Are you changing the fireplace to an electrical or gas insert? If this stays wood burning you must add tile/stone for the hearth.

Is the concrete painted?

It’s already a gas fireplace and staying gas. It will have a new sleek flat enclosure . The concrete is the original painted floor that had carpet on it. Now it's bare.

The picture with the brass fireplace and green carpet is pre renovations the place has been gutted and it’s down to the bare wall and concrete floor.

Thank you SJ McCarthy, my house is old 1956 so I appreciate this information.

^^^ And that's why Man created 'floating floors'.

Just remember, a floating floor (laminate, vinyl, cork, whatever) is easier to deal with. The concrete needs to be 'flattened' but it doesn't require all the heavy work that porcelain would require.

It won't be cheap, but it will be cheapER. Remember: vinyl and laminate come in 'stone look' and 'tile look' as well as 'wood look'.

I love cork but I'm 1% of 1%....so I don't normally throw that out there...but cork is also an option.

We want to put a heat membrane down first then tile, it could be the vinyl.. I just need to have something that will go with the brick . Cork is nice, but this is damp environment since it's the ground floor foundation not sure if that will be an issue.

Slate or slate look porcelain. I know you said you don't want dark, but a dark floor works well with the brick, is timeless, and a neutral backdrop for rugs. Also compatible with heated floors which I don't think vinyl is... If the space is dark this is the time to add 4" cans with LED bulbs on dimmers.

I like that idea, I never would have thought of using slate.

OK...I get it. A cork FLOATING floor (with a vapour barrier underneath = $0.13/sf) is just fine. A basement that is cool and damp (air damp) is not a problem for cork. You would NOT need the heated floors if you have cork. Cork will increase the temps in your basement by 5 - 10 Celsius (9 - 18 F).

Be aware...if you want heating coils on that floor, you will need to put a HEAT BREAK down between the concrete and the moisture membrane...or you will be heating the slab and the ground underneath. It will quadruple the cost to heat the floor.

A heat break, such as 6mm cork, can be used....but it has to be ADDED to the PROPERLY PREPARED concrete. It appears you saw my post above...about the shot blasting + moisture barrier sprayed on + primer + new concrete. The cork/heat break/insulation has to be put INTO the concrete.

To properly add in a moisture barrier (as I described) you will pay $5 - $7/sf. To glue down cork and then POUR the concrete on top of that = $2/sf ADDED to the $5-$7/sf = $7 - $9/sf.

At that point you add in the $10/sf heating coils. At this point, you will pay (worst case scenario) $19/sf just to start your flooring project. You still have to pay for the FLOORING and the LABOUR.

Now you add $15 - $18/sf to add the stone or the porcelain tiles (labour + materials). At that point, you will have spent $32 - $37/sf....

And you have to INCORPORATE the ADDED FLOOR HEIGHT to the brick fireplace (floor of fire place will sit 1" - 2" LOWER than the flooring+cork+heat. And the stairs must be rebuilt because they no longer meet code.

Wow!

I have no problem looking at $5/sf cork click together floors + $0.79/sf cork underlay + $3/sf installation costs. The $9/sf TOTAL cost for cork flooring looks like a STEAL of a DEAL! (remember: cork = heat retention = NO NEED for heating coils).

Just be aware of what it is you are hoping for. The costs to get it done could be ASTRONOMICAL. If money is no object your ideas will make plenty of sense.

I had no idea ripping up carpet on a concrete floor to put something else down was going to be so complicated. Thank you for all this information. I will take in all into consideration once we decide our options.