The interior of the room largely depends on how well the flooring is made. In most cases, when a person enters a room, he pays attention to the floor. If it has many defects, then no wallpaper and chandeliers can give the room a finished look. To achieve a perfectly flat surface, before laying the finish coat, it is necessary to competently perform work on grinding the floor screed.
Why floor sanding?
A high-strength, load-resistant floor is obtained by using a concrete mixture. While the mortar hardens, milk or a cement film may appear on its surface. Because of this, small defects and dust are formed, and adhesion is also reduced. If the grinding process is carried out correctly, then the flooring will be strong and practical. After such treatment, the concrete floor does not require special care. It has good water resistance and is therefore great for a device in apartments.
Benefits of a sanded base
- Well suited to any interior;
- Has high water resistance;
- Significant investments are not required;
- In environmental terms, it is completely safe;
- Able to withstand the influence of various chemical and fat-containing compounds;
- It is resistant to wear and permanent loads.
Necessary equipment
For grinding the concrete floor, special machines are used - "helicopters". Such units have adjustable speed and water supply, and can also collect sludge and dust. The quality of the process depends entirely on the weight of the grinding device: the heavier, the better. The cost of such a device is quite high, but if you wish, you can choose cheaper options.
The machines that perform the most important and difficult part of the work are the first to start working - they tighten the top layer of the coating. After that, a vacuum cleaner is used to collect the dust. As a result, at the end of the work, a surface similar to a mirror is obtained.
To grind a concrete floor without the use of special equipment, it is enough to have a grinder from foreign manufacturers. To do this, you will need 2 nozzles, an abrasive disc or a diamond bowl. For home repairs, the purchase of special equipment will be too expensive, and the grinder will be able to cope perfectly even with hard-to-reach places. When using this tool, the safety regulations must be observed. Bulgarian allows you to get a beautiful and completely flat floor surface.
Materials for constructing a concrete floor in an apartment
Any type of concrete can be sanded. The result of the procedure depends on the age of the coating, fillers and its brand. You should be aware that not all types of screeds are subject to grinding. The grinder can only be used if the thickness of the screed is 3 cm or more. On the surface to be ground, the presence of pits and tubercles with a difference of not more than 5 mm is allowed.
Concrete pavement is a rather responsible matter. The evenness of the floor depends on how correctly the work is done. And, consequently, its decorative design in the future.
A do-it-yourself solution for pouring a screed in an apartment is made from sand and cement of the M-400 brand. The proportion should be 1:3 (one part cement and three sand). It is not recommended to use river sand. The water consumption for a solution of normal consistency is 1 liter per 5 kg of a mixture of cement and sand. If you want the floor to be ready in a shorter time, plasticizing additives should be added to the solution.
Many stores sell ready-made dry mixes for concrete floors. The packaging always indicates the proportions and composition of the components.You do not need to measure the right amount of materials. It is enough to add water to the mixture and stir with a construction mixer.
If the process of installing a screed with your own hands is beyond your power, contact organizations that specialize in such work. They will be able not only to fill the floor with concrete, but also to polish it using grinders. So you can save your time and energy, and end up with a high quality flooring.
When can grinding be done?
If you are doing the screed yourself, you will be interested in the question: when can I start the grinding process? To understand this, you need to know how concrete hardens.
Concrete gains primary strength in the first 7 days after the start of hardening. He receives the main strength after 28 days. It is best to sand the surface after three weeks, after the floor has been poured with concrete.
What method to use when grinding?
Surface treatment by grinding in the apartment is carried out by the dry method. During the floor grinding process, a large amount of dust is generated. It can be easily removed using a powerful industrial vacuum cleaner. With this method of performing work, good visibility is provided, so minor grinding flaws can be corrected immediately.
After grinding the coating by the dry method, a flat and smooth surface is obtained, which has high rates of sound and heat insulation. The advantage of this method is that after its implementation, you can immediately start pouring the polymer coating, painting, impregnating, etc.
After all the procedures performed, your floor will be completely ready for laying linoleum, parquet, laminate and other coatings on it.
What happens if you don't grind?
If you decide to save money and not do concrete floor grinding, you should immediately familiarize yourself with the consequences that may occur in the future.
Without grinding, the concrete screed will lose its hardness and durability. Areas that have significant defects may begin to crumble, and the unpolished surface will intensively absorb moisture.
At temperatures below zero degrees, the water in the concrete crystallizes and increases in volume, which can lead to the destruction of structural bonds within the material. This adversely affects the floors in apartments located on the first floors of buildings.
The polished surface withstands loads well and practically does not absorb moisture. Its performance is improved.
