Concrete floors are known to be durable and have a long service life. However, in intensively operated rooms, such a coating may become cracked and crumble. To prevent this from happening, concrete floors are often additionally covered with putty. Such tools make the upper layers of the material more durable, and also increase the resistance of concrete to the effects of various kinds of chemicals.
Putties can also be used, of course, to correct all kinds of floor defects. Before installing the tile or, for example, linoleum with the use of this type of equipment, basic leveling of the concrete surface is carried out.
Designated Varieties
To achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to choose the putty for the cement floor, of course, correctly. There are several types of such means intended for concrete. By purpose, putties of this type are classified into:
basic;
finishing;
universal.
The first variety of materials is used to create the main leveling layer on concrete floors. Finishing putties are applied over the base and make the surface as smooth as possible. Universal agents of this type can be used to apply both of these types of layers.
Types of Composition
Depending on the materials used for the manufacture, there are two main types of putties for concrete floors:
The latter type of product is most often used to level the floor in extremely dry, not too often used rooms. In most cases, concrete surfaces are still putty using cementitious compounds. It is these products that give surfaces extra strength.
Sometimes apartment owners can use polymer putties for concrete floors. Such funds can be used both in wet and dry rooms. But the putties of this variety are quite expensive. Therefore, they are usually used only to adjust the floor in rooms of a small area.
Polymer putties are often used for bulk floors. In this case, the best adhesion between the surface and the adjustment layer is provided. After all, bulk floors are usually equipped with the use of polymer compositions.
Manufacturers Overview
Many companies today release such funds. Moreover, for the most part putties for concrete floors sold on the domestic market are of good quality. Very popular with masters in Russia, for example, are the products of the following brands:
Ceresit. This company produces putties designed for finishing concrete floors both in dry and in wet rooms. Means of this brand are made in most cases based on cement.
"Cheatrock." Putties from this manufacturer are sold ready-made. That is, masters when using them can save time on a batch.
Reviews for putty Ceresit
Ceresit products are primarily praised by consumers for the ease of application and the high strength of the layer being created. Ready-made compositions of this type easily stretch, and therefore, laying them on the floors, according to consumers, is very simple. You need to mix such putties manually. But the plasterers-painters do not find this procedure too tedious. Many consumers consider the cons of Ceresit products to be only a rather long period of setting and drying.
Opinion of consumers about the means of "Shitrok"
Reviews about the putty of this manufacturer on the Web also exist mostly only good. The advantages of this brand of products are consumers primarily elasticity and ease of use. Also, these putties are praised for the fact that they are made mainly of environmentally friendly materials. The disadvantages of this brand are consumers include a rather high degree of shrinkage and high cost.
Finishing technology
Putty for a concrete floor under linoleum or tile is selected depending on in which room - wet or dry - it is supposed to work. Actually, the very technology of applying such funds on the surface looks like this:
floors are thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust and dried;
coat the surface with a primer;
with a special spatula, apply the agent on concrete with a thin layer in small sections with careful leveling;
wait for the putty to dry and apply another top coat;
after drying, the tools perform grinding work.
If you need to adjust the floor, the putty procedure is performed in a slightly different way. The cracks in the concrete are first expanded to 1.5-2 cm. Next, crumbs and dirt are carefully swept out of them. Then the cracks are moistened with water, filled with putty and the floors are smoothed with a paint grater, a bar or simply sandpaper.
Puttying of the concrete floor is approximately the same if there are potholes in it. Of the latter, in this case, all crumbled concrete is first pulled out. Next, the pothole is cleaned and moistened with water. Then, such a defect is filled with a putty mixture and everything is leveled. The use of such funds is allowed only for closing small potholes. If the defect has a significant area, it is better to fill it with cement mortar.
At the final stage, the repaired concrete floor is completely covered with a layer of putty. In this case, the method described above is used.
Primer
One of the disadvantages of putties of any kind and brand is that they do not adhere well to concrete. Therefore, such floors should be primed before leveling.
As a primer for putties on concrete surfaces, for example, PVA glue diluted with water can be used. Such a tool is just perfect for dry rooms. In wet rooms, putty floors can be pre-coated with acrylic varnish. Both of these substances have the following advantages:
When using primers based on PVA or acrylic varnish, the putty concrete floor will subsequently last much longer.
Masters Tips
As you can see, the procedure for adjusting or leveling the floor with putty is not particularly difficult. But nevertheless, some rules should be followed when doing such work. Experienced craftsmen advise:
carry out puttying only at sufficiently high temperatures, otherwise the leveling layer subsequently quickly cracks;
using putty to seal potholes with a depth of not more than 1 cm;
close deep cracks and potholes only with base putty, and eliminate minor defects with the use of finely dispersed ones.
After drying the putty layer, experts advise to sand the concrete surface without fail. To breed a dry composition for leveling the floor, the masters recommend a more fluid consistency than for walls. This will allow you to apply the product on the surface in a much more even layer and facilitate the work of the master.
Is it possible to make putty for a concrete floor with your own hands
Buy in the store a composition suitable for leveling and adjusting cement surfaces in our time is not difficult. But if you want to save money, a home master can make such a putty for a concrete floor and independently.
For example, quite reliable and easy to use, it turns out the funds mixed from the following components:
Sand and cement when preparing such a putty for a concrete floor must be thoroughly mixed. Then add PVA to the composition and use the construction mixer again. When preparing such putty, water is added to the mixture in small portions. In the end, you should get a solution of the consistency of village sour cream.
To the advantages of putty made according to this recipe, home craftsmen attribute primarily cheapness. Also, compositions of this type, judging by the reviews, are distinguished by a high degree of adherence.
Work with home-made putty, according to the masters, is not as convenient as with a purchased one. But still, nothing particularly complicated is the procedure for applying such a tool to concrete floors. The main thing when preparing a putty composition with your own hands is to observe the proportions of the components used and try to make the mixture as homogeneous as possible.