Is it possible to pour a self-leveling floor onto a wooden one? Self-leveling floor on a wooden floor, wooden base

The main advantages of self-leveling floors include wear resistance, strength and safety. Polyurethane coatings not only have good performance characteristics. The mixtures produced today have a large number of various color solutions. Floors with a three-dimensional effect look especially beautiful. The only thing that confuses apartment and house owners is preparing the foundation. After all, remove old wooden floors and prepare smooth screed– the process is quite labor-intensive. Not everyone knows that there is no need to rip wooden boards. You just need to choose the right self-leveling floor for a wooden floor.

When choosing a mixture, you should pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations. If a wooden covering is mentioned among the recommended bases, this composition can be safely used for filling. Many manufacturers produce self-leveling mixtures for wooden floors, so choosing a suitable leveler is not difficult.

Requirements for a wooden base

It is worth noting that not everyone wooden floor suitable as a base for a self-leveling mixture. A wooden floor must meet the following requirements:

• the coating does not creak;
• all boards must be securely fastened and should not bend when walking;
• the wooden floor does not have significant level differences;
• there are no gross defects on the surface of the boards;
• boards in good condition, they have no damage caused by fungus or rotten areas.

If the floor meets these requirements, you can proceed to the next stage - preparing the base.

Important: If any of the listed defects exist, you will need to inspect the wooden covering, check the condition of the old joists, and, if necessary, install additional ones. It may be necessary to replace some boards that have become unusable.

Preparing the base

Self-leveling floor wooden base poured only after careful preparation. The service life of the boards largely depends on how well the surface of the boards is leveled. self-leveling coating.

1. First of all, the surface of the boards is sanded. Removed upper layer with varnish, paint and dirt. After sanding, the boards are treated with emery to give a rough structure.
2. Next, remove all the baseboards around the perimeter of the room, and cover the resulting cracks with bars. All seams at the junctions of the boards are passed with a scraper, all cracks and chips are cleaned. Dust and small debris are removed using a vacuum cleaner. Before pouring the self-leveling floor onto the boards, they should also be degreased. To do this, you can use a special cleaning powder.
3. The next stage of preparing the base is installing beacons and laying tape around the perimeter of the room. The tape will serve as a damper pad, and the beacons will help to pour the self-leveling floor onto the wooden floor without any drops. They are set using a water level, and the installation height depends on the layer of self-leveling coating. As a rule, the thickness of the mixture layer ranges from 1 mm to 5 mm.
4. Before pouring, the humidity level in the room and the air temperature must be checked. Compliance with the requirements specified by the manufacturer on the packaging is one of the important conditions for successful completion of the work.

Floor pouring technology

Pour a self-leveling floor for wooden floors almost the same as mixtures for concrete foundations.

1. First you need to properly prepare the mixture. The amount of water required for mixing the composition is indicated on the packaging.

Important! The proportions recommended by the manufacturer should be strictly observed. If there is an excess amount of liquid, self-leveling mixtures for wooden floors will harden much longer, and their resistance to external influences will be less than expected.

If there is not enough water, the mixture will harden in less time, and you may not have time to distribute it.

1. Be sure to pay attention to the drying time of the composition. If you do not have experience pouring self-leveling floors, it is better to mix the solution in small portions so that you can have time to level it over the floor surface. To speed up the process of distributing the mixture, you can invite an assistant and divide the work between you.
2. It is recommended to start pouring from the most low level. Level the self-leveling floor on the wood using a soft spatula or a roller with needles. When choosing a roller, it is important to consider the thickness of the future coating. The length of the needles should be 2 mm longer. If the needles are short, the roller will plunge deeper into the solution than necessary and create unnecessary fluid movement. Long spikes will not allow the roller to quickly distribute the mixture. To move over a surface already filled with the compound, use special pads for shoes with spikes.
3. After the self-leveling leveler is completed, the beacons are removed and the surface is left until it hardens completely. Manufacturers indicate the minimum time required for the mixture to harden. If you plan to carry out further work on the filled surface, professionals recommend waiting a week.

Self-leveling wood floor leveler can be poured onto both wood planks and plywood. Polymer self-leveling floors do not contain moisture that can cause deformation of the base, but before pouring cement mortars must be approached with special attention. Depending on the moisture resistance of the plywood sheets, additional waterproofing may be required. In general, self-leveling flooring is poured onto plywood in the same way as onto wood. Some experts recommend using reinforcing mesh when applying self-leveling mortar.

You can get more detailed answers to the questions: is it possible to lay a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor and how to do it correctly after watching the next video.

The main advantages of self-leveling floors lie in their wear resistance, durability and coating strength. In addition, they have such qualities as: environmental friendliness and safety.

Since their creation, major changes have also occurred; today polyurethane coatings have a rich variety of color options, this is especially true for a type such as 3d self-leveling floor. With their help, it is possible to create real design masterpieces with a stunning three-dimensional effect.

When laying bulk mixture, one of the labor-intensive processes is preparing the foundation. Many homeowners are put off by the work of removing old wood flooring. However, not all of them know that, along with concrete, you can also use wooden base. Installation of self-leveling coating on wood should be carried out if the wood is of good quality. You should choose a thin mixture so as not to increase the height.

Preparatory work

Before pouring, you should carefully prepare the base. This procedure must be done with any type of base, and especially if the surface will be installed on an existing wooden floor.

The first step is to remove all the baseboards from the floor, and also remove their fastenings from the walls. After this, the surface is scraped. To do this you should use . However, if the room is small, then a manual cycle can handle it.

The next stage is opening the crack using grinding machine, which, one way or another, are formed on wooden covering. Then all irregularities and cracks are covered with putty. After it dries, the surface is sanded with coarse sandpaper. This procedure is necessary to ensure better adhesion.

Then, cleaned of dust using industrial vacuum cleaner coating must be degreased before priming. Primer of the base is necessary to increase the adhesion strength of the wood to the polyurethane material.

The base should be primed in two layers. You can add sifted quartz sand Thus, the most reliable adhesion between the base and the polymer coating will be ensured.

Necessary tool for the job

To perform foundation preparation work you will need:

• A nail puller, wooden wedges and a chisel for removing baseboards.
• Cycling machine or manual scraping machine.
• Grinder machine.
• Coarse sandpaper.
• Industrial vacuum cleaner.
• Roller or brush for applying primer.
• A flat brush or roller with short naps to distribute the polymer coating.
• Squeegee and spatula.
• A construction mixer or drill for mixing self-leveling floor mortar.

This should also include work clothing, safety glasses, gloves and respirators. Soles with spikes are also required to allow walking on the freshly applied layer.

Self-leveling floor technology

The technology for pouring a polymer floor onto an ordinary wooden floor is no different from a similar procedure where concrete serves as the base. The only difference is preparatory stage, which we discussed in detail above.

Before pouring the self-leveling floor onto wooden surface, it is necessary to prepare the solution in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

In a nutshell, the dry mixture is mixed with water using a construction mixer until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then, the resulting solution is laid out on a wooden base, starting with far corner premises.

The mass must be leveled using a spatula until the required thickness is achieved. In the case of a wooden floor, this is a maximum of 5 mm. Best tool for leveling and eliminating air bubbles - a needle roller.

The intervals between pouring batches of mortar should not exceed 10 minutes, and the joints should be carefully rolled with a roller.

After pouring is completed, after 15 minutes, it is necessary to cover the hardening surface with a film, preventing dust from settling. After applying the base layer of self-leveling floor and its hardening, the finishing coating is applied. It can be a polymer or varnish.

Installation cost

In general, the procedure is quite simple, and you can do it yourself, but if financial capabilities allow, you should still hire a team of specialists who practically know how to make self-leveling floors.

Hiring professionals will provide:

• High quality workmanship
• Guarantee for all work done
• Installation according to technology
• Use of expensive but necessary construction tools.

The cost of installing a self-leveling floor consists of several stages, these are:

• Preparatory work (average price 400 rubles per 1 sq.m);
• Base primer (average price 200 rubles per 1 sq.m);
• Filling the surface (average price 400 rubles per 1 sq.m.).

The cost of installing decorative floors is calculated individually. It is imperative to use the services of specialists if you plan to install a self-leveling floor in 3D format.

If you do the work yourself, do not neglect the advice of professionals. Their experience will help you avoid costly alterations later.

For residential premises, you should choose mixtures of self-leveling floors based on polymer resins. At the same time, in places of high humidity it is used epoxy type flooring, while polyurethane flooring is used in the rest of the house.

It is better to pour it on a concrete base, but installation on a plank wooden surface is still allowed.

At the same time, its preparation is no less labor-intensive, and both the service life and appearance floor. It is imperative to prime the base in two layers - this will facilitate the main work of pouring and increase the strength of the coating.

To create a high-quality self-leveling coating on a wooden base, you should produce your own required complex in each specific case. Much is directly dependent on the conditions of further operation, the area and type of room, as well as the type of foundation. If you doubt your ability to conduct high-quality installation, contact specialists who will not only carry out the work, but also help with the choice of optimal materials.

All photos from the article

In what cases should you prefer a self-leveling floor on a wooden base? How to properly prepare the boardwalk for it? How to mix and pour the mixture? Finally, what can replace the solution we are discussing? Let's try to figure it out.

It is believed that self-leveling mixtures are only suitable for concrete foundations. Whether this is so - we have to find out.

Why is this necessary?

In some rooms with high level humidity, the typical floor covering has traditionally been tiles. It is mechanically durable, easy to clean from any contaminants, has an almost unlimited service life and equally unlimited water resistance.

Tiled floors are an excellent solution for the kitchen.

However, laying tiles on a plank base is, to put it mildly, problematic:

• Deformation of the boards will inevitably lead to the tiles coming away from the adhesive layer.
• Under significant loads, deflection of the boards can cause the tiles to crack.

Obviously, the tile needs a stable base that is not prone to deformation. A reinforced screed suggests itself for this role; however, the load it creates with a thickness of at least 5 centimeters is already about 150 kg/m2, which is excessive for wooden logs and boards.

In addition: the screed under the tiles must be aligned with the beacons.
This is a rather lengthy and labor-intensive process.

But a relatively thin and durable self-leveling floor in a wooden house is quite capable of solving our problem: with a thickness of 0.5 - 3 centimeters, it will create a very moderate load on the plank floor and at the same time prevent it from sagging under load (of course, taking into account the distribution load on the tiles laid on top).

Restrictions

They flow directly from the structure of the pie we create.

• The joists should not sag. Rot and rot are strictly prohibited.

• The thickness of the floor boards must completely eliminate deformation over the entire range of design loads. Yes, the self-leveling floor layer has quite significant rigidity; however, its own weight cannot be discounted either.
• The boards must be tightly fitted to each other. The gaps between the floorboards are sealed as tightly as possible with wood putty. In case of serious defects, the floor is simply re-laid and the floorboards adjusted.

Please note: strictly speaking, it would be more correct to delete the section wooden flooring together with the logs, build formwork around the perimeter and pour a regular reinforced screed under the tiles.
The design we are discussing will be a compromise between strength and durability on the one hand and minimal costs time and money - on the other.

Technology

Material selection

What should a self-leveling floor be like for wooden bases? In the store you need to look for a polymer concrete mixture, the description of which mentions the possibility of pouring not only over concrete or cement screed, but also on more complex surfaces.

Let's take a look at a couple of compounds from this category.

The approximate consumption of the dry mixture is 16 - 18 kg/1 m2 with a layer thickness of 10 millimeters.

Preparing the flooring

We have already mentioned some of the stages: the joists and flooring need to be strengthened, and, if necessary, re-laid in whole or in part.

How to seal individual cracks?

• The largest holes between the floorboards are clogged with wooden wedge-shaped inserts.

• Minor defects in the base are repaired with acrylic wood putty, a homemade putty mixture of sawdust and PVA glue, or... an ordinary sand-cement mixture.

In addition, two more are needed the most important stages preparation:

1. For better adhesion, you need to remove it from the boards paintwork . This can be done with a scraper (after all the nails have been sunk with a hammer) or with an ordinary spatula - after first applying a remover or heating the paint with a hair dryer.

Attention: in any case, work is carried out at open windows or wearing a respirator.
Breathing fine sawdust, fumes from remover or heated paint is equally harmful.

1. Cleaned boards are treated with antiseptic primer at least twice. For obvious reasons, we are not interested in wood rotting under a massive slab of self-leveling mixture and tiles.

Fill

So how to properly pour self-leveling flooring onto a wooden floor?

Like that:

1. Using water or laser level We determine the highest point of the flooring.
2. We put there any beacon that marks the minimum required thickness coverings. It is different for each mixture; as a rule, manufacturers recommend minimum thickness in the range from 6 to 10 mm.
3. Mix the dry mixture with water using a construction mixer or an appropriate attachment for a drill/hammer. The manufacturer's instructions on the ratio of water and mixture must be strictly followed. With deviations, we will receive either a drop in strength or setting until uniformly distributed over the surface of the base.
4. The composition is distributed over the floor surface and rolled with a needle roller. This operation will speed up spreading and help get rid of air bubbles. The floor level, as you might guess, should be aligned with a pre-installed beacon.

Further work continues after the coating has gained strength for the time specified by the manufacturer.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to the solution described?

Yes, and the implementation of most of them is significantly cheaper. Let's give a couple of examples.

Plywood and linoleum

If the main purpose of laying tiles on a self-leveling floor is to organize high-quality waterproofing in the kitchen, you should think about replacing this structure with linoleum laid on a base previously leveled with plywood. The durability of the coating will be slightly lower; but we will significantly reduce costs and reduce the duration of repairs: we will not have to wait for the self-leveling composition and tile adhesive to set.

DSP for wood

The author implemented another “lazy” way of laying tiles on a wooden base with his own hands.

It consists of installing cement on top of the flooring - particle board 24 mm thick.

1. DSPs are cut according to the size of the room. Expansion joints not needed: the material practically does not change linear dimensions with fluctuations in humidity and temperature.
2. Holes for self-tapping screws are drilled and countersunk in the slabs.
3. Apply spotwise to a base cleared of debris. polyurethane foam. It will act as glue and prevent the slightest.
   
4. The DSP is screwed on with self-tapping screws and primed with tile adhesive.

Conclusion

We sincerely hope that the few solutions we have provided will make it easier for the reader to solve numerous repair problems. The video in this article will offer additional thematic information to his attention. Good luck!

A house starts from the foundation and your apartment, room or any technical space starts from the floor. This is the surface that is subject to the greatest spring impact - walking, running, furniture pressure, dust settling, stains. Of course, this indicates the need to form a durable, durable coating. Like many modern construction works, the floor can be made guided by the latest developments. There are two types of base - concrete and wood. The first one is suitable for factories, enterprises, offices, homes, public institutions such as schools, hospitals.

Wooden floors can now be found in the private sector - in cottages, houses in eco-villages, as well as in areas of old buildings. But, nevertheless, this particular material has unique natural properties and very valuable. For rooms with an imperfectly prepared rough surface, self-leveling mixtures for wooden floors are recommended. They will help you find a compromise between time-tested materials, economic considerations and dreams of a fashionable and stylish interior.

Preparing the surface for work

The floor is not always level. Often the surface retains the flaws of previous repair teams, and sometimes it becomes deformed over time. In order to determine the condition of the underlying wooden floor, some work needs to be done. First of all, you need to get to it by removing layers of the finishing coating, which can be linoleum, carpet, laminate. This must be done carefully, without deforming the base. To do this, you should first take a closer look at the type of fastening in order to purposefully direct the force. When the surface is cleaned of both the coating and the layer of insulating film and insulation, you need to pay attention to the boards. If you notice signs of rotting, they are no longer suitable, as this process is irreversible. The appearance of small “bugs” is also an alarming symptom. If the tree is not damaged, you can take steps to restore it and lay a new coating.

Evenness is very important when arranging a floor. It will allow you to avoid problems with laying ceramic and cork tiles, a laminate layer, and boards made of solid wood or veneered MDF. Any excess bend will inevitably affect the appearance of the surface, forming bumps, cracks, and preventing good adhesion of the glue. How do you know what the quality of your floor is? To do this, you can not only use an eye meter, but also count using several threads stretched over the floor from one wall to another. Fasten the ends of the threads at the same height from the floor, then lower them to the level where the thread touches the floor at one point. Measure the distance from the thread to the floor in other areas. If the difference in height does not exceed a few millimeters, this is an acceptable error. If the height difference is more than 5 mm, additional screed will most likely be required in this area. If there are gaps in the floor, they need to be sealed with putty, otherwise the mixture will leak and unevenness will appear.

Composition and features of the mixture

Leveling mixtures can be a real help in the hands of a master, both for cement and wooden floors. They prepare the base for any type of finishing. Some of them need to be carefully rolled out over the surface and distributed manually, while some spread on their own, filling all the cracks and depressions. It is the latter types of mixtures that are easiest for a beginner to work with.

The composition traditionally includes cement or gypsum, sand, as well as additional additives that are responsible for the properties of the product - drying speed, strength, preferred layer thickness. It is very important to follow all manufacturer's instructions. The main difference between the mixture for leveling a wooden floor is the presence of fibrous additives that are responsible for better adhesion to the surface, such as fiberglass. Features also include the absence of casein, a substance that can destroy the structure of wood. The composition may also contain polymer modifications.

Necessary equipment

Self-leveling mixtures are also called self-leveling floors, which vividly describes the method of their application. If your premises may be subject to temperature changes in the future and high humidity, it is better to choose cement-based mixtures. Anhydride compounds are not ready for such a load. The purchase should be made at a hardware store, where they will tell you which samples interact best with wood and how to calculate the required volume of the mixture. From necessary tools you should have: a bucket, a wide spatula, a needle roller and a mixer for the solution. Proven manufacturers in this area: Knauf, Horizon, Vetonit, Ceresit, Prospectors, Volma, Paul Bolars.

Dilution of the mixture

Leveling a wooden floor with a self-leveling mixture can be a real torture if the ratio of water and dry matter is not observed. The mixture is poured into the water gradually, stirring. It is very important to have time to mix the mixture and apply it without exceeding a time period of half an hour, since it is at this time that the mixture has the best adhesion to the surface. If there is too little water, the mixture will begin to harden and be distributed into crystal granules while still in the mixer, but if there is more than required, the self-leveling floor will take a long time to dry.

This work is difficult to carry out alone, so it is better to invite specialists or friends who are competent in construction matters. The mixture costs a lot, but just one incorrect mixing can render it unusable, because the frozen mixture can no longer be re-diluted with water and used again. Stir the mixture until the lumps are completely dissolved. It is better to isolate the room from flows fresh air, closing the windows. Drafts and high humidity may adversely affect the hardening of the coating. Best temperature for work – from 5 to 25 degrees Celsius. If the mixture does not spread properly, use a roller. If its needles are shorter than the thickness of the floor, they will break up air bubbles without affecting the distribution of the mixture as a whole.

If you are making a floor in a room where there is no floor that separates it from the adjacent one, install limiters in advance that will keep the adjacent room clean. They can also be installed near the plumbing fixtures if you plan to decorate them artistically.

It is quite possible to do such work with your own hands. Purchasing a high-quality mixture will ensure ease of work, efficiency - a good result.

Application of self-leveling floor

Self-leveling floors have certain advantages. They are environmentally friendly and safe. Their thickness varies from a millimeter to several centimeters, which allows you to find your solution. Their thickness does not take away the height of the room, allowing you to freely manage its space. The result of the work is a perfectly even, smooth, durable coating, which is ready for further work. You can install a floor heating system on it, or you can immediately lay finishing layer. Flooring can be anything, since the self-leveling floor does not react with any material. The temperature of the medium and the temperature of the water with which the mixture is diluted are very important; it should be cold, at room temperature.

The work can take the whole day, since both preliminary measures and sometimes a multi-level pouring process are necessary. The leveling compound may leave debris that is unacceptable on a wood floor. Cleaning the area for the finishing coat will take about an hour.

Most mixtures cannot be used as a topcoat and require a topcoat of other materials. Some of them can be topped with paint.

The arrangement of your home must necessarily begin with the design of the premises, and in it there must be a place not only for finishing coatings, design solutions in color and accents, but also in basic construction work. You can't build a castle on sand, and you can't get safe and durable housing without such a foundation. Self-leveling compound is worth the cost, good insulation and filling of voids and cracks is very important for a wooden floor. This material breathes, but at the same time it becomes vulnerable, so only mixtures specially designed for wood can help solve the issue of quality repairs.

Most often, self-leveling flooring on wooden floors is found in homes wooden type. Perhaps these are village houses built a long time ago or large cottages built according to modern projects from a log house. In any such house it is possible to install a self-leveling floor. Perhaps someone will make a small discovery for themselves, but making a self-leveling floor in a wooden house today is not considered a particular problem. Modern polyurethane mixtures allow you to create any coating. The only and an important condition is the complete readiness of the wooden floor.

Modern elastic, fast-acting self-leveling flooring is considered an excellent replacement for expensive particle boards. Together with a special reinforcing mesh, a special universal primer, a system is created that helps overcome the stress experienced by a wooden floor that does not have cracks. The result is an absolutely smooth coating on which a variety of operations can be carried out. You can put carpet, stick ceramic tiles or just paint it. A wooden floor must have a layer of self-leveling flooring with a maximum thickness of 20 mm. After 5 hours have passed after applying the coating, walking on the new floor is allowed. wooden floor after 12 hours, it becomes possible to carry out further work.

And, of course, in order for the installation to proceed efficiently, prepare in advance:

• empty containers;
• screwdriver;
• perforator;
• hammer;
• rule;
• level;
• roulette.

What kind of floors do wooden houses have?

Wooden houses, similar to residential premises, require special attention to the arrangement of the floor, since the rooms in such a house are usually located on the ground floor. That is why the coating must be absolutely smooth, look attractive and must be insulated.

In most cases wooden house has two types of floors. They can be concrete, or they use wood. Moreover, the concrete floor has the most advantages. This type of floor requires a small investment, there is much less fuss with it, and it does not require special professional skills to install such a coating. However concrete covering- this is the weight that puts increased pressure on the foundation of the building. Any vibrations of the walls can cause cracking of the base, as a result of which the thermal insulation ability of the material will be lost.

A wooden floor is more resistant to any vibrations of the walls, it meets all environmental requirements. Such a wooden floor can be easily processed, rotten boards can be replaced, and all work can be carried out even after the wooden floor has been completely installed. The negative side of such a floor is its high cost; the work of installing a wooden floor can only be done by professional workers, get absolutely smooth surface almost impossible.

Preparing the base for pouring mortar

How high the quality of the coating will be depends largely on the most important stage, during which the foundation is prepared. Failure to comply with step-by-step competent technology obtaining self-leveling floors will lead to cracking of the coating, it may begin to deteriorate, peeling will be observed, occurring before its service life. Only a reliable foundation made with high quality, can be quality collateral long-term use of the floor covering.

Sometimes a self-leveling floor is installed directly on an antique wooden floor. In this regard, the wood must be sanded using sandpaper, achieve a rough structure. Treated boards must be painted with a special primer. If the first layer is not very strong and monolithic, it is necessary to apply several more layers. The surface of the wood should be free of grease, varnish and oil stains.

On next stage must be removed installed skirting boards fill any cracks in the floor with blocks. Wooden floors need to be cleaned very thoroughly using a scraper. When performing such an operation, you need to pay a lot of attention to the existing inter-board joints and expose all existing cracks. Using a vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the surface of the self-leveling floor and degrease it using cleaning powder.

After this, well-treated cracks must be sealed using building mixture, level the surface. Then lines are drawn along the entire perimeter of the room, the length of which is less than the length of the room. Screws are placed along each line, maintaining a step of 30 cm. Using a laser level, the highest point on the surface of the self-leveling floor is found.

The screws must be screwed in at the same level.

Moreover, they need to be screwed into the ends at an angle of 90 degrees along previously drawn lines. Place several pieces of alabaster near each screw.

The next step will be laying the beacons that are required self-leveling floor. They are installed directly on the screws. There should be no subsidence of the beacons; if this happens, they need to be cemented.

Some features

Before you begin installing the self-leveling floor on a wooden floor, it is necessary to lay a mounting tape along the entire perimeter of the walls. This will be a damper gasket; it will protect the surface in case of expansion as the temperature increases.

After all preparatory work you need to determine the air humidity and temperature in the room. Production technology very often requires that these parameters have certain values. This is especially true for self-leveling floors where wood is used.

The prepared solution is immediately poured onto an area equal to 2 square meters. m. The solution is leveled using beacons. To obtain uniformity, it is rolled with a needle roller. When carrying out work, it is necessary to ensure that the lift of the self-leveling floor is maintained in relation to installed beacons. The poured floor must dry thoroughly.

After the surface has set and completely dried, a finishing coating consisting of varnish and resin is poured. It will give the finished coating a magnificent glossy shine and improve its strength characteristics.