Smoothing machine for concrete with own hands: description, characteristics and device

Concreting the base is a rather laborious process. The quality of the final result is measured not only by the strength of the coating, but also by the flatness of the surface. To ensure this, different tools are used. At the initial stage the mixture is leveled by the rule. But after it can remain crests. Therefore, in the final stage of leveling, an iron smoothing agent is used. This is an uncomplicated but extremely necessary tool in the work of a builder. It is quite possible to do it yourself. Before you start, you need to understand this question.

General characteristic of the process

The process of pouring concrete bases is not the same for different rooms. If you want to create a floor in a large production hall, the hand tool will be almost useless. In this case, use equipment with various nozzles (rollers, disks, "skis", etc.).

In a small room it is easier to level the level with other tools. First, wooden beacons are placed on the surface of the basement. They will serve as guides for the rule. Between the lighthouses laid concrete. It is the rule, distributing the mixture evenly on the level of the guides. This is the initial stage of filling.

Further more precise smoothing is carried out. Here you need a smoothing iron for concrete. This is a special hand-held device, which can be used both in the process of removing the mixture by rule, and after equipping the entire base.

Varieties

The presented tool can be manual or have an electric or gasoline drive. For a small room, the first variety is ideal. Aligning large areas, it is better to use mechanized devices. Most often used aluminum or magnesium iron for concrete. Its length is more than 1 meter. For convenience of work the profile is fastened to the long handle. Because of this, the tool is somewhat like a mop.

There is a division into channel and scraper trowels. The first version is designed to evenify the plastic, not frozen concrete. At the same time, "cement milk" is formed on the surface. It is a mixture of cement, water and sand in a small amount. The scraper type of ironing is applicable for already solidifying mortar. Such tools help remove "cement milk" from concrete.

Smoothers are also different in size. For a small room is suitable small equipment with a width of 13 cm and a length of 28-68 cm. The step of increasing the size is 10 cm. The corners of the working plane should be rounded so as not to scratch.

Device and features

Manual trowel for concrete has a number of features in use. It is driven along the solidifying mixture forward and backward, and also from side to side. To maintain the original concrete layer, it is necessary to move the tool in perpendicular directions. Otherwise there will be depressions and mounds. The trowel must not be immersed in concrete. It just slides over the surface.

During the movement, the angle of inclination of its profile surface changes. If you push the treader away from you, the far edge will rise and vice versa. The reducer is responsible for this motion. The plasticity of the mixture also affects the angle of ascent. It can reach almost 60 degrees. The tool handle can be from 3 to 12 m long. The working planes must have stabilizers of deflection. The width of capture is from 1 to 5 meters. The reducer has the form of a cable. It connects the blade and the handle.

Instrument with your own hands

In conditions of private construction or repair, a self-made tool is entirely applicable. The trowel for concrete by oneself is quite simple. If you do not intend to use it more than 1-2 times, do not spend money on the purchase of new equipment.

If there is some spare time, and there is also the ability to handle wood, create a trowel with your own hands and straighten it with concrete is not difficult. To do this, you need to prepare wooden slats, boards, hand tools and fasteners. Usually all the necessary means for such work is in the arsenal of the home master. If they are not there, the tool and material can always be obtained. For convenience of work it is better to give preference to soft wood species. Most often such a tool is made from such materials.

Technique of manufacturing the working surface

Asking the question of how to make a trowel for concrete with your own hands, you should consider the advice of experienced builders. When preparing the beams from softwood, it is necessary to pay attention to their processing.

The side of the trowel that will be in contact with the concrete should be perfectly smooth. It is ground beforehand. Then the working surface is treated with a special moisture-repellent solution. This will retain the tool until the end of the concrete base treatment. Smoothness of sliding will be as light as possible. Standard dimensions of the beam for the working surface are selected depending on the area of the room. The width of this product should be about 30 cm, and the length can be from 1 to 2 m.

Handle making

Handle is an integral part of such a product as a smoothing iron for concrete. The telescopic handle is used in purchase tools. But for homemade varieties it is necessary to do just a long rake. For infrequent or one-time use this will be quite enough. The handle should be selected according to the length of the room. Usually this element of the trowel is from 3 to 5 m. This option is suitable even for work on smoothing the solution along the upper section of the lighthouses or between the brickwork.

Using a triangular spacer made of wooden slats, the handle is rigidly attached to the working area. If the grip of the working surface is large, it is difficult to drive the tool with a single handle. Therefore, for the convenience of work, it is better to do two holders in such cases at once.

Scraper trowel

Homemade ironing for concrete often involves aligning the concrete that has not yet solidified. On sale there are special nozzles, which make a ductile scraper tool. Although most of the time they are just included in the purchase of the ironing equipment.

Scraper work surfaces, most likely, will not be produced independently. But if necessary, you can buy them. This tool will remove excess from the concrete surface. The blade is made of strong aluminum alloys. This will eliminate the tubercles and irregularities, fill the grooves on the surface of the base. This tool helps to completely level the surface.

Expert Reviews

To create a finishing coat, the wizard recommends using a scraper. Smoothing for concrete, made by hand, in this case is not used. Purchased versions of the tool are still preferable in this case.

Since such products are made of extrusion alloy, they are very light and manoeuvrable, unlike self-made ones. Simultaneously, these tools are characterized by high strength. The entire construction contributes to a smooth change in the angle of the surface slope during operation.

According to experts, the purchase of ironers has only one drawback - they are quite expensive. In addition, such an ironer is better to buy from a good, proven manufacturers. Cheap products do not justify the means invested in them. Therefore, for infrequent use it is better to do homemade construction. Especially if it is planned to use no more than two or three times.

How to use a trowel

Correctly made trowel for concrete allows to level quite large areas. Due to the wide working surface, large areas are quickly processed. Even self-made smoothing can smoothly level the mounds and hollows.

Homemade versions of the tool should be used only for rooms with a length of no more than 6 m. Otherwise, you will have to use purchased varieties. They have a telescopic handle, which can reach 12 m.

After the first leveling, "cement milk" can appear on the surface of the concrete. It should be removed with a scraper with a special blade. If in the process of surface treatment it is planned to process it with various grinding machines, this step is mandatory. Large humpbacks and hollows must be removed before cement ceases.

Having considered such a tool as a smoothing iron for concrete, it is possible to apply it correctly when building or repairing. In certain conditions it is more expedient to use homemade varieties. They can be easily done by themselves. But for larger premises it is better to use a purchase tool. It usually provides a telescopic handle. Also, such a trowel has a set of special blades. But for infrequent use it is recommended to make an ironer on your own, which will allow smoothing the surface almost perfectly.