Five Things You Need to Know About Adding a Concrete Floor to a Modular Home
Posted on: 28 September 2016
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If you want a polished concrete floor for your modular home, that can be possible. However, it isn't the norm, and as a result, you have to keep special things in mind. Here are some tips and ideas to consider:
1. The concrete floor will need to be poured on site
In most cases, builders put the floors in modular homes before they deliver them to the building site. However, this doesn't make sense with a concrete floor as it's a heavy choice of flooring material and not ideal for transporting on a truck. Instead, the home will need to be delivered, placed on its concrete foundation and then the floor can be added.
2. The subfloor should be inspected
Whether your modular home is already in place or waiting to be installed, you should have the subfloor inspected before you add the concrete floor. In most cases, modular homes feature pier and beam flooring with plywood or another type of subfloor material on it. Before pouring the concrete floor, a contractor has to check out your subfloor to make sure it is in good condition and doesn't need any extra supports to hold concrete.
3. A metal lathe may need to be installed
If your subfloor is made from wood, the contractor will need to install a metal lathe before pouring the concrete. The metal lathe is a grate with small holes that sits on top of the beams and piers. The lathe is then covered with an overlayment for reinforcement and finally the concrete flooring is poured over that. In most cases, the final layer of concrete is relatively thin so you don't have to worry about it putting excess weight on your foundation.
4. Sealing and staining are possible
Once the concrete floor has been poured, it's time to finish the design by sealing or staining the floor. A skilled contractor can help with these steps, or you can try to do them yourself. There are a vast range of colours, patterns and styles you can select. Once the concrete is sealed, you may want to have a concrete repair contractor check it over for cracks or other issues on a regular basis -- that way you don't have to worry about any damage starting and spreading.
5. It may be possible to add radiant heat
Finally, if you want the floor to be warm underfoot, you may be able to add radiant heating to your concrete floor. In order for that to be possible, your modular home needs to be on a basement or crawlspace. If it's on a concrete slab, there isn't enough room to run the pipes for the heated floor.