Concrete floor repair - types of damage and their elimination
Reliability of concrete floors has been tested for years. The popularity of this particular version of the floor device is due to the long service life. Resistance to external influences is complemented by the relatively low cost of the material. But, despite this, even such coverage requires some attention to yourself. To keep maintenance waste to a minimum, repair of concrete floors must be carried out when small defects appear that reduce the integrity of the structure. The strength of the floors decreases with a change in appearance, and in particular:
- The formation of bumps, potholes and cracks;
- Destruction of seams;
- Increased dust formation.
These problems can be eliminated by yourself.
Content
Preparatory stage
The main preparatory process for all methods is as follows. The first step is to dismantle the floor covering. It is advisable to dry the floor for one day or several days before performing repair work, and then carefully remove all garbage.
Rust, mold and old primer are removed with a wire brush. Greasy stains and paint are removed by chemical preparations. The better the surface is prepared, the better the repair will be done. In the case of "exposure" of the reinforcement, it is cleaned and anti-corrosion treatment is carried out. Further, the repair process depends on damage.
Elimination of potholes
In case of violation of the technology of installation of concrete floors over time, potholes appear in it. They can also form under high mechanical loads. Such damage should be repaired immediately to prevent further damage to the coating.
Before repairing the pothole, the perimeter is cut to a depth of at least 2 cm. For a more thorough and accurate execution of this stage, a diamond disk is used.
With the help of a puncher and improvised tools, the old coating is removed from the disturbed area. Garbage is removed from the resulting recess. To remove dust from the area to be cleaned, a sandblasting machine or an industrial vacuum cleaner is used. The resulting cavity is covered with an epoxy primer, and then filled with a repair compound. The mixture is then leveled with a staff or rule. After gaining sufficient strength by the composition, the site is polished flush with the floor.
If the depth of the excavation is more than 5 cm, the repair composition is laid in layers.
Crack Sealing
Crack repair is also required to be carried out immediately after a defect is discovered. This is necessary in order to prevent an increase in the gap, coloring of the edges, liquid and debris getting into the crack. In addition, a crack in the concrete floor can damage the floor. The smaller the defect, the easier the repair. If the depth of the slit is less than 2 cm, it is enough to cut a recess of 1 cm, if more, then 5 cm. To repair a large crack, it is necessary to make additional channels along the slit on both sides, and then deepen the notch.
The next stage - cleaning and dust removal is carried out using a construction vacuum cleaner.After these procedures, the edges of the seam are covered with a primer (epoxy or polyurethane) diluted with a solvent in a ratio of 1 to 10. Then the crack is filled with a repair compound, which is an epoxy or polyurethane base and quartz sand as a filler.
After the first layer shrinks, another filling of the crack with the same composition is performed. After the mortar hardens, the surface is polished flush with the floor. Cracks that are too wide must be reinforced with metal brackets.
For which two-centimeter recesses with a width of one and a half centimeters are cut through the slot with a grinder every 25 cm. After adding the repair compound to the slots, reinforcement is laid, which is covered from above with the same composition.
Roughness Correction
During the operation of the concrete floor, bumps may appear that adversely affect the floor. Such defects are often found in new homes. To eliminate this drawback, it is necessary to level the floor. For this purpose, a milling machine is used, with the help of which the surface is leveled, deepening by 1 cm, and the prepared area is ground.
After removing dust from the treated surface, the concrete floor is impregnated. To do this, use a polyurethane or epoxy primer diluted with R-646 solvent or solvent in a ratio of 1 to 10. The treated surfaces are filled with a solution and leveled with a lath or rule. The final grinding of the floor is started after the mortar hardens.
Seam Repair
The expansion joints located in the concrete floor lose their strength over time and begin to crumble and collapse. Having noticed such violations, it is necessary to carry out repairs immediately. The gap is embroidered with a diamond disk, and the edges of the seam are made perpendicular to the floor. Concrete remains, debris, fragile areas are removed from the recess. An industrial vacuum cleaner or sandblasting device carefully cleans the gap from dust and is coated with an epoxy primer.
Along the crack and at the intersection of the joints, at a distance of not more than 3 m from each other, markers from steel rods are placed. The seam is filled with a repair compound (it is advisable to use a cement mortar with a polymer additive). After the solidification of the solution, grinding of the repaired areas is done. Markers are removed, and a new deformation seam is made on the left markings, which is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. The Vilaterm gasket cord, which provides hydro and vibration isolation of the floor, is embedded in the resulting gap. Top seam is filled with sealant.
Dust removal of concrete floor screed
Sooner or later, concrete floors begin to dust. Excessive dusting affects people who are in a dusty room. In this case, even frequent wet cleaning is insufficient. Salvation in such a situation may be painting or special coating. For floors in dwellings or with light loads, a thin coating is sufficient. It can be: Elacor, Poroprim, Neomer.
This method is simple and economical. The surface cleaned from debris and dust is covered with a thin layer coating (primer, paint or varnish). Modern primers, penetrating deep into the surface, not only prevent the appearance of dust, but also increase frost resistance, wear resistance and resistance of floors to aggressive substances.
Overhaul of concrete floor
If the area of the damaged surface exceeds 30%, it is advisable to completely replace the old screed.
The described methods are applicable if the damage is minor. In case of major damage, a major overhaul of the concrete floor is required. The best option in this case is the implementation of a new concrete screed.The process is not very complicated, but requires compliance with some rules:
- The repaired surface should be cleaned of debris and dust as much as possible; special mixtures for cleaning concrete coatings can help;
- For maximum adhesion of the solution to the surface, it is necessary to use a primer, for wet rooms it must be water repellent;
- Full hardening of the screed lasts about a month, at this time it is forbidden to affect the coating.
Before screeding, the entire floor surface is sanded with a grinder and cleaned of debris and dust. The prepared area is impregnated with an epoxy or polyurethane primer. A self-leveling compound is applied to the base surface with a layer of 5 to 10 cm. After that, it is recommended to walk along the surface with a needle roller to remove air bubbles. If necessary, a second layer of the mixture is applied.
A defect in concrete coating that is noticed in time and its immediate elimination will significantly increase the operating time of the structure. Using the described technologies in each specific situation, you can extend the life of the floor and avoid significant financial costs. And the implementation of the correct measures for the operation of the coating (dust removal of the floor) will help reduce the dusting of rooms and eliminate harmful effects on the human body.
