The transparent floor, which is equipped with modern self-leveling technology, is a decorative coating. Its purpose is to protect the polymer base layer in a structure such as a three-dimensional surface.
Such complex coatings today are considered elite, because they are used on expensive construction sites, this includes large trade missions, art galleries, residential complexes, museums and hotels. You, too, can consider this flooring option for your apartment or house.
Description
Bulk transparent floor is one of the important components of a multi-component coating, which plays a protective role. Due to the fact that the material will protect the decor below, quite high requirements are placed on the quality of the initial surface. The self-leveling coating is laid on a concrete base, which must be perfect. This is achieved by sanding and puttying.
You can eliminate the grinding step, but you will have to equip a new screed. This technologyjustified if the coating is quite difficult to repair. A flat surface is coated with a primer, a pattern and other elements such as logos, geometric shapes, banner films, and printed images are applied to it. Sand and small objects can be used. Ultimately, the transparent floor becomes part of a three-dimensional surface.
More information
Preparation involves not only repair and leveling, but also forced ventilation, because polymers are toxic until completely cured. For safety reasons, a person should use personal protective equipment. If the room is unheated, then before starting work it is necessary to raise the temperature above +10 ° C. Transparent floors are composed of a two-component polymer mixture and various decorative elements. If we are talking about a two-component polymer mixture, then this should include the polymer itself and the hardener mixed before laying.
Features of preparatory work
The preparatory stage involves a waterproofing device, which increases the operational period of the coating. Before starting pouring, make sure that the concrete surface is free from oil stains and debris, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve good adhesion. It is important to apply two more coats of primer.
Filling with polymers can be started only after all the previous layers have dried, it will take about 4 hours. Before pouring, it is important to prepare the polymer mixture; this must be done in separate portions, using a power tool for mixing. This will form a base layer that dries out within a few days if pebbles or shells are to be used. If you want to apply a drawing, then the mixture should be allowed to dry completely, this will take about a week.
As soon as the decor can be placed, you can fill it with a transparent polymer, the amount of which will depend on the desired layer thickness. Usually a transparent epoxy self-leveling floor is poured with a layer of 3 mm, so for a 1 m2 area2 you will need about 4 kg of the finished mixture. As a result, a protective varnish can be applied, which will improve the quality of the polymer surface.
Description of the transparent floor brand "Elakor-ED"
If you want to pour a transparent floor, the material must be chosen correctly. They can be Elakor-ED, which is a completely transparent two-component epoxy light-resistant composition. It can be used in tandem with self-leveling three-dimensional floors, where drawings, photographs and logos will be applied. The so-called stone carpet, which is created from colored pebbles and colored sand, can act as a coating.
Epoxy floors can be cast onto sealed decorative items such as leaves, coins, shells and stones. Sometimes this composition is even used to decorate walls, while separate sections are formed andinserts. When pouring, the floor turns out to be glossy, and to change the gloss, you should additionally apply Luxe varnish. In the end, you will be able to get a gloss that will change from glossy to deep matte.
The ingredients used are base and hardener, which must be mixed in a ratio of 2 to 1. The mixture spreads well and levels out, forming a smooth coating. This transparent bulk floor differs in chemical resistance, lack of a smell during drawing acts as feature. Filling can be done at:
- metal surfaces;
- wood floors;
- concrete bases;
- floors made of sand concrete, the grade strength of which is not less than M-200.
Cooking Features
Before pouring, the mixture must be prepared, component A does not need to be mixed beforehand. As soon as you start mixing component A, component B is immediately poured in, it will take about 3 minutes to mix. Set the mixer to a speed between 300 and 500 rpm.
The prepared composition is aged for 2 minutes until air bubbles come out. The composition should be poured onto the surface and well distributed. You need to prepare such an amount of the mixture that you can work out in half an hour. Such transparent epoxy floors should not be scraped off the walls and bottom of the container. This requirement is due to the fact that mixing in these zones may be incomplete, which will certainly cause the formationsurface defects.
Apply recommendations
Before applying, make sure that the surface is clean, dry and free from grease and oil. In order to exclude such contamination, the installation of photographs, as well as 3D films, must be carried out with gloves and changeable shoes.
The temperature of the air, the surface of the material must correspond to the limit from +5 to +20 °С. In this case, the relative humidity of the air should not be more than 80%. It is important to make sure that the surface temperature does not drop below +3 °C, that is, it is above the dew point. When transparent floors are installed, photos of which you can see in the article, it is necessary to ensure that there are no drafts, and the temperature should not change by more than 3 ° C, such conditions must be observed not only during the process, but also after application. It is necessary to turn off the air conditioning systems, supply and exhaust ventilation and floor heating.
Technology for applying polymer floors
The transparent resin floor should be applied with a squeegee with notched blades or whiskers. You can also use a notched trowel. The layer is rolled with a needle roller to level and remove air bubbles. Such work can be done within half an hour after laying the layer. If you want to get a completely transparent floor, then its thickness should not be more than 2 mm.
After applying for 3 days, leavefloor without load, while the temperature should vary from +10 to +20 ° C. After 3 days, the floor can be subjected to foot traffic, while after a week - full.
Important to remember
During exposure, the transparent self-leveling floor should not be covered with plastic films or cardboard. Dirt, mortars, liquid paints and plasters should not get on the surface.
Characteristics of resin transparent floors
On sale you can also find polyurethane floors, which are one-component and two-component. In the first case, it can be argued that such coatings have many advantages, including:
- no need to comply with the dosage when mixing components;
- can be applied at low temperatures;
- no chance of human error in dosing and mixing ingredients.
Conclusion
One-component mixtures can be applied even at temperatures as low as -30°C, which is a huge advantage. This indicates the possibility of carrying out work all year round. The absence of the need for dosage when mixing simplifies and reduces the cost of the application process. If we are talking about two-component compositions, then their production should be carried out within 0.5-1 hour. If the master does not have time to work out the material, it will begin to thicken and become unusable.
