Every now and then I like to post articles of my own home improvement projects because sometimes I am just a little too impressed with my own work. This project was done last February. But I got to looking at it the other day and decided to write a post about it.
A 6×10 lumber staircase transformation….. Read the rest of this entry »
I added a new category called “my favorite things”. I figured since Oprah has her “my favorite things’ episodes, I can have mine too. So we’ll start with my first favorite thing. Boxers! If you are ever considering getting a dog, one breed to consider is the boxer. I use to think these were “wt” pit bull type breeds, but they are actually rated very high on the list as family pets and they are excellent around kids.
This is my boxer, Bongos. He always slaps his paws around like he’s playing the bongos and he goes bongos for bacon strips. And he’s definitely a “cruncher”. He’ll crunch away and clean his bowl even if you put science diet dog food in it. And when he’s hungry, he’ll pick his bowl up and bring it to you. So cute!
He is an incredibly smart dog. Very well housetrained and is very friendly and loyal. Although these dogs are not aggressive by nature, they are definitely not the kind of dog that you could push its buttons or tease like a little terrier. Meaning, if you are playful with a little terrier and it happens to snap at you, no big deal. Although this dog has never snapped at me, nor have I ever done anything in playing with him that would make him agitated, I realized how powerful of a bite this breed has. Bongos ripped one of his toys out of my hands so hard while playing “try and take my toy from me”, it let me know right away that this dog could rip your arm off if it got a hold of you. But I don’t see that happening with this particular boxer because he is so friendly and he maybe barks once a week! He never barks!
So anyways, before ever deciding on that Lab or Golden Retriever as a pet if you are into larger dogs, consider the boxer breed. You might be surprised how great of a dog this breed really is.
I had written a previous article on a solution for flooring in a basement. While not all basements are perfectly ready to be claimed as living space due to mold producing humidity or potential water leakage problems which leaves the idea of carpeting out of the question, there are still other options to make use of the space other than for storage. I have an area in my basement that was once used as a bedroom sometime back in the 70’s or 80’s. I would never sleep in a basement, nor was I about to re-carpet the already bare concrete due to the possibility of water leakage. On a side note, I think I have my water leakage issues solved, but one never knows. And who knows what could happen during the summer when you have that overnight downpour that brings 8 inches of water to soil that is already saturated from previous rains. Unless it’s a brand new home that has a basement that is sealed, I am reluctant to put the money out for flooring or carpeting in a below grade area of an older home.
So since the bedroom in my basement was going to go unused, why not turn it into a little workout room? A workout room that looks more like a gym and not just placing exercise equipment on a bare concrete floor. The first thing I did was clean the concrete floor and seal the cracks. I then primed the concrete and then painted it with two coats of grey Behr porch and floor high gloss paint. This definitely made the floor much cleaner and covered any strange smells that might arise from the old dingey concrete.
The solution for flooring? I went with interlocking foam mats for exercise areas. They are waterproof and come right up in the occasion that water happens to make its way into the basement. I had about 200 square feet of floor to cover. The downside is that covering the floor of a room with interlocking mats can cost just as much, if not more than carpeting. I priced all the interlocking mats made by various companies, and on average they were about $2.89 per square foot. That would put me up near $500 or $600 to cover the concrete floor! Not quite worth it in my opinion. Luckily, I happen to find GetRung.com. They offered 5/8 inch interlocking foam mats for exercise areas at less than $1 per square foot. I was able to purchase 216 square feet of fatigue resistant interlocking foam mats for $172 which also includes shipping. The shipping was in the neighborhood of $20. That is what I call a bargain! I went with the common charcoal color because I wanted the room to look like a gym. But they also have a selection of other colors such as blue, red, violet, etc.
After getting the mats installed, they performed just as well as more expensive foam mats that I have used in the past underneath exercise equipment. There have been some complaints of leaving marks on the soft material, but what I purchased seems to hold up just fine with my weight bench sitting on top. I am very pleased with my purchase. So, if you want to turn that old basement area into a workout room, order yourself some interlocking mats from GetRung.com, purchase some mirrors to hang from Home Depot, and swing by Walmart or your local sporting goods store to add some items such as an exercise ball or punching bag. I already had a weight set and smith machine which was the main reason why I wanted to create a workout room. I wanted to put the equipment to use again on those occasions when I decide not to go to the gym. I was able to install the flooring, hang mirrors, and move my equipment all in just a matter of hours spread over two days. One of the easiest, yet most enjoyable projects I’ve done. And I am very pleased thanks to GetRung.com.
Do you have an old dingy basement that you are trying to reclaim as living space? Did you have to tear up and haul away the old moldy nasty carpet and padding that had been there for a couple of decades? Do you have near 1000 sq. feet or more of basement area that you need to re-carpet? Depending on the amount of space you need to carpet, it should only set you back another $2-$5K. And then once the job is finished, you can keep your fingers crossed for the rest of the years you live in your house that you never get water in your basement. If you get one area of the carpet ruined from water leakage, then the whole entire area is ruined and the carpet needs to be take up. Aside from water leakage, there is always the concern of developing that nice musty smell due to the mold that has settled in between the padding and concrete. Sure, carpet and padding of today should be mold resistant, and you could coat your floors with a mold resistant sealant before installing the carpet. But there’s no guarantee.
The concrete in this picture is not stained
Anyways, let’s say you don’t have the $2-$5K to spend on carpet, or just simply don’t want to spend that kind of money, but would like an alternative solution to flooring in your basement aside from other options such as ceramic tile which can run the risk of cracking if you already have cracks in your basement floor. The preferred solution of today would be to stain the concrete floors in your basement. It is most certainly the best way to go for a modern rich look of polished marble that is durable and will last as long as the house does. However, staining concrete floors might be better off left to a professional. And that can be costly as well. And nevertheless, staining your floors would be out of the question if you have old dirty concrete with glue stains all over. The stain needs to penetrate the concrete and every mark and blemish will show.
So…you have a large area of flooring in your basement that is old, dirty, and cracked. Any other solutions? How about painting your floors to mimic stained or marble flooring? Don’t think it’s possible? Well it is and this is exactly what I decided several months ago to do with my flooring and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I had near 1000 sq. feet to cover and it was probably one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever done. The cost: $150. The advantage: it can handle water, it’s easy to clean, never develops a musty smell, and will last as long as it’s taken care of.
Didn’t think painting concrete could look this good? I’d say it’s pool table ready!
This was done with 4 different colors of Behr porch and floor paint and then sealed with 2 coats of Behr High Gloss Wet-look sealer for concrete. I used a camel color for a base-coat, and then combined, or “faux” painted with chocolate cupcake, apple crisp, and english saddle brown. The trick is combining the colors just right to achieve the desired look. This is best done with a textured roller, some experimenting, and then the right touch. Do not bother to get down on your hands and knees and faux paint. It would take you forever.
The Behr wet-look sealer gives it the high gloss finish
In a later article, I will explain how to achieve this look. There is absolutely nowhere on the web of any examples of how to achieve this look through painting. Some people have done it, but they don’t explain how. There are plenty of examples of stained concrete everywhere, but very little for painting. All it takes it takes is a special touch and a little artistic creativity to achieve the look of stained concrete or polished marble. But anyone can do it.
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