Epoxy flooring colored waxed concrete
Forget tiling, carpet or parquet, the latest in terms of coating is a polished concrete screed.
Spotlight on these technical and decorative floors, which are experiencing a real revival thanks to an enlarged industrial offer and increasingly efficient products.
Derived from the industrial epoxy flooring technique, a waxed concrete floor is often used in places open to the public thanks to its high resistance to punching. Recently, individuals have also started to take an interest in it, seeing in this process the possibility of producing, at a good value for money, a personalized, particularly resistant floor.
In addition to these undeniable mechanical properties, a polished concrete floor offers an infinity of colors and aspects, which is why it is very popular in interior design.
Poured in place on a thickness less than 6 mm, this screed has no structural function unlike the finished concrete floor, which can also be colored in the mass, but whose thickness is greater and the implementation very different.
Block the capillarity of the soil
A polished concrete finishing screed is used at the very end of the work. It can be carried out on all, new or old, provided that they can withstand the overload caused, on average 10 kg/m², and that they have been the subject of an adequate preparation: block the capillarity of the soil which will receive the waxed concrete screed and create a waterproof barrier intended to retain water from the concrete to avoid dissection of the surface.
The substrates must be clean. Cracks and microcracks in the concrete slabs must be patched by masking a wire mesh with epoxy resin or a special adhesive for cracks on concrete. The success and the final result of a concrete screed, whatever its appearance (waxed, polished, etc.) depends above all on the quality of the installation.
Depending on the concrete formulation, the authorized surface area without a fractionation joint is very variable, from 60 to 100 or even 150 m².
The layout of these fractioning joints (3 to 5 mm thick for a depth between ¼ and 1/3 of the thickness of the screed) must be treated with particular care and thought out before the implementation of the screed since these joints will remain visible. They can even be the subject of decorative effects using, for example, to mark their location, profiles of exotic wood, aluminum …
Epoxy flooring customization
The layout also allows you to customize the floor!
At the perimeter of the room, at the door sills and at the junction with another covering, an expansion joint is also essential, regardless of the nature of the product used.
To keep all the shine of a polished concrete floor, it is important to give your customers detailed instructions for maintenance: washing with neutral products such as black soap, both completed or three months by washing with water, supplemented with a few wax plugs.
So if you are considering renovating your home, do not forget the floors. Make sure to hire an epoxy flooring expert with a good reputation for style. You want an artist to give you the best floor you can get.
A gorgeous epoxy floor will make the room unique, improve lighting effects and reduce the need for cleaning while improving durability.
