Types of varnishes for concrete screed and coating instructions

Varnishes are an essential component of concrete surface finishing because they improve both appearance and durability. Concrete varnishes provide a polished, polished appearance to the floor while simultaneously shielding it from damage and adding visual appeal.

For concrete screeds, a variety of varnish types are available, each tailored to fulfill specific requirements. The best type of varnish to use depends on a number of factors, including the location of the concrete surface, the amount of traffic it will see, and the desired finish. Water-based and solvent-based options are available.

There are several steps involved in applying varnish to concrete screeds in order to achieve a smooth, durable finish. To get the best results, proper curing times, application methods, and surface preparation are necessary. You can prolong the life of your concrete surfaces and keep them looking great for many years to come with the correct approach.

Type of Varnish	Coating Instructions
Water-Based Varnish	Ensure the surface is clean and dry. Apply the varnish with a roller or brush. Allow it to dry for 2-4 hours before applying a second coat if needed.
Polyurethane Varnish	Prepare the surface by cleaning and sanding it. Apply the varnish with a roller or sprayer. Let it dry for 24 hours before walking on it. Apply additional coats as necessary.
Epoxy Varnish	Clean and dry the surface thoroughly. Mix the epoxy components as directed. Apply with a roller, spreading it evenly. Allow it to cure for at least 48 hours.
Solvent-Based Varnish	Make sure the surface is free of dust and grease. Apply with a brush or roller in a well-ventilated area. Let it dry for 6-8 hours between coats. Apply multiple coats if needed.

Requirements for the base

The specifications for concrete screed are derived from SP 29.13330.2011 "Falls."

Regulations state that before painting and varnishing, concrete coverings need to be at least 120 mm thick. The thickness of the leveling layer and capital base are included in this value. The final one needs to be 20 mm or more.

Monolithic flooring needs to be robust enough to endure 20 MPa of compression. These specifications can be satisfied by a concrete screed with a grade of no less than B15, according to the characteristics.

Prior to painting, deviations from the standard of no more than 2 mm per 2 meter area are permitted. The floor surface must be perfectly horizontal.

Types of coating for concrete and prices

Certain types of varnishes are not appropriate for concrete screeds because the concrete screeds need to be sufficiently resistant to wear and extreme temperatures.

The following kinds of coatings are often used to cover concrete in daily life and industry:

• Epoxy. Easy to use composition that dries quickly after application to the surface.
• Acrylic silicone. Copes with protecting the screed from destruction due to moisture. It is most widely used in residential areas where environmental friendliness and safety of the composition are required.
• Polyurethane. Used for processing coatings in wet rooms, production shops and service stations.

Depending on where paintwork materials are applied, they are categorized as follows:

1. Internal, used inside buildings.
2. External, second – for lining the area in front of the garage, on the terrace or in the gazebo, for covering paths.

Additionally, varnishes are used to decorate walls, fences, and columns both inside and outside. Let’s examine paint and varnish types in more detail based on their composition and attributes.

Epoxy

A two-component mixture created using the same-named resin and hardener as the foundation. used to shield stone, concrete, and paving from moisture.

Advantages of insurance:

• Resistance to fuels and lubricants and other substances.
• Withstands any mechanical loads (wheel friction resulting from the movement of heavy vehicles, scratching, falling objects).
• Protects concrete from cracking and heaving in the temperature range from -50 to +50°C.

Cons: The composition of varnish contains volatile reagents that can harm the respiratory system, so extra caution is needed when working with it.

Given the aforementioned drawbacks, it makes sense to stop using this paint and varnish in residential areas.

You will need to use short-pile fur rollers or high-quality velor rollers to coat concrete with this product.

Trade names:

• "Betonit";
• "ET-AK";
• "Politax";
• "Epodekor".

The price range is 740 rub/kg to 3000 rub/kg.

Acrylic silicone

This variant can be made using alkyd resin and acrylic copolymer. This material is not afraid of water or dirt, and it is resistant to fuels, lubricants, and chemical solvents.

Benefits of the arrangement:

• Durable and moisture resistant.
• Dry for 1 hour at room temperature (18-20°C).
• Protects against some chemicals.

The low wear resistance of this varnish is a major drawback. The coating may be harmed by friction and impacts from large objects.

This polish is essential for use in cold shops and garages because it can cure at temperatures as low as 5°C. provides 24-hour water damage protection for concrete floors in the event of a spill. resistant to sodium chloride, which is also used in medicine and the food industry.

Acrylic varnish consumption is 0.3 liters per square meter. Packages are available in 18–20 kg packaging, as well as 1 liter cans.

Trademarks: "Texol," "DSS-lacquer."

Price range: 2000 rub/kg to 560 rub/kg.

Polyurethane

The most widely utilized kind of coatings for concrete screed. It offers excellent chemical resistance and wear resistance. Ideal for both outdoor and interior tasks. Temperature range for operation: -50 to +100°C. It can be applied in hot shops, repair shops, and other technical settings in this way.

Benefits of LMB

• Resistance to acids and alkalis.
• High impact resistance.
• Long service life of concrete floors, at least 10 years.

It is possible to use this composition to shield recently laid screed because it permits water vapor to escape.

In agriculture, polyurethane coatings are frequently used to safeguard stall bases made of concrete. The varnish works well in medical settings where sterility is required because it repels liquids and does not absorb odors.

Trademarks for this kind of painting:

Varnish costs between 730 and 2600 rubles per kilogram.

Preparatory work

Before painting, the concrete screed needs to be properly prepared. The final outcome—the floor’s strength, longevity, and durability—will depend on how well this work is done.

How Can I Tell Whether I Need to Make This Kind of Preparation? Generally, no preliminary preparation is needed if the concrete screed is dust-free, completely leveled, primed, or impregnated. There are no imperfections, cracks, chips, or potholes on this surface, which has a matte or glossy tint.

You should wait for the concrete to dry for at least five days before working on freshly laid concrete. This is the time frame that must pass before applying paint and varnish.

Techniques for getting a floor ready for varnish:

1. Cleaning.
2. Puttying.
3. Grinding.
4. Primer treatment.

The following is the work order:

1. First of all, traces of polluting oils, fuels and lubricants, bitumen and other substances must be removed from the surface if painting work will be carried out on the old floor.
2. If there are cracks, they need to be sealed with cement-based putty.
3. If there is a low quality concrete screed, that is, “cement laitance” – crumbling dust and other defects, you should definitely sand the floor.

Such tasks require the use of specialized tools, such as:

• or a concrete grinder;
• or a grinder with a grinding “cup”.

The car with the speed controller should be yours.

This kind of work will help eliminate unevenness and level the surface. The floors must be carefully vacuumed or swept with a mop and rag after sanding.

The application of primer improves paint adhesion to concrete coatings. These compositions are resistant to a variety of oils, chemicals, and gasoline. Properties are enhanced by adding sand at a ratio of 10% to 100.

Use foam rollers to better distribute the primer, smoothing the layer until it is fully absorbed.

Such work ought to be done at a minimum temperature of 5°C. The ideal humidity range is 85%.

Allow the primer to dry on the layer for two days after applying it. After that, varnish the concrete.

If the screed is constructed from a subpar concrete mixture, topping or impregnation must be applied to the coating. In addition to strengthening the floor, this quartz-cement mixture clears the base of dust before painting.

Errors and their consequences

Applying primer to freshly laid concrete would be a major mistake made during the preparatory work. The drying time for this composition is extremely long. The primer must dry for at least 24 hours at a temperature between 18 and 21 °C, while the screed dries in five days.

It is crucial that the coating not be subjected to mechanical stress for 72 hours following impregnation treatment. Otherwise, there might be fissures or holes.

Calculation and preparation of paintwork materials

The best varnish can be chosen based on consumption and cost. We’ll provide you the calculations and subtleties involved in getting the composition ready for work.

Its viscous consistency makes it difficult to spread, which means that its consumption will be higher than that of acrylic equivalents.

The computation is predicated on the requirement of 0.3 l per square meter.

Thus, for a fifteen square meter garage, m. With the single-layer coating, this varnish will require 4.5 liters of product. You will need twice as much for two layers.

Varnish preparation:

• Pre-mix the main component, achieving a homogeneous consistency at low speed for 3-5 minutes. You can do this with a drill with an attachment.
• Add hardener. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly to remove all air bubbles.

Two or three minutes at 800 rpm of stirring.

Acrylic-polymer

The surface is thoroughly saturated with the water-based composition; consumption is contingent upon the completion of any prior priming. Gender:

1. Product consumption: 0.25 l per square meter.
2. For a garage of 15 square meters.m will need 3.75 l.

When preparing varnish, stir well to remove any lumps.

Polyurethane

To clean instruments with this type of varnish, use organic solvents such as toluene or xylene. Preparation for work involving a two-component composition is the same as it is for epoxy paints.

Product usage per square meter: 0.2 kg. 15 square meters of garage space will need at least 3 kg of paint.

Materials and tools for coating

The compositions themselves, mixed and ready for application, along with solvents (acetone, xylene, or toluene, depending on the type of varnish) to clean the product off brushes and rollers are required to varnish a concrete screed. You will also require an impregnation appropriate for varnish and a primer.

Instruments:

• Short pile roller for applying paints and varnishes.
• Drill for mixing two varnish components.
• Containers with a volume of at least 3 liters.
• Brushes with a narrow flange for varnishing corners.

Furthermore, you will require:

1. protective equipment – respirator, gloves;
2. needle soles for moving on floors already covered with paints.

Selecting the appropriate varnish is essential for maintaining and improving the appearance of concrete screed. Varnishes come in various varieties, each with special advantages like better resistance to wear and moisture, enhanced durability, and better appearance. This post will walk you through the various kinds of varnishes that work well with concrete screed and give you detailed application instructions so your concrete surfaces remain gorgeous and durable for a long time.

Instructions for performing work

Using a brush or roller, the polyurethane composition can be applied with an acrylic-silicone spray.

As per SNiP 2.03.13-88 "Floors," prepare the foundation before beginning any work. Humidity on the floor should not exceed 4%.

How to coat with acrylic or polyurethane?

How to apply polyurethane or acrylic coatings to concrete screed:

• Use a roller to paint the areas evenly, one area after another.
• In corners use a brush with a narrow flange.
• If necessary, roll the coating with a needle roller.

Prior to applying the second coat, you ought to wait at least twenty-four hours.

Because polyurethane varnish spreads easily, it must be applied carefully over the surface using a roller when working with it. Rolling repeatedly will increase the material’s adherence to the screed surface.

This is not the previous scheme for applying a thicker epoxy composition. A spatula will be needed for this.

Epoxy

Instructions for epoxy screed coating:

• Apply the solution in a spill, spreading it over the surface with a notched trowel. The tool must be held at an angle of 45°.
• After applying the paintwork, wait 5-10 minutes and roll with a needle roller. This is necessary to remove bumps and bubbles.
• The next layer is applied after 24 hours.

The coating is mixed and then rolled with a needle roller for a duration of 20 minutes, or until the composition solidifies.

The varnish’s drying time is contingent upon its composition. Epoxy: at room temperature, it will dry for at least 48 hours. The composition of polyurethane will take 12 hours.

There are challenges when using epoxy LMB:

• if you pour too much hardener into the main component, the composition will boil;
• you need to quickly smooth the surface of the varnish with a roller, otherwise it hardens quickly.

In order to avoid having a smooth surface on one side and bubbles on the other from not having enough time to remove them, you must cover the floor in small sections, moving from one corner to the next.

Prices for services of masters

The cost of painting and varnishing varies by area; in Moscow and the surrounding areas, hiring a separate expert who offers services on the market will run you at least 300 rubles per square meter.

The cost of the work may increase significantly if you hire a company. The cost varies according to whether coating preparation services are listed.

Moscow’s average service cost:

• Sanding the coating – 70-90 rubles/sq.m. m.
• Impregnation treatment – 200 rub/sq. m.
• Coating with polyurethane or epoxy varnish – 500 rub/sq.m. m.

You will need at least 4,500 rubles for a 15 square meter garage if the preparatory work has already been completed.

Advantages and disadvantages

The following are some benefits of varnishing concrete:

• Decorative coating. After processing, it acquires either the effect of a wet stone or a slight yellowness. This goes well with loft style items.
• Minimum costs for installing additional flooring – laminate or porcelain stoneware, if the work is carried out in a residential building.

The floor varnish solution has important drawbacks in addition to its benefits.

• If you choose a low-quality product, you have to renew the coating every year.
• Over time, polyurethane varnishes peel off and turn yellow.

Epoxy is far more robust in this sense. This coating has a service life of more than five years.

User opinions regarding the use of a polished concrete floor:

• Wear-resistant coating, lasts 8 years after paint treatment.
• The garage floor is holding up well, 2 years have passed since the screed was coated with polyurethane varnish.

Based on reviews, the strength and durability of the coating are the main benefits of varnish coating.

Cons: This type of coating will peel off in two weeks if the technology is not followed and the concrete screed is of low quality.

Useful video

Additional details regarding concrete varnishing in the video:

The durability and appearance of your concrete screed can be greatly improved by selecting the appropriate varnish. There are many options available, such as silicone, acrylic, and polyurethane, so it’s important to choose one that works for your environment and your needs.

Although it’s simple to apply varnish to a concrete screed, it does require careful preparation. Make sure the surface is completely dry, give it a thorough cleaning, then mix and apply the varnish according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Following these instructions will guarantee a seamless, long-lasting finish.

Recall that every kind of varnish has special benefits of its own. Superior durability is provided by epoxy, outstanding chemical resistance is provided by polyurethane, application is simple and quick drying by acrylic, and exceptional waterproofing is provided by silicone. Take into account these elements to help you decide on your project.

Understanding varnish types and applying them correctly will help you achieve a professional-grade finish that will preserve and improve the appearance of your concrete screed for many years to come.

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