Components for making a 3D floor: making the right choice
The unique visual effects obtained when creating floors with three-dimensional images allow solving the most complex tasks of transforming space and are increasingly attracting the attention of home and apartment owners. Making a 3D floor, shown in the video, requires accuracy and the correct selection and use of specific building materials intended for this purpose.
Overview of materials
We will assume that the concrete base for the future floor is arranged in compliance with all the requirements of regulatory documentation, has sufficient strength and does not have significant height differences and various damages. The concrete surface has a moisture content of not more than 6% and does not have inclusions of separating materials and grease stains. It is from this moment that the use of systems of materials intended for pouring a polymer volumetric floor begins.
Materials based on polyurethane
The system of materials for the manufacture of volumetric floors based on polyurethane includes several components:
- One-component polyurethane primer for concrete coatings;
- Two component polyurethane self leveling compound;
- Thin-layer one-component polyurethane enamel;
- Two-component polyurethane varnish for creating a protective layer.
The production of polyurethane-based 3d floors begins with the priming of the concrete base. A one-component primer applied to a prepared concrete floor, it is designed for deep impregnation, filling the smallest pores and creating a rough adhesive layer that provides maximum adhesion of polymers to the base, which further leads to high wear resistance of the floor.
Thoroughly mixed primer is applied to the concrete base with a velor roller, avoiding smudges and gaps, so that as a result a surface covered with a uniform layer of primer is obtained. Soil consumption, depending on the state of the base, is from 0.1 to 0.35 kg/m 2 Exposure before applying the next layer is not less than 24 hours and not more than 3 days.
A two-component, solvent-free, self-leveling polyurethane compound for the application of a preparatory or pattern-covering coat. The production of 3d floors can be carried out without drawing a pattern using mineral decorative fillers in the form of chips, sparkles of various thicknesses and colors. In this case, the polyurethane mass can be used as an independent decorative coating.
After mixing the components, the mass has a pot life of about half an hour, which must be taken into account when performing work. Allows you to get a durable wear-resistant coating inert to chemicals and able to withstand negative temperatures.
One-layer polyurethane enamel can be used for direct protection of concrete substrates or as a pre-coat for 3D imaging. Such a coating gains the greatest strength within 5 days, but drawing work can be carried out after exposure for at least 24 hours. Can be applied even on vertical surfaces, has excellent adhesion to concrete. It is applied to the primed surface with a roller and is a uniformly colored matt coating.
The manufacture of self-leveling floors involves the application of a layer of protective varnish that prevents damage to the coatings by shock-abrasive loads. In the polyurethane material system, this role is played by a water-soluble two-component matte varnish, which creates a high-strength protective film up to 40 microns thick on polyurethane and, most interestingly, epoxy bases. It is indispensable when creating exactly matte floors, which is not available when using epoxy-based varnishes. Application on a polyurethane base is allowed not earlier than after 48 hours.
Note: Before drying, materials based on polyurethane have a sharp unpleasant odor and require the use of special protective equipment.
Epoxy Based Materials
It is the absence of an unpleasant odor and the better environmental friendliness of materials that determine the more frequent use of epoxy systems when the manufacture of self-leveling 3d floors is carried out in populated residential areas.
An epoxy primer is used to prepare the substrate for the application of a polymer base coat to fill pores and micro-roughnesses and as a tie coat to improve the adhesion of the epoxy base composition or epoxy putty used when larger irregularities are to be sealed.
It is applied with a spatula by pouring or as a two-layer coating using a fur roller. Provides a smooth glossy surface. When applied by roller, dilution with a small amount of solvent is allowed. After polymerization, the primer is sanded with a 150-180 grit abrasive to obtain a rough coating for reliable fixation on the base layer.
The base layer serves for the final leveling of the surface and the basis for applying a pattern or decorative elements.
Important! The production of 3D floors implies the high quality of the base layer, as the basis of the entire three-dimensional composition. The slightest irregularities and flaws on the base layer are magnified many times over by the transparent lens of the finishing fill, which leads to irreparable results. The drying time of the layer is taken at least 48 hours to ensure a durable surface.
The production of self-leveling 3D floors ends with a finishing protective layer. Created on the basis of a transparent two-component epoxy mixture, the top coat is designed to form a durable, light-resistant coating over the pattern that is not subject to destruction by ultraviolet rays and chemical solvents. It is applied with a thickness of 2-3 mm.
How to draw?
In order to make a 3D floor, it is necessary to apply a three-dimensional image printed on a roll material, drawings on paper or thermally printed on a banner fabric are used, but the best results are obtained when using a thin vinyl self-adhesive film as the basis for the drawing. You can by following the link.
If you want to do the work yourself, you need to remember that the manufacture of a 3-d floor is impossible without special equipment, the purchase of which will require some additional costs. Therefore, having calculated the cost of the tool, multiplied by the “construction skills coefficient” of the performer, it is worth comparing the results obtained with the cost of work and entrusting the rather complicated procedure for manufacturing a 3D floor to professionals.