Thanks to the original design, the polished porcelain for the glossy floor looks good in any interior. Laying this coating requires a responsible approach to the .
In search of practical and at the same time stylish material for floor installation, it is worth considering the option of laying ceramic granite, adapted to significant loads. Initially, this material was used mainly for finishing the facades of buildings and commercial premises. However, numerous operational advantages and a wide range of colors made the glazed granite floor for the popular and the owners of private houses, apartments and cottages.
Glossy porcelain stoneware for flooring
Adds the appeal of a polished porcelain tile from the porcelain stoneware and the fact that it can be laid on its own. Save an impressive amount of money and upgrade the floor covering in the corridor, in the kitchen, in the living room or bedroom is simple enough, subject to strict compliance with the installation technology.
Important advantages of porcelain stoneware
Another variant of glossy ceramic granite
In addition to the glossy gloss that attracts attention, glossy granite has other significant advantages.
- Variability of application of .At the disposal of buyers are all kinds of flooring. Based on personal preferences and dimensions of the premises being repaired, it is possible to choose a large or small tile. Also, manufacturers offer products with different colors and textures.
- Acceptable cost of .Since porcelain is an artificial material, the cost of its acquisition will be less than a coating of natural stone or wood.
- Long service life and high strength characteristics .Even after many years of active use, it is rare to see cracks, chips or other defects on the surface.
- Resistance of to destructive effects of moisture, temperature changes and ultraviolet rays.
- Adaptability to combination with heating systems .The natural properties of ceramic granite make it an optimal choice when it is necessary to mask the "warm floor".
- No difficulties with the care of .Clean the floor covering with conventional detergents.
Caring for porcelain granite
Proper surface preparation - guarantee of successful laying of ceramic granite
The disadvantages of this material include a rather laborious installation process and the need for special tools because of the increased strength properties of porcelain stoneware. At home, this can be done with the help of a Bulgarian, although it is desirable to use an electric tile cutter for a more even cut.
Fig.4 Cutting ceramic granite
The durability and beautiful visual appearance of a floor of glossy ceramic granite depends on how seriously the owner will treat preparatory work. It should be noted that this material is quite capricious in the installation, in particular, it is important to ensure that the surface to be treated is perfectly flat and has no differences. Only in this case you can count on the continued operation of the finished floor covering.
Along with leveling by self-leveling or cement-sand screed, it is necessary to take care of thorough cleaning of the floor. After the base is washed, it must be degreased and wait until the final drying, then you can not doubt the good adhesion of the adhesive composition. If the heating devices are installed, they must be switched off, and after the completion of the work, do not use them for thirty days.
Among the mandatory conditions for the successful laying of polished tiles from porcelain stoneware, it is also necessary to name competently executed marking and maintaining the temperature in the room in the range from 5 to 40 degrees above zero.
Choice of adhesive for fixing porcelain stoneware
The characteristics of the glue used in the installation process are important, although it is equally important to properly dissolve it and to comply with the requirements for application to the substrate. Select the fixing substance is necessary in view of the conditions of work, the practical purpose of the room, the intensity of operation and the specific properties of a particular variety of porcelain stoneware.
If it is planned to carry out works( external, internal) at temperatures above 15 ° С, it is recommended to choose mixtures that harden for a long time. In cool weather or in unheated rooms opposite, it is necessary to lay granite on quick-drying glue. The best glue for outdoor works is frost-proof, ensuring a good connection even at a negative air temperature.
Fig.5 Application of glue
Step-by-step description of the installation of glazed porcelain stoneware
When all the necessary preparatory operations and tools are prepared, you can start applying glue to the surface. It is simpler and more effective to do this with a notched trowel, which makes it possible to achieve an even distribution of the mixture. In some cases, if large-format tiles are installed, not only the floor, but also the back side of the lining material should be covered with adhesive composition.
A good result is achieved when, after fixing the porcelain tile, there are no voids. Experienced masters recommend doing the work in parts, in order to manage for a quarter of an hour to lay from two to four tiles. In addition, this method will give a chance to avoid loss of adhesive elasticity. After fixing the elements of the flooring, you should check their horizontality with several levels. For leveling, you can gently tap the floor with a rubber kijan.
As a rule, porcelain stoneware is not installed end to end, which minimizes the possibility of cracks and deflections. Using special plastic crosses, which are placed between the tiles, you can easily observe the same amount of seams. With the same purpose it is necessary to take care of a small free stretch along the walls, which will be masked by a skirting board. The trimmed pieces of porcelain stoneware can be used as a plinth - this arrangement will look very impressive and add to the interior of exclusivity.
Fig.6 Installation of plastic crosses
Grouting
After 24 hours( if cement glue was used, only after 10-14 days) from the moment of the end of laying, it is time to rub the seams so that the coating has a finished aesthetic appearance. Particular care must be taken to find a suitable grout( there are more than four thousand different shades).Despite the great popularity of the grout is white or transparent, from the point of view of practicality it is more reasonable to use a color mixture, choosing a shade of 1-2 tones lighter or darker than the base color.
Grouting
Grinding requirements for porcelain tiles
- High strength and abrasion resistance.
- Low shrinkage and crack resistance.
- High water repellent properties.
- Resistance to detergents, oils, alkalis / acids, solvents.
- Resistance to the appearance of fungus, mold.
Finishing materials comparison
Troweling and jointing technology
- We clean the surface of the tile with a brush or sponge using detergents.
- We raise the grout with water. Thoroughly mix.
- Using a narrow rubber spatula, apply a thin layer of grout to the adhesive seams. In this case, we try to apply the maximum amount of the mixture to the seam with one motion, and remove the excess grout from the surface of the ceramic granite by the second movement of the spatula.
- With a rounded end of the rubber spatula, we produce a seam groove. We draw the tool on the seam, giving a beautiful surface relief. The splice is produced immediately after grouting, until the mixture solidifies.
After 1-2 hours after the work, it is necessary to clean the surface of ceramic granite from the residues of the trowelling mixture. Cleaning is done with two pieces of fabric - wet( the main part of the grout is removed) and dry( the last traces of the grout are removed from the surface).The next day you can wash the entire surface of ceramic granite with any detergent( acid-based), but this measure is left to the owner's discretion.
Apply such impregnations with a roller or brush in two layers. The interval between application of the first and second layer is about four hours. Surplus impregnation from the surface of porcelain stoneware is removed with a dry cloth. Complete drying and the appearance of water repellent properties - after 24 hours.
Despite the fact that porcelain stoneware with a glossy surface is very strong material, it is not recommended to clean it with abrasive powders and brushes with stiff bristles. It is better to use means for washing ceramic surfaces and special stain removers to remove "complex" stains.
Video - Porcelain for glossy flooring
In the instructions for glue compositions there is detailed information about the proportions in which it should be diluted, therefore, there should not be any special problems at this stage. The main thing is to place the dry substance in water, and not vice versa and thoroughly mix until a uniform mass is formed. It is undesirable to immediately dilute a large amount of glue, since it is suitable for use only 2-3 hours.
Porcelain is a fairly dense material with virtually no adhesion, so cement and mixtures based on cement and sand are not suitable for laying it. The glue must have an increased fixation so that the connection is as reliable as possible. To this end, manufacturers add special polymers to the glue that increase the viscosity, plasticity and adhesion of the mixture.
Adhesive mixtures of such manufacturers as: Polymine, Ceresit, Eunice, Knauf, Hercules, IVSIL, Moment, MAPEI, Kreisel etc. are popular. The cost is from 200 rubles for a packaged package weighing 25 kg.
