somehow.

[Saan]

Thanks for all the replies.

Is vinyl a practical option? At home - Chiang Mai - I have a beautiful highly glazed skating rink in the bathroom and am worried the relos will end up with broken bones as they skate across their newly tiled living area.

[cardholder]

Skim coat, you can even give it a cooling 'distressed concrete' look.

It won't matter, the in laws will still put the plastic over it.

[wayned]

Skim coat, you can even give it a cooling 'distressed concrete' look.

It won't matter, the in laws will still put the plastic over it.

How true! Built my FIL a bed. He even helped me make it. Bought a nice mattress. He still sleeps on the floor!

[Saan]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess tiles are the way to go if I can find non slip ones. Don't want any old bones breaking - particularly mine.

[Bluenose BKK]

Is a wooden floor seriously all that expensive up in Isaan,somehow I doubt it?

[Litlos]

When we did up the TGF's house in Roi Et area it was tiles in the living and wet areas. The only slip has been by me in the wet area as the TGF had washed her hair and left some shampoo on the floor. I wandered in and my feet went straight out from under me and crash on the hip. But as shampoo with a bit of water is a pretty good lubricant this would probably have happened on any type of finished floor.

The real problem with this is there is insufficient fall in the wet area tiling so liquids do not head for the drain. So if tiling any wet areas ensure that there is sufficient fall to self drain.

Ensure the long haired translator is sure about the non slip and go visit the local tile shop, take a bottle of drinking water as it is hot and maybe for a bit of testing. The tile shop will probably have details for local tile layers. I think the way it works is you buy the materials and pay the layer for his time and equipment on a per day or per job rate. The TGF's were laid by her brother, so I am sure I paid over the odds.

Just a last thought make sure the in laws are happy about this plan as would be a shame to spend money just to get something they do not want and will create angst. Also if possible get the price negotiations for materials and labour done by a local without there being any indication of a farang being involved. If they suspect a farang is involved you may qualify for the "special" farang price.

Cheers

[ubonjoe]

You can get special non slip tiles (8 X 8 size) for the bathroom.

Regular floor tiles will have some kind of design pattern on them that makes them less hazardous when wet.

Just be sure somebody does not buy wall tiles and put them on floor. I have seen this done and it makes for one very slippery floor.

Edited March 22, 2013 by ubonjoe

[Bluenose BKK]

When we did up the TGF's house in Roi Et area it was tiles in the living and wet areas. The only slip has been by me in the wet area as the TGF had washed her hair and left some shampoo on the floor. I wandered in and my feet went straight out from under me and crash on the hip. But as shampoo with a bit of water is a pretty good lubricant this would probably have happened on any type of finished floor.

The real problem with this is there is insufficient fall in the wet area tiling so liquids do not head for the drain. So if tiling any wet areas ensure that there is sufficient fall to self drain.

Ensure the long haired translator is sure about the non slip and go visit the local tile shop, take a bottle of drinking water as it is hot and maybe for a bit of testing. The tile shop will probably have details for local tile layers. I think the way it works is you buy the materials and pay the layer for his time and equipment on a per day or per job rate. The TGF's were laid by her brother, so I am sure I paid over the odds.

Just a last thought make sure the in laws are happy about this plan as would be a shame to spend money just to get something they do not want and will create angst. Also if possible get the price negotiations for materials and labour done by a local without there being any indication of a farang being involved. If they suspect a farang is involved you may qualify for the "special" farang price.

Cheers

50% discount?

[Saan]

When we did up the TGF's house in Roi Et area it was tiles in the living and wet areas. The only slip has been by me in the wet area as the TGF had washed her hair and left some shampoo on the floor. I wandered in and my feet went straight out from under me and crash on the hip. But as shampoo with a bit of water is a pretty good lubricant this would probably have happened on any type of finished floor.

The real problem with this is there is insufficient fall in the wet area tiling so liquids do not head for the drain. So if tiling any wet areas ensure that there is sufficient fall to self drain.

Ensure the long haired translator is sure about the non slip and go visit the local tile shop, take a bottle of drinking water as it is hot and maybe for a bit of testing. The tile shop will probably have details for local tile layers. I think the way it works is you buy the materials and pay the layer for his time and equipment on a per day or per job rate. The TGF's were laid by her brother, so I am sure I paid over the odds.

Just a last thought make sure the in laws are happy about this plan as would be a shame to spend money just to get something they do not want and will create angst. Also if possible get the price negotiations for materials and labour done by a local without there being any indication of a farang being involved. If they suspect a farang is involved you may qualify for the "special" farang price.

Cheers

You can get special non slip tiles (8 X 8 size) for the bathroom.

Regular floor tiles will have some kind of design pattern on them that makes them less hazardous when wet.

Just be sure somebody does not buy wall tiles and put them on floor. I have seen this done and it makes for one very slippery floor.

More good advice. Thanks.

My worry is that if I don't select the tiles - the very pretty, shiny, highly glazed death traps will end up on the floor. I know because I have very pretty, shiny, highly glazed death traps on the floor of my second bathroom - not put there by me. The shower in that bathroom is not used, generally conceded as too dangerous.

[Bluenose BKK]

When we did up the TGF's house in Roi Et area it was tiles in the living and wet areas. The only slip has been by me in the wet area as the TGF had washed her hair and left some shampoo on the floor. I wandered in and my feet went straight out from under me and crash on the hip. But as shampoo with a bit of water is a pretty good lubricant this would probably have happened on any type of finished floor.

The real problem with this is there is insufficient fall in the wet area tiling so liquids do not head for the drain. So if tiling any wet areas ensure that there is sufficient fall to self drain.

Ensure the long haired translator is sure about the non slip and go visit the local tile shop, take a bottle of drinking water as it is hot and maybe for a bit of testing. The tile shop will probably have details for local tile layers. I think the way it works is you buy the materials and pay the layer for his time and equipment on a per day or per job rate. The TGF's were laid by her brother, so I am sure I paid over the odds.

Just a last thought make sure the in laws are happy about this plan as would be a shame to spend money just to get something they do not want and will create angst. Also if possible get the price negotiations for materials and labour done by a local without there being any indication of a farang being involved. If they suspect a farang is involved you may qualify for the "special" farang price.

Cheers

You can get special non slip tiles (8 X 8 size) for the bathroom.

Regular floor tiles will have some kind of design pattern on them that makes them less hazardous when wet.

Just be sure somebody does not buy wall tiles and put them on floor. I have seen this done and it makes for one very slippery floor.

More good advice. Thanks.

My worry is that if I don't select the tiles - the very pretty, shiny, highly glazed death traps will end up on the floor. I know because I have very pretty, shiny, highly glazed death traps on the floor of my second bathroom - not put there by me. The shower in that bathroom is not used, generally conceded as too dangerous.

Why don't you cover it with linoleum or some cheap carpet instead of losing a bathroom?Seems a shame!

[bunnydrops]

You can get non slip bathroom mats at most the big department stores. Some lock together. They are not cheap but sometimes the time saved is worth the extra price. I have found that Thais don't understand the concept of dry bathroom floors.The bathroom in my wife's sisters bathroom is always wet. I have almost killed myself it there a few times. I bought mats for both her sister's and her mother's. In my place, I had the shower area lowered by an inch. I came back from town to find they lowered the whole bathroom. I had them redo the shower area and lower it another inch. They relly could not understand why I would want to do that.

[Surin steve]

From what I've seen with Thai concreting skills if you attempt to grind it down you will hit soil long before any kind of level is achieved