I bought a home about four year ago and it was six years old then. The people who built the home went crazy with carpet. They even put it in the bathrooms. I had one child when I moved in and now I have two. My children are now 3 and 6. They both have allergies and the carpet kills them. I really don't want to put out the money to replace all this carpet but I want to get rid of it. I've seen several articles on staining cement flooring but all of the articles said there was really only high success in new cement. I really wanted to paint my floors and find some type of sealer to keep it from getting scratched from dining room chairs and moving of furniture. Can anyone help me on this issue??????

 

If you are just talking about the living room I would suggest painting the perimeter and using an area rug [non alergic if they really exist]. They have some pretty decent ones on the tv chanels like the Q one or that Hs whatever one.

I have been in many houses and never saw 1 with just painted cement floors in all the living area. I think you would soon tire of it. That is just my opinion.

Is the carpet glued down btw

 

The answer to your question is yes.

What is under the carpet now? Is it really concrete or is it OSB? People put carpet down because it is cheap. Builders know carpet is going on the floors, so put cheap OSB down as a substrate. If your house is on a slab, you may have concrete under it.

If its OSB or such, no don't paint it. It will look horrible. No, there's nothing you can do to make it look good, except cover it up.

If its concrete, then yes you can stain it. Stain it, do not paint it. I don't know what atricles you've read, but old concrete can be stained, too. The only problem you run into is that the stains are an acid. Old concrete has little or no reactive agents left. The end result is not what most people want. You concrete should have enough reactive agents left to look good. The key is make sure ALL paste residue is gone. Then follow the staining directions to the letter.
Properly done, stain will not scratch or peel. It becomes part of the top layer of concrete.
Sealer? Use a latex sealer recommended by the mfgr of the stain. You can then wax it to get the amount of shine you want, from satin to gloss.

 

The carpet is not glued down. there is tac board along the wall.

 

" I would suggest painting the perimeter."

As I said you can paint your floor or you can stain it as bobf said.

Just curios, but will the kids be playing on the cement floor. Your original post said all the floors,but the title said livingroom

 

Well, they will be playing in the area but like I said they are 3 and 6 so they run everywhere. So, you haven't ever seen a house that the floor was just painted like a light wood color and sealed?? I was thinking it might be a good idea but did not know if it would work. And yes, my biggest concern is the living room but if I can find a nice fix, I may do the whole house.

 

do what bobf said if you want to color it. no paint. I reccomended the paint for the perimeter your concerns with scratching and such are legitimate. Anyway it is cheap and you are out very little if you decide it is too much on the kids knees and the like, or you just don't like it.

 

If you have a concrete floor removing the tack strip will likely leave holes in the concrete that will need repairing before stainning. The repairs will probably show throught the stain but if they do you could paint a border around the room which would cover any unsightly repairs.

 

I hate to see your little ones running and falling on cement. Have you considered taking up the carpet and replacing it with self stick vinyl tile? It can be installed over cement with some prep work. You might also want to consider a vinyl sheet material available from the local home center. Both options can save those little knees and hands from scrapes from the cement and would be easier to keep clean.

Check out this site for surface prep and installation

http://www.quickstyle.net/PVC_installation.htm

 

i've seen houses done in all concrete, but it was very cold looking, somewhere on the order of an all-tile home. i suppose if you live in a warm climate like Florida that might be nice. but here in Missouri in the middle of winter, that would be a nightmare.

it would be a good look for either a contemporary or mediterranean style, but probably not suited for your typical traditional styles. i think you'd probably be much happier with tile or wood or laminate floors. you'll probably never achieve a "wood colored" cement floor that really looks as pretty & warm as a wood floor. but as was mentioned, you can try it in one room, and if you like it, continue on. if not, go to Plan B.