The transparent floor, which is equipped with modern bulk technology, is a decorative coating. Its purpose is to protect the polymer base layer in such a structure as a three-dimensional surface.
Such complex coatings are today considered to be elite, because they are used on expensive construction projects, this includes large sales offices, art galleries, residential complexes, museums and hotels. You can also consider this option of finishing the floor for your apartment or house.
Description
Bulk transparent floor is one of the important components of a multicomponent coating, which plays a protective role. For the reason that the material will protect below the going decor, rather high requirements are imposed on the quality of the initial surface. The bulk coating is laid on a concrete base, which should be ideal. This is achieved by grinding and filling.
It is possible to exclude the grinding stage, however, in this case, a new screed must be equipped. This technology is justified if the coating is quite difficult to repair. A smooth surface is covered with a primer, a drawing and other elements are applied to it, such as logos, geometric shapes, banner films, as well as printed images. Sand and small objects can be used. Ultimately, the transparent floor becomes part of a three-dimensional surface.
additional information
Preparation involves not only repair and leveling, but also forced ventilation, because polymers are toxic until solidified. For safety reasons, a person should use personal protective equipment. If the room is unheated, then before starting work it is necessary to raise the temperature above +10 ° C. Transparent floors are composed of a two-component polymer mixture and various decorative elements. If we are talking about a two-component polymer mixture, then the polymer and hardener, mixed before installation, should be included here.
Features of the preparatory work
The preparatory phase involves the waterproofing, which increases the operational period of the coating. Before starting pouring, make sure that the concrete surface is free from oil stains and debris, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve good adhesion. It is important to apply two more primers.
You can start filling with polymers only after all the previous layers have dried, it will take about 4 hours. Before pouring, it is important to prepare the polymer mixture, it must be done in separate portions, using a power tool for mixing. This will allow you to form a base layer, which dries up within a few days, if you plan to use pebbles or shells. If you want to apply a drawing, then the mixture should be allowed to dry completely, it will take about a week.
Once the decor can be placed, it is possible to fill with a transparent polymer, the amount of which will depend on the desired thickness of the layer. Usually a transparent epoxy poured floor is poured with a layer of 3 mm, so about 4 kg of the finished mixture will be needed for a plot of 1 m 2 . As a result, it is possible to apply a protective varnish, which will improve the quality of the polymer surface.
Description of a transparent floor of the Elakor-ED brand
If you want to fill a transparent floor, the material must be selected correctly. They may be "Elacor-ED", which is a fully transparent two-component epoxy light-resistant composition. You can use it in tandem with bulk three-dimensional floors, where drawings, photographs and logos will be used. The so-called stone carpet, which is created from colored pebbles and colored sand, can act as a coating.
Epoxy floors can be poured onto sealed decorative elements like leaves, coins, shells and stones. Sometimes this composition is used even for decorating walls, while separate sections and inserts are formed. When pouring, the floor turns glossy, and to change the shine, Lux should also be applied. In the end, it will be possible to get a shine that will vary from glossy to deep matte.
As ingredients, a base and hardener are used, which should be mixed in a ratio of 2 to 1. The mixture spreads well and evens out, forming a smooth coating. This transparent bulk floor is characterized by chemical resistance, the peculiarity is the absence of smell when applied. Filling can be carried out on:
- metal surfaces;
- wooden floors;
- concrete bases;
- sand concrete floors, brand strength of which is not less than M-200.
Cooking features
Before pouring, the mixture must be prepared, component A must not be premixed. As soon as you start mixing component A, component B immediately flows in, it takes about 3 minutes to mix. The mixer must be installed at a speed ranging from 300 to 500 rpm.
The prepared composition is kept for 2 minutes until air bubbles come out. The composition should be poured onto the surface and well distributed. You need to cook such an amount of the mixture that you can develop in half an hour. Such transparent epoxy floors should not be scraped off the walls and bottom of the packaging. This requirement is due to the fact that mixing in these zones may be incomplete, which will certainly cause the formation of surface defects.
Application Recommendations
Before proceeding with the application, it is necessary to make sure that the surface is clean, dry and free from grease and oil contamination. In order to eliminate such pollution, styling of photographs, as well as 3D-films, must be carried out with gloves and removable shoes.
The temperature of the air, the surface of the material should correspond to a limit of +5 to +20 ° C. In this case, the relative humidity should not exceed 80%. It is important to make sure that the surface temperature has not dropped below +3 ° C, that is, is above the dew point. When transparent floors are arranged, photos of which you can see in the article, it is necessary to ensure the absence of drafts, and the temperature should not change by more than 3 ° C, such conditions must be adhered to not only during the process, but also after application. It is necessary to turn off the air conditioning, ventilation, and floor heating.
Technology for applying polymer floors
A transparent polymer floor should be applied using a squeegee with scalloped canvases or a mustache. You can also use a notched trowel. The layer is rolled with a needle roller to level and remove air bubbles. Such work can be done for half an hour after laying the layer. If you want to get a completely transparent floor, then its thickness should not be more than 2 mm.
After application, the floor should be left unloaded for 3 days, while the temperature should vary from +10 to +20 ° C. After 3 days, the floor may be exposed to pedestrian load, while after a week - full.
Important to remember
During exposure, the transparent bulk floor should not be covered with plastic films or cardboard. Dirt, mortars, liquid paints and plasters must not get on the surface.
Characteristics of polymer transparent floors
On sale you can also find polyurethane floors, which are one-component and two-component. In the first case, it can be argued that such coatings have many advantages, among which:
- the lack of compliance with the dosage when mixing the components;
- the ability to apply at low temperatures;
- the lack of probability of human error when dosing and mixing the components.
Conclusion
One-component mixtures can be applied even at temperatures from -30 ° C, which is a huge advantage. This indicates the possibility of work all year round. The absence of the need for dosage during mixing simplifies and reduces the cost of the application process. If we are talking about two-component compositions, then their development should be carried out within 0.5-1 hours. If the master does not have time to develop the material, he will begin to thicken and become worthless.