Concrete dedusting: application of topping, impregnation

As a rule, concrete is a fairly reliable coating and can serve as a rough basis for laying the facing material, or act as a facial base, but in any of these cases it is necessary to decide how to dust the concrete floor. An exception here can be only a fresh fill, on which ceramic tiles are laid, without waiting for the final drying of the screed.

Nevertheless, the problem exists, and we will tell you how to solve it, and also show the video in this article as additional material.

What does it give

Note. Dust formation on the surface of a concrete floor occurs as a result of the destruction of its upper layer under the influence of various third-party processes. This may include such factors as, for example, increased air humidity, abrasion from mechanical loads, and so on.

• If you do not remove dust from the concrete pavement, then over time this leads to further destruction, that is, the process does not stop, and will continue until erosion begins.. And this can already be called the point of no return.
• From a medical point of view, cement dust is extremely harmful to human health, as it affects the organs, the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes and corrodes the skin.. Therefore, elementary safety instructions require cleaning.
• Also cement dust is harmful for technical equipment - it gets into various interacting units and, being an abrasive material, contributes to their premature abrasion.
• This floor has a very untidy appearance, it is difficult to wet clean, and if you finish it with a floating coating (linoleum, carpet, laminate), then after a while you will hear a bad squeak.

Topping

The most reliable de-dusting coating for concrete is its topping, which in the end result is very similar to lamination, and is carried out in several stages. The very first is, of course, pouring a concrete screed, which is polished with special machines when the solution gains minimum strength, and this is possible in 5-7 hours at a temperature of 18? C-22? C.

If the screed has already been made, and the problem must be solved with a dry floor, then use leveling mixtures for this, which allow the surface to be leveled almost perfectly.

To do this, the mixture is dispersed on the floor with spatulas, and then rolled with a needle roller so that there are no air bubbles, which, after solidification of the coating, will spoil the entire layer. So that such work can be carried out on a large plot without destroying the pouring with the feet, for this, special studded shoes are used.

Note. The leveling compound after application is, by itself, a protection against the formation of dust.

A hardening mixture is applied to a polished or leveled leveling mixture using a special machine, as in the photo above, but its amount at the first stage should not exceed 50-60% of the total mass.

After the powder absorbs moisture from the floor that has not dried to the end, it is treated with a grinding machine, but it is done up to three to four times, constantly changing the direction of movement so that it is cross. After that, the remaining percentage of the mixture can be applied and all grinding operations are repeated in the same sequence.

Заключительная шлифовка производится после окончательного застывания порошка, то есть, когда диск не оставляет «наплывов», и делается это с периодичность от 30 до 60 минут до тех пор, пока поверхность не примет матовый натуральный оттенок.

Naturalness is determined by the maximum approximation in color to the mixture, that is, it will be green, red, black, and so on with a matte shade. But from the light gray powder surface should get a mirror.

After that, a special compound is applied to the polished floor, which is called curing - it creates the necessary conditions for the care of the floor during its drying. After that, the dried film reduces the evaporation rate and allows the concrete to gain optimum strength. After 3 days, expansion joints in concrete are cut, the frequency of which depends on the thickness and area of ​​the coating, and after 3-4 weeks they are sealed with a cord and sealant.

Impregnation

Ещё один способ обеспыливания бетона, у которого более низкая цена и на который расходуется значительно меньше времени, это использование минеральных или полимерных пропиток по принципу грунтовки (читайте также статью «Цементобетон: свойства и характеристики материала»).

Mineral compounds, the so-called fluates, cause a chemical reaction in the upper layers of concrete, which creates additional vitreous bonds and neutralizes free particles. But the organic (polymeric) compounds simply fill the pores and also neutralize the free elements, thereby creating a strong upper layer that does not collapse from the current external effects.

Before applying any of these formulations, the floor should be swept out thoroughly, all potholes and cracks should be repaired, and all debris present there should be removed. On the package with impregnation, there is necessarily a guide for use - this may be a requirement to dilute it with water, stir it up, apply it in ready-made form, and so on. Impregnation is applied with the help of different tools - it can be a spatula (squeegee) brush (maklavitsa), roller or mop.

Conclusion

Те места, где производилась резка железобетона алмазными кругами или алмазное бурение отверстий в бетоне будут содержать много пыли, тем более, верхний слой будет разрушен. Следовательно, такие места впоследствии нужно обработать пропиткой или хотя бы обыкновенной грунтовкой типа ГФ (см.также статью «Скульптуры из бетона – доступный способ украсить свой сад»).