Among the common ways of laying coatings, mosaic floors occupy a separate place. They are not particularly popular with the mass consumer, but connoisseurs of original solutions are at least considering this decorative design option. A very bold and non-standard idea is to lay out mosaic concrete in a private house or within the boundaries of a garden plot. Moreover, this method of finishing is beneficial not only for its external attractiveness, but also for its technical and operational properties.
General information about mosaic concrete
Mosaic concrete has two significant differences from its classic monolithic counterparts. First of all, this is a structural difference, which determines the formation of coatings from individual segments. That is, as a result of installation operations, an unconventional dense screed remains in the form of a continuous layerfrom concrete, and the coating, laid out like paving stones or tiled elements.
The second difference is even more significant. Whatever the structure of the concrete mosaic floor, it must be formed by high-strength components. It is the cellular configuration of the placement of such a flooring that determines the requirements for strength properties. The material should not crumble, wipe at the corners and edges. In general, it should retain its original appearance. Obviously, to ensure such qualities, not ordinary, but special concrete compositions are used.
Material Composition
To begin with, it is worthwhile to determine in more detail what performance qualities concrete of this type has. These are increased impact strength, minimal shrinkage and abrasion resistance. In the formation of the composition, two types of components are used: a filler and a binder.
The first category includes a crumb of various natural minerals. For example, the use of crumbs of marble, granite, quartz, dolomite, etc. is practiced. On the one hand, concrete of a mosaic composition with such a filler receives decorative properties, and on the other hand, the same granite will certainly lay the strength foundation.
As for binders, they are less unusual in terms of use in concrete mixtures. This is a ubiquitous cement, and polymeric substances, as well as combined polymer-cement mixtures. It is noteworthy that, in addition to the main function, binder additives perform the task of decorating, giving the coating a particular shade.by neutral mass.
Preparing for production
One of the main disadvantages of the mosaic floor is its exactingness to the rough flooring. The base must be very strong and durable. A concrete screed copes with this function, but already in a monolithic form. If it is not there, then you will have to form a new basis and continue further work on it.
In order for the mosaic concrete to turn out even, the rough surface must also be properly prepared. Moreover, only obvious differences in height and other defects should be smoothed out. Minor flaws in the coating of the base screed can be left: when laying the mortar, they will contribute to adhesion, that is, the adhesive function. It is also worth taking care of laying possible communications: in the future, such operations will not be possible on this coverage.
Installation of equipment for mosaic concrete
At this stage, a segmented or cellular configuration of a mosaic pattern will be formed. The performer is required to prepare in advance a scheme or an approximate plan according to which the picture will be implemented. Depending on the complexity of the mosaic, appropriate materials are selected to separate the individual segments. Typically, glass, brass, polymer or aluminum strips are used to install the veins. They do not just work as formwork delimiters, but will hold the mosaic concrete permanently, i.e. they are not temporary separating devices. The fixation of these planks can be provided with light concrete support, but to make ittoo weak is also impossible, otherwise the slightest failure in the geometry of the location of the segments will disrupt the entire composition.
Preparing the solution
The above components are used as the basis for the composition. The main thing at this stage is to correctly calculate the proportion of ingredients and fraction. For mosaic concrete, grains with sizes from 2.5 to 15 mm can be used. The smaller the crumb, the more even the mass distribution will be. However, this parameter also depends on the quality of mixing. The ratio between crumb and mortar should be approximately 80/20.
But here it is important to consider another nuance. On the one hand, increasing the percentage of stone filler increases strength, but on the other hand, polishing will require a special concrete mosaic machine that can cope with a hard surface. For some dilution of the solution, but not at the expense of quality, you can add chromium oxide, ocher, marble flour, etc. to the mixture. They will not only provide additional rigidity to the mass, but rather increase the resistance of the material to external adverse influences.
Cover formation
This stage focuses on the polishing and grinding operations. But first of all, the finished mixture is poured into the formed segments. After that, it is necessary to use trowels, vibrating slats and tamping devices, which will make the laid mortar homogeneous and dense, and also rid the mass of air voids. Thenthe coating can be left on for 7 days until it is strong enough.
After this time, the final finishing of the coating is performed. It is first implemented by a rough mosaic machine for grinding concrete with equipment in the form of carborundum stones. For greater effect, the surface can be sprinkled with sand. At the second stage, a more detailed grinding process is carried out, in which special abrasive stones and felt wheels are used to give the coating a shine.
What pavements are laid out with mosaic concrete?
Most often in this way the floor is laid out in public buildings, studios, salons and workrooms. The fact is that mosaic concrete floorings are not the pinnacle of decorative elegance, although they demonstrate a certain stylistic originality. They are valued, rather, as a solid foundation with a more or less attractive look. Nevertheless, in private houses it is quite possible to lay out steps from a mosaic concrete mortar. The complexity of the formation of this design is due to the fact that the beacon delimiters will have to be fixed almost to the canopy, and this will require additional skill. But it is important to understand that these elements will be removed after installation, and each step will become a separate segment. It also makes sense to make independent decorative objects in the form of benches, arched structures or even fence structures, if it is possible to prepare the material in sufficient volume.
Conclusion
Few flooring technologies have such high demands on the workflow. In this case, difficulties may arise both at the stage of solution formation and during grinding operations. Grinding concrete with a mosaic grinder is an extremely important procedure, since the appearance of the entire surface will depend on its quality. Another thing is that modern equipment of this kind is designed for automatism and can easily cope with any composition of the concrete mass. The same can be said about the working equipment in the form of the mentioned abrasive and felt wheels. These are effective means of refining any surface, which, with minimal effort, allow you to create a smooth and aesthetically pleasing finish.
