Mosaic concrete: self-assembly with a grinder

Among the common methods of laying coatings, a separate place is occupied by mosaic floors. They are not very popular among the mass consumer, but connoisseurs of original solutions at least consider this option of decorative design. A completely bold and non-standard idea is to lay out the mosaic concrete in a private house or within the boundaries of a garden plot. Moreover, this method of decoration is beneficial not only for its external attractiveness, but also for technical and operational properties.

General information on mosaic concrete

In mosaic concrete there are two significant differences from their classic monolithic analogues. First of all, this structural difference, which causes the formation of coatings from individual segments. That is, as a result of the installation operations, there is not a traditional tight screed in the form of a continuous layer of concrete, but a cover laid out by the type of pavers or tile elements.

Even more significant is the second difference. Whatever the structure of the mosaic floor of concrete, it must be formed by high-strength components. It is the cellular configuration of the placement of such a flooring that determines the requirements for strength properties. The material should not crumble, wipe off at the corners and edges. In general, it must retain its original appearance. Obviously, to provide these qualities, not ordinary, but special concrete compounds are used.

Material composition

To begin with, it is worthwhile to determine in more detail what the performance qualities of concrete of this type have. This is increased impact strength, minimal shrinkage and abrasion resistance. In the formation of the composition, two types of components are used: a filler and a binder.

To the first category can be attributed a crumb of various natural minerals. For example, the use of crumbs of marble, granite, quartz, dolomite, etc. is practiced. On the one hand, concrete of a mosaic composition with such filler gets decorative properties, and on the other hand - the same granite will certainly lay a solid foundation.

As for the binder components, they are less unusual in terms of application in concrete mixtures. This is common everywhere cement, and polymer substances, as well as combined polymer-cement mixtures. It is noteworthy that binders in addition to the main function perform the task of decorating, impart a coating of a neutral color to the coating.

Preparation for manufacturing

One of the main drawbacks of the mosaic floor is its demand for rough flooring. The base must be very strong and hardy. This function is handled by a concrete screed, but already in monolithic form. If it does not exist, then it will be necessary to form a new basis and continue to do further work on it.

To make the mosaic concrete smooth, a rough surface must be prepared accordingly. And smooth out should only obvious differences in height and other defects. Insignificant flaws in the coverage of the base screed can be left: when laying the mortar they will promote adhesion, i.e., the bonding function. Also it is necessary to take care of the laying of possible communications: in the future on this surface such operations will be impossible.

Installation of equipment for mosaic concrete

At this stage, a segmented or cellular configuration of the mosaic pattern will be formed. From the artist, you need to prepare a plan or an approximate plan, in which the picture will be realized. Depending on the complexity of the mosaic, appropriate materials for the separation of individual segments are selected. Usually, glass, brass, polymer or aluminum strips are used to install the veins. They do not just work as formwork elements of delineation, but will keep the mosaic concrete permanently, that is, they are not temporary separating devices. Fixation of these laths can be provided with easy concrete support, but it is also impossible to make it too weak, otherwise the slightest failure in the geometry of the arrangement of segments will disrupt the entire composition.

Preparation of the solution

The above components are used as the basis for the formulation. The main thing at this stage is to correctly calculate the proportion of ingredients and the fraction. For mosaic concrete, grains with sizes from 2.5 to 15 mm can be used. The smaller the crumb, the more uniform the distribution of mass. However, this parameter depends on the quality of the mixing. The ratio between crumb and mortar should be about 80/20.

But here it is important to take into account another nuance. On the one hand, increasing the percentage of the stone filler increases the strength, but on the other hand, a special mosaic concrete machine will be needed for polishing, which will be able to cope with the hard surface. For some dilution of the solution, but not at the expense of quality, chromium oxide, ocher, marble flour, etc., can be added to the mixture. They will not only provide additional stiffness to the mass, but rather increase the resistance of the material to external adverse effects.

Coating Formation

At this stage, the focus is on polishing and grinding operations. But first of all the finished mixture is poured into the formed segments. After that it is necessary to use the trowels, screeds and tamping devices, which will make the mortar solution homogeneous and dense, and also relieve the mass of air voids. Then the coating can be left for 7 days, until it reaches sufficient strength.

After this time, the final finishing of the coating is carried out. It is first realized by a rough mosaic machine for grinding concrete with provision of rigging in the form of carborundum stones. For a better effect, the surface can be sprinkled with sand. In the second stage, a more detailed grinding treatment is performed, in which special abrasive stones and felt wheels are used, which impart a gloss to the coating.

What coatings are spread with mosaic concrete?

Most often this way laid out the floor in public buildings, studios, salons and workrooms. The fact is that mosaic concrete decks are not the pinnacle of decorative grace, although they demonstrate a certain stylistic originality. They are valued, rather, as a strength base with a more or less attractive appearance. Nevertheless, in private houses it is quite possible to lay out the steps from the mosaic concrete slurry. The complexity of the formation of this design is due to the fact that the beacon delimiters will have to fix almost a canopy, and this will require additional skill. But it is important to understand that these elements will be removed after installation, and each stage will become a separate segment. It also makes sense to make independent decorative objects in the form of benches, arched structures or even fence structures, if it is possible to prepare the material in sufficient volume.

Conclusion

Few technologies for laying flooring have such high demands on the work process. In this case, difficulties can arise both at the stage of solution formation and during grinding operations. Grinding of concrete by a mosaic-grinding machine is an extremely responsible procedure, since the quality of the surface will depend on its quality. Another thing is that modern technology of this kind is designed for automatism and can cope with any compositions of concrete mass. The same can be said about working tools in the form of the mentioned abrasive and felt wheels. This is an effective means of upgrading any surface, which with minimal effort makes it possible to create a smooth and aesthetically pleasing coating.