Concrete floors with hardened upper layer: description, stowage technology and reviews

Concrete floors with a hardened upper layer today are quite common, they can be equipped with a simple technology, which consists in introducing a special mixture on a fresh surface. These compounds are made on the basis of hydraulic binders, to which mineral fillers are added. The area of use of this mixture is ceramic and industrial buildings, service stations, garages and parking lots, production workshops, and warehouses.

Description

The largest share of the market for industrial coatings is occupied by concrete floors, which after hardening are strengthened by the topping method. The basis is the concrete screed, and there is absolutely nothing new in this technology. In the middle of the last century, this technique was called the ironing of concrete. If you want to understand what this method of hardening is, it will be enough to recall the concrete window sill in the apartments, which today are called Khrushchevs.

Concrete floors with a hardened top layer are created using a technology that involves the use of a dry building mix based on high-quality cement, special additives called premixes are added to it. The works are carried out using the grouting method, which allows to get a solid iron surface on the construction site, and not in the plant conditions.

Stacking technology

The above mixture for hardening should be applied to the concrete fresh floor within six hours after the surface leveling works are completed. To arrange such coatings, as noted in the reviews, a concrete mix is used that has an M-350 grade or more, with the air entrained being 3%.

For reference

The concrete mixture should have among the ingredients calcium chloride, salt and salt water. If the work is carried out at a temperature above 20 ° C, and the air humidity is relatively low, in addition, there are drafts, then wind and sun protection of the surface should be built. As the optimum temperature for the work, as reported in the reviews, the indicators are from 10 to 20 ° C, only under such conditions the 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 it is necessary to build a concrete screed, during which a solution laid down at the 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. This stage should be given special attention, since the delamination of the surface is not allowed. The alignment of the base must be done transversely and longitudinally, using control strips and half-hooks.

Surface Grouting

When concrete floors with a reinforced top layer are created, the next step is the grouting of the floor. Before this, you should get rid of excess liquid from the surface. Smoothing should be carried out using a trowel, when the concrete will be able to emit the weight of a person, while it should not be pinched. As noted in the reviews, those sections on the floor that are adjacent to pits, all kinds of construction and doorways, as well as walls, should be treated in the first place, because it is in these places that the solution will harden faster.

Consumption and features of topping application

When a concrete floor with a reinforced top layer is installed , it is important to determine the flow rate of the composition, which depends on the expected load on the surface. If the base is subject to medium load, then it will be necessary to spend about 4 kg / m ² , but if the loads during operation are more impressive, the flow rate can vary from 5 to 8 kg / m ² .

It is important to remember when to make topping for the first time. Do this after you finish the first grout floor, and across the square at once.

Initially, apply half the mixture, and after 2/3, while trying to achieve uniformity of the layer. At the same stage, the structural seams are reinforced, and when applied mechanically, the entire volume must be applied immediately to achieve the maximum uniform thickness.

Conducting grouting

Today, concrete floors with a hardened top layer are quite common, topping helps to make the surface as durable and durable as possible, and even suitable for production shops. The first grouting after applying topping is rough, but it is necessary to start it with the help of a hand tool, which is sometimes replaced by a trowel. In the latter case, work should be started as soon as the mixture absorbs moisture from the concrete. The next step is to make the second layer of topping, it must be done after the first grout is finished, applying the rest of the mixture.

The second coarse grout is produced using a similar technology, which was described above. The surface can be further sealed with subsequent grouts, if the consistency and time allows.

Finishing

Concrete industrial floors with a hardened top layer must be subjected to final finishing. After the surface becomes firmer and will not shine, you can smooth it with blades that can be flatter. However, they should not bury themselves in the surface. In the future, the master performs several similar treatments, you can do it with a concrete machine, gradually blades are raised. As a result, it is possible to obtain a smooth and dense surface.

Some nuances of work

Concrete floors with a reinforced top layer, the technology of which was described above, should be protected in the already treated area. To do this, you can apply a special composition, for example, "Curling". Sometimes the surface is simply covered with a plastic film. Within 28 days, the temperature of the outside air and the environment should not fall below +5 ° C, while the highest mark is 30 ° C, the relative humidity of the air should not differ too much from 60%. It is important to exclude drafts and wind, as well as high loss of moisture from the stove. Do not subject the surface to project loads before 28 days.

Cost

Concrete floors with a hardened top layer, the price of which ranges from 500 to 1000 rubles. Per square meter, can be arranged by you and yourself. The final cost will depend on the novelty or worn coating, as well as on the presence or absence of irregularities.