Flooring Flashcards
Skim Coat
For concrete, skim coating involves applying a thin layer of cement mixture over a concrete surface. It is a way of resurfacing surfaces to hide imperfections such as cracks, stains, or grout lines. By applying this texturing technique, your concrete surfaces will look better and last much longer.
Sometimes a floor requires a thick layer (up to a 2 inches) of cement patching compound to eliminate issues and make it ready.
Self leveling (slab)
Self-leveling concrete can be a fast, cost-effective solution to the problem whenever you need to repair, smooth, or raise a floor.
Self-leveling concrete is a cementitious mixture much like concrete. But unlike concrete, it flows easier and sets up much faster. The product is mixed with water, pumped or poured into place and spread evenly with a gauge rake. Once it’s spread out, it continues to flow evenly and levels itself out.
Depending on the product, it may be smooth and flat within 1-2 hours. In about 6 hours, it may be completely hardened and ready for use, depending on the flooring material being installed on top. Self-leveling concrete can be used as an underlayment for tile, carpet, or other floor coverings.
Concrete Polishing (Grit Levels)
Level 1 (flat) A level 1 ground polish usually can be obtained by stopping below the100-grit resin bond. When you look directly down at the floor, it will appear somewhat hazy with little if any clarity or reflection.
Level 2 (satin) A level 2 honed polish is obtained by stopping at the 400-grit resin bond, producing a low-sheen finish. When you look directly down at the finished floor and at a distance of roughly 100 feet, you can start to see a slight overhead reflection. This grit level produces a low-luster matte finish.
Level 3 (semi-polished) A level 3 polish is achieved by going up to an 800-grit or higher diamond abrasive. The surface will have a much higher sheen than that of level 2 finish, and you'll start to see good light reflectivity. At a distance of 30 to 50 feet, the floor will clearly reflect side and overhead lighting.
Level 4 (highly polished) This level of polish produces a high degree of shine, so that when standing directly over the surface, you can see your reflection with total clarity. Also, the floor appears to be wet when viewed from different vantage points. A level 4 polish is obtained by going up to a 3,000-grit resin-bond diamond or by burnishing the floor with a high-speed burnisher outfitted with specialty buffing pads.
Scarifying
Scarifying is a machine that tears up the surface of the concrete. It includes a cutting tool that rotates at high speeds, cutting the top level of the concrete. Some models can remove as much as a quarter-inch of concrete at once. Scarifiers are a useful tool for removing resin-based finishes or preparing a very rough surface for further treatment. They can also be effective in removing trip hazards. Since scarifying so thoroughly cuts concrete, it is often followed by an additional finish. Scarifying is typically followed by shot blasting to clear chips and cracks in the concrete. This smooths the finish and creates a final, more even surface.
Scarifying concrete is a process that uses spinning metal blades on a machine to chip away at the top layer of a concrete surface, removing coatings and creating a level space.
Shot blast
Shot blasting is typically done after Scarifying ***
Shot blasting concrete is a resurfacing process that uses metal beads “shot” out of a machine to “blast” away tough debris and contaminants. It’s a comparable method to sand blasting, but it provides a much more powerful clean due to the size and speed of the metal pellets.
A shotblaster is a machine that directs a high-speed stream of fine, abrasive material against the concrete. This material wears away at the concrete, evening out rough surfaces or removing coatings on the concrete. Shotblasting is more cost-effective than other options. The shot blasting method is generally faster than other ways of surfacing concrete. It also leads to a dry, clean surface that is immediately ready to receive a coating. However, shot blasting creates a relatively rough surface compared to diamond grinding, and it’s not as aggressive as scarifying. It also carries the risk of leaving lines on the floor, and it may even crack concrete if done incorrectly. Shotblasting is ideal for preparing rough floors that are intended to receive a thick coating.
Mudset
“Mud-Set” or “Mud-Bed” are terms used for a 3/4” Portland cement and mason sand sub-surface for ceramic, porcelain & natural stone residential tile flooring. “Mud-Setting” the floor to accept tile is the ideal substrate: to provide a sound, flat and level floor, to provide a water-resistant base, and to add structural stability to new and old floors.
The basic materials used in the tiling industry in the last century have traditionally been Portland cement and sand. They are used to make the mortar to form the mud beds for tile flooring and walls. Portland cement was also the adhesive used to hold the tiles in place. Everything was done over a “mud bed.” The process had been perfected and was well understood by the professions of the forties, fifties and early sixties. There were no “thin set” products or thin set method in place for setting tiles.
Floor tile installation using a mud set is labor intensive and adds about $3.00 per/square foot installation cost. The assumption has always been that this process produces the most uniform, durable finished floor for high impact, high traffic areas. There is some validity in that assumption.
Thinset
“Thinset” is an adhesive mortar made of cement, fine sand and a water retaining agent such as an alkyl derivative of cellulose. It is usually used to attach tile or stone residential tile flooring to surfaces such as cement or concrete. The application of the mortar adhesive is usually 3/8” thick or less, thus defining the procedure as a “Thinset.”
With the development of “Greenboard,” or moisture-resistant Sheetrock, in the sixties and cement backer board in the seventies, “thin set” products and setting methods were developed for setting tiles. For residential walls, mud work as we once knew it is too labor-intensive and too heavy for today’s residential trends. Ceramic tile floors installed directly over cement or cement backer board can last for the life of the house, and there are isolation membranes that can afford the same long-lasting results. For some special applications, mud set tile installation are still more appropriate.
A thinset installation is as good as the substrate it covers. If the substrate meets required tolerances, a quality installation can be had. A variety of high performance thinsets gives you strength, flexibility and chemical resistance to meet the requirements of most any environment.
Typically F/I by Tile contractors
Crack surpression Membrane
An anti-fracture membrane is a layer of material that expands and contracts so movement in the concrete is not directly transferred to the tile and helps to keep cracks from forming and ruining your work.
On concrete floors, crack isolation membranes, also known as crack I products, are designed to absorb the stresses produced by movement in the concrete. These stresses normally are in-and-out motions similar to an accordion being played or shifting back and forth.
Typically used by Tile contractors. They put this scope item on top of the concrete slab so that they can safely put tile on top of it. The purpose of this is to stop the shifting concrete from cracking tile after it is installed.
Medium bed mortar
Medium bed mortar is designed to be used with large heavy tiles, greater than 15” on any one side. Medium bed mortar will set thicker to support the weight of the tile and will provide a thicker layer than thinset.
Thinset is appropriate for wall tiles as well as flooring in high-traffic, moisture-varying and temperature-varying areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens. The high bonding strength and resilience against both temperature change and moisture make thinset perfect for laying tile in most cases. Medium-strength mortar, or type-N mortar, is an all-purpose mortar for exterior or interior load-bearing walls as long as they are above grade. It’s not suitable for retaining walls, which will be in constant contact with earth and moisture.
Typically F/I by Tile Contractors
Uncoupling Membrane
The uncoupling membrane does just what it sounds like: it un-couples, or isolates, the substrate from the tile and allows the tile and the substrate to move independently of each other so that movement in the substrate doesn’t cause the ceramic, stone, or porcelain tile to crack.
F/I by Tile contractors for underneath Tile
Tile Movement joints
Movement joints play a critical role in every floor and plaza installation. Without them, the natural shrinking of concrete over time can result in cracked paver or tile surfaces – a flaw that’s not the result of materials or installation, but rather the lack of movement joints.
F/I by Tile Contractors
Stone Saddle
A marble threshold or saddle is used for sealing two different types of flooring together. It doesn’t necessarily have to be different flooring material. It’s just that when you’re laying certain types of flooring in a room, it usually ends at the doorway.
F/I by Tile Contractor
Pitch floor tile to floor drains
Floor Tile Must Slope to the Drain
In a stall shower, the plumbing code requires the floor to be sloped one quarter (1/4) of an inch per foot in order to carry the water effectively to the drain. This slope, according to the TCNA Handbook is called “sloped fill” or commonly known as the pre-slope.
F/I by Tile Contractors
Grout
Grouting is the process of filling the spaces in between tiles.
