Polymer floors: advantages and disadvantages

Floors - one of the most difficult to repair and replace interior parts, because it requires significant processing of the entire room. Where sex is changed, it is impossible to live temporarily, because there are problems in order to walk around the room. In addition, the replacement of floors is often accompanied by the replacement of baseboards, and this, in turn, often leads to damage to the wall finish - in short, 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 repair to last no less than a decade, and even longer, good, modern choice of materials contributes to this. In addition to the classic varieties of wood, in modern designs are increasingly using various synthetic materials, and a kind of fashion in recent years is a polymeric self-leveling floor.

The polymer floor is fundamentally different from other types of flooring his device, because it does not fit, and poured. The material is made on the basis of various polymers and is sold as 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 a liquid polymer is poured with a thin layer. That, freezing after a certain time, gives a perfectly smooth, and most importantly - a smooth (due to the fluid properties 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 halls. This use is due to maximum ease of cleaningcaused 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 the terminals and other rooms 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 under private ownership,and manufacturers responded to rising demand in a timely manner and presented more affordable, but no less quality, options for homes and apartments.

At the same time, the main consumers are still industrial enterprises and public institutions, however, such coverage may also be appropriate for home use. Polymer floors are available in two main varieties, but if you consider minor 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.

If for public institutions and industrial enterprises the use of such floors is almost a panacea for all ills, then to use such coverage in an apartment is still far from every owner. It is possible that the design moment also plays an important role in the selection process. because not always the floor is able to create the necessary comfort or just fit into the desired style, but still before installation, you must once again run through the advantages and disadvantages of this material in an ordinary dwelling.

If you look at the pros, they are very numerous and many will make urgently interested in the prices of this product. Here are the main benefits of using this type of flooring at home:

• High elasticity helps to ensure that the floor is practically not subject to any mechanical damage - it will even survive a small earthquake, because, if necessary, it can stretch and shrink.
• Chemical resistance allows the flooring to not change its appearance even under the influence of any aggressive chemical agents, from detergents of any type to other, accidentally spilled.
• The polymers underlying such a floor are able to continue the phrase “water wears away a stone, but no self-leveling floor”. Moreover, because of the integrity of the seamless coating, it is also an excellent waterproofing - even with a flood in the apartment, the neighbors will not know about it from below.
• 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 are simply not there.
• The service life of a high-quality polymer coating, even in the conditions of the highest daily throughput, is no less than ten years, and in the conditions of an apartment it is almost an 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 their pouring technique make it possible to achieve a very tangible artistic effect.

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

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

• Polymer floor is a very durable type of repair. It is durable and reliable so that until now no one has invented an adequate way to dismantle such a coating. Consequently, if the self-leveling floor gets bored, or, worse, worn out before the obvious need for replacement, the new floor will have to be done directly on top of it, which in the conditions of most of the standard old apartments that do not have too high ceilings, will lead to a noticeable reduction in space.And if replacing one self-leveling floor with another, as they do 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 the doors to be redone. This is a significant disadvantage of such coverage.
• Filling polymer floor is a difficult task, because the material is very fastidious to the conditions of solidification. For a perfectly flat surface, it is necessary that the moisture of the substrate does not exceed 4%. The permissible fluctuation of the temperature in the room during freezing is two degrees in one direction or another.

Self-leveling floors, also known as 3D, are now available in a wide variety of types, which helps to more accurately select properties that are optimal in certain conditions. Although not all of them seem suitable for home use, a bit of attention needs to be given to each species in order to prove that a particular variety is not suitable for use in residential environments.

Of the classic, used for several decades, coatings are known epoxy floors and floors made of polyurethane. These two types are found as often as possible, and they are usually a vivid example of how opposing the properties of different types of self-leveling polymer coating can be. Epoxy variety is famous for its high resistance to any damage, both mechanical and chemical nature.

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

The polyurethane version is also remarkable for its stability, but in this component it is still somewhat inferior, but it looks a little more attractive, and most importantly, it is less wiped with the feet. That is why it is actively used in offices and other public institutions with high traffic, and also looks more relevant in the home.

Of the other varieties worth highlighting methyl methacrylate and cement acrylic floorwhich are original new analogues of epoxy and polyurethane. In general, today's self-leveling floors are made of the most unexpected materials. Even a urea variety exists, which, by the way, is considered easy to install because of the spraying method.

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

With this solution, you can get all the best advantages of polymer fill with the appearance, using literally any decorative inserts from the most unexpected materials and components.

It is necessary to choose a bulk floor taking into account for what purposes it will be used. Since we are talking in general about typical domestic conditions for our country, polyurethane and cement-acrylic mixtures are most suitable for finishing in terms of their operational and aesthetic qualities. But polyester flooring should be used with great caution - reviews show that The quality of such material often leaves much to be desired.

Another thing is that even a private customer can order for his own needs and that floor, which is considered to be more oriented to industrial needs. This need arises in a situation when the question of finishing the floor in the garage is open - there this surface experiences significant mechanical loads 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 perfect cleanliness, therefore the floor in such a room should be calculated maximum ease of cleaning and minimal contamination, as well as high chemical resistance. Consequently, materials based on epoxy resin or methyl methacrylate will be very appropriate.

The base, 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 start from the appearance of the finished floor. It should be noted that the most commonly used options are those that received the name "Liquid linoleum", because in a frozen form, they really resemble this finishing material.

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

Although home conditions are unlikely to assume the same amount of hazards and loads as in an industrial workshop, a combination of different types of polymer base is usually recommended for use in an apartment. In the hallway, bathroom and in the kitchen - where there is an increased amount of dust and dirt, increased humidity, and there is also a high probability of spilling caustic or hot liquids, it is recommended to pour epoxy compounds.

It is very important for living quarters. aesthetic appeal, and there are much fewer different tests for strength, so here the choice often falls on decorative polyurethane floors.

Need to say 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 floor is very problematic. In living rooms in combination with polyurethane on the floor decorative plaster on the walls looks best.Expensive vinyl wallpapers will seem normal, but ordinary paper wallpapers will most likely be inappropriate. For the kitchen, in combination with epoxy floors, either a classic tile or colored plaster will suit, with which the self-leveling floor will be combined in the same way as the laminate, which is often simulated by them.

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

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

• Large capacity for the preparation of a mixture for pouring - usually a volume equal to at least two average buckets is assumed.
• Drill and a special nozzle for it, allowing you to mix any liquid mixture. There is a trick here, because a drill is needed not just any, but only one that allows regulation of revolutions, because too much active mixing is fraught with splashing the future floor on the walls. The nozzle also does not fit any - you need to pry the mass in the tank right up to the bottom.

• A set of spatulas, adapted to lay the mixture in the main part, and in the most inaccessible places.
• Special needle roller, which the future surface of the floor once again rolled 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, which can lead to cracking even with a slight mechanical effect.
• Chemical solvent required to remove contaminants left by the liquid mass to be used with used tools. There is no universal solvent suitable for all types of self-leveling floors, therefore it must be selected based on the instructions indicated on the jar with the mixture of the self-leveling floor.

• Footwear with studded sole is an important part of the work, because even during the pouring process, repairmen will have to walk on freshly filled surfaces, and only studded sole can reduce the impact on liquid material.
• Most experts also recommend that you purchase several pairs of ordinary rubber gloves in advance, which will help protect the skin from the effects of all the components used in the process.

The mixture, which will form the floor in the future, is applied on a previously prepared surface, which is often concrete. Such a surface requires a minimum level of humidity and perfect horizontal position; therefore, when laying a new tie, the process is carried out in two steps - the first layer is applied with a semi-dry mass, and only a thin leveling layer (within half a centimeter) is applied over it. Only after the floor is well tallx, you can proceed to further action.

In some cases, an old concrete screed can be taken as a basis, but then it is carefully pre-cleaned of dust and any other contaminants, and also any visible cracks are carefully sealed with a special epoxy compound.

Old wooden floor can also be used without dismantling. The first step in this case - a careful inspection of the floor, replacement or repair of any worn components, as well as strengthening their mounts. If the floor was painted, old paint is necessarily removed, any irregularities and cracks are filled with a special putty for wood. After the putty dries, the surface of the old floor is thoroughly 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 in from above.

After this, the surface is primed. The primer is chosen depending on what type of self-leveling floor is chosen - any bona fide manufacturer must indicate on the package how to choose the right soil in this case.The application of the primer is made in two layers using a roller with a fine pile, sometimes an ordinary paint brush. The second layer of primer is applied only after the first is completely dry.

You can do the filling of the self-leveling floor with your own hands, but on the condition that the instruction has been carefully studied and will be followed to the last letter.

Filling with polymer occurs on average at a thickness of 1.5-3 millimeters, but this, of course, is true only if the concrete screed was made qualitatively and is indeed 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. The thickness of the layer may vary somewhat, because the liquid flows into any seams and pits, so you need to purchase flood floors with a margin.

The first step in the preparation of the mixture is stirring, which must be carried out as carefully as possible to achieve complete mass homogeneity.When the final compound is ready, application begins - the liquid simply spills onto the floor and accelerates in all directions using a rule or any other similar tool. Air bubbles are likely to form in the flooded layer. - they must be removed with a specially prepared needle roller.

At this stage, you can move around the room only with the help of shoes with needle soles - the mass will fill in the small pits left by such spikes, but the footprint of the usual shoe probably would have stayed for a long time with the owner of the room.

When the composition begins to visually thicken, its acceleration over the surface and rolling with a needle roller is stopped - the time has come for aesthetic decoration of the coating. In modern design it is actively used to mount any foreign elements into the floor, among which are small pebbles and shells, as well as coins and any other decorative elements that, when solidified, will be “glued” into the material.

After the bottom layer of polymer with the jewelry sticking out of it finally hardens, a second layer is applied - usually completely transparent. His task is to cover the protruding elements to create a smooth surface, so that the calculation of the number of consumables must also take into account the dimensions of "foreign" decorations. Moving around this layer should be even more careful because it is the immediate surface of the future floor.

Masters for their own needs are allowed to move along the freezing outer layer on the second day after its application, but when the casting leaves the workers completely satisfied, you need to wait another week until the material completely hardens. After that, he is ready for all the difficult challenges for which he was created to withstand.

In more detail about technology of installation of a polymeric floor with patterns look further.