# Filling sunken living room w/ concrete Q's



## phil. (Aug 27, 2007)

I posted previously about wanting to build up my living room floor, well I've changed my mind and now I'm planning to have it filled w/ concrete instead of building up a subfloor. My main question is what prep work needs to be done before pouring:

Basics: 
Room Dimensions: 20' x 18'
Sunken dimension: 5.5"
Concrete amount: a little over 6 yards (~6.1)
Subfloor: this is all on the first floor of a house built on a slab

Drywall issues: none, drywall on sunken portion only extends down as low as higher portion, carpet is used to go the 5.5" up on the sunken portion. 
Below drywall is either the 2x6" used to form the concrete or concrete blocks on the two exterior walls which the framed out walls sit on top of.

How to get concrete in: It's going to either have to be pumped or wheel barrowed in (6 yards).

I'll rip the carpet, carpet pad, and tack strip out myself, and then have someone raise the two exisiting floor HVAC registers. THe only thing mentioned so far is that the concrete guys would lay down a vapor barrior and plastic up part ways on the walls in case of any splatter and lay a gridwork of wire to help hold it all together. Does anything more need to be done for a quality job?

I've gotten quotes from $2k to $3.5k for this so far (just the concrete work, I'll get someone else to do the raising the HVAC registers), and am suprised by the price gap range. The higher end would rent a pump, the low end would wheel it in by overloading the job w/ guys to get the concrete in. I'm located in western arkansas, fairly blue collar town of ~80k people, do the quoted prices seem about right, low, high? Anything I need to specifically make sure the contractors do or ask them beforehand?

Any other advice?
Thanks again guys/gals, I've learned lots from this site already.

Phil


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## Cole (Mar 12, 2005)

What town in Western Arkansas? I love that area!

Did they offer you any references to call?

Pumping it in will add to the cost, it shouldn't add $1500 to the cost, but it will add some.

Coming from a contractor, the price seems really average for the work.


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## softsoc (Jul 10, 2009)

Phil we must have the same room. What did you end up doing? How did it come out. I'm trying to decide on filling in with concrete or build a floor up. Please help me decide. Thank you


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## johnnyboy (Oct 8, 2007)

Why don't you want to just build it up with wood and save $1500? I imagine it would be more insulated that way and stay warmer than cold concrete?


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## II Weeks (Jan 6, 2009)

> Why don't you want to just build it up with wood and save $1500? I imagine it would be more insulated that way and stay warmer than cold concrete?


what he said


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

I third the motion. Frame it in. Would be fast, cheap and pretty painless. Rip some 2x6s to 4 3/4", lay em down 16" oc and across the ends, add some blocking and cover with 3/4" subfloor. Probably less than $400.

Actually I'd probably leave it sunken but if I was to fill it in it wouldn't be concrete.


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