Concrete floors with a hardened top layer are quite common today, they can be equipped with a simple technology, which consists in making a special mixture on a fresh surface. These compounds are made on the basis of hydraulic binders, to which mineral aggregates are added. The scope of use of this mixture is ceramic and industrial buildings, service stations, garages and parking lots, production shops, as well as warehouses.
Description
The largest market share of industrial coatings is occupied by concrete floors, which after laying are hardened by topping. The basis is concrete screed, and there is absolutely nothing new in this technology. Back in the middle of the last century, this technique was called concrete fermentation. If you want to understand what this method of hardening is, it will suffice to recall the concrete window sill in apartments, which today are called Khrushchev.
Concrete floors with a hardened top layer are created using technology that provides for the use of dry building mixes based on high-quality cement, special additives called premixes are added to it. The work is carried out by the method of grouting, which allows you to get a solid iron surface on the construction site, and not in a factory.
Styling technology
The hardening mixture described above should be applied to the fresh concrete floor six hours after completion of surface leveling. For the arrangement of such coatings, as noted in the reviews, a concrete mixture is used, which has a brand of M-350 or more, while the air involved will be in a volume of 3%.
For reference
The concrete mix should have calcium chloride, salt and salt water among the ingredients. If the work is carried out at a temperature above 20 ° C and the air humidity is relatively low, in addition, drafts are present, then wind and sun protection of the surface should be built. As the optimum temperature for the work, as reported in the reviews, indicators from 10 to 20 ° C appear, only under such conditions a chemical reaction will occur normally.
Concrete laying and leveling
If you want to create concrete floors with a hardened top layer, then at the first stage you need to build a concrete screed, in the process of which a mortar placed at zero mark is used. In this case, you need to use a manual or mechanical vibrator. With the help of this tool it will be possible to compact the concrete mix as much as possible. Particular attention should be paid to this step, since delamination of the surface is not allowed. Alignment of the base must be carried out transversely and longitudinally, using control rails and grades.
Surface grout
When creating concrete floors with a hardened top layer, the next step is to grout the floor. Before this, you should get rid of excess fluid from the surface. Smoothing should be carried out with a trowel, when the concrete will be able to withstand the weight of a person, while it should not be pushed. As noted in the reviews, those areas on the floor that are adjacent to the pits, all kinds of construction and doorways, as well as walls, should be treated in the first place, since in these places the solution will harden faster.
Consumption and features of the application of topping
When a concrete floor is installed with a hardened top layer, it is important to determine the composition consumption, which depends on the expected surface load. If the base is subject to medium load, then it will be necessary to spend about 4 kg / m 2 , if the loads during operation are more impressive, then the flow rate can vary from 5 to 8 kg / m 2 .
It is important to remember when topping is first made. This must be done after you finish the first floor grout, and over the entire area immediately.
Initially, half the mixture is applied, and after 2/3, it is necessary to try to achieve uniformity of the layer. At the same stage, structural joints are strengthened, and with mechanical application, the entire volume must be applied immediately to achieve the most uniform thickness.
Grouting
Concrete floors with a hardened top layer are quite common today, topping helps make the surface as durable and durable as possible, and even suitable for production workshops. The first grout after applying the topping is rough, but you need to start it with a hand tool, which is sometimes replaced by a trowel. In the latter case, work must begin as soon as the mixture absorbs moisture from the concrete. The next step will be the introduction of a second topping layer, this must be done after the first grout has been finished using the rest of the mixture.
The second coarse grout is produced using a similar technology, which was described above. The surface can be additionally compacted using subsequent grouts, if the consistency and time allow.
Final finish
Concrete industrial floors with a hardened topcoat must be finished. After the surface becomes harder and does not shine, you can smooth it with blades, which can be more flat. However, they should not bury themselves in the surface. In the future, the master carries out several similar treatments, this can be done using a concrete-finishing machine, gradually the blades at the same time rise. As a result, it is possible to obtain a smooth and dense surface.
Some nuances of work
Concrete floors with a hardened top layer, the technology of creation of which was described above, must be protected in the already treated area. To do this, you can apply a special composition, for example, "Curing". Sometimes the surface is simply covered with plastic wrap. Within 28 days, the temperature of the external air and the environment should not fall below +5 ° C, while the highest mark is 30 ° C, the relative humidity should not differ too much from 60%. It is important to eliminate drafts and wind, as well as high loss of moisture from the stove. The surface should not be exposed to design loads earlier than after 28 days.
Cost
Concrete floors with a hardened top layer, the price of which is from 500 to 1000 rubles. per square meter, can be equipped by you and yourself. The final cost will depend on the novelty or deterioration of the coating, as well as on the presence or absence of irregularities.