Ardex over wooden subfloor, and other creative flooring ideas

[Mark]

Any FOG'er's ever pour Ardex over a wooden subfloor?http://www.ardex.com/default.asp We are looking to buy a worn out house, rip up the carpets and then pour Ardex over the subfloor, maybe tint it or something. Bamboo is always nice but overdone and I'd like to do something a bit more industrial and loft looking. My Dad once helped a friend back in the 60's lay masonite tiles as a floor to save money. Basically starving designers. Any other creative ideas? Cheap and durable is even better!

 

[Eli]

I'm not sure I'd do that as an improvement. I usually just go for wood.

If it's the ground floor and it's cheap and durable you want, you could rip out the subfloor. Sweep the bare earth really well. Sprinkle it with water and sweep it every day for a week. Then trowel on a mixture of overcooked rice, water, cattle dung, and maybe blood. Let it dry, and it should be pretty clean and hard. Sweep it everyday, and don't let water puddle anywhere on it. Reseal it once a year. Should last forever.  ;D

 

[RogerF]

I've seen it done on a house I worked on. Ardex needs a a very stable sub floor or it will crack. Old wooden sub floors are a bad bet but it was successful there after adding 3/4" ply over the sub floor of a pier and beam foundation. The Ardex rep knew his product and the contractor followed his recommendations. I think the pour was about 5/8" thick. I screwed strips of 1/8' aluminum flatstock to the walls at the floor as a barrier and a relief between the Ardex and the Teak panels but that was more a design feature than a necessity.
Roger
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