Concrete floor. - Tile Advice

[Ajax123]

Every Agilia floor i have seen in the northeast has had them..

Thats cos the lads up there know what they're doin. I've seen loads without joints unfortunately. As long as it is not a rigid bonded floor covering this doesn't matter too much. It will crack but actually the cracks make it look even more industrial sometimes.....

 

[enduro]

Thats cos the lads up there know what they're doin. I've seen loads without joints unfortunately. As long as it is not a rigid bonded floor covering this doesn't matter too much. It will crack but actually the cracks make it look even more industrial sometimes.....

They might want it to crack to let the weeds grow through..:lol:

 

[DHTiling]

Thats cos the lads up there know what they're doin. I've seen loads without joints unfortunately. As long as it is not a rigid bonded floor covering this doesn't matter too much. It will crack but actually the cracks make it look even more industrial sometimes.....

Who sez us Northeast lads know nowt L:lol:

 

[Richard Edwards]

This floor looks for all the world like a Gypsum / Anhydrite poured floor and that blue bit looks like DPM to me.

I might be tempted to offer to hone the entire floor for them, once the issues of the missing sections of 'concrete / gypsum based screed are sorted out. That way you will remove all the sealer, crud and crap and once the whole lot has dried out, then jointly decide with client the best product to use to seal it. - Test a few for them on sample blocks. By honing it they will produce a more homogenesis finish - assuming that is what they want.

I hope they [client] realise it will be a nightmare to clean clean up spillages - it does not bear thinking about. I'll be prepared to bet that within 3 years they will want it covered in some form of finish - be it tile wood or stone. -Who will take me up on even money ?

 

[enduro]

Richard thanks for the advice, you would not believe how thick the sealer/wax the builder put on is. I think i will need to strip as much of it as i can then hone the floor to remove the last bits of sealer & dirt etc. I am going back in a weeks time to test the area i have stripped with some honing powder. Once the floor is totally stripped they want the floor sealed to a matt finish.

 

[Richard Edwards]

Enduro, Thanks for your response. to my honing suggestion.

When you do go back and take a second look, consider this to save you some time and stripper.

Hone it from the very start, forget the fact that its covered in sealer and crud. If you use your diamond honer, say with a 120 grit pads to start, that will remove the basic top coating [ You could use 60 grit if its really rough but be carefull as it might add some deep groves] then switch to 400 and then if they need a polished / smooth finish that is not far away from what you might expect on say a polished limestone or similar, you could add 800.

By doing it this way rather than stripper and hard graft first, you are bound to save time although your diamond pads will not be cheap, but you might save £100 on stripper!

On the sealer side, I might try LTP MATTSTONE on a sample of concrete honed to same finish - three or four coats, thinning the first down. I use it from time to time, why then client wants it sealed, but needs s finish that looks it has not been sealed at all.


I would like to know what you decide on and maybe a report / follow when its done. I like things like this, projects that are away from the norm where you have to think 'outside of the box 'so to speak.

Good luck with it

 

[Ajax123]

Not going to comment on any of the able except to say that i do not beleive it to be an anhydrite floor. Completely wrong colour and rptexture. Looks more like poured concrete with a curing agent (wax based) on top and presumably an abortion of a sealer on top of that...

 

[Richard Edwards]

I reckoned it would not take Ajax long to to burst in to life at the mention of Anhydrite Floors.

Now he is the top man on that subject so thats sorted out - its concrete - with some other grot mixed in with it. Either way its true it an abortion of a job.

I still think it will end up being covered over in the end - sooner the better I reckon.

Thanks Ajax - I always read and digest his comments with interest.

 

[Ajax123]

I reckoned it would not take Ajax long to to burst in to life at the mention of Anhydrite Floors.

Now he is the top man on that subject so thats sorted out - its concrete - with some other grot mixed in with it. Either way its true it an abortion of a job.

I still think it will end up being covered over in the end - sooner the better I reckon.

Thanks Ajax - I always read and digest his comments with interest.

i suspect, due to the presence of the blue edge strip, allbeit it is not well prepared as it should be close into the corner, that it is an Agila concrete. I.e. a poured flowing self compacting concrete. These sometimes still have a wax based curing agent sprayed on them.

Only concern I have in using a fine grit paper to sand it the wax will clog up the paper. I have never really got to grips with the best way to take this agent off. I usually suggest a coarser grit I.e. 60 as it takes ore off before clogging up.

 

[DHTiling]

i suspect, due to the presence of the blue edge strip, allbeit it is not well prepared as it should be close into the corner, that it is an Agila concrete. I.e. a poured flowing self compacting concrete. These sometimes still have a wax based curing agent sprayed on them.

Only concern I have in using a fine grit paper to sand it the wax will clog up the paper. I have never really got to grips with the best way to take this agent off. I usually suggest a coarser grit I.e. 60 as it takes ore off before clogging up.

I have not seen one that colour before Alan.. but depends on surface muck i suppose..

Sanding hardly touches these screeds if they are the sprayed surface ones and not the additive one ..

 

[Ajax123]

I have not seen one that colour before Alan.. but depends on surface muck i suppose..

Sanding hardly touches these screeds if they are the sprayed surface ones and not the additive one ..

I have seen some this colour. Or should I say variations of colours. It depends on how much bleed water is produced as the discolouration is caused by this bleed water bringing the plasticisers to the top. These in turn stain the surface and of course if they spread out or are distrurbed by partial re mixing during finishing you get a marbled look. Have seen a few anhydrite screeds with similar marbling but they tend to go every very white due to segregation.

 

[DHTiling]

I have seen some this colour. Or should I say variations of colours. It depends on how much bleed water is produced as the discolouration is caused by this bleed water bringing the plasticisers to the top. These in turn stain the surface and of course if they spread out or are distrurbed by partial re mixing during finishing you get a marbled look. Have seen a few anhydrite screeds with similar marbling but they tend to go every very white due to segregation.

LOl.. you know only too well i have seen my share of segregated anhydrite floors. but not seen a Agila one like that yet... not a fan of the Agila to be honest Al.. give me hand laid screed or Anhydrite any day over Agila.

 

[Ajax123]

LOl.. you know only too well i have seen my share of segregated anhydrite floors. but not seen a Agila one like that yet... not a fan of the Agila to be honest Al.. give me hand laid screed or Anhydrite any day over Agila.

I agree. Agila has its place in the market but not as a floor screed IMO

 

[DHTiling]

I agree. Agila has its place in the market but not as a floor screed IMO

I was impressed with the Gypsol one though.. no segregation at all.. well now the right sand is being used.

 

[Ajax123]

Well that is good news I do think my new company is more pro active on that side of things.