Do-it-yourself polymer floor. Polymer floors: do-it-yourself self-leveling coatings, screed technology, pouring PUR floors, how to make a liquid polymer Show with an example how to make polymer floors

On our website you can buy materials for self-leveling floors with various special properties. The range includes compositions for the following objects:

garages, parking lots, hangars;
warehouse complexes;
production and repair shops of food, chemical, pharmaceutical and other industries;
medical institutions;
kindergartens, schools, institutes;
shopping and entertainment complexes;
administrative and office buildings, etc.

The scope of application depends on the chemical composition and characteristics of the bulk coating. For each product in the catalog, we have placed a detailed description and recommendations for use.

Types of self-leveling polymer floors

Polyurethane floors

Polyurethane-based floor coverings have been used for a long time and have proven to be one of the most reliable and durable. These are universal compositions with a wide scope. With their help, you can create a variety of coatings: thin-layer, quartz-filled, colored, sports and others.

The main advantages of polyurethane floors:

High adhesion- the compositions have excellent adhesion to concrete, wood, metal, provided that the surface is pre-primed with an epoxy or polyurethane primer.

Elasticity- you can buy self-leveling polymer floors for operation in conditions of constant deformation, shock, vibration loads. This is an effective solution for industrial areas where there is an intensive operation of machinery and equipment.

Temperature resistance- the minimum coefficient of thermal expansion allows such coatings to withstand significant heating and freezing. The operating temperature range of self-leveling polymeric floors is from -60 to +140°C.

Mechanical strength- polyurethane coatings withstand intense pedestrian and traffic loads well, but are somewhat inferior in this indicator to epoxy ones.

Epoxy floors

Polymer coatings are versatile, reliable and durable. Such compositions are tougher than polyurethane ones, therefore they more effectively resist abrasion, static, mechanical loads, but the cost of self-leveling floors of this type is higher. Epoxy coatings are recommended for food and chemical industries, for agricultural facilities. The fragility of epoxy floors does not allow them to be used in conditions of significant shock loads, vibrations, as well as on moving bases.

The main advantages of the compositions:

Durability– Epoxy floors are 50% more resistant to abrasion than polyurethane. They are successfully used in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, in places where heavy vehicles and warehouse equipment pass. The coating retains its aesthetic appearance for a long time.

Chemical resistance- epoxy self-leveling floors are not susceptible to water, gasoline, machine oils, alkali solutions, acids and other chemicals.

Environmental friendliness– one of the main advantages of our polymer self-leveling floors is their environmental safety. The compositions do not contain organic solvents, do not have an unpleasant odor and do not emit toxic substances after drying. Due to these qualities, they are recommended to be laid in food industry workshops, in educational institutions and at healthcare facilities.

UV resistance– polymer coating for concrete floor does not turn yellow under direct sunlight. For example, the AQUAPOLYMERDEKOR PLUS self-leveling floor can be used even outdoors.

Our offer

Prices for materials for self-leveling floors from "LKM POLIMER" are indicated in the catalog and in the price list on the website. We also offer to use the services of coating specialists at the Customer's site. We have at our disposal modern technologies, all the necessary tools and qualified employees with extensive experience in carrying out such work.

You can buy a self-leveling floor in Moscow by placing an order on the website at any time of the day or night. Phone numbers for contacting the company's specialists are listed on the page. When contacting us, each customer can get a free consultation on the range of products, assistance in choosing materials and completing an order.

Publication date: 03-04-2015

Polymer floors have recently gained great popularity due to the extreme simplicity of their application, excellent decorative appearance, long service life and amazing resistance to almost all types of influences and loads.

floor leveling

Such a fact as the practical impossibility of self-dismantling can speak in their favor - such a coating will successfully resist almost any kind of action on it.

Therefore, such floors are usually mounted either for a very long time or with the expectation that subsequently such a coating can become an excellent, perfectly flat base for another type of flooring.

But is installation really that easy? What is needed for this?

Consider how to apply a polymer self-leveling floor with your own hands using the simplest tools and the prepared mixture, how to make an unusual 3D volumetric floor.

The history of the creation of a decorative polymer floor

Modern self-leveling floors take their history from Italy, this event dates back to 1972. It began with the art of drawing with chalk on asphalt, street artists created voluminous images of incredible plausibility on a variety of topics.

Such paintings quickly became very popular around the world, which was used by designers who transferred unusual street art to the surface of residential buildings.

It was decided to combine three-dimensional images with high-strength polymer floors used for industry. This is how the 3D polymer floors were born, which consist of a base base, a pattern and a transparent layer applied on top.

Back to index

The characteristics of such a coating

Pouring a polymer floor

Polymer floors are famous for their extremely high performance, which makes them possible to use for premises with a wide variety of purposes: industrial workshops, warehouses, shopping centers, apartments.

Ease of application, excellent appearance, extremely easy maintenance - such coatings are becoming more common today, replacing traditional coatings.

Among the main characteristics are:

wear resistance to friction, mechanical stress, almost any kind of impact;
adhesion to the screed, which ensures a long service life, such a coating is almost impossible to remove on its own, it is usually knocked together with the base;
aesthetic appearance, not affected by time;
environmental friendliness;
ease of care, high hygiene;
high fire resistance;
waterproof, antistatic effect;
amazing resistance to direct sunlight, ultraviolet radiation, temperature extremes.

In addition, with the help of self-leveling floors on the surface of the base, you can recreate the structure of wood, artistic modeling, natural stone, interspersed (glitters, coins, pebbles, shells), creating fancy patterns when mixing mixtures of different colors, 3D volumetric floors with drawings, patterns and other decorative elements.

Back to index

Main types

Polymer self-leveling floors: scheme

Bulk polymer floors are very diverse depending on the materials used in the composition and the method of their application.

The most common are:

epoxy, which are characterized by high strength, good elasticity, are used quite often;
polyurethane, such a bulk coating has a long service life, is very resistant to a wide variety of influences;
methyl methacrylate self-leveling floors are used only for industrial premises, they harden very quickly;
polyester are the cheapest, but they cannot guarantee an excellent and high-quality effect;
urea-based pourable bases can be applied by spraying.

In addition, polymer floors are also distinguished by the thickness of their application to the surface of the base:

high-strength for industrial premises, the thickness of this can be up to six millimeters;
medium thickness, reach a value of one and a half to three millimeters;
thin for residential apartments, have a thickness of one and a half millimeters;
dust-removing polymeric, which are a simple thin film applied to a concrete base;
coloring bulk, giving the surface the necessary shade, the thickness of such a coating is only one fifth of a millimeter.

Also, self-leveling floors are divided into smooth, textured, rough, self-leveling with mineral particles, highly filled with large particles, combined, 3D volumetric, one-component, two-component, three-component.

Back to index

Application features

Screed floors in the living room

The technology for applying self-leveling flooring is simple and does not cause problems.

It includes preparing the base (it can be concrete, wood, ceramic tiles, metal), removing dust, debris, dirt, stains from its surface and subsequent primer.

Then the preparation of the floor mixture begins, the application of the base layer and the pattern for volumetric floors, pouring and varnishing. All these works can be easily done by hand in a short time.

Back to index

Preparing the base and preparing the solution for pouring

When preparing the base with your own hands, it is necessary not only to completely clean the surface and remove the remnants of the old floor covering, but also make sure that there are no cracks, dents and other surface defects, a large slope. For this, a horizontal level is used.

The maximum permissible slope is up to two millimeters, otherwise it is necessary to carry out leveling work.

For wood flooring, skirting boards, oil stains, and debris are removed first. After that, the base is dedusted. It is recommended to carry out screed work before applying the mixture to ensure that there is a leveling.

it is impossible to mount a self-leveling floor on recently laid wooden bases;
the thickness of the layer to be poured on wood flooring should not be too thin.

The concrete base is also prepared in a similar way. If the concrete was recently poured, it is necessary to withstand a time of twenty-one days from the moment of its installation.

Ceramic tiles should first be checked for strength and reliability of fastening of individual elements, after which the base is degreased, a primer is applied on top of it.

Metal surfaces are also cleaned and degreased, then traces of scale and corrosion are removed from the surface using a sandblasting machine.

Primer and putty make it possible to mask all surface defects that could remain, cracks are carefully sealed with a gypsum composition with quartz sand. In this case, it is unacceptable to use water-based formulations.

For a simple self-leveling floor, the dry mixture is poured into a large container and, in the proportions specified by the manufacturer, is thoroughly mixed with a construction mixer for three to five minutes.

For multicomponent formulations, the mixing conditions should be exactly observed: often one component is first diluted, and then another is added in certain parts. The mixture must be used within one hour after mixing, otherwise the quality of the floor may deteriorate.

Floors are one of the most difficult interior parts to repair and replace, since it requires significant reworking of the entire room. Where the floor is changed, it is impossible to live temporarily, because there are problems in walking around the room. In addition, the replacement of floors is often accompanied by the replacement of skirting boards, and this, in turn, often leads to damage to the wall finishes - in a word, replacing the flooring is almost equal to a complete repair of the entire room. That is why the choice of flooring is given maximum attention.

Each customer wants such a repair to last no less than a decade, or even longer, fortunately, the modern choice of materials contributes to this. In addition to the classic varieties of wood, modern designs are increasingly using various synthetic materials, and a kind of fashion in recent years is a polymer self-leveling floor.

What it is?

The polymer floor fundamentally differs from other types of floor coverings in its device, since it does not fit, but is poured. The material is made on the basis of various polymers and is sold in the form of a liquid. To fill this type of floor, first make a full-fledged base of concrete screed or any other dense material, on top of which liquid polymer is poured in a thin layer. That, solidifying after a certain time, gives a perfectly smooth, and most importantly, even (due to the property of the liquid to form a uniform level) surface without the slightest joints.

Initially, this type of coating was used in public institutions with a huge turnover of people - for example, in airport lobbies. This use is due maximum ease of cleaning caused by the integrity of the coating without any seams and joints, as well as the high strength of the material, which allows not to close terminals and other premises of special public importance for long-term repairs.

However, private consumers quickly appreciated all the advantages of such a floor and became interested in the possibilities of pouring polymers in private properties, and manufacturers promptly responded to rising demand and presented more affordable, but no less high-quality options for houses and apartments.

Today, polymer self-leveling floors are available in any major city, their pouring is successfully carried out in rooms of any size and purpose.

At the same time, industrial enterprises and public institutions are still the main consumers, however, such coverage may be appropriate for home use. Polymer floors are available in two main varieties, but if you count the small differences, you can count a huge number of different options, each of which has its own advantages and is best suited for rooms of one type or another.

Peculiarities

If for public institutions and industrial enterprises the use of such floors is almost a panacea for all ills, then not every owner still decides to use such a coating in an apartment. It is possible that an important role in the selection process is also played by the design moment, after all, not always such a floor is able to create the necessary comfort or just fit into the desired style, but still, before installation, you need to once again go over the advantages and disadvantages of this material in an ordinary home.

If you look at the pluses, they are very numerous and will force many to urgently be interested in the prices of this product. Here are the main advantages of using this type of flooring at home:

High elasticity contributes to the fact that the floor is practically not subject to any mechanical damage - it can easily survive even a small earthquake, because if necessary it can stretch and shrink.
Chemical resistance allows the floor covering not to change its appearance even under the influence of any aggressive chemicals, from detergents of any type to others accidentally spilled.
The polymers underlying such a floor are able to continue the phrase "water wears away a stone, but a self-leveling floor does not." Moreover, due to the integrity of the seamless coating, it is also an excellent waterproofing - even with a flood in the apartment, the neighbors from below will not know about it.
The polymer coating does not ignite, therefore it fully complies with fire safety standards.

This type of floor is very easy to maintain, because it allows the use of any type of detergent, and also prevents dirt from entering the seams, which simply do not exist.
The service life of a high-quality polymer coating, even in conditions of the highest daily traffic, is no less than ten years, and even in an apartment, this is an almost eternal option.
Many fear that the high smoothness of the surface will result in slipperiness, but in fact this is not at all the case.
Modern self-leveling floors and the technique of pouring them make it possible to achieve a very tangible artistic effect.

All of these properties literally make you immediately give preference to them. However, there is not a single building or finishing material that does not have some disadvantages. Naturally, self-leveling floors also have them, and although there are not so many of them, they are serious enough to scare away most potential customers:

Truly high quality costs a lot of money, and although in recent years the developers have done everything possible to reduce the cost of the material, it is still more expensive than the vast majority of analogues. An attempt to save, by the way, can be fraught, since the cheapest varieties of polymer-based floors, judging by the reviews, fade rather quickly in bright sunlight.
The high cost concerns not only the material itself, but also the work performed. Although the liquid used for filling is capable of leveling the level itself, due to its high cost, special attention is usually paid to creating a perfectly even and balanced base. It is quite expensive, and it also takes a lot of time, not to mention the fact that for a quality result, you need confidence in the high professionalism and dedication of the workers.

Polymer flooring is a very durable type of repair. It is so strong and reliable that so far no one has come up with an adequate way to dismantle such a coating. Therefore, if the self-leveling floor gets tired, or, even worse, wears out to the obvious need for replacement, a new coating will have to be done directly on top of it, which in the conditions of most standard old apartments that do not have too high ceilings will lead to a noticeable decrease in space. And if replacing one self-leveling floor with another, as is done at airports or industrial workshops, takes a maximum of a couple of millimeters, then replacing it with parquet will take no less than a couple of centimeters, which can force even doors to be redone. This is a significant disadvantage of such coverage.
Filling a polymer floor is a difficult task, since the material is very whimsical to the conditions of solidification. For a perfectly even surface, it is necessary that the moisture content of the base does not exceed 4%. The permissible fluctuation of the temperature in the room during solidification is two degrees in one direction or another.

In other words, normal filling is only possible in a sealed room and under stable weather conditions.

Kinds

Self-leveling floors, also known as 3D, are now available in a wide variety of types, which helps to more accurately select the properties that are optimal in certain conditions. Although not all of them seem suitable for domestic use, a certain amount of attention must be paid to each type in order to prove that one or another variety is not suitable for use in a residential environment.

Of the classic coatings used for several decades, there are known epoxy floors and floors made of polyurethane. These two varieties are the most common, and they are usually a prime example of how opposite the properties of different types of bulk polymer coating can be. The epoxy variety is famous for its highest resistance to any damage, both mechanical and chemical.

Even a somewhat less shiny and attractive surface does not stop customers, forcing them to purchase such a coating for finishing industrial shops and enterprises, laboratories, and other similar premises.

The polyurethane version is also remarkably resistant, but in this component it is still somewhat inferior, but it looks a little more attractive, and most importantly, it wipes less with your feet. That is why it is actively used in offices and other public institutions with high traffic, and also looks more relevant at home.

Of the other varieties, it is worth highlighting methyl methacrylate and cement-acrylic flooring, which are a kind of new analogues of epoxy and polyurethane. In general, today's self-leveling floors are made from the most unexpected materials. Even a variety of urea exists, which, by the way, is considered convenient for installation due to the method of application through spraying.

If we talk about reliability, then it is usually not advised to choose a floor based on polyester, since it is with this material that problems arise in terms of quality and durability.

As for the appearance, usually polymer floors are colored with the addition of colored sand. As a result, such a coating can even resemble a wood-polymer floor in appearance, so that the problem of fitting such an ultra-modern material into classic designs seems to be practically solved. At the same time, in some cases, a transparent composition can also be purchased - in this case, it is especially appropriate to create a base for a coating of natural wood, although more often they are used simply to create an upper protective layer of a self-leveling floor.

Thanks to this solution, you can get all the best advantages of polymer filling with an appearance that uses literally any decorative inserts from the most unexpected materials and components.

Which ones are better?

Choose a self-leveling floor should be based on the purpose for which it will be used. Since we are talking about typical home conditions for our country, in terms of their performance and aesthetic qualities, polyurethane and cement-acrylic mixtures are most suitable for finishing. But polyester flooring should be used with great caution - reviews indicate that the quality of such material often leaves much to be desired.

Another thing is that even a private customer for their own needs can order the floor that is considered more oriented to industrial needs. Such a need arises in a situation where the issue of finishing the floor in the garage is open - there this surface experiences significant mechanical stress due to a passing or standing car, and at the same time some aggressive chemical compounds are used, including oils and much more.

Again, the use of all these substances does not contribute to the creation of ideal cleanliness, so the floor in such a room should be designed for maximum ease of cleaning and minimum soiling, and also have high chemical resistance. Therefore, materials based on epoxy resin or methyl methacrylate will be very appropriate here.

The basis, which is almost always an ordinary concrete or cement screed, does not put forward any special requirements for the type of flooring, but you can build on the appearance of the finished floor. It should be noted that the most commonly used options are those that are called "liquid linoleum", because in a frozen form they really resemble this finishing material.

To be honest, the imitation of any other types of finishes turns out to be very conditional and can hardly be called plausible, so the option with such a “linoleum” should inspire the greatest confidence.

How to choose?

The choice of self-leveling floor components is quite complex, since the materials are numerous and varied. For example, for a concrete base, it is worthwhile to first select a reliable waterproofing material, cement M-200 or higher, and also make and lay the mixture itself in such a way that its moisture content does not exceed 4%. In some cases, two-component floors are made, when the basis is a wood-polymer composite that looks very much like ordinary wood, and an ordinary colorless polymer floor is poured on top.

Although home environments are unlikely to involve the same number of hazards and stresses as in an industrial plant, a combination of different types of polymer base is usually recommended for residential applications. In the hallway, bathroom and kitchen - where there is an increased amount of dust and dirt, increased humidity, and there is a high probability of spilling caustic or hot liquids, it is recommended to fill in epoxy compounds.

Very important for living quarters aesthetic appeal, and much less various strength tests are expected here, so here the choice often falls on decorative polyurethane floors.

At the same time, you should always choose antistatic mixtures with quartz sand in the composition for the house, because the accumulation of small charges of electricity is not conducive to health, and it attracts dust.

It must be said that self-leveling floor in the interior is not combined with any wall decoration, and this moment also needs to be taken into account, because changing the flooded flooring is very problematic. In living rooms, in combination with polyurethane on the floor, decorative putty on the walls looks best. Expensive vinyl wallpapers will also seem normal, but ordinary paper wallpapers will most likely be inappropriate. For a kitchen in combination with epoxy floors, either classic tiles or colored plaster are suitable, with which the self-leveling floor will be combined in the same way as the laminate, which is often imitated by it.

In some cases, owners of private households prefer to abandon classic materials even for exterior decoration and for the street they do not use slabs, but a self-leveling self-leveling floor, which is well suited for pouring garden paths. Here, methyl methacrylate will show itself in the best possible way, which is unpretentious to temperature changes and freezes faster than its colleagues.

Thanks to this unusual solution, the paths in the garden will always look fresh and clean, their color will delight for a long time. In this case, you can use a small tile as a basis.

Required Tools

In practice, pouring a self-leveling floor is not such a difficult process. She does not need any special equipment, so more and more men find it necessary to carry out repairs of this kind on their own. To complete the task, the master will need:

A large container for preparing a mixture for pouring - usually a volume equal to at least two medium buckets is assumed.
A drill and a special nozzle for it, which allows you to mix any liquid mixtures. There is a catch here, since not any drill is needed, but only one that allows speed control, because too active mixing is fraught with splashing of the future floor onto the walls. The nozzle is also not suitable for any - it is necessary that it mixes the mass in the container right up to the very bottom.

A set of spatulas adapted for applying the mixture both in the main part and in the most inaccessible places.
A special needle roller, with which the future floor surface is rolled again after application. This is done in order to remove small air bubbles from the mass, which will certainly form during the pouring process. If they are not removed before the mass hardens, this will have an extremely negative effect on the strength and durability of the material, and can lead to its cracking even with a slight mechanical impact.
A chemical solvent needed to remove the dirt left by the potting slurry from used tools. There is no universal solvent suitable for all types of self-leveling floors, so it must be selected based on the instructions indicated on the can with the self-leveling floor mixture.

Studded shoes are an important part of the job, as even during the pouring process, repairers will have to walk on a freshly poured surface, and only a studded sole can reduce exposure to the liquid material.
Most experts also recommend purchasing several pairs of ordinary rubber gloves in advance, which will help protect the skin from exposure to all the components used in the process.

Training

The mixture that will form the floor in the future is applied to a previously prepared surface, which is most often concrete. Such a surface requires a minimum level of humidity and perfect horizontality, therefore, when laying a new screed, the process is carried out in two steps - a semi-dry mass is applied with the first layer, and only on top of it is a thin leveling layer (within half a centimeter). Only after the floor is well high x, you can proceed to the next steps.

At the same time, in some cases, an old concrete screed can also be taken as a basis, but then it is carefully cleaned from dust and any other contaminants, and any visible cracks are carefully repaired using a special epoxy composition.

In this case, by the way, it is also impossible to do without pouring an additional leveling screed.

An old wooden floor can also be used without dismantling. The first step in this case is to carefully inspect the floor, replace or repair any worn components, and reinforce their fastenings. If the floor was painted old paint must be removed, any irregularities and cracks are filled with a special putty for wood. After the putty dries, the surface of the old floor is carefully polished to a state of perfect smoothness, after which the dust is removed from it with an industrial vacuum cleaner, and the same leveling screed is poured on top.

After that, the surface is primed. The primer is selected depending on what type of self-leveling floor is selected - any conscientious manufacturer should indicate on the package how to choose the right primer in this case. The primer is applied in two layers using a roller with a fine pile, sometimes with an ordinary paint brush. The second coat of primer is applied only after the first one has completely dried.

In order to increase the effectiveness of priming, it is recommended to add quartz sand to the primer.

Manufacturing technology

You can also fill the self-leveling floor with your own hands, but on condition that the instructions are carefully studied and will be followed to the last letter.

Polymer pouring occurs on average with a thickness of 1.5-3 millimeters, but this, of course, is only true if the concrete screed was made with high quality and is really horizontal. Material consumption per 1 m2 is calculated based on the fact that one liter of liquid mass is a square meter of surface covered with a layer of one millimeter. At the same time, the thickness of the layer may vary somewhat, because the liquid flows into any seams and pits, so you need to purchase filler floors with a margin.

The first step in preparing the mixture is mixing, which must be done as carefully as possible until complete mass homogeneity is achieved. When the finishing composition is ready, the application begins - the liquid is simply poured onto the floor and accelerated in all directions using a rule or any other similar tool. Air bubbles are likely to form in the filled layer – they must be removed with a specially prepared spiked roller.

At this stage, you can only move around the room with the help of shoes with needle soles - the mass will fill the small holes left by such spikes, but the mark from the usual shoes would probably remain a long memory for the owner of the room.

When the composition begins to visually thicken, its acceleration over the surface and rolling with a spiked roller is stopped - it is time for an aesthetic decoration of the coating. In modern design, the installation of any foreign elements into the self-leveling floor is actively used, including small pebbles and shells, as well as coins and any other decorative elements that, when solidified, are firmly “glued” into the material.

Such a prefabricated "pie" allows a person with a creative approach to turn a rather boring floor covering into a real work of art that you never want to change, which immediately solves the problem of the complexity of replacing such a floor.

After the lower layer of polymer with decorations sticking out of it has completely hardened, a second layer is applied - usually completely transparent. Its task is to cover protruding elements to create a smooth surface, so the calculation of the amount of consumables must also take into account the size of "foreign" decorations. Moving through this layer must be even more careful, because it is the immediate surface of the future floor.

Craftsmen for their own needs are allowed to move around the hardening outer layer as early as the second day after its application, but when the filling leaves the workers completely satisfied, you need to wait another week until the material is completely cured. After that, he is ready for all those difficult tests that he was created to withstand.

Most homeowners planning to renovate or renovate flooring tend to focus on modern technology and the most popular design solutions. Often, in the process of choosing a floor covering, one has to face a number of difficulties, since a modern flooring material must meet many characteristics and be appropriate even in rooms where the floor covering will be exposed to a whole "set" of harmful effects - from chemical to abrasive, without losing this for its decorative and hygienic characteristics. All these requirements are met by a polymer floor coating, which is very popular on modern construction sites and is characterized by high performance. Polymer flooring, also called liquid linoleum, is a seamless polymer floor finish applied to a concrete base, cement-sand screed, ceramic tile or wood floor. Polymer floors, being a high-tech modern floor covering, have all the characteristics that are not characteristic of either concrete, or linoleum, or ceramic tiles and are relevant at the present stage of design development. Despite the fact that earlier polymer floors were considered only in the context of industrial premises, today, thanks to the use of modern technologies in the production process, they have become relevant in residential premises. In connection with the relevance of polymer flooring, this article will consider its main varieties, their brief description, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

Varieties of self-leveling floors: a brief description

Mineral poured coatings

The demand for self-leveling floor is partly due to the wide choice of its varieties presented on the construction market. Modern manufacturers offer two main types of bulk coating: mineral and polymer. The mineral self-leveling coating is a cement mixture supplemented with a number of fillers, which largely determine its operational characteristics. Mineral self-leveling floor is a leveling composition that is used to prepare the surface immediately before laying ceramic tiles, linoleum, laminate and other floor coverings.

There are three types of mineral mixtures:

Base mix designed for the initial leveling of concrete and cement surfaces with slopes up to 80 mm. Leveling the surface with the base mixture is not final, since it is necessary to make additional adjustments with the help of mixtures for the middle layer;
The average mixture is used as the main composition for leveling surfaces characterized by slopes of not more than 30 mm;
The finishing mixture is intended for the final leveling of the bases on which the flooring is laid.

Polymeric coatings

No less popular is another type of self-leveling floors - polymer coatings. They are characterized by their predominant use in rooms where increased requirements are imposed on the floor covering, such as resistance to mechanical and chemical influences, no tendency to abrasion and environmental safety. There are several actual classifications of polymer coatings that group the types of polymer coatings in accordance with a certain feature. Most often, polymer coatings are classified taking into account:

The binder component used in the composition of the mixture;
Degrees of filling and material thickness.

Consider the main types of polymer coatings for concrete floors.

In accordance with the binder used, the following types of polymer coating are distinguished:

Epoxy resin coating for the floor is characterized by moisture resistance, high strength and resistance to mechanical and chemical effects of acids, alkalis and oils, which not every floor covering can boast of. The use of epoxy coating is relevant only in enclosed spaces in which certain sanitary and hygienic requirements are established. It is in them that conditions are created for the intensive impact of mechanical loads and aggressive liquids;
Epoxy urethane blends, the use of which is justified only in areas characterized by heavy traffic, such as platforms and parking lots. Being high-strength compounds resistant to abrasion, they retain their elasticity throughout the entire period of operation;
Polyurethane poured coating It is characterized by high wear resistance, resistance to high temperatures and chemicals, which leads to a long coating life, reaching 20 years. A distinctive feature of polyurethane floors is their smoothness and lack of seams, thanks to which they will never turn into a dust collector. This is the main principle of their high aesthetics. Taking into account these features, it should be noted that polyurethane self-leveling floor is an ideal choice for rooms characterized by constant vibration load and floor mobility, as well as frequent abrasive impact on the floor covering;
Methyl methacrylate coating characterized by the least popularity, due to the difficulties that arise in the process of its installation. Despite the fact that the methyl methacrylate coating is characterized by minimal resistance to mechanical stress, it still remains unrivaled for unheated premises.

In view of the above, we can conclude that there is a wide variety of polymeric materials for flooring. Despite the fact that the binder component of the polymer composition largely determines its performance, it is not the only factor that is guided by when choosing a self-leveling coating.

Important! Another important parameter characterizing the bulk coating is the thickness. During operation, a polymer layer of a certain thickness is erased annually from the surface of the polymer coating, which is determined by the composition of the polymer, as well as the intensity of the load and varies within 10-30 microns.

In accordance with the thickness and degree of filling of the coating, the following categories of polymer coatings are distinguished:

Thin-layer polymer coatings(thickness usually does not exceed 0.5 mm), also called painting by the method of application, are characterized by a minimum operational period and predominant use in rooms with minimal traffic, and, consequently, mechanical stress;
Bulk, also called self-levelling, being the most popular type of floor covering, are characterized by a thickness of 4-5 mm, a degree of filling up to 50% and universal performance;
Highly filled coatings(average thicknesses are 4-8 mm, but can reach 20 mm) are characterized by a degree of filling up to 90%, which determines their long-term resistance to high mechanical loads.

Polymer flooring: advantages and disadvantages

Despite the unpretentiousness of the polymer coating, it still remains one of the most aesthetic options for arranging the floor in any room. From the name it follows that the composition of the floor covering includes polymaterials included in it in the form of a liquid and undergoing polymerization during its technological processing. Thanks to this feature, the surface is perfectly flat and uniform.

Important! Due to the fast polymerization of the composition, the operation of the floors can be carried out within a short period of time from the moment of laying the floor covering.

Advantages of polymer coating:

High elasticity, which makes the flooring resistant to intense shock loads;
Resistance to constant exposure to low temperatures, due to which polymer compositions can be used for arranging flooring in outdoor trading areas, for laying flooring on the territory of commercial organizations for various purposes, as well as in freezers;
High wear resistance, which determines the ability to withstand long-term mechanical loads without loss of original performance;
Resistant to high humidity and chemicals;
Long service life, which can exceed 40 years;
Unpretentiousness in leaving - cleaning of a floor covering can be carried out by means of ordinary water, without use of special cleaners;
Non-toxicity and fire safety;
High aesthetic characteristics, lack of seams and absolute smoothness of the coating. The polymer coating acquires additional surface decorativeness and a unique special effect due to 3D varnish. Moreover, modern manufacturers offer a polymer coating with a textured surface and an original pattern.

Disadvantages of polymer coating:

In the process of surface preparation, which takes a fairly long time, difficulties can be encountered;
The polymer coating is characterized by a long service life, during which it can become morally obsolete or annoy the owner;
Difficulties encountered in the process of removing the floor covering;
Vapor resistance of polymer flooring;
Polymer flooring belongs to a fairly high price category, due to the high cost of the component materials that make up the polymer coating;
Despite the relevance of the previous paragraph, there are also cheaper varieties of polymer coating on the market, however, they are prone to rapid yellowing due to ultraviolet radiation;
Compared with traditional flooring, resin material design is not large enough;
In the process of repairing a polymer floor covering, difficulties may arise, since increased aesthetic requirements are imposed on it. Thus, if you are faced with the need for local repairs, it will be difficult to select the required color scheme.

Important! Polymer floors designed for laying on a concrete base and characterized by the absence of active waterproofing will soon begin to peel off, due to the evaporation of groundwater, which rises through the natural capillaries of concrete slabs.

The device of polymer floor coverings: a step-by-step guide

In order to avoid the repair of the polymer flooring, ensuring it a long service life, in the process of arranging the self-leveling floor, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of specialists. If you follow all the technological steps of the flooring device, this process will seem quite simple to you.

Materials and tools for arranging a self-leveling floor

To equip a self-leveling floor, you will need:

Several plastic buckets with a volume of 30 liters;
A drill equipped with a stirrer and characterized by a small number of revolutions (no more than 300);

Notched roller and spatula;
Special needle roller designed to remove air bubbles. The required number of tools is determined by the area of \u200b\u200bthe room - an average of 40 square meters. m of the room will require one roller;
Squeegee with an adjustable gap, which will be required to evenly distribute the mixture on the surface;
Paint shoes, which will be required to move on a freshly poured floor;
A solvent with which you will clean all tools after work.

Foundation preparation is a crucial stage in the arrangement of the self-leveling floor

It is important to pay attention to this stage of the floor arrangement, because otherwise, if there are irregularities in the base, this will cause deformations of the floor covering and its subsequent damage. The technology of preparatory work from the initial state of the base and the material from which it is made.

Preparation of the concrete base

Carry out a moisture test of the base, which should not exceed 4%;
If you have laid a new foundation, at least 28 days must pass before laying the self-leveling floor;
If you are dealing with an old concrete base, remove the old flooring, clean the surface of dirt, removing the remnants of mastic, paint, glue and oil stains;
Dust the concrete base and repair any irregularities, cracks, and potholes with a resin mortar. If small cracks and breaks are found, it is recommended to use an adhesive solution. To mask and remove the smallest defects, use a grinder;
Using a horizontal stick-level, check the levelness of the surface.

Wooden base preparation

Check the humidity of the wooden base - it should not exceed 10%;
Remove the skirting boards, as new ones will be installed during the installation of the flooring;
Clean the surface of varnish, paint and glue with a spatula, wire brush or grinder;
Open the cracks and clean the floor with sandpaper, which will increase the adhesion of the surface;
Using an industrial vacuum cleaner, remove the remaining dust and degrease the surface with a cleaning powder;
Level the wood floor with cement screed or patch cracks with mortar.

The air temperature in the room where the floor will be poured should be from +5 to +25 degrees, and the humidity should not exceed 60%.
Any mixture for pouring polymer flooring in a garage or any other room is a two-component one, and therefore, they must be mixed in a clean bucket using an electric drill.
The application of the polymer mixture must be carried out only after the final drying of the primer, which will take about a day. It is recommended to start pouring the mixture from the highest point of the surface. To do this, the prepared polymer mixture is poured onto a primed base and spread over the entire surface of the base using a toothed roller. If bubbles form, remove them using a spiked roller.
The thickness of the coating on average should not exceed 1.5 mm, but in some cases it can be increased to 5 mm.
To move across the floor, you will need paint shoes. After waiting for the final drying of the first layer, proceed to applying the second, after which, after 12 hours, apply a layer of varnish.

Technology of pouring polymer flooring

Pour the prepared solution onto the floor surface and spread it over the entire area. To make the distribution more uniform, each subsequent portion of the mixture is distributed near the previous one with a wide spatula. To adjust the thickness of the applied mixture, use a squeegee;
To remove air bubbles that have fallen into the solution, use a spiked roller by passing it over the floor surface;
Pour the next portion of the solution and smooth it out, thus filling the coating over the entire floor area;

After completing the work, cover the surface of the floor with plastic wrap, which will prevent dust from entering the floor that has not yet hardened, and will also make drying more uniform;
To enhance the decorative characteristics of the polymer coating, apply polyurethane varnish on its surface.

Features of arranging a 3D floor

A decorative option for a polymer floor covering is a 3D floor, which is a three-layer structure that includes three layers:

base layer;
Picture;
The final one is the protective layer.

The installation of a 3D coating is generally no different from the installation of a traditional polymer floor covering. The first stage of installation also consists in preparing the base and is carried out in accordance with the above recommendations for self-leveling floors;
For the arrangement of the base layer, it is recommended to use a polymer coating or floor screed. It is important to determine the features of the future decor. Depending on whether it will be small or large, the color scheme of the polymer coating is selected. If the decor is characterized by the presence of a small pattern, the polymer coating will act as a background surface, which necessitates a responsible attitude to the selection of a color palette;
One of the most important stages is drawing an image. If you plan to paste the selected picture, select the image in such a way that its dimensions slightly exceed the floor area;
Sticking the picture is carried out only on a perfectly flat surface. At the same time, make sure that not a single bubble forms during the gluing process;

Important! To apply a complex artistic drawing, use the services of professional artists.

To fix the resulting image, apply a thin layer of varnish.
The thickness of the final protective layer should not exceed 0.5 mm. For its application, as in the case of a traditional self-leveling floor, a toothed roller is used, and a needle roller is used to smooth the resulting air bubbles. The operation of the polymer 3D floor can be carried out in a week.

Important! One of the biggest challenges you may face when decorating a 3D floor is blistering. Their appearance may be due to factors such as increased humidity of the coating, poor-quality mixing of components and improper preparation of the mixture. To avoid this, it is recommended to use an electric drill equipped with a mixer attachment to mix the components of the mixture. To make sure that the humidity of the concrete surface is at an optimal level, use plastic wrap, laying it on the concrete and sticking it with tape. If after three days the film remains dry, you can start pouring the mixture.

Precautions in the process of arranging a self-leveling floor

Use protective goggles and gloves during work;
Avoid getting the mixture on exposed skin, as this may cause irritation;
Take care of effective ventilation in the room where the filling will take place, as the mixture has a sharp specific smell;
If you want to give the floor a shine, use special chemicals;
Normal cleaning of dust and dirt can be done with running water.

Bulk polymer floors are a very popular and practical coating that has a lot of advantages. They are a liquid polymer mass, which is poured onto the base, and after hardening becomes even and durable. The presented material can be used at home, as well as at industrial facilities.

Among the advantages of self-leveling floors are the following:

The absence of joints and seams, which reduce the decorative properties of the coating.
High degree of environmental cleanliness.
Tightness.
Resistance to moisture, biological factors, corrosion.
High level of durability.
Choice of different shades and textures.
Hygiene, so you can pour the mixture even in children's rooms and hospital rooms.
Easy to clean, and you can use various detergents (even chemical ones) to clean the floor.
Antistatic.
Resistance to temperature difference. The presented coating is able to withstand fairly high temperatures.
The possibility of pouring the mixture with your own hands.

Visually about the advantages of coverage will tell the video:

As for the disadvantages, there are only a few of them: the rather high cost of the material, as well as the unusually difficult dismantling of the polymer layer.

Classification of polymer coatings

Before you start pouring the mixture with your own hands, you need to decide what they are:

According to the material used

. They are characterized by low cost, good hardness and strength. However, under strong mechanical stress, they are capable of cracking, as they are considered quite brittle;
. They are resistant to temperature changes, can withstand heavy loads and do not crack even after a strong impact. However, their cost is quite high;
Methyl methacrylate. Such floors are quite difficult to fill with your own hands, while they harden extremely quickly (in 25 hours). Due to this property, the period of repair of the floor is significantly reduced. However, they also have some disadvantages: poor resistance to the negative effects of chemicals.

depending on layer thickness

Thin-layer. Most often they are used to equip garages, parking lots, storage rooms. The layer thickness in this case is only 0.25-0.4 mm. Such a coating practically does not exfoliate during a point impact, and is also able to withstand traffic;
Medium thickness - 1.5-2.5 mm. Used in industrial premises and commercial buildings. They are quickly assembled and hardened. Such mixtures have a rich range of shades;
Thick-layer. The layer thickness is 5-8 mm.

Depending on properties

Cement-polyurethane. The thickness of the coating in this case is 5-8 mm. They are used in those areas where very strict requirements are imposed on cleanliness, for example: in the kitchen, in the food industry, medical laboratories. Such a coating performs its functions well in a fairly wide temperature range: from -40 to +1200 °C;
Antistatic. These floors are ideal for photo studios, electronics manufacturing shops, research labs;
Frost-resistant. They have a small thickness, and can be used in those rooms where there is high humidity and low temperature;
Highly filled. They have a maximum thickness of 5-10 mm. The mixture contains quartz sand, which allows the coating to withstand heavy loads;
Deactivated. Most often they are used in buildings where work is carried out with nuclear reactors.

Pouring technology

Necessary tools and materials for installation

In order to mount, it is necessary to assemble such devices and materials:

Preparatory work

You can pour the mixture with your own hands, but the surface of the base should be well prepared before that. In most cases, polymer blends can even out significant height differences, but it is better not to have them. If there are any defects, chips, protrusions in the base, then it is advisable to remove them.

We have a very detailed video here about all the nuances of preparing the base for pouring the self-leveling floor:

In order for the fill to "take" well, the base must be processed with sandpaper. In addition, the floor should be covered with a primer solution. Subsequently, the filled layer cannot be dismantled on its own without special equipment, so it must be poured very carefully and carefully.

Pouring a draft and finishing layer

To fill the polymer floor with your own hands, you need to perform several steps:

When pouring the second layer of the mixture, it is necessary to leave a technological gap around the perimeter of the room. It will subsequently be filled with a special sealant designed for polymer coatings.

More clearly about the technology of self-editing in the video material:

As you can see, installing such a floor covering with your own hands is quite simple, even if the master has no experience working with such a mixture. However, all work should be done carefully and carefully.