Many of the lovers of contemporary interiors envision a stunning concrete floor, industrial in style. In awe of its stark beauty, they would like to install it to their homes or workplaces. But when they have to choose between the options of contractor and technology, they can be confused by the myriad of terms that are specialized including polished concrete, trowelled or floated concrete, beton cire microcement, and so on. What should they choose? What is the best time to choose polished concrete floors and when to go with microcement floors? What are the benefits and drawbacks of both options? Today we’ll attempt to answer these questions.
Polished concrete, trowelled or floated concrete, beton circulare, flooring made of microcement…
Floated concrete is a concrete that is used to make internal floors that are completed by mashing it with specific trowels. Trowel concrete floors are usually completed with mineral sprinkles as part of the DST (dry shake topping) process, due to which it is able to withstand more and a better appearance. The floor is generally utilized in production halls and warehouses. The floor is dilated every 4-5 meters and, unfortunately, cannot guarantee that there will not be cracks that result from the contraction of concrete.
Polished concrete can be described as a floor made of floated concrete which is subjected for grind, chemical impregnation polishing, and if it is used as a flooring for decorative purposes for homes, for example sealing. This technique is employed to revive concrete floors (if they’re made of high-quality concrete) or to build new floors, decorative and industrial, in shopping malls, museums, restaurants or airports, and other places. The benefit in polishing is instead the gray, matte and easily stained surface, you get a smooth, shining floor that is adorned with distinctive shiny streaks.
Microcement, also known as microconcrete or beton cire is a mix of ordinary cement and specially formulated resins. After mixing, it’s laid out with thin layers (about 2 mm per layer) and then infused with a sealer made of polyurethane that has matte, satin or glossy finish. Microcement can be utilized for new floors as well as on existing substrates such as tiles or terrazzo OSB boards or cement boards. Despite its thin layer it is extremely tough and abrasion-resistant, making it simple to maintain. It gives an even look without joints, dilatation or being concerned about cracking the floor.
In general, it is said that polished concrete looks nice on large, open surfaces in which minor imperfections or polished corners won’t be as noticeable. It is a good choice for houses when we have 100 square meters of area (eg the entire floor in a detached home such as a hallway, hall, or living room and kitchen). If you have smaller areas, a Microcement or microconcrete floor is a better option.
To clarify the selection of these two technologies is, we will provide an example. In the next section, we’ll describe the procedure for making polished concrete floors and a microcement floor.
The process of polishing concrete floors
The homeowner of a detached home chooses to build a floor of polished concrete over the entire surface of the floor. The first step is to purchase the right class of concrete that will be poured over the substrate. It is beneficial to include polypropylene fibres the mix, as they will reduce the contraction in the concrete. The crew then spreads the concrete evenly , and after about 2-4 hours , it will be rubbed using specially designed trowels, and simultaneously rubbing DTS sprinkles. Hand tools that are smaller are employed at the corners or near walls. This process is repeated 4 times. After 24 to 48 hours the team will carry out dilations and fill in the gaps with an expansion joint. Then , you’ll need wait around 2 weeks before the floor will fully bind.
Then, the professionals polish the floor with diamond discs or corundum, spreading the impregnation over the floor and polish the floor until it reaches an extremely high gloss. Then the floor is coated with.
