In the field of building decoration, in order to achieve the effect of flat and beautiful ground, the use of self-leveling materials is particularly important. Self-leveling is a chemical mixture that creates a flat, hard surface on the ground and is often used in pre-installation treatment of flooring. However, in the actual operation process, whether it is necessary to polish the ground and how to correctly carry out self-leveling construction is a common concern of many decoration personnel and owners. This article will dive into this topic and provide you with a comprehensive and detailed guide.
1. What is self-leveling?
Self-leveling materials are mainly based on a mixture of cement or epoxy resin, on which an appropriate amount of water or other specific liquid is added to make a slurry that can self-flow, flatten and solidify into a hard plane within a certain period of time. It can effectively solve the problems of unevenness and not the original ground, and is an ideal treatment method before the floor is laid.
Benefits: Improve the flatness of the ground: The biggest advantage of self-leveling is that it can effectively improve the flatness of the ground, and provide a good foundation for subsequent decoration such as laying floors and floor tiles.
Fast construction: Compared with traditional leveling methods, self-leveling construction is more efficient and can be completed quickly, especially suitable for projects with tight construction periods.
Adaptable: Able to work on a variety of different substrates, including concrete, cement mortar layers, old floors, etc.
Wear-resistant and durable: Especially the self-leveling ground made of epoxy resin and other materials has good wear resistance and durability.
More decoration options: A wider variety of floor decoration materials can be used for flat floors, which is convenient for different decoration styles.
Disadvantage: Higher cost: Self-leveling materials and construction costs are usually higher than traditional ground treatments.
Strict construction requirements: self-leveling construction has strict requirements for the treatment of substrate, the ratio of materials, environmental temperature and humidity, etc., and problems such as cracking and shelling are easy to occur when improper operation occurs.
Not suitable for all grounds: Some substrates in poor condition may require extensive repair and reinforcement first, otherwise the self-leveling layer will not work well.
May affect ground height: Self-leveling layers will increase a certain thickness, which may affect the opening and closing of doors, the placement of furniture, etc.
Drying time: Self-leveling materials need a certain amount of time to dry and solidify, during which the ground cannot be constructed and used, which may affect the overall construction period.
2. Ground treatment before self-leveling
The treatment of the ground before self-leveling construction is one of the key steps to determine the quality of self-leveling effect. The pretreatment of the floor mainly includes three links: cleaning, repair and grinding.
1. Floor cleaning: Thoroughly remove dust, oil stains, cement blocks and other pollutants on the ground. This step ensures that the self-leveling material can be tightly bonded to the ground to prevent shelling and delamination at a later stage.
2. Repair cracks and potholes: Use repair materials to fill the cracks and potholes on the ground to ensure the overall flatness of the ground. Untreated cracks and potholes can affect not only the aesthetics, but also the uniform laying of the self-leveling material.
3. Ground grinding: For some old ground, or coatings with high surface adhesion strength, it is necessary to remove the surface layer by grinding, increase the roughness of the ground, and improve the adhesion between the self-leveling material and the base layer. But that doesn't mean you have to sand the ground in all cases. The necessity of ground grinding depends on the condition of the original ground and the type of material.
3. Self-leveling construction process
The self-leveling construction process mainly includes several steps such as material preparation, mixing, backflow, spreading and curing.
1. Material preparation: according to the requirements of construction area and thickness, prepare sufficient self-leveling materials and necessary construction tools.
2. Mixing: Accurately mix self-leveling materials and water or specific liquids according to the proportion of the product manual to ensure uniform mixing.
3. Backflow: Pour the mixed self-leveling material evenly on the ground.
4. Spreading: Use trowels or other tools to help the material spread evenly, fill all the gaps, and form a flat surface.
5. Curing: After the self-leveling material is laid, it takes a certain amount of time to cure. During this period, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature and humidity of the construction environment are suitable to avoid personnel moving around and dust falling.
Fourth, the relationship between grinding and self-leveling
Ground grinding plays a pivotal role in self-leveling construction, but whether to carry out grinding, and the degree of grinding, need to be determined according to the original conditions of the ground and the expected self-leveling effect.
For newly built cement floorsIf the flatness is good and there are no obvious defects, it can be not polished;
For old or coated floors, especially when there is oil, wax or old paint on the ground, sanding is not only necessary, but also needs to be carried out thoroughly to ensure the adhesion of the self-leveling material;
Special material flooring, such as ceramic tiles, marble, etc., may require special interface treatment or more detailed sanding work due to the adhesion of self-leveling materials to these materials.
In summary, whether and how to sanding the ground before self-leveling construction depends on a number of factors, including the material and condition of the original floor, and the expected construction results. Correct pretreatment can not only provide a good foundation for self-leveling and ensure the quality of construction, but also effectively extend the service life of the ground and achieve the best decoration effect. Therefore, for any self-leveling project, adequate assessment and proper ground treatment are indispensable steps.