Concrete floors are a stylish choice for your home or office. Their surfaces can be finished with different ways such as the use of colors, stains, textured surfaces or buffed until glassy. Concrete floors are water resistant if sealed well, easy to clean and durable. Here are some of the things you need to understand before laying a concrete floor by yourself.
Preparation
You can pour the concrete and flatten it using your eye, but it is far accurate if you do it using a screed board. The insulation is utilized as a screed, as well as a leveling guide. You could, however, use wood offcuts in making a temporary frame around the edge of the floor that you can remove after using it. Excavate the floor to the depth required depth. After doing this, you need to snap the chalk lines, which will indicate the infill layer levels.
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Laying the insulation board
The insulation board is placed by putting it around the perimeter of the excavated ground where the concrete floor is to be laid. It is done by cutting sections to fit as needed. It is recommended to cut 4-inch widths of the insulation board and then put them around the edges of the floor. The insulation board gives a guide for the height of the floor when the concrete is poured, as well as a rest for the leveling plank when laying the concrete.
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Mixing your concrete
Concrete is usually mixed by adding together cement, gravel (coarse aggregate), and sand, in a ratio of about 1:4:2. Water is then poured into the dry mixture for binding all the components together. You can do this in a concrete mixer by adding the determined amount of water followed by the concrete mix. Mixing of the concrete can also be done manually using a wheelbarrow and shovel. Only the required amount of water is used. Water makes the concrete more controllable, but if used in excess weakens the composition of the final concrete product. You can use a drier mix to enhance the crack resistance of the concrete. When the mixture is smooth and consistent, it is ready for pouring.
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Pouring the concrete
The concrete is poured into the prepared by using a wheelbarrow until you reach the designated highest point. It is advised that you enlist at least one helper to assist you in spreading out the concrete with special rakes and shovels. You can then use a screeding tool in flattening out the wet concrete. It is done by jiggling a large, even plank of wood back and forth immediately for you to form a flat surface. Screeding is done by moving the plank from top to bottom, in a gentle manner until a flat surface is created. Even though the concrete surface won’t be finished yet, it starts looking like a more complete and professional floor.
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Even though concrete flooring is a labor intensive activity, you can do it on your own at home. All you need to understand which are the steps and precautions that you have to take when doing so.