Today, there is a huge variety of materials for arranging the premises. A primer is a special building material that is designed for the primary treatment of various surfaces before performing the main work. It helps to improve the performance of other materials, increasing their resistance to negative environmental factors, and extends the life of building materials. You can buy it in specialized stores at an affordable price and from well-known manufacturers.
When pouring floors, it is very important to prime them so that they are warmer and the flooring lasts much longer. Therefore, many people are interested in the question of which self-leveling floor primer is better. In this article, you will learn about the main varieties of this mortar and their differences.
Why should the floor be primed?
The quality and durability of the floor does not depend on the cost of the flooring, but on how tightly they adhere to subsequent layers. When badbonding with subsequent layers, the deck will pull away from the previous layers, causing it to deform.
Laying flooring directly on a concrete screed is not recommended, as it practically does not interact with other materials in any way and does not adhere tightly to them. In addition, voids remain in the concrete after solidification, which significantly reduce the strength of concrete. The only solution to all problems is priming. However, in order to achieve the desired result, it is very important that the floor primer is of good quality.
What does floor priming do?
Priming the floor allows you to get the following result:
- increases the quality of adhesion of concrete with other materials;
- increase the performance of the screed;
- concrete becomes more resistant to negative environmental factors;
- disappear various defects made when pouring the screed.
If your house has wooden floors, then a primer for the floor, the price of which varies from 480 rubles. up to 3500 rub. for 10 liters, allows:
- significantly save on paintwork materials;
- hide various wood defects;
- prevent mold and mildew;
- improve the quality of adhesion of wood with other materials;
- extend floor life;
- prevent resin from the tree;
- create excellent floor waterproofing;
- protect the tree from harmful insects.
Thus, priming the floor,regardless of the flooring used, is a must if you want a quality floor.
Which primer to choose: manufacturers, reviews
If you need the best floor primer, before choosing a specific type of mortar, you need to understand the main varieties of this material that exist today. Each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when choosing.
Today, we can distinguish the following primer manufacturers that have earned the trust of consumers: Caparol, Prospectors, Ceresit and Knauf. Based on customer reviews, the primer from Prospectors is the most economical option. As for the Ceresit and Knauf brands, they are expensive manufacturers, but the quality of the material is at the highest level. You can hear only positive reviews about the Caparol primer. Its price perfectly matches the quality.
Alkyd primer
This type of primer is used exclusively for impregnating wooden floors before painting. This mixture contributes to a significant improvement in the quality of adhesion of wood to other materials. It is worth noting that wooden floors should be primed at an air temperature in the room of at least 15 degrees. It takes 15 hours to fully dry.
Acrylic primer
Primer for this type of floor, as you might guess fromname, is made on the basis of acrylic, therefore it is one of the most versatile and can be used for both wooden and concrete floors. The mixture perfectly eliminates any defects and significantly increases the strength and durability of the screed. In addition, acrylic does not emit any toxic fumes or unpleasant odors, and it dries completely in just 3 hours.
Shellac primer
Produced from insect cell sap and designed to impregnate floors made from coniferous trees. Full drying time - 24 hours.
Glyptal primer
Another kind of building mix designed for priming wooden floors. Designed to prepare wood for impregnation with epoxy resin. Before buying this primer, you should consider the fact that it can only be used in dry conditions. After impregnating the wood, the floor is left for a day to dry completely.
Perchlorovinyl primer
This floor primer, the consumption of which is very economical, is almost a complete analogue of acrylic mixtures intended for use in industrial facilities. It is strictly forbidden to use it in residential premises, since the substances that make up the primer are dangerous to human he alth.
PVC primer
Universal mortar used for various types of primingsurfaces before painting with emulsion paints. The mixture is made of synthetic substances, thanks to which it dries completely in just 30 minutes.
Phenolic primer
A starter compound with a very pungent and unpleasant odor that is applied to all types of surfaces before laying wood floors. It takes about 12 hours to dry completely.
Polystyrene primer
Universal industrial type primer. Due to the toxic fumes released during the drying process, it is not used in rooms intended for human habitation. Used for starting work in the preparation of wooden and cement bases.
Polyurethane and epoxy blends
This polyurethane floor primer is designed to be applied over concrete substrates. Made by adding solvents to various dyes.
General primer recommendations
When choosing a primer, consider the composition of the screed. The thing is that a certain type of mixture is designed to be applied to a certain type of surface.
The primer in front of the self-leveling floor should be carried out using starting mixtures with high penetrating power, which include glue. It helps to improve the performance of concrete and cement, and also extends their service life. If fire-fighting additives or alkali are present in the cement screed, then the primer must be anti-alkali.
If you are already at the final stage of pouring the floor and are going to start laying the flooring, then in this case it is worth using finishing primers. When doing this, consider the compatibility of the mixture with the type of your screed.
If you need to prepare any surface for bonding with other materials that has been previously painted, then an all-purpose compound will not work, and a deep penetration primer for the floor is the only solution. When choosing a particular mixture, consider its compatibility with the composition of the screed.
When performing repairs to strengthen the old screed, it is also recommended to use primers with deep penetrating power, which have a strengthening effect. Such mixtures are able to penetrate into concrete and cement to a depth of 10 millimeters, giving the base of the floor high strength and durability, as well as preventing the formation of dust. It is worth noting that most building materials in this category contain various antiseptic and biological additives that prevent the formation of mold and fungus, as well as protect the base from harmful insects.
Concrete floor mixes
A primer for a floor made of concrete should have the following characteristics
- great penetration;
- after hardening, the surface should be perfectly flat;
- the composition of the mixture should contain special additives that give concrete protection fromaggressive environmental factors;
- A good primer should reduce the amount of material needed to fill the floor.
If we take into account all the factors described above, then the ideal solution for priming floors in a residential area will be Betonokontakt. This mixture contains quartz sand, so it can be used for both starting and finishing work. If the screed was poured from high-quality cement with high strength, then various epoxy mortars will become an alternative as a primer.
When priming floors in a bathroom, bathroom or bath, it is necessary to use mixtures containing water-repellent and antiseptic additives.
Building mixtures for priming wooden floors
The primer for a wood floor is selected according to different criteria than concrete or cement screeds. In most cases, alkyd, phenolic and polystyrene primers are used to impregnate wood. It is also allowed to use oily mixtures and natural tree resin, which perfectly penetrate the tree and create an excellent protective layer.
If you want a wood floor that will last for a long time, then primers should contain special fire-fighting additives and antiseptic agents that prevent the formation of mold and mildew, as well as protect the wood from ants, termites and other insects.
It is worth noting that for wooden floors use mixturesthere is no point in deep penetration, because, unlike industrial premises, large loads will not be created on the floor. Therefore, priming with any finishing mixtures that are designed to impregnate wood will suffice.
