This post is the first in what will be a series dedicated to “Client Stories.” We sat down with one of our regular clients last week to discuss a few of the projects we’ve worked on together. We wanted to get some insight about the client’s memories of some of the projects we did together and see what lessons she learned that might be passed on to future clients.
The first project we discussed was the DC Contemporary Renovation, specifically the polished concrete floor in the basement.
MGA: Why did you decide to do the basement floor in polished concrete?
Client: The existing basement had a 7’ ceiling height, and we were increasing that to 8’. We had to remove the floor, excavate and then pour a slab anyway, so we thought polishing that slab into a finished surface made sense.
MGA: Are you happy with that decision?
Client: I love the floor! It’s easy to maintain, it’s easy to clean. The polishing process was quite messy though. Lots of water, lots of noise.
MGA: How did you choose the color?
Client: There were two options. We could have added a color into the concrete mixture before it was poured and we would have had a consistent color throughout the whole floor. The other option was to pour the slab, then stain it after it was polished. We went this route because it gave the floor more character. You see more texture and there would be some lighter spots and some darker spots. We did a test patch for the color first, because we used a few different colors to get the final look we wanted.
MGA: Would you do anything different knowing what you know now?
Client: I would definitely do radiant heat next time. The floor is perfect in summer but it’s cold in the winter.