Do i need a concrete finisher when filling the floor

For the transition to the finishing work of the surface of the floors, it is desirable that it be smooth. The smoothing of the concrete is carried out immediately after the mortar is poured, dispersed throughout the formwork and carefully compacted. In our article we will talk about the smoothing process, and how to achieve the best result.

First meeting

It should be understood that for large and small areas there are various methods of forming smooth surfaces.

In the factory, the open surfaces of the newly formed products are smoothed with the help of special machines, the equipment is equipped with various nozzles in the form of:

• Rollers.
• "Skis", which make a reciprocating movement in the direction perpendicular to the movement of the machine.
• Rotating discs used for final grouting of the surface.

As for the conditions in closed areas, then for this purpose use other devices.

Means for smoothing concrete

Depending on the volume and method of concrete work, as well as on the requirements for floors, there are several options for smoothing:

• Primary smoothing is carried out directly in the process of laying the mixture in the concrete floor structure.
• Smoothing the surface of a fresh mix.
• Smoothing cement-sand or quick-drying leveling screed, made on a concrete base.

Smoothing concrete at the same time as laying

Private developers doing their own hands in a small area think about how to make a smooth concrete floor synchronously with the laying of the mixture. To, so to speak, and not to waste time, and the result was good.

In this case, the instructions for arranging the floors are as follows:

• Along the longest wall in the room at a distance of 1000-1200 mm from each other and a distance of 200-250 mm from the walls, beacons of wooden slats (metal profiles) are arranged. These structures are fixed to small amounts of cement mortar. In parallel, they fulfill their intended purpose, and the role of guides for the rule. As a rule, use a perfectly flat bar or board, or purchased aluminum tools.

• The concrete mix should be laid along the grips between the lighthouses. At the same time, the delivered concrete is distributed and at the same time smoothed by “ironing” the rule that is pulled along the guides. The rule is to pull over, making a vibrating movement from side to side with a small amplitude.
• If everything went right, you can complete the final smoothing of the concrete surface with a trowser (just below we will tell about it).

Someone smoothes the concrete surface upon completion of the installation in full, others immediately follow the rule. But they all use special tools for this purpose.

Concrete float

The so-called trowels on concrete can be branded or made with their own hands. The main thing for this improvised means is to have a flat and better glossy surface.

Gladilki complete concrete work, causing the formation on the smooth surface of concrete "cement jelly" - a mixture of water, cement and a small amount of sand. Due to this, the layer, freed from coarse aggregate (crushed stone, gravel, etc.), after hardening and a set of brand strength of concrete, can be sanded if necessary.

On large areas of industrial floors used prefabrication trowels. They can be operated manually or work on an electric or gasoline engine.

Tip! To achieve the most even surface without disturbing the established thickness of the concrete layer, you can work with a trowel alternately in two directions perpendicular to each other. In the process, make sure that the tool is not immersed in the mixture.

Hand tools look like a large mop with a wide working bar and a very long handle (the length is usually adjustable). The construction is made of aluminum or other extrusive alloy and therefore is quite light, maneuverable.

To create super-level floors, various models of smoothing devices are available, aimed at specific tasks:

• Screeding slats, are used for smoothing concrete subject to vibrocompaction.
• Reiki controlresponsible for leveling hillocks formed on a plastic solution.
• Correction devices they perform cutting of hillocks and filling with this mixture recesses on the surface of concrete left after preliminary grouting.

The high price of an electric or petrol driven trowel in comparison with manual work is compensated for by more efficient operation due to measured vibration. It is noteworthy that mechanized finisher can be rented, saving a few thousand rubles.

Conclusion

A clear advantage, of course, for an automatic tool that allows you to achieve the best result. On the other hand, one hundred percent smoothness is not always required, for example, for a garage room it is enough to visually create the illusion that the concrete surface is flat and smooth.

In general, you decide, we only helped to find the answer to the question - how to make concrete smooth. In the video presented by us in this article you will find additional information on this topic.