Important professional and security note: This is an archived text from 2017. year, and not a project or a modern instruction for making or repairing the floor. Breaking, cutting, grinding and removal of concrete, mortar, brick, stone and tiles can create hazardous construction dust, sharps, noise and high local loads, and there may be electrical, plumbing, sewage or heating installations in the floor. Old layers, adhesives and coatings must not be processed before material identification. Substrate composition, moisture and waterproofing, bearing capacity, expansion, underfloor heating, slipperiness, material compatibility, protection of adjacent structures, dust control, personal protective equipment and method of disposal must be evaluated for the specific facility. The source measurements, mixes, temperatures, and procedures on this page are not a substitute for an actual design, product data sheet, or qualified contractor.
Production and repair of floors are not part of the new public offer of Savo Kusić. Current focus is wood windows, wood-aluminum windows, custom windows and doors. For a window or door project, you can send request for quote.
The most suitable floors for the kitchen, pantry, bathroom and terrace, and even for living rooms in summer houses, are cold floors. It can be said that cold floors do not wear out, they are easy to keep clean, procurement of materials and production is simple and they have only one drawback, which is that they are cold (fig.1). These floors are quite sensitive to damage.
Repair of brick floors
The simplest type of cold floor is a brick floor. It is made in such a way that packed gravel 10 cm thick is covered with a concrete base 5 cm thick, cement mortar 1 cm thick is placed on the base, and bricks are placed on this final layer, either flat or on edge. Only completely sound bricks with uniform surfaces and dimensions, possibly fired twice, known as clinker bricks, are used.
Laying and aligning the bricks is done using a long lath, so that all the bricks are aligned so that they are in one plane with light blows on the lath. Cement mortar is made from 1,1 cubic meter of sifted sand and 400 kg of 400 brand cement, so that it has the consistency of cream.
After prolonged use, some floor tiles may become damaged. Damaged bricks should be cut along with the cement mortar layer up to the concrete layer. It is necessary to roughen the surface of the concrete layer, and also cut the lower edges of the neighboring bricks in the shape of a prism, and fill these holes with mortar to use them for binding. Let’s not regret the plaster, it is better if the replacement brick is slightly above the surface, because we will easily level it with light blows on the slat-level, and the excess plaster will come out next to the edge of the brick (fig. 1, 1. part).
In the same way, we can repair all types of floors made of prefabricated elements (ceramic, artificial stone) and the like.
Brick floor
Repair of concrete floors
The concrete floor is the coldest floor and is therefore not suitable for living quarters. It is cold because it is in direct contact with the ground and is a good conductor of heat. The top layer of cement mortar, whose composition is identical to the composition of cement mortar for a brick floor, should be at least 1,5 cm thick, otherwise it will crack. The surface of the concrete is leveled with a trowel to make it even. It is best to place individual layers immediately one after the other - except for the gravel layer - so that the layers bond well with each other. From this already arises the difficulty of repair, i.e. due to the adhesion of the layers, concrete floors can never be perfectly repaired (Fig. 1, 2. part).
If we do decide to repair it, then we need to break up a much larger part of the damaged concrete, right down to the base layer. In this case too, the lower parts should be cut in the shape of a prism or at least strengthened. We first place a layer of well-compacted basic concrete in the broken opening, and then cement mortar on top of this. It is very important that the tamping is strong and that before tamping the new layers we wet the area around the damaged part well. Cement mortar - glaze, must not be too fine, because it will separate from the substrate when drying. You should know that after drying, the color of the repaired concrete will be slightly lighter.
If the opening, i.e. the hole that needs to be repaired on the glaze, is very small, for example the size of a 5 pair, then the hole should be cleaned well with a broom or brush and filled with cement mortar after wetting.
Tile floors
Waste artificial stone tile floors (new) are similar to concrete floors. The upper layer of these floors, however, is not cement mortar, but artificial stone waste tiles with a flat upper surface are also placed in cement mortar. The most common mistake, or damage, of these floors is that individual tiles become loose.
Tile Floors
During repairs, care should be taken to ensure that the neighboring tiles do not become loose when expanding and strengthening the damaged part. If it is necessary to remove and re-install the tiles due to damage to a larger part, special attention should be paid to the fact that the tiles are placed next to each other as tightly as possible and that the slots between them do not form larger and longer straight lines, which can easily cause cracks (fig. 1,3. part).
Image 1 — Archive view of layers and elements of cold floors
Artificial stone tiles are very often used for the floors of kitchens, bathrooms and storage rooms. With the appropriate choice of dark and visible colors of the rows of these tiles, very attractive floors can be made. The substrate for these floors is made in the usual way, so that the thickness of the underlying concrete is only 2 cm. The dimensions of artificial stone cubes range from 15x15 cm to 40x40 cm. The most commonly used dimension is 20x20 cm. For this dimension, half pieces, diagonal half pieces, skirting pieces as well as skirting pieces can be obtained (fig. 1, 4. part). For better binding, the lower parts of these tiles are equipped with edges. If a tile is damaged, cracked, broken, chipped or loose, it should be replaced. The procedure for replacement is as follows: damaged tiles that are still standing firmly should be broken with a hammer and chisel and the edges should be separated from the neighboring tiles, the underlying concrete should also be broken to half its thickness and a dovetail-shaped groove should be made on the edges (Fig. 2, 1. part). The new tile should be thoroughly cleaned and wetted, the groove should be filled with the appropriate amount of cement mortar, and the tile should be placed so that it is slightly above the other tiles and, in the usual way, leveled with light hammer blows to the level of the other tiles (fig.2,2. part). After some time, when the new tile has already set a little, it should be wiped with a wet cloth so that the cement mortar does not stick to the surface of the tiles and leave indelible traces (fig.2).
In a similar way, we also repair floors made of stone tiles, measuring 10x10 cm (metlah tiles). When installing a new floor from these tiles, it is necessary to get some reserve, because later it is difficult to get tiles of identical dimensions and colors. The spare quantity should be carefully stored in a corner of the basement.
Floors made of stone, stone tiles and concrete should be sanded after complete drying and bonding. The goal of sanding is to remove edges and unevenness and to even out the surface by removing the surface layers of adjacent tiles. Grinding can be carried out with a device consisting of a trapezoidal grinding stone with a handle, which is equipped with a bent sheet metal holder for the grinding stone at the end. When grinding, the grinding stone should be moved so that it includes the surfaces of adjacent tiles.
Grinding of stone, concrete and tiles should not be carried out according to this brief historical description. Material identification, appropriate machinery and protection, dust and water control, protection of installations and adjacent surfaces, as well as checking that the work does not disturb the flatness, finish or anti-slip of the floor are required.
Stone floors
Pay attention to the weather! Cold floors can only be repaired if the temperature is at least + 5°C, if the weather is dry and windy and if the room is not used for a long period of time. If we use the repaired surfaces too soon, the repaired parts may become damaged, soiled or loosened. Smaller parts, ie. repairs, we can protect against premature use with boards. In this case, narrow edges of slats should be placed on the lower parts of the boards so that the load is not transferred to the repaired parts.
After setting, the surface should be washed with plenty of water during the day, because water supports the setting of the concrete, i.e. cement.
The specified temperature and humidity maintenance procedure are preserved as part of the original text, but are not a universal specification. Installation conditions, protection time, maintenance method and the moment the floor is put into use must follow the current technical sheet of the specific mortar, concrete, adhesive or joint compound and the conditions on the building.
Image 2 — Archive view of individual floor tile replacement