Marble chips mosaic floors
Marble chips are not the most fashionable finishing material, but, nevertheless, for many decades its production has not stopped. It is obtained by crushing marble of various colors, and is used on an industrial scale for the manufacture of cast marble, memorial elements. Mosaic floors made of marble chips (terazzo) are also popular, they are distinguished by high performance and decorative features.
Marble chips floors - feature
Bulk single-color or multi-color mosaic floors can often be seen in shopping and business centers, offices, medical and educational institutions, service centers, car washes and other rooms. Unlike simple concrete, they look attractive, and in strength they are not inferior to them. Their popularity is due to wear resistance, moisture resistance, resistance to fading, environmental friendliness and hygiene.
Another plus - a spark is not carved from marble, which means it is permissible to equip such a floor in rooms with increased fire safety requirements.
Concrete Mosaic Floor Technology
Bulk floors of marble chips consist of a cement-sand base and a layer of mosaic mortar, the thickness of which is 20-25 mm.
When arranging floors from marble chips - the technology is quite simple - adhere to the following steps:
- preparation of the base for the mosaic floor;
- installation of dividing veins and rails;
- solution preparation;
- filling the floor;
- grinding and finishing of the mosaic floor.
Foundation preparation
A suitable base under the marble chips floor is reinforced concrete floor slabs, concrete base, cement-sand screed. Before pouring, it is necessary to verify its strength and perform preparatory measures:
- the surface should be cleaned of debris;
- serious defects to eliminate;
- close holes near pipes and various equipment;
- treat the surface with an electric brush or in another way to roughen it;
- dedust;
- Immediately before applying the mixture, moisten with water.
Before starting the installation of the mortar, it is also necessary to determine the floor level, corresponding marks should be applied to the walls around the entire perimeter of the room.
Installation of dividing veins
When installing a one-color floor, beacons (slats or gas pipes) are laid on the base after 1-1.5 m. If a multi-color coating is planned, then it will be necessary to mark the future pattern on the floor and install dividing veins of glass, brass, aluminum or polymeric materials along the contour, fixing them with cement mortar or slightly sinking in the screed, which is performed before laying the mosaic layer. The top of the vein should be flush with the expected floor level.
Mosaic cooking
To prepare the mosaic composition, cement, stone flour, sometimes pigment, water and marble grain of different sizes are used: MK - coarse crumb of 10-15 mm; MS - average 5-10 mm; MM - small 2.5-5 mm, which ensures uniform distribution over the entire surface.For concrete floors with marble chips to look their best, it is necessary that after grinding, 75-80% of the floor area is occupied by stone aggregate, and 25-15% - mortar. As a binder, prtland cement of gray or other colors of the M400 brand and above is used. Sometimes the necessary shade is obtained by introducing whitening additives, most often they take marble flour, ocher, chromium oxide, ultramarine (15-30% by weight of cement, depending on its brand).
Before preparing the mixture, the marble chips are washed to improve its adhesion to the solution. All components are thoroughly mixed in dry form, and then gradually, preferably with the help of a watering can, add water. The solution should turn out to be rigid and inactive.
The approximate composition of the solution may look like this: cement - 1 part, marble chips MM - 1 part, MS - 1 part and MK - also 1 part, water - 0.5 parts. As for water - its amount needs to be regulated depending on the moisture content of the crumbs, excessive humidity does not benefit the solution, impairing its quality.
Stages of the device of the floor
The installation of floors from marble chips begins with the lower layer, it is made of cement-sand hard mortar or low-grade concrete, which is laid in cards and leveled with trowels. After setting, but before the mixture has hardened, a mosaic mortar is laid, compacting it with trowels, vibrating rails or light tampers weighing at least 10 kg, to the level of dividing veins.
Cement milk accumulating on the surface must be removed with rubber scrapers so that a cement film does not form. After compaction of the solution, the surface must be carefully leveled and smooth. Remove the lighthouses and fill the furrows with mortar. Within 5-7 days, during the period of hardening of the floor, it is necessary to maintain it in a wet state, wetting it once a day with water, covering it with film, mats, matting, or sawdust.
Grinding and polishing the floor
After the solution acquires sufficient strength (after about 5-7 days), proceed to the next operation - grinding.
First, rough grinding is performed with a carborundum stone grinder. Before it, the floor must be sprinkled with wet sand. After the procedure is completed, the sand is removed, the floor is inspected, and potholes are closed, if they appear. Next, coarse and fine grinding is carried out using abrasive stones No. 60-80 and No. 230-325. And the final gloss is induced with the help of felt circles and polishing powder. For a more detailed review, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the video:
Mosaic floor repair
Mosaic floors are quite unpretentious in care and do not require the use of any special substances and time-consuming procedures. But even they can lose attractiveness over time. In such a situation, repairing a marble chip floor can save the situation. Polishing will help restore its former shine. The next step may be surface treatment with special reinforcing impregnations or sealants that increase the service life of the concrete floor. Apply them according to the instructions. A greater decorative effect can be achieved by covering the floor with a special varnish.
In custody
The technology for making marble chips floors is very old. They can be seen even in ancient Greek palaces and temples, which have survived to this day, but, nevertheless, this coating has not lost its relevance. In the article we examined the main advantages of the mosaic floor, got acquainted with the technology of its device.
Alexei 
Ignat
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