wakmasters terrazzo - terrazzo laying process

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TerrazzoLayingProcess

Terrazzofloorlayingisatechnicalworkthatrequirealotofcareandconsiderationrightfromthebeginning.Thevariousprocessesrequiredcanbesummarizedasfollows:

DesignStage

Designstageiswherevariousfactorsareconsideredbeforetheactualworkstarts.Terrazzoismainlyusedinthefollowingareas

1.WetareaslikeBathrooms,Toiletsandkitchens.

2.AreaswithheavyhumantrafficlikeStaircasesandCorridors

3.AreaswhereheavydutyworksiscarriedoutlikeGaragesandWarehouses.

Sotheaboveconsiderationswillhelpindeterminingtheareaswhereterrazzowillbeused.

Oncetheareahasbeenidentifiedthenextstageistochoosethecoloursthatwillbeused.Coloursmainlydependsontheclienttasteortheintendeduseoftherooms.Therearemanyfactorsthatdeterminethecolourstobeusedmainly

1.Thecoloursthattheenduserintendstouseonthewalls(Matching).

2.Thekindofactivitythattheareawillbeusedfor.Forexampleyoumaybetemptedtousedarkcoloursingaragesandbrightcoloursinkitchens.

3.Personalchoiceofcolours.Somepeoplearemorebiasedoncertaincolours.

ThemaincoloursavailablelocallyasoxidesareRed,Yellow,BlackGreenandBlue.Bycarefullymixingvariouscolours,onecanobtainvariousothercolourslikeGrey,orange,pinkcreametc.

Thenextstageinthedesigntochoosethepatterns.Themostcommonformisthesquareorrectangularboxes.Howeveronecanbecomecreativebymakingtriangular,octagons,pentagons,flowersorevendrawingobjectslikelogos,animals,letters.

FloorPreparation.

Floorpreparationisveryimportantbeforeterrazzolayingcommences.Astableconcretefloorisrequiredinordertoachieveadurablecrackfreeterrazzofloor.

Ifitisanewfloor,ampletimeisneededfortheconcretetocure.Aftercuringtheflooristeethed(hacking)toproducearoughsurface.Theflooristhenthoroughlycleanedtoremoveallthedust.

Foranoldfloor,itisimportanttoremovetheoldscreedcompletely,dothehackingandcleanallthedustanddebris.

Ifacrackappearsontheconcrete,itwilldefinitelyappearontheterrazzo.Soensuretheconcretefloorisfirm.

CementScreed

Oncethefloorisclean,thenextstepislayingthecementscreed.Thisisacombinationofsandandordinarycement.Themostcommonratioforsandandordinarycementis3wheelbarrowsandto1bagcement.Howeverthisratiovariesdependingonthestrengthofthescreedrequired.

Beforelayingthescreed,thepreviouslypreparedfloorissprinkledwithwater.Ordinarycementispouredwithatroughandthenevenlysmearedonthefloorwithahardbrush.Thisactsasanadhesive.

Thecementscreedisthenevenlyspreadonthefloortakingintoconsiderationthelevelsrequired.Insomecasethefloormayneedtohavesomegentleslopetodirectwaterincertaindirectionslikegullytrapsandfloortraps.

DividingStrips

Thedividingstripsservestwomainpurposes:

1.Dividebetweenvariouscolours.

WakmastersEnterprisesDealersinTerrazzoMaterialsandTerrazzoMachines.

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2.Limitthespreadofcracksontheterrazzofloorshouldafailureoccuronthefoundation.

ThedividingstripsareeithermadeofPVC,AluminumorevenBrass.TheStandardsizehasathesizeof20mmx2mmx7ftlong.Anothercommonsizeavailablesizeis32mmx3mmx7ftlongwhicharemainlyusedinwarehouseswithheavymovingequipments.

Thedividingstripsareputinplacebeforethecementscreedhardens.Therequiredpatternsaredrawnonthewetfloorusingnylonstring,squaresandstraightedges.The

dividingstripsarethencarefullyputinplaceasperthedesignedpattens.Thisstageisverycriticalinlayingofterrazzo.Anymistakemadeatthisstagecannotbecorrectedoncethenextstagestarts.

Onecriticalpointtonoteisthatallthedividingstripsneedstocompletelyflashatalltheintersectionssothattheywillallappearuniformaftergrinding.

Beforeproceedingtothenextstage,itisrecommendedtogivethefloorapproximatelythreedaysofcuring.

TerrazzoLaying

Thisstageinvolvesthefollowing

1.Mixingtheterrazzochippings.

ThemaincoloursforterrazzochippingsareWhite,CreamandBlack.OthercoloursavailableareRedandYellow.Forthefloorareaitisrecommendedtousesize1/4"or3/8".Fortheskirting,walls,staircases,tabletopsetcisisrecommendabletousesize3/16".

Formostordinaryfloorsusingbrightcolours,thechippingsaremixedintheratioWhite:Cream:Black=10:2:1.HoweverforGranolithic(Grano)floorstheratiochangestoWhite:Cream:Black=1:2:10.Howeverthisactsonlyasaguideandtheratioscanchangetoanycustomvalues.

Oncetherequiredratiohasbeenidentified,thechippingsarethoroughlymixedtogiveauniformmixture.

2.MixingthePremixedChippingswithCementandColouringOxides

Thepremixedterrazzochippingsarethenmixedwithcementandthecolouringoxides.ThemostcommonratiosforTerrazzoChippings:Cement=2:1.Dependingonthecolourrequired,oxidesareaddedandthemixtureisthoroughlymixedtomakeauniformmixturewithoutaddingwater.

Waterisslowlyaddedasthemixingcontinues.Atthispointonecanbeabletoseethecolouroftheterrazzomixture.Morecolouringoxidecanbeaddedtoattaintherequiredcolour.Itisrecommendedtomeasuretheoxidesinaparticularwaybyeitheraspoonoranyothercontaineroraweighingscale.Thiswillhelpinreplicatingthesamecolourshouldthemixturefailtocoverthepredeterminedarea.

3.Layingtheterrazzomixtureinthepatterns.

Thefloorinwhichthedividingstripshavebeenputisthoroughlyswepttoremovedustandforeignobjects.Wateristhenpouredtosoakthefloor.

Themixtureisthenspreadintothepatternsthatrequiresthatparticularcolourusingatrough.Asaprecautiontoavoidtwocoloursmixinginapattern,differentcoloursneedstobeseparatedbyatleastoneday.

Afteronehourcuring,arollerispassedovertocompactthemixture.Afteranothertwohoursasecondrollerispassedwhilesprinklingthemixedaggregatesuntilthefloorisuniform.

Theexcesscementmixtureissweptwithasoftbrush.Usingatrough,thefloorisevenlyleveled.

4.LayingtheSkirting

Onceterrazzohasbeenlaidonthefloor,thenexttofollowistheskirting.The3/16"sizeterrazzochippingsaremixedintherequiredasabove.Cementandcoloringoxidesareaddedtoproducetherequiredshade.

Atimberofsize3mmthickby20mmwidecommonlyreferredtoasSkirtingTimberisnailedonthewallusingSteelNeedlesataheightofapproximately45"abovethefloor.Thishelpsinshapingaclearcutlineforterrazzoonthewall.

Wheretilesareusedonthewall,thetilesarenormallyfixed45"abovethefloorjustastheskirtingtimbertoactasthecutline.

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Copyright2011

Ifthewallhadbeenplasteredsmoothly,teethingisrequiredsoastomakearoughsurface.Athickmixtureofcementandwaterisappliedtoactasadhesive.

Usingatroughtheterrazzoisevenlyapplied.Thesmotheringisrepeateduntilitholdsontothewall.Aftercuringforaboutthreehourstheexcesscementisremovedwithasoftbrush.Itislatersmotheredusingthetrough.

Grinding

GrindingisdoneusingElectricorKerosineterrazzomachine.

Forthegrindingtostart,thefloorneedstobegivenatleastsevendaystocure.Whitecementcuresfasterthanordinarycementandworksdoneusingwhitecementcanbegrindedinfourdays.

Grindingisdoneintwophases.ThefirstphaseinvolvesroughgrindingusingBlockstones8x2x2rough.Diamondgrindingpadscanalsobeused.Riversandisoccasionallyusedtohelpingrinding.Onceroughgrindingiscompleted,amixtureofcementandcolouringoxidematchingthefloorcolouringisspreadevenlyusingarubbersqueezer.Thisisgivenonetotwodaystocurebutcanbeextendedlonger.

ThesecondphaseofgrindingthenfollowsusingBlockstone8x2x2smooth.ThisisthefinalgrindingthoughthereareseveralgradesofsmotheringBlockstoneswhichcanbeappliedtomakethefloorevensmoother.

Theskirting,staircase,wallsortabletopscanbegriddedbyhandusingHandstones6x2x1.Itisdoneusingtheroughstonefirst,fillingitwithmixtureofcementandoxidematchingit'scolourandfinallysmotheringwithsmoothstone.

AnothermethodofgrindingskirtingisusingapowergrinderfittedwithDiamondorStoneCupWheels.Thisworksfasterandcanproducesamuchmoresmoothersurface.

CleaningandapplyingPolish

Oncethegrindinghasbeendone,thenextstageiscleaningandpolishing.

Theflooristhoroughlywashedwithdetergents,steelwoolsandplentyofwatertoremoveallthedustanddirtthatmayhaveremainedduringgrinding.

Iftherearestainsofanykindonthefloor,thisareremovedwithHCLacid.

Oncetheflooriscleanandcompletelydry,afloorpolishisapplied.

Varioustypesoffloorpolishareavailableandshouldbeappliedasperthemanufacturersadvice.

ThisNotesarepreparedby:

JohnKibithe

E&OE