How and what to primer the floor before screed

Based on what type of foundation is laid in your home, you can determine what functions the primer will perform for screed flooring. The cost of this building material is relatively low, so saving on it is not recommended. The success of the repair work will largely depend on the quality of the selected materials.

Content:

• Why do I need to be primed
• Preliminary preparation
• Features of application on a monolith
• Primer Classification
• How to choose a material
• Priming process

Why do I need to be primed

A deep penetrating primer is a necessity for cement or sand screed, as well as cellular concrete. With its help, you can achieve the following results:

• bind dust and all remaining dirt;
• strengthen the surface of the coating;
• minimize the absorbency of the coating;
• create a high level of grip;
• achieve an antiseptic effect.

Any material that will be applied over the primer will not dry out too quickly, which means it will become quite hard and durable. If repairs will be carried out by lay people, then there is a high risk of air bubbles or impregnation of the material with excess moisture. That is why a primer is applied to the floor surface - with its help all these problems can be avoided.

Preliminary preparation

Before applying the primer, it is important to ensure that there is no dirt, oil, debris or cracks on the floor. Poorly laundered paint or oil can be soaked with solvent or, in extreme cases, use a grinder, if you have one. If a particleboard layer is applied over the soil, then it can then be protected from excess moisture, since deformation or complete destruction of the base is possible from exposure to water.

Features of application on a monolith

If monolithic concrete acts as the base, then there may be a problem of adhesion to the concrete screed, since the monolith is too smooth. In this case, before applying it, a quartz sand primer is used - with its help it is possible to increase the level of adhesion between the materials.

In addition, it is imperative that deep penetrating soil be used before the screed because it can be used to remove all dust from the surface. It is almost impossible to remove dust completely with a vacuum cleaner or a broom, while the primer binds all the small particles and covers them with a thin film.

Primer Classification

This building material is divided into two large categories:

• universal remedies (they can be used both inside and outside the room);
  
• highly specialized, intended only for internal or external surfaces.

Experienced specialists insist that it is best to impregnate the flooring with the help of specialized primers. The thing is that this material copes better with the loads and the influence of all external factors, that is, it protects the floor better.

This building material can be sold in the form of a concentrate or a finished mixture. Sometimes masters neglect the manufacturer's recommendations and use concentrate to impregnate the concrete structure, believing that it will last longer.However, this is a misconception - it is necessary to dilute the liquid according to the recommendations of specialists.

The material for priming the floor differs in what lies at its base. There are four types of the most common primers:

1. Acrylic This type of primer is the most common. With its help, it is possible to impregnate not only concrete, but also brick, wood, clay and drywall. The main advantages of this material are quick drying and the possibility of acquisition in the form of a concentrate. Before using acrylic, you should make sure that all conditions for further drying are met - then for this process it will take only 4 hours. The soil can be taken deep penetration or surface, for humans and animals it is not dangerous.
   
2. Epoxy. It contains a solvent and coloring elements. It is usually used for concrete floors or surfaces that are self-leveling. Great before using enamel.
3. Alkyd. If the screed will be applied over a wooden floor, then it is best to use alkyd material. The duration of complete drying will depend on the conditions, but it very quickly soaks and loosens the wood.
4. With polystyrene base. It is used for wooden and concrete surfaces, due to which the strength is significantly increased and the adhesion of materials is improved.

If the floor base is in poor condition, it is recommended to impregnate it with a deep penetration screed to strengthen the structure.

The depth of penetration distinguish between surface and deep primers. The first type is usually used for strong and well-prepared places, their depth does not exceed 2 cm. The material of deep penetration is able to fill slots up to 10 cm, it is also used for strengthening. The second type usually costs significantly more, but it is also used in the most difficult situations.

How to choose a material

To choose the right primer, you must first assess the condition in which the floor is. After you familiarize yourself with the most common types of floor impregnation, you should consider several more features that will affect your choice.

For example, for rooms with high humidity it is recommended to use a solution of acrylic. High-quality material also implies the presence of special products that will prevent mold or mildew. For this reason, before screeding, the floor is also treated in basements or other rooms where there is no sunlight.

In the presence of large defects or delaminations on the concrete surface, it is necessary to choose a deep penetration soil. Otherwise, the screed may not work. If you have the goal of protecting the surface from moisture and making a coating that does not conduct current, it is best to use polystyrene concentrate.

For impregnation of wooden surfaces, it is recommended to choose phenolic primer. At the same time, it is worth remembering that intoxication (poisoning) can occur from him, so all work is carried out with gloves and with regular ventilation.

Priming process

The choice of quality material is the key to success. However, it is also important to understand how to properly ground the floor, so that later it is easy and convenient to make the screed. Before priming, carefully prepare the floor surface. It is best to handle it with a special industrial vacuum cleaner - it is able to very well clean the surface. If it is not, then it is recommended to use a conventional vacuum cleaner or a broom.

To make the process as easy as possible, it is best to purchase a special container before priming.It will not take a lot of money to buy it, but with its help you can do everything much faster.

For applying concrete impregnation, you can use a roller or an ordinary brush. It is very important to take care of the protection of the hands, body and eyes. This material is very sticky, it is eaten into the skin and may cause irritation. To obtain a high-quality result, the primer should be applied evenly, it is very important to treat all areas.

Basically, all recommendations on this process are given by the manufacturer; if you follow these rules, then there will be no problems. Complete drying of the solution may take from 4 to 12 hours, after which a second coat is usually applied. And only when the floor hardens and a film forms on it, do the screed.