Mosaic floors : installation instructions

mosaic floors at a glance hit its magnificence and elegance.Strong and durable, it can last more than 100 years even in the most traversed areas.The technology of manufacturing such floor is not so much difficult as time consuming.It requires a fair patience and good taste.In this article we'll show you how to make a simple marble mosaic floor with his hands.

terrazzo mosaic floor

main difference terrazzo mosaic floors from conventional concrete is that they are thin-layer, but in spite of this, can realize a much greater number of design ideas.It is more decorative flooring that is different is the same stability and durability, as well as strong concrete floor.

terrazzo concept brings together all kinds of liquid mosaic floors.They differ only in the type of binder and filler material.Thus, the mosaic function can perform marble, sand, glass, shards of ceramic tiles, decorative stones and other natural eco-friendly materials.

In this article we will look at the creation of the mosaic floor with marble chips, as this option is the most popular.Flooring can be done with other fillers in a similar pattern and technology.

Depending on the use of the binder are several types of terrazzo floor:

1. thick floor made of cement-based.Sex
2. average thickness made of cement and aggregate mixture with polymer additives.
3. Thin floor includes a mosaic elements and additive of the polymer components.

Marble floor

mosaic floor today do basically of marble due to its cancellation performance.This natural rock formation with a very high density and characteristic crystalline structure.Marble does not absorb water and does not react to chemicals and quite easily machined.It is these qualities are necessary to create the perfect floor that will last more than one decade.

High aesthetic characteristics, as well as the ability to transfer detailed natural texture, widely used in construction, landscaping and interior design.

but use whole marble slabs would be not only wasteful, but is simply impossible - pure marble does not occur very often.Thus it was invented an alternative and less costly way to use natural materials - creation of marble chips.It is made of non-liquid goods and marble products manufacturing waste.It does not matter that goes to the crusher - ritual plates or conventional raw rock - the marble mosaic floors are obtained equally strong and durable.

Dignity marble floor:

• strength (can be used even in areas where high permeability);
• concrete tiled floor is resistant to moisture (can be done in the bathroom, swimming pools);
• durability;
• environmental friendliness;
• easy maintenance;
• durability;
• does not spark at mechanical effects (can be used in shops and businesses with increased fire safety requirements);
• aesthetics (with the appropriate skills, you can create absolutely stunning floors with ornate designs, paintings and ornaments).

Today the market offers a wide range of marble chips, which is different size fractions, color and other characteristics.It is mainly used for arranging sex in public places and on the street, because the marble flooring for the house would be too cool.

Among the shortcomings of the marble tile floor can not only highlight the coldness, but also susceptibility to burnout crumbs under ultraviolet light.And it's not just about the dyed product, but also the usual white marble - it begins to turn yellow over time.

As the operating life of the marble floor can be measured in decades and even centuries, it can be simply tired.And if you want to change the marble flooring, with the dismantling of the coating will have serious problems - split sturdy marble is very difficult.

The last delicate moment - the high cost of the mosaic floor of marble.Price of the service depends not only on the material used, but also on the pattern that you want to implement.As a general rule, the calculation of the pattern separately, and hired a designer for the job.

Make a mosaic floor from the marble chips is not too difficult, but you must follow the instructions accurately.So, you first need to prepare the base - rough floor should be leveled reinforced cement screed.Then - set the dividers to prepare a mixture of marble, perform fill and polishing.Let us consider in more detail each of the stages.

Substrate Preparation

To prepare the ground for laying mosaic floor, you need to remove the old flooring, reaching the sub-floor.The ideal is considered the foundation of a monolithic concrete slab or screed.

Progress:

1. If the sub-floor has a void, recess or crack, they need to putty and fill the entire surface of the screed.
2. Pay special attention to places of entry into the floor pipes (risers in high-rise building).
3. Treat base stiff brush to improve adhesion ability floor.
4. Remove all debris and obespylte surface.
5. Install dividers.Doing this the best in the organization of cement covering, placing them in one and a half meters from each other.Best delimiters obtained their square tube with a side of 25 mm.
6. If you want to create a complex pattern patterned need to install additional splitters for each insert.To do this, use a thin brass or aluminum plates of different forms, at least - made of glass (for repeats or simple rectangular images).

Preparation marble mixture

to fill the mosaic marble floor will require quite a large number of chips of different fractions.Different sizes of elements allow you to create a more interesting and "alive" picture.For outdoor use crumb art typically 5, 10, and 15 mm in diameter, selecting equal proportions of materials.

specifics of preparation of the working mixture:

1. Mix "variegated" crumbs in equal proportions.Add
2. cement (not below M400) in a ratio of 1: 3 or 1: 4.
3. If you want to color the floor, use a special natural dyes - marble flour, ocher, iron ocher, chromium oxide, and others.Pigments in the mixture should be not more than 30% of the total weight.
4. Before you add water, mix well all the components of the mixture, after which the portions just blow the liquid until a thick mass and sedentary.Identify the exact ratio and the amount of water is almost impossible, because different additives have different water absorption, therefore, be guided by consistency, constantly stirring the mixture.

tip: before adding the marble chips into the solution, it should be well flushed with water from dust to ensure maximum adhesion to cement and to avoid the formation of voids inside the floor.

sex Pouring

Marble floor filled with two layers, resulting in a extremely durable coating.

Progress:

1. Prepare classic M150 cement-sand mortar.It should not be too thick to fill all voids and level floor defects.
2. Moisten the base of the grout, highly diluted with water.Spread the composition on the surface of an ordinary broom or brush.
3. Place the solution maps and smooth out using wooden slats or plastic trowel to get the perfect smooth and even layer about 2 cm thick.
4. When the lower layer has hardened so that on it it was possible to safely walk (not necessarily wait for the complete drying)you can proceed to the second stage of works - pouring a mixture of marble.Evenly spread out the solution to the marble chips in the cards between the comma and smooth out his trowel, making the shock-and-forth motion.
5. When you have filled out all the cards, leave the surface to dry for 6-7 days.

Grinding surface

to flooring acquired splendor and elegance for which it and appreciate it should be sanded.When the marble floor is dry, you can begin to ottirke abrasive surface.For this purpose sander with a large abrasive, which easily copes with the removal of the top layer of the hardened cement.

To facilitate and accelerate the process of grinding, moisten the surface with water and sprinkle with its layer of fine quartz sand.In case of detection after grinding potholes and cavities, they must be filled with cement mortar and carefully wipe the marble bars.

When it comes to creating a costly floor with a complex pattern, after his usual grinding is required to polish.Remove all the smallest debris and dust, put on the sander attachment with felt around, put on him a special paste and go over the entire surface.

order not to give the floor cracked during drying should be sprinkled after laying cement-marble solution layer of sawdust, then sprinkle them with water as the drying (once a day).

mosaic floor tiles

laying mosaic floors can be carried out by pouring, as described above, or by the layout of each element or fragments.Actually, it was created a mosaic for centuries.If you need to make reliable and moisture resistant floor at home, it is not necessary to spend money on a massive and cool marble floors.Mosaic floor tiles can easily make your own hands, even without professional skills.

Good news also is that you can greatly save on the event, using no special mosaic tile, and the usual tile fight or even fragments of pottery.Buy a non-liquid material can be in any large hardware store or on the market.

Types tiled mosaic

used not only ceramic tiles or for the manufacture of tiled mosaic.There is an astounding variety of textures, materials, shades and colors, among which you can find the product at the most pretentious taste.

Mosaic tiles can be:

1. Tile - strong, durable, low-cost, large selection of colors, textures, patterns.
   
2. Glass - robust, hydrophobic, temperature resistant, original appearance.
   
3. Ceramic - durable, does not react to chemicals (can be used for kitchen and bathroom), does not fade, affordable.
   
4. Concrete - stronger than the rest, cold-resistant, can be used on the street, can withstand heavy loads, marble and granite contains inclusions.Disadvantage - poor color palette.
   
5. Metal - a mosaic made of stainless steel on a rubber base.Very stylish, though rather cold.Suitable for floors in the kitchen, bathroom or hallway.
   
6. Broken pottery - a special kind of mosaic, which allows to realize the most daring creative impulses.The video - a mosaic floor made with his own hands from the bat tiles:

stacking technology

When it comes to laying special floor tiles, there's nothing complicated.In most cases the products are produced in the form of small fragments of plates that are stacked on the adhesive mortar cement or like conventional tiles.Describe the process will be a waste of your time, but here's what's really interesting is the creation of the mosaic floor of the bat or ceramic tile.

How to break away from illiquid tiles can make a beautiful and durable floor?If you want as much as possible to save time and money, you can buy a tile fight a range of colors and put the pieces on the principle of the puzzle.But if you intend to create the most authentic patterned mosaic, it is necessary to know a few secrets.

principle of laying mosaic floors is quite simple - to prepared substrate applied the basic contours of the figure, are marked by color, then it is possible to glue tiles.Then, the space between the pieces of the puzzle must wipe with a special compound suitable shade.It sounds elementary, but there are two ways of laying tiles on the floor.

If you need to cover a small area, for example, in the bathroom or toilet, you can quickly "sketch" image with a pencil or chalk and immediately stick the appropriate pieces in the form of tiles bat.

But if it is a large room, and complex patterns on the floor, will have to work hard.To lay out a smooth and beautiful pattern as the sketch, you first need to collect puzzle pieces and then glue them to the base.

How to do it:

1. Place the sketch in real on a flat surface.
2. Cover sketch transparent film, self-adhesive sticky side up.
3. Secure the tape edge of the film to pattern is not "moved down" in the process.
4. Peel protective coating from the adhesive surface and place the picture fragment of the sketch.Repeat the procedure for all the major and most complex pieces that you would not be able to lay out "by eye".
5. Glue pieces to the base, slightly sinking in the adhesive composition.
6. Wait until the glue dries and fill grout joints between the tiles with a rubber spatula.

Useful trick: if your disposal there is a projector, you can transfer the drawing to the floor or wall and put it much faster.

Tip: If you stacked mosaic tiles on the kitchen floor, cover it with better protective varnish trowels to accidentally spilled coffee or wine is not left to itself for memory unsightly stains.

Finally, we offer you to see what you can make masterpieces from the usual tile fight: