What you should know about concrete ceilings

We explain the different types of concrete slabs and how you can find the right one for your home. We also break down the costs for each type of concrete floor.

Table of Contents Table of Contents Concrete Ceiling: Types and Construction Methods in Comparison

• What is a concrete floor?
• What types of concrete ceilings are there?
• In-situ concrete ceiling
• Filigree blanket
• Concrete hollow stone ceiling
• Pre-stressed concrete floor

Table of Contents Table of Contents Concrete Ceiling: Types and Construction Methods in Comparison

• What is a concrete floor?
• What types of concrete ceilings are there?
• In-situ concrete ceiling
• Filigree blanket
• Concrete hollow stone ceiling
• Pre-stressed concrete floor

As a builder, you face a lot of decisions. From the floor covering to the tiles to the windows, door handles and bathroom furnishings, everything has to be selected. This is clear from the outset - what most builders are actually not aware of beforehand, nor worry about or have any idea of ​​are the ceilings.

However, the question of which ceiling or which ceiling construction fits the house is a very important one. Because: The different ceilings not only bring different costs, but also a wide variety of properties and looks. In addition to wooden ceilings and steel structures, the concrete ceiling is particularly popular with building owners.

What is a concrete floor?

A concrete ceiling is a ceiling construction used in house construction. But the concrete ceiling is by no means the same as the concrete ceiling. Here too there are a wide variety of variants and types - such as those that are still being plastered and painted, and ceilings made of exposed concrete. Each in turn differs in price as well as in their function, appearance and structure. Made of concrete and steel, depending on the type of concrete ceiling, there are also insulation materials, cavities or channels. This ultimately results in the different properties of the concrete ceilings.

What types of concrete ceilings are there?

So that you know which ceiling construction is the right one for your house construction, which costs you have to expect and how the concrete ceilings are built, we have put together all the information about the four most important ceiling constructions. This makes the comparison very easy for you and the search for a suitable concrete ceiling comes to an end.

The different types of concrete ceilings bring different properties and different costs to house building.

Photo: iStock / Svetlana123

Types of concrete slabs: In-situ concrete slab

An in-situ concrete slab owes its name to its manufacture, because it is usually cast on site at the construction site. However, it then only consists of solid concrete. The ceiling has no thermal insulation and the process is relatively complex. The advantage, however, is that solid concrete has very good static properties and sound insulation is also good.

• This is how an in-situ concrete ceiling is built

  In order to be able to cast the ceiling on the construction site, a formwork must be made in advance that serves as a boundary or as a shape for the concrete. After the concrete has been poured into the formwork, it has to be compacted and hardened using a vibrating machine. The formwork can then be removed and the concrete ceiling installed.

• That's how much an in-situ concrete ceiling costs

  Since the process is very time-consuming, the costs are correspondingly high. For a 60m3 in-situ concrete ceiling, including the labor costs, you can count on 10, 000 euros.

Concrete ceilings types: filigree ceiling

The filigree ceiling is becoming increasingly popular with builders. It is also called element ceiling, lattice girder ceiling or imperial ceiling. It is delivered to the construction site as a precast reinforced concrete part, which is then completed on site with concrete. By the way: just like Rigips, for example, filigree blanket is just a brand name.

• This is how a filigree ceiling is built up

  The semi-finished parts of the filigree ceiling are made of a 4-6 cm thick reinforced concrete ceiling. On the underside of each element there is reinforcement made of lattice girders and steel mesh. The individual parts are provided with transverse reinforcement on the construction site and poured with in-situ concrete, i.e. solid concrete.

• That's how much a filigree blanket costs

  Since the filigree ceiling is only potted and not completely manufactured on the construction site, it is usually somewhat cheaper than the in-situ concrete ceiling.

The filigree or lattice girder ceiling consists of a reinforced concrete prefabricated ceiling and an in-situ concrete supplement.

Photo: iStock / MEbardt

Types of concrete slabs: Hollow stone slab

Hollow stone ceilings are also called concrete stone ceilings or hand assembly ceilings. This type of concrete ceiling consists of three elements: the concrete baseboards, the ceiling stones and the concrete. This is an in-situ concrete supplement. Depending on how the statics require, the hollow stone ceilings are offered in different thicknesses and designs.

The special thing about concrete hollow stone ceilings is that they are not only used in new buildings, but also play a role in house renovations. In addition, they are relatively light compared to other types of concrete ceilings and in some cases, for example for interior work, can even be installed without a crane.

Tip: Whether you install hollow stone concrete ceilings with or without concrete has an impact on sound insulation, but also on statics. It is best to discuss this decision with your structural engineer.

• This is how a concrete hollow stone ceiling is built

  In the case of the concrete hollow stone ceiling, pre-fabricated hollow stones are stored on metal supports. These are brought ready for installation from the factory to the construction site. After these girders are put on with the help of a crane, the ceiling is poured with concrete.

• This is how much a concrete hollow stone ceiling costs

  Compared to the other types of concrete slabs, the hollow concrete slab is relatively cheap. The price per square meter is around 39 euros including reinforcement. In addition, there may be the assembly costs.

Exposed concrete plays an increasingly important role in the modern loft on walls and ceilings.

Photo: iStock / ExperienceInteriors

Types of concrete slabs: pre-stressed concrete slab

The pre-stressed concrete prefabricated ceiling is a ceiling construction made of standardized molded parts with cavities that reduce its own weight and provide better thermal insulation if additional insulation material is installed in the cavities of the ceiling. Since the finished parts are only put together on the construction site, the construction is very time-saving. Thanks to the cavities, material consumption is also reduced.

• This is how a pre-stressed concrete prefabricated ceiling is built

  The prestressed concrete prefabricated ceiling consists of concrete and prestressing steel, which is inserted alternately between the concrete slabs. This creates a kind of sandwich made of prestressing steel and concrete. The individual finished elements of the prestressed concrete prefabricated ceiling are delivered to the construction site and installed there to form a complete ceiling. One speaks here of a so-called full assembly construction.

• This is how much a pre-stressed concrete prefabricated ceiling costs

  How much a pre-stressed concrete prefabricated ceiling costs depends primarily on its area. The thickness of the ceiling also plays a role, as does which insulation material. You can expect around 150 euros per square meter.

Maren Schwarz