# Tile or stain?



## o2284200 (Jul 5, 2016)

I pulled up carpet and tack strips from living room of  my ground floor concrete slab.  The floor plan has my front door opening into the LR directly across from a fireplace, which sits diagonally in the corner so it's the first thing one sees upon entering the house.  There are a pair of 2 steps down  to the remainder of the ground floor (kitchen, dining room, den,  laundry/mud room with 1/2 bath).  I have enough 18x18" porcelain tile to cover the entire ground floor concrete slab over 1500 sq ft but I'm considering staining the concrete slab in the LR, instead of tiling.

The main features of the LR flooring:
1) Pair of 2 steps (There are two of these or 4 steps total) down to remainder of ground floor.






2) Fireplace





3) 4" marble baseboards on the plaster walls.





4) Brick walls





Some of my considerations: 

If I tile the LR
1) Removing 4" marble baseboards from the plaster walls without damaging both the marble and/or the plaster walls.  
2) Leaving the marble baseboards, I'd have to butt the  tile up against them, using quarter rounds to fill the gap.
3) Some tile will butt up against two areas of brick wall, where, I'd get gaps/holes in the mortar lines.

If I stain the LR, 
1) I would most likely have much more prep work.
2) It would enable me to use tile  that I saved for a master bathroom & master shower,  instead.
3) I could keep the marble baseboards without using quarter rounds.

But of course, I don't know, what I don't know so perhaps those with experience staining and  tiling can share their thoughts, pros and cons, costs, difficulty of project, regrets, concerns, what to be aware  of, etc... on tiling vs staining the LR?


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## nealtw (Jul 5, 2016)

You could cut the marble baseboard so the tile would fit below it.
With something like this with a diamond blade.
https://www.amazon.com/Roberts-10-5...NPAM&ref_=as_sl_pc_ss_til&tag=uptownfloors-20


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## o2284200 (Jul 5, 2016)

Thanks, that could make things easier.
Sounds like you're a fan of tile...
Any experience with staining?

FWIW, here's a wider view of subfloor showing where carpet padding left it's mark:


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## nealtw (Jul 5, 2016)

I didn't have what you would call a good experience with stain. So I wasn't making a recommendation for either.


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## o2284200 (Jul 5, 2016)

What was your experience with stain?


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## nealtw (Jul 5, 2016)

I just played with a couple sample areas and was afraid I would not get a consistent effect over the entire area.
Not enough to be for or against it. I have seen some places that turned out nice but those were done by pros.


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## Snoonyb (Jul 5, 2016)

With careful measurements and a good tile saw you should be able to accurately cut to the base and then quarter-round becomes an aesthetic choice.

If you elect to undercut the base, that can be accomplished with a 4" angle grinder, but none the less you'll need to seal there to prevent an accumulation of debris.

If you are staining a stepped down area and tiling the upper area you need to be cognizant of the difference in riser height that that can create, with regards to a trip hazard.

There are any number of styles, patterns and designs, from tile and wood floor to solid and a ragged pattern that can be created using concrete stains.

The prep is usually not that aggressive, however paint and masonry suppliers will have samples a brochures, as well as durable finish products.


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## joecaption (Jul 5, 2016)

Any old stains, flaws, old glue residue will show right though any stains.


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## HillJeffrey10 (Sep 8, 2016)

I'd recommend tile But of course its going to cost you more. But I agree with snoonyb.. By vigilant dimensions and a good tile saw you should be able to exactly cut to the base and then quarter-round changes into an artistic choice. https://thehomerenovation.wordpress...ofessional-for-kitchen-cabinets-installation/


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## o2284200 (Oct 27, 2016)

Thanks all!
I'm leaning towards tile and picked up this 18x18 porcelain at a decent price, a sample of which is shown in previous pics:





Here's a sketch of the entire first floor:





FWIW, If I use this 18x18 tile on the entire first floor, I'd install the raised LR on the diagonal off the fireplace then, I'd switch to a straight install on the sunken rest (kitchen, dining room, den, laundry/mud room with 1/2 bath) for a bit of a contrast and to save on tile.  With that said, some questions...

1) Would you keep the entire first floor uniform with same flooring OR do the raised LR with different flooring from the sunken rest?

2) If tiling multiple rooms on one floor like this, do I have to keep going until I'm finished or is it OK to do one room a time, stop work and restart another day?

3) How would you go about moving a washer and dryer alone, from one room to another on the same floor ?


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## nealtw (Oct 27, 2016)

I don't see any reason you can't do one room at a time, I think I've done it

there are for sure 2 problems you have to sort out first, square and level.
Find a center line of the dinning room and extend that line to the other end of the kitchen come off that line at 90* across the den and see how that lines up with the walls there.

On a common floor the only place to start is the highest spot on the whole floor.


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## Snoonyb (Oct 27, 2016)

So much for the KISS principal; I like spreaders and accent strips.

Yes you can stop and start, just make sure the stop tile is fully supported and dry before allowing foot traffic.

An appliance dolly is a cheap rental.


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## slownsteady (Oct 27, 2016)

Washers & dryers are not really that heavy. An appliance dolly works well. So does an inexpensive hand truck (a.k.a. hand-cart, sometimes called a dolly) and a cheap ratchet tie-down also work.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-800-lb-Capacity-D-Handle-Hand-Truck-HD800P/100030159


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## o2284200 (Oct 28, 2016)

Thanks all!

Thoughts on installing the entire first floor with the same flooring vs. installing different flooring on the rest of the first floor to contrast the raised LR ?


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## nealtw (Oct 28, 2016)

Triple check the 45*, a little off and that can get funky.


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## o2284200 (Oct 28, 2016)

Thanks, will do.  Since, I can start and stop, the plan is to start by doing the laundry room with 1/2 bath, then the DR & kitchen, then the den and lastly, the raised LR.  

Any thoughts on installing the entire first floor (raised & sunken) with the same flooring vs.  installing different flooring on the sunken rest of the first floor to  contrast the raised LR ?


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## nealtw (Oct 28, 2016)

Where I live, concrete is not flat unless the house is 30 years old. Find the high spot and start where ever that is. You cannot correct if you start in a lower spot.
We don't see those big tiles like you do down there  but I would think the same would be fine but you might think about the steps or risers.


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