Dismantling of the mosaic screed technology description stages. Floor device made of marble chips

Mosaic concrete has been used for flooring for centuries and remains popular today due to its high wear resistance and wide decorative possibilities, as well as due to the fact that modern technology significantly increases the service life of the floor and simplifies the process of laying it.

Mosaic floor is a truly versatile flooring, suitable for shopping centers, shops, sports complexes, cinemas, theaters, concert complexes, offices, catering establishments, industrial premises, train stations, waiting rooms, churches, exhibition halls, galleries, corridors, foyers, halls etc. It helps to embody the most difficult design ideas and retains its unchanged appearance for decades.

Mosaic concrete floors are usually monolithic, but are sometimes separated by veins or assembled from slabs. If we talk about the color palette, then the floors can be in monochromatic and multi-colored versions. The base of the flooring is concrete, to which natural aggregates are added. Crumbs obtained by crushing marble, granite, balsate, quartz, jasper, serpentinite, pebbles, etc. are added to the mosaic-concrete mixture as an aggregate.

Laying technology

The technology for laying a mosaic floor is relatively simple, but requires strict adherence.

The temperature of air and materials during operation should not fall below 5 degrees. are laid after the roofing, plastering and sanitary works have been carried out in the room, the glazing has been completed.

Concrete mosaic floors are manufactured as follows:

First, the screed surface is cleaned with an electric brush or from dust and dirt.
At the next stage, using a rail and a level, beacons are placed (after 1-1.5 meters), dividing frames or veins (depending on the drawing), glued to the base with cement.
The surface is thoroughly moistened and filled with a screed, which is the bottom layer of the floor. The screed is prepared from a cement-sand mortar of grade 150. The screed thickness should be 28-30 mm. The mortar is leveled over the floor area and dries. Subsequent pouring of the mosaic-concrete mixture can be carried out after the screed has set.
Then a cement-sand mortar is diluted for the upper layer of the floor. For its preparation, Portland cement grade 400 is used, which can be white or colored, if necessary. design project... Concrete is colored by adding light-resistant mineral pigments such as ocher, carbon black, chromium oxide, red lead, etc. The dye injection technology assumes that its amount should not exceed 15% of the cement mass, otherwise the strength of the solution decreases. In order for the mosaic floor to have a uniform color, each mix must be made to the extent necessary for installation in one room.
Aggregate is introduced into the solution, which, as mentioned above, is a stone crumb, divided into fractions. The presence of impurities in the crumb is not allowed. The aggregate has a grain size of 2.5-5 mm, 5-10 mm and 10-15 mm. The composition of the mixture for pouring the top layer of the floor is as follows: 1 part of cement, 1 part of crumb 2.5-5 mm, 1 part of crumb 5-10 mm, 1 part of crumb 10-15 mm, 0.5 part of water. Mosaic-concrete mortars are obtained of high quality only if the components are thoroughly mixed, which is achieved by using mobile mixers. The prepared concrete must be consumed within 1-1.5 hours, until the change in the mobility of the composition begins.
The mosaic-concrete mixture is poured and neatly leveled with a rule according to a given pattern, limited by slats. The concrete mosaic is laid in a layer no more than 3.5 cm wide.
Compaction of the coating is carried out using vibrating bars, platform vibrators or rammers.
After the mixture has dried, the mosaic-concrete surface is sanded.
Mosaic tiles can give small cracks as they dry and sand. They should be rubbed with a mixture of cement and appropriate dye.
Concrete looks best on a polished surface. The polished surface is polished with M-28 stones, polished with felt wheels with the addition of polishing powder, rubbed with wax paste.

Mosaic floors, for the manufacture of which marble chips are used, are characterized by growing popularity, and today they can already be found in premium-class apartments, luxury shopping and office centers, as well as medical and educational institutions... As a product of grinding marble, marble chips are a material for a wide range of uses, but on an industrial scale it has found its application in the manufacture of self-leveling concrete-mosaic floors, characterized by high decorative and operational characteristics, which will be discussed below. Marble mosaic floors practically do not equip in residential premises, however, they remain out of competition in the arrangement floor covering v in public places, on terraces and open public areas. Arrangement of any floor covering implies the need to adhere to a certain, technologically significant sequence of actions, which will make it possible to obtain a floor covering with proper performance characteristics. Due to the fact that work on the arrangement of a mosaic concrete floor is fraught with certain difficulties, the process of its installation deserves a more detailed consideration.

The use of marble chips in the manufacture of floor coverings

Marble is a natural rock characterized by high density and unique grain-crystalline structure. Its high performance characteristics, as well as low water absorption and resistance to aggressive external factors have made marble one of the most demanded materials for construction sites, the popularity of which is increasing day by day. The aesthetic characteristics of marble, complemented by its ability to deeply convey the unique texture of natural stone, determine its widespread use as a decorative finishing material.

The rapid development of innovative technologies and the emergence of new high-tech equipment contributed to the emergence of an analog material - marble chips, the production of which is based on the use of mostly substandard waste of marble production, their further crushing and packaging into fractions. Due to the fact that marble chips are formed during the production of marble products, this method of manufacturing marble material was developed with the aim of its economical consumption. Today, marble chips used for mosaic floors are one of the most common practical uses for marble. Due to the decorative characteristics of the marble material, floors based on the specified rock can be used for decorative design various interior solutions.

This type of flooring consists of several layers:

The lower or sub-base layer, represented by a concrete screed, which is made of a cement-sand mortar and laid directly on the base of the floor (for example, a concrete base made over compacted soil, a reinforced concrete screed poured onto a layer of insulation or reinforced concrete floor slabs). The thickness of the lower layer of mosaic floors is a variable parameter and depends on design features floor covering. On average, its thickness is 20-35 mm, and in the case of arranging a heating circuit for heating - 40 mm or more;
The top or front layer, represented by a concrete-mosaic mixture, which consists of a cement mortar with the addition of marble chips. Being also a variable parameter, the thickness of the mosaic-concrete mixture layer can reach from 15 to 25 mm and depends on the size of the fraction of decorative mosaic inclusions.

Important! Despite the fact that in the process of producing a mosaic floor from marble chips, no more solid blocks of marble material are used, given view the flooring is characterized by the properties inherent in solid rock. In this regard, by giving preference to mosaic tiles on the floor, you will receive a reliable floor covering, the operation of which will be carried out for a long time without the need for current cosmetic repairs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mosaic Flooring

Like any other material, marble chips mosaic floors are characterized by a certain set of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of marble chips mosaic floors:

Due to the exceptional durability of marble chips floors, they are mainly installed in places characterized by a large concentration of people and high traffic of flooring, for example, subways, shopping centers and other public institutions;
Increased moisture resistance of the mosaic-concrete coating interspersed with marble chips;
Marble chips are endowed with all the characteristics of marble - the raw material from which it is made, and therefore, it can be concluded that it is characterized by increased wear resistance. And given the natural variety of shades of marble and their resistance to ultraviolet radiation, using marble chips, you can realize your wildest design fantasies by equipping the flooring with exquisite patterns;
Environmental friendliness of marble and its unpretentious care. It can be easily cleaned using ordinary detergents and, if necessary, must be disinfected, and therefore, laying this flooring is welcomed in children's and medical institutions;
Mechanical friction and falling objects on the marble chip floor are not accompanied by the appearance of sparks and cracks, which indicates the fire safety of the coating and the possibility of its arrangement in workshops and at enterprises where strict requirements are imposed on fire safety floor covering;
Resistance to aggressive effects of chemicals implies the absolute indifference of the coating to organic solvents, alkaline solutions, emulsions and mineral oils;
In the process of making marble chips mosaic floors, you are practically unlimited and get the opportunity to create the most amazing designs and patterns, which allows you to turn marble chips floors into a real work of art.

However, marble chips have certain disadvantages, which will be discussed later.

Disadvantages of marble chips mosaic floors:

Like any other stone coating, the concrete-mosaic floor made of marble chips is quite cold, and therefore, it is necessary to think over the option of its insulation in advance;
Despite the variety of color palettes and resistance to UV radiation, sooner or later, yellowness may appear on the surface of marble chips;
Due to the fact that a mosaic floor made of marble chips is characterized by a long service life, it is necessary to carefully consider the selection during its installation, giving preference to neutral or classic patterns. This is due to the fact that for a long time of service of the floor covering, the drawings with which it is decorated, go out of fashion, morally obsolete and become irrelevant. And given the fact that dismantling the old coating is a rather laborious process, it is necessary to approach the issue of selecting a pattern even more carefully;
Installation of mosaic flooring is quite costly, due to the higher cost of marble chips, slightly higher than the prices of more traditional materials. However, the cost of a mosaic floor also depends on the number and complexity of the decorative elements.

Important! Marble chips are used not only as the main component in the process of pouring a mosaic-concrete floor, but also for the manufacture of decorative mosaic tiles on the floor, the production of which is carried out on the basis of three classes of mosaic chips. The color range of the used mosaic chips can be both natural and obtained by artificial processing.

Materials and tools for pouring mosaic flooring

In the process of forming mosaic floors, not only marble of large and medium size, but also of fine fraction, crushed stone, marble screening and marble flour, as well as ground marble are used. Fillers and decorative pigments will be required to give the material the desired shade. In the process of work, it is necessary to prepare equipment and a certain set of tools:

Sander;
Concrete mixer, which can be replaced with an electric drill equipped with a mixer attachment;
Construction vacuum cleaner;
Electric brush;
Level and rule;
Polishing powder;
Abrasive stones characterized by a grain size of 60-80 and 230-325;
Capacity for mixing the solution;
Rubber scrapers and shovels;
Bulgarian;
End diamond wheel.

Mosaic floors: furnishing technology

The procedure for arranging mosaic floors using marble chips includes several successive stages:

Substrate preparation, including leveling the sub-floor with a cement screed;
Installation installation of special dividers;
Preparation of concrete-marble mix;
Pouring the prepared composition followed by surface grinding.

In order to carry out the laying of mosaic floors as efficiently as possible, let's move on to a more detailed examination of each of the stages presented above.

Preparation of the base is the key to effective installation of a mosaic floor

High-quality laying of a mosaic-concrete pavement is impossible without careful preparation of the base on which it will be installed. For the preparation to be as effective as possible, you must first remove the old floor covering, and then prepare the so-called "rough" floor. According to experts, the most suitable base for mosaic flooring is a monolithic reinforced concrete slab covered with cement screed.

Let us consider step by step the process of preparing a rough base, which includes a number of consecutive mandatory operations.

First of all, the preparatory measures begin with the removal of the old floor covering, which can be represented by linoleum, laminate, parquet, as well as boards or plywood;
If, during the preparation of the base, you find cracks, irregularities or grooves, level them with a putty and fill them with a self-leveling mixture, paying special attention to the areas where the riser pipes pass;
Next, using a stiff metal brush, clean the surface of the base, which will increase the adhesive characteristics of the coating;
After cleaning the surface, make it "dust-free", taking care to remove all micro-particles formed during the cleaning of the base. For these purposes, you will need a construction vacuum cleaner;

After you have completed the preparatory activities, proceed with the installation of dividing veins, the presence of which will ensure the high strength of the flooring. If you are forming a plain floor covering, the installation of spacers is carried out in the same way as that carried out during the installation of a cement screed, that is, with a step of 1.5 m. Provided that the floor level does not exceed 25 mm, it is recommended as the most suitable spacers use square pipes with a diameter of 25x25 mm.

If you are planning to equip a floor covering with an ornament, it is important to know that the installation of dividing veins in this case will have its own characteristics. First of all, in accordance with the designed ornament and additional color inserts, make a markup on the base, then install your own separator on each detail. The dividing veins, in this case, are thin plates of brass or aluminum, each of which is characterized by a certain shape. On rare occasions, for repetitive patterns rectangular, glass partitions can be used as dividers.

Preparation of mosaic-concrete mixture: procedure

Important! In the process of arranging marble mosaic floors, it is recommended to use marble chips of various sizes, which will make it possible to "revive" and detail the prepared pattern, making it more natural. To achieve the required level of detail, marble chips are used, the size of the fraction of which reaches from 5 to 10-15 mm, selecting it in accordance with the required proportions.

Consider the procedure for preparing a working mosaic-concrete mixture.

To install mosaic floors, it is necessary to prepare a working mixture consisting of cement, marble chips, stone flour and water. To achieve the optimal consistency of the solution, rinse it before adding the marble chips. running water, which will increase the degree of adhesion to the rest of the components of the solution.
After washing the marble chips of various fractions, it is mixed in equal proportions and cement of the M400 brand is added to it at the rate of 1 part of cement for 2 parts of a mixture of marble chips of various fractions;
If you plan to make a colored floor covering by adding a dye to the mosaic mixture, the type of which depends on the original color of the marble chips and the required saturation of the pattern being prepared. In order for the pattern to acquire uniform saturation in the process of making a mosaic floor, it is necessary to first prepare a dry mixture of dyes of each shade in sufficient volume. Most often, natural pigments are used as dyes (marble flour, ocher, red lead and ultramarine). In total, the amount of dyes used should not exceed 30% of the original initial quantity cement.

Important! All the components of the mixture are mixed dry, after which water is added in such an amount that the solution acquires a uniform mushy consistency.

Important! The addition of water must be carried out in portions so as not to be mistaken with the consistency. For a more accurate calculation of the required proportion, you can use a measuring container. However, to facilitate the task, it is recommended to focus on a ratio of 1: 3: 0.5, where one part of dyes and cement accounts for three parts of a mixture of marble chips of various fractions and half of water.

Mosaic flooring technology: a step-by-step guide

The construction of marble chips floors includes the following steps:

First of all, a solution is prepared from cement and sand, taking them in the usual proportions. The consistency of an ideal mortar should resemble putty. The prepared solution is poured with a thin layer and leveled. In this way, the bottom lining is prepared;
After a slight, primary compaction of the mortar, the entire area to be mounted is filled with a mosaic mortar, which is tamped using special trowels or vibrating rails. If at the end of pouring the mosaic solution you find excess liquid, it must be removed with rubber spatula, then finally level the solution;
After the solution has solidified, which occurs within a week, the beacons are removed. To achieve a high-quality result, it is important to maintain constant moisture content during the curing period of the floor.

The final step is surface sanding

In order for the surface to acquire an elegant and attractive appearance, after its final drying, it is necessary to sand it. To carry out surface grinding, special grinding machines are used, equipped with a movable disk, on which abrasive nozzles are fixed.

Important! To facilitate and speed up the sanding procedure, moisten the surface to be treated with water and at the same time apply fine quartz sand to it. If at this stage you find any defects, they must be filled with a solution prepared in advance, after which dry, a final grout is performed using a marble bar.

If you are making a mosaic floor with a complex pattern, it is important to not only polish it, but also polish the surface, for which you can also use grinder equipped with a felt nozzle. For finishing for mosaic floors, use a wiping paste, which will increase the efficiency of the work.

Arrangement of skirting boards - an additional decorative effect

To give the flooring the finishing touch, the designers recommend placing a bet on the installation of skirting boards. Their production can be carried out both at the stage of laying the surface, and upon completion of its arrangement. A mosaic mixture similar to that used to fill the coating is used as a material for the manufacture of skirting boards. Skirting boards are manufactured using special templates that will give them the desired shape. The template can be made of wood or metal. In rare cases, for the installation of skirting boards, a cement-sand mortar is used, on which plate-tiles made of the main material of the floor covering are fixed.

How to repair mosaic floors?

Despite the fact that mosaic floors are quite unpretentious to maintain, over time they can lose their original attractiveness, which necessitates the repair of the floor covering. To return the surface to its original shine, it is necessary to polish it. To prolong the life of the concrete surface, it is recommended to use hardening impregnations and sealants, the application of which is carried out in accordance with the instructions. To make the flooring more decorative, it is covered with a special varnish.

The technology of making a mosaic floor from marble chips is quite old, as a result of which they can be seen in ancient greek temples, and in medieval castles, and in modern facilities architecture. They still do not lose their relevance, remaining a valuable cultural and architectural heritage.

Mosaic! The word is intriguing and tempting: here we also remember stories about the ancient Greeks, in long togas, pacing on the mosaic floors, heated by the sun of Hellas ... So you want to transfer all this beauty to your home. Why not? Carefully and thoughtfully read the following pages of this section - and you will succeed! True, making mosaic floors- the process is laborious. You will need special machines and tools. Stock up on appropriate building materials.

Mosaic floor It is made of monolithic concrete colored with pigments with marble aggregate aggregate. Such floors are decorative, low-abrasion, waterproof, easy to use, but have a high heat absorption. Therefore, they are laid in lobbies, sanitary facilities, in production facilities and in other rooms intended for short-term stays of people. Mosaic floors are laid on the ground or on the floor. The bottom layer of such floors is a cement screed with a thickness of at least 20 mm, the top finishing layer is made of mosaic mortar with a thickness of no more than 25 mm. The installation of mosaic floors begins after the completion of roofing, plastering and sanitary works in the house, glazing of openings, devices in the underground space of pipelines, hidden electrical wiring and laying concrete preparation under the floors.

Base under mosaic floors- concrete preparation, interfloor slab or screed laid on top of the slab - must be strong, rigid and even. The gaps between the base and the two-meter control rail are allowed no more than 10 mm. The deviation of the base surface from the horizontal or from the specified slope is not more than 0.2% of the corresponding size of the room; when the width or length of the room is more than 25 m, the deviations should not exceed 50 mm.

At the beginning of work, the surface of the hardened concrete preparation is treated with an electric brush, exposing the crushed stone. On concrete base, having gained strength, with an electric or pneumatic hammer, grooves with a depth of 3-5 mm are cut through 30-50 mm. Before laying the interlayer (the lower layer of the mosaic floor), the surface of the base is cleaned of dirt (traces of mortar, paint, oil and grease stains). Then, with steel brushes, the cement film is removed, which prevents the interlayer from adhering to the base. With a chalk-rubbed cord, the chalk line is beaten off the walls, located just above the mark of the clean upper floor covering. 1-2.5 cm are laid down from the line, which corresponds to the upper level of the lower layer of the mosaic floor. This mark on the wall is fixed with chalk. At this level, lighthouse marks are installed around the perimeter of the room at a distance of 1.5 m from one another.

After breakdown with the help of a rail and a level, beacons from pipes or rails are installed every 1-1.5 m along the width of the room. The top of the lighthouses fixes the thickness of the lower layer of the mosaic floor. Level-calibrated lighthouses are frozen to the base with cement mortar. After cleaning from debris, the base between the beacons is moistened with water and primed with cement milk. Then a screed is laid from a cement-sand mortar of grade 150. The mortar is laid in strips-grippers along the length of the room and leveled with a rake along the width of the strip bounded by the beacon. The thickness of the leveled mortar (28-30 mm) is slightly higher than the level of the beacons, taking into account the subsequent compaction.

The surface of the screed is leveled with a rule and compacted with a tamper. First, the screed is laid only on odd strips-grips, and after the solution has hardened - on even ones. In places of expansion joints, brass or glass strips (veins) are laid in the interlayer. The evenness of the laid layer is checked with a control rail in different directions. Gaps between the rail and the surface of more than 10 mm are not allowed. For better adhesion of the interlayer to the mosaic layer with a rake or a steel brush, the surface is given

In the composition of solutions for finishing coat mosaic floors includes astringent, whitening agents, fillers and pigments. Astringent - Portland cement grade 400 - is used for conventional mosaic floors... White or colored Portland cements are used for floors with enhanced decorative qualities. The cement is injected into the solution of such a color, which is necessary for a given color and pattern of the coating. Bleach - stone flour made from white and light marble and other mineral dust-like fillers with a particle size of up to 0.15 mm. The amount of bleach added depends on the degree of clarification and the brand of cement (20-40% by weight of cement). Cement is not whitened with lime or gypsum, as this may reduce the strength of the mosaic coating. Brighteners mixed with Portland cement or other binders impart mosaic coverings light tone... The amount of bleach added increases with an increase in the grade of cement. To avoid a decrease in the strength of the coating, more than 20% of a bleach is added to grade 400 cements.

Aggregate - marble, granite or other stone chips with a grain size of 2.5-15 mm. Particles evenly distributed on the front surface of the coating add decorative effect mosaic floors... The color and size of the stone chips are selected according to pre-made coating samples. At the same time, it is taken into account that the size of the crumb grains for the finishing layer of the mosaic covering with a thickness of 25 mm should not exceed 15 mm. The best decorative qualities are crumbs of white marble and granite, which give the mosaic surface an intense color and beautiful texture. Marble and marbled limestone aggregates polish well when finishing the coating. Their abrasion during operation occurs evenly. Hard stone aggregates wear less than cement stone, and over time, floors acquire a spongy and bumpy surface.

The grain size of the stone chips determines the pattern of the coating. Coarse-grained coatings are more decorative. Preferably on a sanded mosaic covering have 75-85% of the surface covered with stone aggregates, and the rest - with cement stone. Such coatings differ beautiful view and abrasion resistance. Pigments - mineral dyes - ocher ( yellow), red lead and mummy (red-brown or red), chromium oxide (green), ultramarine (blue), manganese peroxide (black). Pigments pre-mixed with cement are applied in a volume depending on their coloring power, but not more than 15% of the cement mass.

The quality of mosaic solutions is determined by the choice of components, their composition and the requirements of the project (you can consult with your designer on this issue). Pigments for coloring mosaic compositions must be alkali-resistant, that is, not change color from the action of cements and other materials containing alkali, have good coloring ability and be lightfast. Small volumes of mosaic solution for flooring in a separate room can be easily prepared by hand in any suitable box for this purpose. Washed stone chips with grains of 2.5-15 mm in fine, medium and coarse fractions are thoroughly mixed. Cement, pigment and bleach in the amount prescribed by the recipe are also mixed and sieved through a sieve with a size of 900 holes / cm 2. Dyes are dosed by weight, everything else by volume.

A portion of stone chips (different fractions) is mixed with a dosed mixture of cement, pigment and bleach. The composition to be mixed is moistened with water from a watering can. The amount of water (water-cement ratio) should be minimal (0.5-0.6 by weight of cement), ensuring workability and compaction of the prepared mosaic mix... With a significant amount of work mosaic mortars prepared in cyclic mortar mixers installed in a special room, where a gravel washer is also placed for washing stone chips. If you are planning a large amount of work of this kind, we advise you to provide for the use of the necessary mechanisms.

Cement, sand, dyes, crumbs of various fractions are placed closer to the mortar mixer. Measured portions of cement, dye, bleach are poured into a mortar mixer and, while stirring, stone chips of different fractions and water are added. The mixing time is 5 minutes.

On construction sites mosaic mortars prepared from factory-made dry mixes. Mixtures are prepared immediately over the entire area of the room to ensure uniformity of the coating. Water is added to the dry mixture and washed crumbs and mixed in a mixer for 2 minutes. Prepared mosaic solutions for the top floor covering must have a grade of at least 200 and a mobility at the time of installation of 2-4 cm.

Mosaic floor, in which the fillers and the background of the coating are the same in color, is called one-color. These floors are either solid or separated by strips of glass or brass into small squares. Before laying the covering, the surface of the lower layer is cleaned of debris and dust (as usual, use a metal brush or vacuum cleaner for this). Then, along the long sides of the room, the surface is marked out into strips 1.5 m wide for the installation of beacons. Steel pipes or wooden slats are used as lighthouses. From the wall, where the mark of the upper floor covering is taken out, beacons are installed using a rail and a level, fixing the level of the mosaic covering, the height of which is 20-25 mm. They are installed either immediately over the entire area of the room, or on separate grips. Fix the beacons with fixing marks from the solution.

Just before laying mosaic mortar the surface of the interlayer is moistened with water. The solution is shoveled before laying to evenly distribute the crumbs in it. Then the strips between the beacons are filled with the solution. The laid mixture is leveled with a rake or a trowel. The rule should not be used for this purpose, so as not to move the large crumb. The horizontality of the leveled mortar is controlled by a rule resting on beacon pipes or rails.

When leveling the next section, the compacted areas of the coating are overlapped by 10-15 cm. Near the walls and in others hard-to-reach places the compaction is carried out by rammers or hand rollers, moved first in the longitudinal and then in the transverse directions. You will also need this type of tool when working on small areas, at home. From the surface of the compacted mosaic layer, cement milk is removed using a scoop and a brush, or a broom. The milk left on the surface, having hardened, forms a film of cement stone, covering the crumb. After removing the laitance, the compacted mosaic mortar is smoothed with steel trowels, achieving an even coating surface. At the same time, they make sure that the crumb is evenly distributed over the surface, and add to those places where it is not enough.

The strips are filling mosaic mortar through one. The mixture is placed in the skipped strips after the mortar has set, after removing the beacons. The furrows remaining after the lighthouses are filled with fresh mosaic mortar so that longitudinal stripes on the floor surface are not visible. The gaps where the floors adjoin walls, columns and other structures are filled with a roofing or roofing felt gasket and covered with a plinth. Such gaps prevent the appearance of cracks in the floors when the building settles.

For the installation of the plinth, a wooden template up to 2 m long is used. The profile side of the template is laid against the wall and pressed with a load. The gap between the wall and the template is filled with a hard mortar, sealing it with a tiled spatula. After filling the gap, the template is rearranged to the next section. After two days, a freshly laid mosaic floor is covered with sawdust with a layer of 3-5 cm thick or covered with burlap and watered with water from a watering can every day, for about 4-7 days. When the room temperature is above 15 ° C, the coating is watered in the morning and evening for 3-4 days. If you follow this care regimen mosaic coating- it will serve you much longer.

And yet, mosaic is more than just a plain covering, albeit made from crumbs of natural colored stone. Admit it, the word "mosaic" evokes in you strong associations associated with childhood: colorful pieces laid out in the most fantastic plots ... Colorful, isn't it? This means that our mosaic floor should also be multi-colored. So, mosaic floors decorated with diamonds, squares and other shapes different colors are called multicolor. They are arranged with gaskets made of metal, glass and other materials along the contour of the pattern or without them. Laying multi-colored coatings without gaskets begins with marking and chalk fixing the pattern on the surface of the interlayer.

First, slats are laid on the border of the frieze. Then the space between them is filled wooden frames for printing a picture. Fascia slats and frames are laid in a square and level with a lath. Their top is placed at the level of the future coating. The slats and frames, laid in accordance with the markings, are fixed in the horizontal plane with spacers with wedges, and in the vertical plane - with stamps from the solution. Light styling mosaic mix start with frieze areas. Then the dark color mixture is filled in the squares between the frames. After hardening mosaic concrete carefully remove frames and slats. The grooves remaining between the squares are filled with a mosaic mixture of a different color. The mortar is laid with a shovel, leveling with a rake or a tiler's spatula, but not as a rule, so as not to cause uneven distribution of the crumb in the surface layer.

The horizontality of the laid mixture is checked by the rule along the upper edges of the lighthouse rails and frames. The solution is compacted with metal or wooden rammers, smoothed with steel floats. In multi-colored floor coverings with spacers, the pattern is framed with non-removable spacer veins embedded in the floor structure. Work begins with marking the contours of the drawing - the places where the gaskets are installed, fixed with cords or chalk on the surface of the interlayer. Then the veins are installed. With an uncured solution, the interlayers along the contour of the pattern with a spatula or a cut cut grooves into which the veins are inserted. With a hardened interlayer, the veins are installed on mortar marks and temporarily fixed with a U-shaped clamp. As veins, strips of glass with a thickness of 3-5 mm or of brass, aluminum or of stainless steel thickness 1-2 mm. In the lower part of the metal veins 1.5 m long, three holes with a diameter of 4-5 mm are drilled for nails that act as anchors. The veins are driven into the hardened layer to ensure stability and secure adhesion to the mosaic mortar. If necessary, before installation, the metal veins are straightened with a mallet hammer. The height of the veins is 1-1.5 mm higher than the thickness of the face layer mosaic floors... The level of the upper edge is verified according to the level and the rail and fixed with mortar marks.

In the places where the floors adjoin the columns and pilasters, veins or gaskets of roofing are laid to prevent deformation of the coating when the building settles. The veins-gaskets, verified and fixed with the solution, form a rigid frame for the mosaic solution. The cells formed by the veins are sequentially filled with a solution of two colors in a checkerboard pattern. The laid mortar is leveled with a tiled spatula, compacted with rammers or rollers until cement milk appears on the surface. At the same time, they are monitored so as not to displace the veins and thereby not distort the outline of the drawing. After removing the laitance, the surface of the compacted mortar is smoothed in a circular motion using steel trowels.

Coating mosaic floors decorate with round rosettes made of multicolor solution. Round templates are used for their device. They are laid on an interlayer (in accordance with the project) and framed with a metal vein tightly adjacent to the outer contour. In this position, the template is left until the installation of the coating is completed. After the mortar has set, the round template is carefully removed and another, square one, also framed with a metal vein, is laid in its place. The place inside the circle, not occupied by the square template, is filled with a colored solution. By changing the shape and size of the templates, a multicolor rosette is obtained. Stacking multicolor mosaic covering ends with a skirting board. The maintenance of a freshly laid multi-color floor is the same as of a single-color mosaic floor.

The first stage of the work is completed - you have laid the mosaic covering. But it still looks somehow, to put it mildly, "not very". Surface hardened mosaic floors covered with the remains of a film of cement stone, it is uneven and uniform. Do not be discouraged, these shortcomings are eliminated at the second stage of work, when finishing the coating.

The finishing of mosaic coverings includes the following operations: - peeling - removal of the upper porous layer of cement stone and exposure of the decorative aggregate; - grinding - finishing the surface up to its maximum saturation with decorative filler; - polishing - rubbing with felt or woolen circles the surface moistened and sprinkled with powders (chromium or tin oxides) to a mirror-like shine.

Finish quality of most mosaic floors provide roughing and grinding. This work begins approximately 5-7 days after the floor is laid, when the coating acquires sufficient strength so that the crumb does not break out. On construction sites, where, as a rule, large areas of coverage, floor finishing is performed self-propelled mosaic grinder, with a productivity up to 200 m 2 / h. The machine is designed on a chassis with a swivel crosshead with grinding heads with abrasive wheels. The car is moving from the electric drive. The traverse with grinding heads is raised and lowered by a special mechanism. For small volumes of work, a mosaic grinder of a simpler design with a capacity of up to 12 m 2 / h is used. The working body of the machine is a traverse with a stone holder for fixing roughing, grinding or polishing wheels.

Before peeling, the coating surface is moistened with water and sprinkled with quartz sand with a layer of 5-6 mm. The grinders are placed on the floor. Hoses with water are connected to them, adjusting the stream so that it is supplied to the surface in a thin layer. A layer of sand on the surface prevents the formation of scratches from rough rough-grained wheels, and at the same time the wheels themselves wear less. Move mosaic grinder in front of you with slow arcuate movements (left - right). Having finished one strip of coating to the end, the next is processed in the opposite direction.

When peeling coatings with marble chips, soda ash is added to the water (1-1.2 kg per 1m 3 of water). This surfactant reduces finish time. Roughing is continued until stone chips are exposed. Small waste (sludge) generated during this process is removed with a shovel. Then the surface of the coating is moistened with water, removing the remnants of dirt and moisture with a brush and a scoop. Hard-to-reach spots of coatings (corners, near-wall zones) are processed with a universal grinder with a flexible shaft, powered by an electric motor.

For small volumes, such places are manually finished with grinding wheels inserted into the holder. The skirting boards are sanded with a profile grinder with a set of interchangeable heads. The crumbled individual particles of stone chips on the surface of the coating are filled with cement mortar of the color of the coating. Scratches and small pores are moistened and sprinkled with dry tinted cement.

After finishing the roughing, proceed to grinding, having previously replaced in grinding machines coarse-grained circles into fine-grained. Grinding of mosaic floors is carried out in the same way as roughing. At the end of the work, the coating is cleaned and washed with water. By peeling and grinding, remove the top layer, about 5-7 mm. After these operations, the treated surface is maximally saturated with grains of stone chips, which makes the coating decorative.

Polishing. Mosaic coverings are polished for high-quality finishing of building floors. In this case, the surface is putty, clean grinding, polishing and actual polishing are performed. For filling, the sanded and moistened surface is sprinkled with dry white or colored Portland cement to match the color of the coating. The moistened cement is rubbed into the surface of the coating with rotating wheels of grinders. In this case, the machines are moved backwards so that the putty layer is not removed with the wheels of the machines and with their feet. For clean sanding use mosaic grinders with fine-grained wheels. In this case, remove excess filler. Glazing in small volumes is performed manually with natural slate stone. But for this operation, mosaic grinding machines are often used. After polishing, the surface acquires a matte shade and becomes smooth, slightly rough to the touch.

Polishing begins after rinsing the surface with water. This operation is performed by mosaic grinders with felt or cloth wheels, while sprinkling the surface with polishing powder. Often, instead of polishing, the surface of mosaic floors is covered with a wax paste, which includes the following components (in mass parts): turpentine or gasoline - 10, stearin - 2, paraffin - 1, wax - 1, rosin - 0.25. Stearin, paraffin, wax and rosin are melted and after stirring the mixture is diluted with turpentine or gasoline. The resulting paste is applied with polishing brushes on the floor surface in a thin uniform layer. Then, using electric polishing or mosaic-grinding machines with felt or cloth circles, the coating is rubbed to a mirror finish.

In hard-to-reach places (in corners, near walls), this work is done manually with floor polishing brushes or wooden blocks covered with felt. Mosaic floors under operating conditions, periodically rub with such a paste. Remember how Cinderella in the famous cartoon drove around on brushes, polishing the parquet and at the same time rubbing it with mastic? It would be good for you to do something like this from time to time - the decorative and water-repellent properties of the mosaic floor will only increase from this.

A polymer-cement-concrete floor is a mixture of stone chips, sand, cement, polyvinyl acetate dispersion and dyes laid in the coating and hardened. Such floors are durable, wear-resistant, hygienic, decorative, do not deteriorate when exposed to gasoline and mineral oils. They are most often arranged in the lobbies of residential buildings, in production premises with increased requirements for floor cleanliness.

Polymer-cement-concrete floors are laid both on the ground and on the interfloor floor. The lower layer of such floors is a screed made of cement-sand mortar of grade 200, the top finishing layer 20 mm thick - grade not lower than 200. First, preparatory work is carried out. Before laying the coating, the lower layer is cleaned metal brushes and washed with water. Immediately before laying the mixture, the surface of the interlayer is primed with an aqueous solution of a 1: 1 PVA dispersion. A polymer-cement-concrete mixture is prepared at the site of the coating device in concrete mixers.

The composition of the polymer-cement-concrete mixture (in mass parts): 50% PVA dispersion - 0.3; Portland cement grade 400 - 1; sand - 1.4; stone chips with a size of 5-10 mm - 2; pigments (chromium oxide, redoxide) - 0.05-0.1; water - 0.25. First, a dispersion of PVA with water is loaded into the mixer, then pigments with cement, and after mixing - sand and stone chips. Mixing time 8-10 minutes. The prepared rigid-plastic polymer-cement-concrete mixture should be consumed within 1-2 hours. The prepared mixture is placed in strips of rails or pipes, leveled by the rule, moving it along the longitudinal beacons, and compacted with vibrators until moisture appears on its surface. In corners and in other hard-to-reach areas, the mixture is compacted with hand rammers.

The laid mixture is smoothed with steel floats. When laying the mixture in even stripes, the vertical edges of the hardened polymer-cement concrete are cleaned of dirt and dust, and then moistened with water. In the places of the longitudinal seams, between the strips to be laid, the mixture is compacted and smoothed to make the joint invisible. Freshly laid polymer-cement-concrete floors gain strength during wet conditions... To do this, 2 days after installation, they are watered with water once a day for 3-4 days. The front surface is finished with mosaic grinders after the coating has acquired sufficient strength to exclude the possibility of crumbling stone chips. Polymer-cement-concrete floors are finished in the same way as mosaic coatings.

The final finishing begins with the search and detection of defects. When installing mosaic floors, defects may occur due to a violation of the technology of work, the use of low-quality materials, deviations from the requirements of the project, and the low qualifications of the laying master.

The pounding of the coating is detected by tapping the floor. In defective areas, a dull sound indicates the detachment of the mosaic layer from the lower layer or from the base. Such areas of the coating are removed. A notch is made on the base or layer, washed with water and the mosaic mixture is again laid, matching it to the color of the undamaged coating. Longitudinal or transverse cracks in the pavement appear due to the absence of expansion joints in the preparation (sub-base layer). To eliminate the defect, this area is removed and the expansion joint in the underlying layer and in the mosaic is restored. Small cavities on the surface of the coating arise due to the chipping of stone chips during mechanical processing of an insufficiently hardened mosaic floor. Eliminate sinks on the surface of the mosaic floor by applying a layer of putty (from a mixture of cement, marble flour and dye) to the coating and then sanding.

The uneven distribution of stone chips on the surface of the coating is due to insufficient grinding of the mosaic coating, as a result of which the coarse aggregate is not completely exposed. This defect can be caused by poor mixing of the mosaic mix before laying or improper leveling. The most noticeable places with this defect are cut down, after which the mosaic mixture is again laid to match the color of the coating. Areas of the non-sanded surface of the coating are removed by grinding. In hard-to-reach places, sanding is performed manually. Efflorescences in mosaic pavements are caused by the action of the alkali in cement and other materials on the pigments. Places with the most noticeable defects are cut down and the mosaic mixture is again laid to match the color of the coating, but with alkali-resistant pigments.

Finished mosaic floors must be horizontal, level and smooth surface... Clearances when checking the coverage plane with a control rail are allowed no more than 4 mm; deviation of the floor surface from the horizontal or a given slope - up to 0.2% of the size of the room; deviation of the thickness of the floor elements from the design in some places - no more than 10%. The pattern and color of the mosaic pavement must match the project. Cracks or stains are not allowed on the surface. Separating strips (veins) should not have curvatures, their upper edge should be located in the plane of the covering. In places where floors adjoin walls, columns and others structural elements gaps and crevices not covered by the skirting board are also unacceptable. Skirting boards for indoor floors must be straight and free from noticeable curvatures in height and thickness.

It is not out of place to once again recall the safety precautions in the production of facing and laying works. Try to organize your workplace so that stable work safety is ensured. You need to stock up on a set of rational means of mechanization, tools, devices designed for the safety of tiling work. When preparing the base for floors, the surface incision with a hand or power tool must be carried out with protective goggles and gloves. Avoiding lungs work injuries, the handles of the tools must be smooth and the tools themselves must be firmly seated in their handles.

Cement, pigments and dry mixtures for the preparation of mosaic mortars must be dosed with goggles and respirators. Do not start working with the mosaic grinder hoping to learn how to operate it yourself. It is best to receive special training and safety instruction from an experienced technician. Before starting work, you need to check the serviceability of the grinder, pay special attention to the tightening of the fastening bolts, the strength of the attachment in the holder of the abrasive wheels and the accuracy of the starting device. The machine body must be grounded and the grinding wheel holders must be covered with protective covers. During work, it is necessary to ensure that the body of the machine is in a horizontal position. In the event of a knocking, overheating of the electric motor, a sudden stop and other malfunctions, it is necessary to turn off the current and consult a specialist.

The supply cables of electrical machines must not have kinks and must not intersect with other live wires. Grinding wheels can be changed, cleaned, lubricated and repaired only after they have been stopped and disconnected from the mains. Accidental supply of voltage must be excluded. Mosaic work with the use of grinding machines, electrified tools is performed only in rubber shoes and rubber gloves.

In some rooms, it may be necessary to use window sills, steps or overhead treads for facing stairs. It is also quite possible to cope with these works on your own. Window slabs form the window opening from the inside. They are installed after filling the opening. window block and caulking joints in the places of its abutment to the walls. First, wooden wedges (50 mm thick) are laid out at the same distance from one another: two wedges along the edges of the window opening, one or two in the middle. Then a window sill plate is laid on them. The laid slab is adjusted in height by knocking or hammering wedges. At the same time, make sure that the top of the plates to be installed within the apartment is at the same level. In the longitudinal direction, the slab is laid strictly horizontally, and in the transverse direction - with a slope of 1% inside the room. The ends of the sill slab embedded in the walls must be the same.

After completing the alignment, the slab is removed and the cement mortar is placed between the wedges 2-3 mm above the laid wedges. Crushed stone is embedded in a layer of mortar with a thickness of more than 2 mm in order to impart rigidity to the mortar layer. A window-sill plate is laid on the prepared mortar bed, settling it with hammer blows on wooden block... After a day, wedges are carefully removed from under the laid plate, and the resulting voids are sealed with a solution. After that, the ends of the slabs in the slopes of the opening are covered with bricks. The surface of the installed window-sill slabs is covered with tar paper or glassine, which protects it from contamination during other construction work. If the slabs are unpolished, then the surface is polished with a special paste.

Steps laid on inclined beams are used to construct stairs. The assembly of such stairs begins with the lower frieze step, which lies in the same plane with the lower platform. Then the ordinary steps are laid. The staircase ends with an upper frieze step located in the plane of the upper platform. Overhead treads are used for facing staircases in buildings with increased requirements for the quality of finishes. Before the wall starts working staircase must be plastered or veneered. The treads are laid from top to bottom. An overhead tread is placed on the mortar layer on the upper frieze step so that the tread level is at the level of the staircase floor. Then, along the end of the upper frieze tread, the mooring cord is pulled along the length of the march to be lined. The surface of the flight of stairs is moistened and a layer of hard cement-sand mortar is spread.

An overhead tread is laid on the leveled surface, upsetting it to the desired level with hammer blows on a wooden block. The correct laying of treads is controlled by a stretched cord, a rule-rail and a level. The ends of all treads should be adjacent to the stretched cord, be in one vertical plane... Rake-rule is applied against the wall and at the end of the treads. It should touch the edges of the upper frieze tread and all others laid below. When there is a gap, the tread is pushed out or, conversely, raised by placing a layer of mortar. Level check the horizontalness of the tread surface in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

Lined with overhead treads flight of stairs enclose and incubate for 2-3 days until the solution hardens. Then the vertical walls (risers) of the march are plastered with cement mortar and fences are installed. Later, before the completion of all construction work, that is, in the very last place, the surface of the steps and overhead treads is polished with a special paste.

As you know, breccia is a rock consisting of cemented fragments of one or more rocks. In construction, artificial breccia or so-called breccia slabs are used for flooring. Brecciated slabs have dimensions of 400x400 or 500x500 mm and a thickness of 35-50 mm. Their front surface, similar to the spotted texture of natural marble, is highly decorative. Such plates are made in metal forms. Pieces of marble tiles 10-12 mm thick are laid at the bottom of the mold, leaving wide joints between them, filled with stone chips. Then the plastic cement mortar is spread and the reinforcing mesh is embedded. The rest of the mold space is filled with concrete mixture 25-35 mm thick.

The molds with the compacted mixture are placed in a steaming chamber, where they are kept for 12-16 hours at a temperature of 80-90 ° C. After that, the plates are freed from the forms and processed on grinding machines - first they are ground and then polished. Brecciated slabs with a finished front surface are used for flooring in rooms with large area- for example, halls, lobbies, common corridors... Plates are laid on a rigid, leveled base on a layer of cement mortar. The breakdown of the pavement and the laying technology are the same as for the installation of floors from mosaic-concrete slabs. Composite brecciated coverings, separated by veins, are made from pieces (broken) of granite and marble slabs 15-30 mm thick. A cement-sand mortar is laid and leveled on the prepared base in squares bounded by veins. At the same time, make sure that the solution does not reach the upper edge of the veins by about 5-7 mm with a slab breakage thickness of 10-12 mm and by 10-15 mm with a slab breakage thickness of 20-30 mm. Pieces of plates for a type-setting coating device are pre-selected in thickness.

Filling the squares of the coating begins with laying in the center of the lighthouse tile and upsetting it with a rule-rail to the top of the installed veins. Then the pieces of slabs are randomly stacked, leaving seams between them 5-7 mm wide. If you make the seams wider, this will lead to a decrease in the decorative qualities of typeset mosaic coverings. The pieces of slabs laid on the surface of the mortar are upset with a lath-rule to the level of the lighthouse plate and the top of the veins. If the laid out slabs have not settled to the required level, they are upset with light hammer blows on a wooden block. Having laid the coating in a cell bounded by veins, they clean the seams to the depth of the tiles embedded in the solution. This operation is performed with a steel brush, removing the solution with a brush or compressed air. The cleared grooves of the seams are slightly moistened with water.

Then, on the surface of the cell, a plastic solution of colored or ordinary Portland cement is poured into a thin layer, after which it is leveled with a spatula, filling the seams in the coating. After 1.5-2 hours, when the solution is set, working with a spatula "on a sdir", the coating is cleaned of excess solution. The seams between the tiles are rubbed with steel floats. Continuous brecciated coverings are laid in alternating (one through one) longitudinal stripes 1-1.2 m wide. Tubular or rack beacons are installed and fixed on the prepared and leveled layer according to the level. The strips between the lighthouses are filled with cement-sand mortar of grade 150. Lighthouse plates are laid along the leveled screed in a checkerboard pattern after 80-100 cm, controlling their position along the established longitudinal beacons. The gaps between the lighthouses are filled with fragments of marble slabs, embedded in the mortar layer. At the same time, it is ensured that the surface of the slabs forming the coating is at the same level, and the width of the joints between the stacked fragments of the slabs does not exceed 5-7 mm. Further work technology is the same as for the construction of brecciated coverings, separated by veins.

Brecciated coverings with mosaic stripes begin to be laid from type-setting areas consisting of fragments of marble slabs. Then the strips are filled with colored mosaic mortar with stone chips. The seams between the individual elements of the coating are filled with a 1: 1 cement mortar tinted with pigments. Care for freshly laid brecciated floors is the same as for mosaic floors. 5-6 days after the coating gains strength, they start grinding and polishing. Inlaid mosaic floors can have a decorative pattern in the form of a V-ornament or stylized images of leaves, flowers, etc. Such coatings are arranged directly on the underlying layer. Preliminarily, a drawing is applied on the surface of the underlying layer with chalk, which is then drawn from tiles and pieces of decorative stone. Straight lines are marked with a ruler, curves - with special templates (patterns). In accordance with the drawing, tiles of the required color and pieces of stone of the appropriate shade and size are laid on the cement mortar. The surface of the laid out pattern is checked by the level and rule to comply with the design mark of the coating.

Drawings for mosaic floors are also transferred from a sheet of paper. To do this, a thin sheet with a full-size drawing is laid on an underlying layer moistened with cement milk. Then, pieces of stones are laid out on paper, laid on a cement mortar, exactly according to the pattern, forming a color mosaic image. To transfer drawings in which there are many curved lines, special wooden templates are made. Their height corresponds to the layer of the laid out mosaic. Complex multi-color patterns of inlaid mosaic floors are pre-assembled and laid dry on a wooden stand. At the end of the set, sheets of paper are glued to the surface of the pattern, on top of which a serpyanka or other rare-woven material is additionally glued. The resulting pattern or its individual fragments are carefully laid over a layer of cement mortar in the place intended for it in the coating. Embedding in the mortar mixture, the sheets of paper (the surface of the pattern) are pressed with strips so that the pattern is at the level of the laid coating. After the solution has hardened, the pre-soaked serpyanka and paper are removed from the surface of the drawing. Then the coating with typesetting patterns is ground and polished. When installing breccia and other type-mosaic coatings, fragments of slabs, pieces of stone chips and a solution that binds them must have the same abrasion resistance so that during operation they wear out evenly and the floor surface does not become bumpy and spongy.

A mastic coating is a monolithic film of hardened polymer composition that forms the front surface of the floor. Having prepared the base for the floor, it is applied from a sprinkler or liquid mastic is poured onto it and leveled with a toothed rack until it acquires the required thickness. Then let it harden. After the mastic hardens, an even, smooth coating is formed without cracks and seams. The mastic is usually applied in two steps: first, the bottom layer is made, which serves to level out minor irregularities in the base, then the top one, which becomes the front surface of the floor.

As the basis for the mastic floor, rigid screeds of expanded clay concrete, mortar are used; prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs with a flat surface are also used. Mastic floors can be made warm and cold. If the floor is laid on a cement-sand mortar screed or on the surface of a reinforced concrete floor slab, it turns out to be cold. If a screed made of cinder concrete, expanded clay concrete and other lightweight concrete is used, the floor is warm. Depending on the type of bonding material, the floors are made of mastic.

Polyvinyl acetate floors are durable, beautiful, wear-resistant, hygienic, and differ in a variety of shades. This coating consists of a mixture of polyvinyl acetate dispersion, fillers and colorants. However, it reacts very poorly to high temperatures and systematic humidification, therefore, such a coating is not recommended for use in showers and bathrooms. Unlike polyvinyl acetate, polyester coatings are not afraid of water and have the same qualities. They consist of a mixture of polyester resin with a hardener, filler and colorant. After manufacturing, they quickly acquire operational qualities; in 1-2 days after laying, you can already walk on them calmly.

Epoxy coatings are highly durable and resistant to aggressive chemical attack. They are made from a mixture of epoxy and urea-formaldehyde resins with a hardener, filler and dye. It is advisable to arrange such floors in a workshop or garage. The quality and durability of mastic floors largely depend on how carefully the base is prepared for them. It should be flat, firm and dry enough. Its moisture content should not exceed 5%. For the construction of the base, concretes and mortars with a grade of at least 150 are used. They are laid in a layer 20-50 mm thick, compacted and smoothed. Simultaneously with the base, it is necessary to make skirting boards from cement-sand mixture, limiting the area on which the mastic will be poured. For the manufacture of skirting boards, they take a cement-sand mixture of 1: 3 composition and seal it with a PVA dispersion prepared from one part of glue and three parts of water. The screed must be solid. It is checked by tapping and when a defective place is found, which is fixed by the appearance of a dull knock, this place is destroyed, the remains of cement chips and dust are removed and primed with cement milk.

Then they are closed with a solution, leveling the surface with the level of the surrounding base. To make the connecting seam invisible, the solution is compacted and smoothed at the interface. All sinks and sinkholes with a depth of more than 10 mm are sealed with a solution, having previously cleaned them of dust and primed with cement milk. Depressions and cracks up to 10 mm deep are sealed with polymer-cement mortar, before that they have been cleaned of dust and primed with a 10% aqueous solution of PVA. Polymer cement mortar is made from a dry cement-sand mixture of grade 150 and a plasticized dispersion of PVA, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 4. If the base contains a lot of cracks, recesses, cavities and other defects, it must be leveled with a layer of polymer cement mortar 10-15 mm thick ...

The horizontalness of the base is checked with a two-meter control rail. The gaps between the floor and the batten must not exceed 2 mm. The finished base is cleaned of debris and dust is removed with a vacuum cleaner or hair brush. The moisture content of the base should not exceed 5%, since an increase in moisture reduces the adhesion strength of the mastic to the base surface, and also significantly lengthens the time of its final hardening. The base prepared in this way is primed with a 10% aqueous solution of PVA dispersion, and a continuous layer of polyvinyl acetate putty is applied over the dried primer. The putty is applied "on the sdir" with a layer of up to 0.5 mm, using a textolite spatula with a long handle. In this case, caverns up to 5 mm deep are closed. The putty should have the consistency of thick sour cream and consist of the following components: 1 part - 400 Portland cement, 4 parts - fine sand with a grain size of up to 0.25 mm, 0.25 parts - alkali-resistant pigment.

Then the putty surface is sanded and kept for 1-2 days, after which the device of the mastic floor itself is started. After the putty has dried, a leveling layer is applied, for which a mastic of a more rigid composition is used, containing a large number of filler. The walls are covered with shields or other material, since they can be stained when spraying mastic. The leveling layer is made with a thickness of 2-2.5 mm. You can control the thickness of the layer by immersing a metal ruler with divisions into the still uncured mastic or using a wire gauge for this purpose. When spraying mastic, make sure that bubbles do not appear on the surface, which, drying faster than the rest of the mass, violate the homogeneity of the mastic composition.

The leveling layer dries for 6-8 hours, after which it is leveled by cutting off the tubercles with a knife or spatula, and the cavities are filled with mastic of the same color. Thereafter, a topcoat is applied. For it, a more elastic mastic is used, containing less filler. The thickness of the front layer should not exceed 1.2-1.3 mm. The floor will dry faster if you arrange active ventilation in the room, and after 5-7 days it will be ready for use. At lower temperatures, floor drying can take up to 10 days. Mastic coatings have the property of improving their qualities over time, and not vice versa. Water evaporates from the hardened mastic and it becomes more resistant to abrasion, while maintaining elasticity and resilience. The improvement of the quality of the mastic floor is facilitated by its coating with varnish.

Used for arranging floor coverings. Due to its increased resistance to wear and the widest decorative possibilities, its popularity does not fall even today.

Today, concrete mosaic floors can be found in administrative buildings, shopping centers, children's educational institutions and other public premises. Moreover, when creating interior projects for luxury apartments, designers are increasingly using this type of decoration. Why are mosaic floors so good, how are they made and is it possible to install them? with my own hands, we will consider in this article.

Brief characteristics of self-leveling marble floors

Filling the floor involves the following work:

The usual cement-sand mortar is mixed, from which the base for the coating will be poured. It is poured in a small layer and leveled.
After the base is slightly compacted, you can start pouring the decorative mixture.
The finished composition is distributed over the cells (up to the level of dividing elements), according to the intended pattern and leveled with a vibrating plate or trowels.
When the entire surface is well tamped and smoothed, you can take out the dividing strips, and fill the resulting voids with a solution.
The final solidification of the surface occurs in a week. Until then, care must be taken to keep it slightly damp. For best results it should be sprayed with water (once a day) and covered with plastic.

Grinding

At the final stage, the concrete mosaic floors are sanded. This is necessary in order for the coating to acquire a glossy effect. You can start work in a week from the moment the solution is poured.

The surface is moistened with water and sprinkled with sand. Thus, a rough peeling of the top layer is carried out. If in the process of work dents and voids are found, they are filled with cement mortar and rubbed with marble bars.

Final sanding is carried out with a special machine with felt attachments and polishing powder. After the work done, the mosaic structure will become more visible, and the floor will look smooth and shiny.

It is a dull and gray finish. However, not everyone realizes that it can be unusual and very interesting. Concrete-mosaic floors are far from a new trend in the field of repair, but they have recently been undeservedly forgotten. It's time to fix that oversight and learn how to create this type of coverage in your home.

Concrete mosaic floor - photo

For the first time, such a coating appeared in Venice, and until now the unique knowledge of creating such beauty is passed on by Venetian builders to their students. But, as you know, everything that attracts a person's attention and likes him eventually becomes the property of the whole world, and therefore Venetian technology the installation of mosaic floors has now spread to all countries. The name of this floor is also "Venetian" - terrazzo.

On a note! Previously, mosaic floors, due to their high cost and complex manufacturing, were an indicator of the security of a person who paid for the creation of such a covering in his home. As a rule, this type of decoration could only be found in temples, palaces, castles, etc.

Floor mosaics of the Ca 'd'Oro palace in Venice

Nowadays, mosaic floors can be seen in buildings for various purposes. As a rule, they settle in halls, large halls, offices. But, unfortunately, traditions often crowd out new trends and more and more often in buildings you can see not marble or mosaics on the floor, but ordinary laminate or tiles.

The basis of the mosaic-concrete floor is, as you might guess, the concrete itself, as well as marble chips left after processing this stone. In such a coating, the concrete mixture becomes solid foundation floor, and small pieces of marble act as filler or cover the surface of the concrete. By the way, instead of marble chips, other minerals are sometimes used or materials that do not belong to this group at all.

Marble itself is a natural rock that is well known for its strength characteristics and unique structure. The material does not absorb water, is resistant to physical influences, and is not afraid of various chemicals falling on the surface. That is why marble is often used in construction industry... And its beautiful appearance allows you to expand the scope of using the stone and use it for decoration.

The thickness of the concrete screed, usually made of sand-cement mortar, is 20-35 mm, and provided that underfloor heating is installed - 40 mm or more. It serves as a solid base for the mosaic-stone mixture. The thickness of the latter is 15-25 mm and often depends on the size of the filler fractions.

It is interesting that concrete-mosaic floors containing marble chips are in no way inferior in strength to marble itself. Such a coating is reliable, strong and capable of serving for decades without loss of performance and without repair. But such a floor will cost less than solid marble slabs.

Scope and features of the use of mosaic floors

Marble chips, traditionally part of the mixture for creating such a floor, is now the most demanded and economical material of all that can only be obtained directly from the stone itself. It is especially often used in interior decoration, as it allows you to give any surface a very unusual, beautiful and presentable look.

Thus, concrete mosaic floors are an excellent option for finishing premises for absolutely any purpose, be it an office or a house, a warehouse or Big hall, bathroom or hall. Due to their high strength, they are used in workshops, garages, lobbies, etc. It is interesting that such a floor will not spark when struck, which means that it meets fire safety requirements, for which it is appreciated in enterprises.

On a note! Most often, of course, such floors are installed in public buildings - clinics and hospitals, offices, shopping centers, etc. The house does not always have a place to create such a foundation.

But even in housing, you can sometimes find a place where the mosaic floor will look beautiful. This can be a room with a swimming pool, bathroom or toilet. Also, the mosaic floor will fit well into the interior of a corridor or hall. However, in the bedroom or in the nursery, you should not mount it - it will turn out to be too cold a coating, albeit beautiful.

Mosaic floors - photo

Advantages of concrete mosaic floors:

very durable, wear-resistant and will perfectly serve for a long time, even in places with high traffic;
resistant to moisture - do not absorb it and do not collapse under its influence;
look beautiful and have a lot of different colors;
make it possible to create an unusual and memorable floor;
do not fade in the sun;
environmentally friendly;
easy to care for, easy to clean;
are not afraid of mechanical stress of any type;
are distinguished by high indicators of fire safety.

Disadvantages of concrete-mosaic floors:

cold to the touch, in some types of premises they require laying a heating system;
sometimes they turn yellow, somewhat losing their decorative qualities;
difficult to dismantle;
require special attention already at the stage of choosing a pattern, and not only during the arrangement;
far from cheap.

Types and features of mosaic floors

Mosaic floors come in several types. They differ mainly in the type of filler, sometimes - in the type of concrete mixture.

Table. Types of concrete mosaic floors, depending on the base.

Floor type	Characteristic
	In appearance, such a coating may resemble ordinary concrete. Portland cement acts as a binder. All kinds of minerals serve as a filler. Installation is no different from pouring a screed with ordinary concrete, sometimes the layer is reinforced. The thickness of such a base can be at least 5 cm, and the layer of filler - at least 2 cm. A relatively inexpensive option for arranging a mosaic floor. Can be polished.
	In this case, polymer components are also introduced into the mixture, which have a positive effect on the appearance of the floors. Usually these are epoxy and polyurethane substances. The thickness of the layer will depend on the size of the filler fractions, but in general it starts from 1.5 cm. The base for pouring such a floor must be primed. It is necessary to apply a finishing protective layer.
	The mixture that is used in this case is used in the same way as self-leveling floors. Contains polymer components. In addition to mineral fillers, synthetic ones, as well as coins, sparkles, can be used. Quartz sand with fractions of 0.5 mm or more is most often used. Floor thickness starts from 2 cm. It is necessary to apply a finishing protective layer.

Also, all types of mosaic-concrete floors can be divided into several groups and by the type of filler. They are:

natural which use Various types mineral chips - granite, marble, lapis lazuli, slate, etc .;
metal, where the main filler is pieces of any metal, for example, copper, bronze, aluminum, gold, etc.;
glass, mirrored, in which the filler is quartz (sometimes additionally colored) sand;
wooden, where pieces of wood of all kinds (linden, birch, cherry, etc.) act as a filler. If such a floor is installed, it will additionally have to be protected from moisture;
ceramic- most cheap option characterized by rich color variations.

Mosaic concrete prices are quite high. For example, equip a reinforced covering up to 5 cm thick, carry out everything necessary work, including grinding, will cost at least 1200 rubles / m 2.

How are concrete mosaic floors made?

The technology for creating such floors can be different depending on the material used. But in any case, the following works will be performed:

preparation of the rough base, its cleaning and processing with various means;
installation of auxiliary elements (for example, beacons);
mixing the solution;
filling and leveling the surface;
grinding of the finished product;
creating a decorative layer.

Mixture composition for mosaic floors

In order for the floors to turn out the way they were conceived, it is important to correctly make the mortar that will be used for pouring. Cement, coloring components, stone flour and stone chips are mixed in certain proportions. Good cement should be used - not lower than M250. Stirring is carried out for a short time - about 7 minutes, until the consistency becomes homogeneous.

Attention! If a small area is covered with a concrete-mosaic coating, then you can immediately mix the mixture in the required volumes.

There are several common formulation recipes used to create colored mosaic floors.

Table. Recipes for terrazzo floor mixes.

Name	Composition (filler, as well as binders are indicated in parts, dyes - as a percentage of the total mass of cement)
Black	Cement M400 and higher - 1, manganese peroxide - 5, black stone chips - 3.
Red with white	Portland cement M400 and above - 1, white crumb - 3, red iron - 8.
Light	M400 cement and above - 1, stone flour (white) - 0.3, crumb - 2.
Black and white	M400 and higher Portland cement - 1, white crumb - 3, manganese peroxide - 12.5
Yellow	Portland cement whiteМ400 and above - 1, dry ocher - 10, yellow stone chips - 3.
Granite	Portland cement M400 and above - 1, granite chips - 2, white marble – 1.

The composition may include filler particles of various sizes:

MM - fine fraction (2.5-5 mm);
MS - medium (5-10 mm);
MK - large (10-15 mm).

In general, the ratio of fillers is selected so that, as a result, about 80% of the floor is occupied by crumb, and up to 25% - by cement. This is when you will be able to get a beautiful mosaic floor. Also, various contaminants, foreign inclusions, lumps of adhered filler fractions should not get into the mixture. Wherein largest size particles cannot exceed 0.6 of the total thickness of the floor covering.

Terrazzo - photo

On a note! For the mixture to acquire light shade, a certain volume (up to 40%) of whitening components is added to it. It can be white marble flour or white cement. It is important to remember that the addition of such components impairs the strength of the concrete mix.

The choice of which composition to use should depend on individual preferences, as well as on the general interior style of the room where the mosaic-concrete floor will be equipped. The preparation of mortar for terrazzo floors is a very responsible process. To make the pattern on the floor interesting, it is recommended to add fillers with different sizes fractions. You can also detail the drawing manually.

Advice! Before use, stone chips must be washed with water. Then its adhesion to other components of the mixture will be higher.

By the way, the components of the composition are mixed dry and only after that water is added to them strictly in portions. On average, 3 parts of crumb, 1 part of the coloring component and cement will consume about 0.5 part of the liquid.

Prices for popular brands of marble chips

marble chips

Mosaic floor - do it yourself

It is quite possible to create such a floor on your own, although you will have to try. It all depends on the technology chosen. But, most likely, the arrangement of this type of coverage will be to the liking of creative people who feel a special vein in themselves.

Terrazzo - marble chips floors. Mosaic floor

In order to make a mosaic floor, you may need the following tools:

mixing machine or building mixer;
grinding machine;
construction vacuum cleaner;
polishing powder;
rule;
level;
abrasive stones;
Bulgarian;
shovels and scrapers;
metal brush;
container where the composition will be kneaded;
writing accessories.

Preparation of the base

As with any other type of floor covering, one of the installation steps is the careful preparation of the sub-layer. If you neglect it, then there is a risk that all the work will go down the drain and require rework, and this is an extra cost.

Preparation includes removing old flooring, cleaning the base from debris and dust. Perfect option for arranging a concrete-mosaic floor, it is a one-piece reinforced concrete slab, covered with a cement screed. All cracks and seams are also closed, if any, all the bumps are ground off - the rough surface should become perfectly flat. Cleaning the base with a wire brush will help to increase adhesion.

If you plan not only to fill the floor with a colored mixture, but to make an interesting pattern, then as preparatory activities the dividers are laid and laid in accordance with the selected pattern. Usually the spacers are metal strips.

The actual production of mosaic floors is a concrete screed device that does not require additional industrial or domestic coverage.

Installation of an underlayer for mosaic floors

After the preliminary preparation of the base has been carried out, it is necessary to create an underlying layer. It can be used under various types of mosaic floors - both those that are created from a mixture that immediately contains stone chips, and those that are simply sprinkled with a beautiful material.

Beacons are first installed on the rough base. In this case, the distance between them should be approximately 2.5-4 m, and they are leveled using a level. Then they are fixed mortar... By the way, beacons should be mounted on the basis that their upper border will be 2.5 cm below the final floor height.

You can also prime the rough base - for this, cement milk can be used (water and cement mixed in a 1: 1 ratio). After that, the surface is poured with a cement screed to obtain an even surface. The lighthouse strips are removed one day after pouring, and the resulting indentations are sealed with mortar.

Mosaic floors: execution technology

Consider the option of creating one of the types of mosaic floor. Here, the stone chips will be applied over the screed that has been laid.

Step 1. The underlay for the mosaic floor is being cleaned. All dust is removed with a construction vacuum cleaner.

Step 2. The surface is primed to increase the adhesion of the base and adhesive.

Step 3. The treated surface is dried, marking is made on it, along which a mosaic pattern will be created using stone chips. The laying pattern is selected in advance, and a crumb of the corresponding colors is also purchased in advance.

Step 4. Metal strips are laid along the lines delimiting the areas of application of marble chips. They will serve as delimiters. To prevent the strips from moving during operation, they are glued to the base.

Step 5. The glue solution is kneaded. It is mixed with a construction mixer.

Step 6. The adhesive is applied to the floor surface where the stone chips will be laid. It is leveled with a notched trowel and rolled with a needle roller.

Step 7. Stone chips of the selected color are applied to the surface treated with glue in an even and dense layer. This is how each zone is processed.

Step 8. After the glue dries, the surface is sanded.

Step 10. You can complete the work by applying special means making the surface glossy. After that, the floors are thoroughly dried.

Video - One way to create a mosaic floor

Rules for laying mosaic floors

To make the mosaic-concrete floor neat and beautiful, and most importantly, durable, its installation is carried out in compliance with certain rules:

all work is performed only at a positive air temperature (from +5 degrees);
installation is carried out only after completing other rough work;
the basis for the mosaic should be either concrete or ceramics;
the size of crumb fractions is observed - from 0.5 to 12 mm;
the crumb must be of the same strength;

Concrete-mosaic slabs PLIFORT - an alternative option

if you add milk of lime and a little water (no more than 10% of the weight of cement) to the solution, then it will be more plastic;
the mixture should not contain more than 15% dyes;
the mosaic layer should not be made thicker than 2 cm;
a hand roller will help to compact the floors well;
you can dry the floors with a sublayer of sawdust;
the drying time of the mosaic layer before grinding is 7 days.

In order for mosaic floors to serve for a long time, it is important to take care of them, although this is a completely undemanding type of flooring. The suddenly appeared roughness is removed by polishing, and the chips are sealed with cement mortar.