Many people who love modern interiors imagine a gorgeous concrete floor that is industrial and durable. In awe of its stark beauty, they are keen to put it in their homes and workplaces. But when they have to choose between the options of the contractor and technology they are often overwhelmed by the multitude of specializations such as polished concrete, trowelled or floated concrete, beton cire microcement, and so on. What should they choose? What is the best time to choose polished concrete floors and when to go with a microcement floor? What are the pros and cons of both options? Today we’ll attempt to answer these questions.
Polished concrete, trowelled or floated concrete, beton circulare, the floor of which is made from microcement…
Floated concrete is a concrete used for floors in the interior and is completed by mashing it with specific trowels. Trowel concrete floors are typically completed with mineral sprinkles as part of the DST (dry shake topping) process, due to which it has a higher resistance and a more attractive appearance. The floor is generally employed in production halls or warehouses. The floor needs to be dilatable every 4-5 meters and, unfortunately, isn’t enough to guarantee there will not be cracks that result from the expansion of the concrete.
Polished Concrete is floor made of floated concrete which is subjected for grind, chemical impregnation polishing and , if employed as a flooring for decorative purposes such as in homes sealing. This process is utilized to rejuvenate concrete floors (if they’re made from high-quality concrete) or to build new floors – both decorative and industrial, in shopping malls, museums, restaurants or airports, and other places. The benefit in polishing is instead an unattractive, dull and easily stained surface, we get a smooth and shining floor that is adorned with distinctive shiny particles.
Microcement, also known as microconcrete or beton cire is a mix of ordinary cement and specially formulated resins. After mixing, it’s spread out as thin layer (about 1 – 2 millimeters each) and then infused by a polyurethane sealer that gives a matte, satin, or gloss surface. Microcement can be applied to create floors for new construction or on substrates that are already in use – such as tiles and terrazzo, OSB boards or cement boards. Despite its thin layer, it is extremely tough and abrasion-resistant, making it simple to maintain. It gives an even look without joints, dilatation or worry of the floor breaking.
In general, it is said polished concrete looks great on large, open surfaces in which minor imperfections or polished edges will not be as noticeable. It is a good choice for homes when there is 100 sqm of area (eg the entire ground floor in a detached home such as a hallway, hall, or living room and kitchen). For smaller areas, a Microcement or microconcrete/beton cire floor would be a more effective solution.
To clarify the selection of these two technologies is, we will provide an instance. Below, we will describe the procedure for making polished concrete floors as well as a microcement floors.
The process of polishing concrete floors
The homeowner of a detached home chooses to build a floor of polished concrete over the whole surface of the floor. In the beginning, he’ll need to buy the appropriate grade of concrete. It will be poured onto the substrate. It is beneficial adding polypropylene fibers the mix to reduce the contraction in the concrete. The crew then spreads the concrete evenly , and after about 2-4 hours , it is rubbed with special trowels, and simultaneously rubbing DTS sprinkles. Hand tools smaller in size are employed at the corners or near walls. This process is repeated 4 times. After 24 to 48 hours then, the team will complete dilations and then fill the gaps with an expansion joint. After that, you’ll have wait around 2 weeks before the floor will be completely bonded.
Then, the professionals will polish the floor using diamond discs or corundum, apply the impregnation, and then polish the floor to the highest gloss. After that the floor is coated with.
