Using Quartz Countertops For Flooring

[Truffles]

Hi All!

It is time for us to start considering flooring options for out bus.

I see a lot of people going with laminate floors like Lifeproof, and others going with real wood floors.

It seems like each of those have their own problems. But we still think that they are viable options.

However, we really want something that is going to stand out. Since it is such A small space, and we will probably need to do less than 100 ft.² of flooring, we were considering splurging a bit on the floors. The one interesting idea we’ve come up with is to try to match the countertops with Quartz countertop material on the floors as well. If we use some sturdy 1 inch plywood base layer, would there be any obvious drawbacks to using quartz composite for flooring as well?

I have talked to a few other Skoolie builders who say they have used tile floors without any significant cracking. But I wonder how much a large, thick, piece of composite quartz material would be likely to crack.

Do any of you have enough experience using quartz composite countertop material to give your opinion?

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Aside from the somewhat obvious potential for cracking, also give some consideration to it being a non-slip footing surface.

[banman]

Call me no fun...

Seems like a huge waste of weight capacity on the bus...

It's a slippery surface.

It's a cold surface.

An inch of ply plus an inch or two of rock? That's a loss of head room or insulation capacity unless you're already doing a roof raise...

[Danjo]

Splurge on high quality commercial grade flooring

[Truffles]

Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur

Aside from the somewhat obvious potential for cracking, also give some consideration to it being a non-slip footing surface.

Thank you for noticing that. In the past, I had installed a white epoxy floor in a home that was way too slippery. I fixed that problem by maintaining a non-slip wax coating. Which I would do either way to avoid wear and tear.

[Truffles]

Originally Posted by banman

Call me no fun...

Seems like a huge waste of weight capacity on the bus...

It's a slippery surface.

It's a cold surface.

An inch of ply plus an inch or two of rock? That's a loss of head room or insulation capacity unless you're already doing a roof raise...

The floors will be heated hydronically, so being cold shouldnt be an issue in areas that it normally would be. And the bedroom will have a rug because I think that you need that sort of homely cushion when you get out of bed.

The slipperiness will be taken care of with the non-slip protective wax that I would use for most any non-wood floor.

Yes, the roof will be raised (Almost done with the rivets, finally)

Weight is a consideration I had not properly considered. I was assuming a stretch at about 1k of weight, but some quick googling says that 100sf will weigh closer to 2k lbs. so thay may be the deal breaker for me. Thank you for your input.

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Personally I wouldn't bother with a heavy floor in a bus. In a house, sure, maybe, since weight probably won't be a consideration. I'd consider something lighter for a bus.

[Native]

As a point of reference, 2000 pounds is about 13 (150 pound) people. A school bus suspension is designed to carry weight of many more people than that. Of course, if you intend on adding a lot of heavy walls and appliances, then you may make your build too heavy. It is all about managing your build-out weight. If you really want quartz floors, then adjust the rest of your build accordingly.

[UnicornWizard]

I also have a hydronic radiant heat floor planned for my bus and I struggled with the same question. I looked at tile, granite, gypcrete, and all sorts of ideas to create thermal mass. The biggest factor for me was the weight! I have a spreadsheet to track my build which includes the weight of every component and material going into the bus and I just didn't have 2,000lbs to spare once everything was factored in.

I've decided to use a manufactured hardwood or vinyl plank flooring (as much as my inner wood worker hates the idea). They both can be used in hydronic applications and are both light weight options.

[AndiW]

If you want something beautiful and natural, why don't you try genuine linoleum (which is not vinyl) - https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/...ring-Marmoleum - or cork.


I think I just convinced myself to put linoleum in mine. The patterns at that link are really pretty.

[Patof]

My biggest concern with your quartz flooring choice would be comfort: quartz would be cold for bare feet in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Truffles

Hi All!

It is time for us to start considering flooring options for out bus.

I see a lot of people going with laminate floors like Lifeproof, and others going with real wood floors.

It seems like each of those have their own problems. But we still think that they are viable options.

However, we really want something that is going to stand out. Since it is such A small space, and we will probably need to do less than 100 ft.² of flooring, we were considering splurging a bit on the floors. The one interesting idea we’ve come up with is to try to match the countertops with Quartz countertop material on the floors as well. If we use some sturdy 1 inch plywood base layer, would there be any obvious drawbacks to using quartz composite for flooring as well?

I have talked to a few other Skoolie builders who say they have used tile floors without any significant cracking. But I wonder how much a large, thick, piece of composite quartz material would be likely to crack.

Do any of you have enough experience using quartz composite countertop material to give your opinion?

[BarnYardCamp]

Something else you should consider. If you were involved in a collision, how might the floor react? Would pieces break off and become projectiles? If you were to overturn, even partially, such a heavy mass could be deadly.
I think a lot of people are overlooking this particular "what if" during their builds...and for most of them, it will never be a problem. But accidents do happen. Never compromise on safety.

[Doktari]

If budget is tight, and weight a concern, a cement board floor conducts heat fairly well. Is nice and warm to walk on when the floor heat is on. And can be painted to look ok. I didn’t get to painting mine in time and it looks like crap.
Ive also done a painted sheet metal floor over floor heat. The nice thing about the sheet metal was it was low mass so it heated up quickly in a few minutes. Was a great low budget kitchen floor for walking barefoot or in socks.
Both these options do not raise the floor very much especially the painted sheet metal. And if there is a artist in the family they can do a custom paint job.