Stone carpet (polymer-quartz coating) is a type of liquid (bulk) floor, consisting of a mixture of quartz sand, marble chips, etc., and polyurethane or epoxy resins.
Advantages of floors decorated with this material:
- lack of seams (hence the conventional name "carpet");
- perfectly smooth surface that prevents slipping;
- resistance to heavy loads and temperature extremes;
- durability;
- unusual appearance that mimics the texture of natural stone;
- simplicity in leaving.
Due to the anti-slip properties, a stone carpet will be a good solution for decorating a ramp or exit, floor in the bathroom, kitchen, paths around the pool. It can be used in landscape design, for the design of walls, countertops, bar counters, etc.
Operating procedure
- The choice of carpet design, the selection of the mineral mixture for its embodiment.
- Calculation of the required amount of materials.
- Preparation of the basics.
- Pouring the mixture.
- Finishing
Design choice
In the composition for the mineral component of the carpet, it is recommended to combine sand from particles 4-6 mm in size, fine sand, quartz chips. A combination of at least 2-3 shades of sand or crumbs is desirable. In the design of luxury flooring, it is possible to use natural and semiprecious stones, decorative inclusions (shells, mirror chips, etc.). The color of the sand can be any - it is selected according to the RAL table. Proven combinations:
- red, orange, yellow;
- purple, blue, blue.
Fans of original solutions in the interior may like a luminous filler for a polymer-quartz coating, which consists of fluorescent sand. Sand grains have a diverse shape, which helps to create a unique floor design. Additionally, it can be decorated with various drawings or logos. For those who themselves do not have artistic abilities, a simple way to create an unusual stone carpet is a photo from the Web.
Calculation of the required amount of materials
The mixture from which the stone carpet is obtained is most often sold in plastic buckets of 20 kg each. The kit includes:
- mineral filler (sand, marble or granite chips, etc.) - 19 kg;
- resin- based polymer binder - 1 kg.
One bucket is enough to cover 1 sq. Km. m of area, if the floor is poured with a thickness of not more than 1 cm. To correctly calculate the area of the future carpet, it is recommended to make a sketch-drawing with all the ledges, niches, podiums, steps, etc. The surface to be covered is divided into geometrically correct figures, the area of each of them is calculated them, add the results and add a few square meters. m for stock.
In addition to this mixture, you will need a primer to prepare the base and a finish varnish. The consumption of soil (finished diluted composition) is approximately 300 g per square meter. m. Finishing varnish, depending on the required surface roughness of the carpet and the size of the sand particles, 300-1000 g per 1 square. m
Stone Carpet Base
The basis for a polymer-quartz coating can be a concrete floor, old tiles, sand-cement screed, etc. The only mandatory requirement is durability. You can check it in a simple way. The sharp end of the hammer weighing 0.3-0.4 kg you need to tap the screed in different places 25-30 times. If the surface is strong enough, then there will be no traces of more than 3 mm in depth on the screed, let alone cracks and chips. The sound from the hammer should be clear. If these conditions are not met, then the surface needs to be hardened.
To prevent the risk of delamination of the finished stone coating, it is necessary to conduct a humidity test in advance. To do this, a piece of film must be glued to the floor with adhesive tape for a day. If everything is in order, after removing the film, there will be no wet spots under it.
In order to make a high-quality stone carpet, you first need to carefully clean the surface that it will cover from debris and dirt. If the mixture is applied to concrete, then its pores are first cleaned. The grinding machine carefully removes the upper loose layer. Then all cracks, chips, and other defects are closed. It is recommended to complete the cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, collecting with it all the small construction debris.
Further floor preparation consists in applying the primer. It can be purchased with bulk coating material or prepared independently. Soil "home-made" is a mixture of PVA glue with water in a ratio of 1: 2 (two liters of water per liter of glue). You can add a little chalk to the mixture. If necessary or if desired, soil with antifungal components can be used for surface treatment.
The soil must be thoroughly mixed and used within an hour. After diluting the primer, it is applied to the floor with a roller, brush or brush in two or three layers, allowing each to dry. It is recommended to distribute the soil using the "crosswise" technology, that is, shading it in perpendicular directions. The composition dries in about 10-12 hours. All pores on concrete must be closed after priming. Having convinced of it, it is possible to begin to put a stone carpet. Laying technology is simple, but it is still advisable to entrust this work to experienced professionals.
How to lay a polymer-quartz coating on your own?
With a lack of financial means for repairs, you can lay a stone carpet with your own hands. A layer of a binder (enamel, varnish) is evenly applied to the surface previously cleaned of dust. A layer of mineral filler is immediately poured, so that the sand remains dry on top. After 12 hours, the main layer of the carpet will dry out. After that, excess sand is swept away from its surface (it can be reused if garbage does not get into the mixture). With a metal scraper, the entire coating is leveled, protrusions, "bumps", etc. are removed. Then the surface is cleaned of dust by a vacuum cleaner.
Finish finish
After dust removal it is necessary to fix a stone carpet. Manufacturing technology involves finishing with a binder component (special varnish based on epoxy or polyurethane resins, enamel). The thickness of the layer depends on what surface roughness you want to achieve. 6-8 hours after applying the last coat of varnish or enamel, the stone carpet is ready for use.