Concrete is the most common material used for flooring in apartments and private houses, offices, commercial and industrial premises, as well as in garages. However, if in residential, public and office buildings a protective and decorative coating is laid on top of concrete floors, then in workshops or in a garage such a solution is irrational. The main problem in the operation of concrete floors is dust. It settles on everything: car, tool, glass, etc. HouseChief has selected effective methods of covering concrete floors so that they do not get dusty during operation.
Read in the article
- 1 Padding
- 2 Dyeing
- 3 Rubber flooring
- 4 Self-leveling floors
- 5 Liquid glass
- 6 A few words in conclusion
Padding
The most affordable way to strengthen a concrete floor and prevent dust is to use all kinds of building impregnations. They can be produced on an organic and inorganic basis and used on a screed of any prescription.
Organic compounds are made on the basis of polyurethane, acrylic or epoxy resin. They fill all the pores of the concrete and polymerize, making the surface waterproof and durable. Depending on the technical characteristics of the impregnations, the strength of the material increases significantly, and the anti-dust coating remains for several years.
Inorganic-based impregnations seep deeply into the concrete and form additional crystalline bonds. Due to this, the strength of the material can be increased 50-60 times. With the help of a one-time impregnation of the floor with such a tool, you can forget about concrete dust almost forever.
Dyeing
To not only get rid of dust on the concrete floor, but also to make it more attractive, you can choose painting. However, several conditions must be met, namely:
- It is necessary to use a paint intended for direct application to concrete surfaces. Such paint and varnish material (LKM) is characterized by wear resistance, has antistatic and anti-slip characteristics.
- Before painting the concrete surface, it must be treated with a primer.
- The primer and paint must be made on the same basis.
Before using the paint, the concrete floor must be well prepared: remove dirt, dust, old destructive coating, stains from grease, fuels and lubricants and paintwork. Use a vacuum cleaner and a damp, clean cloth for cleaning. After that, the surface is primed in 2 layers with an interval of 10-12 hours. When the second coat of primer is dry, you can start painting the floor. Painting is also done in 2 layers.
Recommendation! To paint the concrete floor in the garage, it is advisable to use a special paint for road marking. It has a high degree of wear and moisture resistance.
Rubber flooring
Another effective way to prevent the concrete screed from becoming dusty is to use a rubber coating. It can be rolled or slab material, as well as "rubber asphalt". The latter option is a fine rubber crumb, which is mixed with a polyurethane or other binder polymer component. Rubber asphalt is prepared just before pouring. The mixture is applied to a pre-primed concrete base, smoothed over the entire surface and rolled with a special roller. You need to work with such a coating quickly.
The roll material is laid on the concrete floor, greased with glue. Installation is similar to laying linoleum. The slab material is a module with a lock connection. For the installation of rubber plates, as with roll material, polyurethane glue is also used.
The main disadvantage of rubber coatings is their high cost.
Self-leveling floors
If you love your car, cleanliness, comfort, and at the same time the financial side of the issue is not a problem for you, then self-leveling floors will be the best solution for arranging flooring in the garage. They are very strong, durable, wear-resistant and beautiful. Self-leveling floors are fluid mixtures that spread and level out on their own on the surface.
Depending on the composition, concrete, polymer and epoxy floors are distinguished. The most affordable in terms of cost are dry mixes based on cement. They are mainly used in the arrangement of garage floors.
Before pouring, the concrete surface is leveled and treated with primers similar to the base of the self-leveling floor. The prepared mixture is poured in portions onto a concrete base and evenly distributed over the surface using wide spatulas or special mops. After that, you need to walk with a needle roller to remove air bubbles. Do not strive to achieve a perfectly flat surface, since a properly prepared solution will spread itself perfectly horizontally.
Liquid glass
One of the simplest, inexpensive and common ways to dust the concrete floor for the future is to use liquid glass. The composition in its pure form is applied to the base and left to dry for two days. The result is a durable, moisture resistant and smooth surface that is very easy to maintain. This is a very economical way, since 10 m2 it takes about 1 kg of the finished composition.
A few words in conclusion
What methods and materials to use to dust the concrete floor in the garage is a matter of your financial capabilities and personal preferences. There are many options, and each has its own merits and demerits, but none of them will work without proper preparation. It is imperative to remove dirt, dust, level the floor surface, cover all available items (workbench, sofa, etc.) with foil.
