Granite floors with own hands

Special requirements are imposed on the floor coverings of some rooms. In these cases, an important role is played not by the beauty of the interior, but by such qualities as service life, wear resistance and ease of use. So, the material that has all of the above characteristics is natural granite. It features high strength, practicality, durability.

Material characteristics

Granitedoes not lose its appearance under the influence of time, sunlight, moisture. It is able to withstand sharp and frequent temperature fluctuations. In contrast to granite, ceramic tiles have a shorter life. Therefore, granite can be considered one of the best materials for finishing the floor.

However, not everywhere it is appropriate to stack it. So, it is most suitable for a kitchen floor, a living room, a bathroom in large houses, a veranda, a porch, a garage, a garden gazebo or a swimming pool. Today it is often possible to meet granite floors in the metro and shopping centers.

Distinctive features of granite:

1. Reliability and durability.
2. The price of one square meter of granite today is from 35 to 200 dollars, and the cost of the same number of tiles is 8-60 dollars.
3. One square meter of granite with a thickness of 20 millimeters weighs 53 kilograms, and the same amount of ceramic tiles-only 15 kilograms.
4. Granite is a natural stone, and its pattern, color and granularity can be different, which is achieved in a natural way. A ceramic tile is a facing material created artificially.
5. Granite floor tiles can be of different length, thickness and width. This should be taken into account when laying. Quality ceramic tiles always have the same size. Therefore, it is easier to work with her.
6. As granite tile is a natural material, its range of colors and colors is limited. On the contrary, ceramic tiles created by artificial means have an abundance of patterns and colors.
7. In porcelain stoneware, the service life is virtually unlimited, unlike ceramic tiles, which serve no more than 60 years.
8. Granite has a high strength and a small percentage of wear - a year wears only about 0.1 millimeter. And for this purpose for this sex for a year must pass at least one million people. Under the same conditions, ceramic tiles are blown away from 0.15 to 0.40 millimeters per year.
9. Strength of granite tiles is 552.7-604.6 kg / cm2, and ceramic tiles - 280-435 kg / cm2.

How to choose ceramic granite for the floor

Granite is a rock that is mined at a depth of several kilometers in underground mines. Raw looks like huge pieces, from which huge blocks of rectangular shape are then cut out. Then these blocks are cut into granite slabs 1.5 meters long, 0.35-1.25 meters wide and 20-35 millimeters thick. They are laid out in shop windows in stores.

Often mistakenly, granite is called gabbro and labradotir. These natural stones are similar in properties and appearance with granite. But labradotir because of some of the minerals in its composition, badly tolerates the environment. For this reason, it is not used for exterior finishing. Gabbro has a monophonic black color and a polished surface. Therefore, it is used for interior decoration and manufacturing of monuments.

Granite needs to be able to choose. For this, it is necessary to take into account certain points. Here are the most important of them:

1. In different places of extraction, granite has a unique natural color. Therefore, in two different quarries the material of one shade can not be obtained.
2. Granite tiles are usually cut to order in a special workshop. Most often order tiles in the size 600 on 600 and 300 on 600 in the thickness of 20-30 millimeters. For cutting granite slabs special machines are required. Therefore, the material can not be cut on its own.
3. Important point: the larger the tile size, the more beautiful the floor will look, but this in turn complicates its laying. There are two reasons for this:

• is a heavy weight, because of which it can easily break in half;
• is harder to maintain the level.

It is worthwhile to know that the thickness of the selected granite tiles should depend on the loads on the floor and on the characteristics of the room itself.

When choosing a granite, it is also worth remembering that there are three types of stone processing:

1. Polished.
2. Polished.
3. Heat-treated.

Product specifications:

• Polished tiles have a mirror surface. This type of treatment is considered the most beautiful and at the same time very slippery. In this case, it is most easily scratched.
• The lapped granite tile has a surface on which the natural pattern is visible, but unlike the polished does not shine at all.
• The heat-treated tiles have been subjected to high temperature gas jet treatment. After that it becomes rough and has no shine.

All the parameters that were listed above, to some extent affect the cost of this tile. When choosing it is worthwhile to inquire about the deposit of the sample you like and in sufficient quantity it is available in the warehouse of the store. Standing more expensive will be rare varieties of granite for the floor. The price for one square meter of slab is still dependent on its thickness and area. The thicker the tiles, the more expensive it will be.

Average prices for granite tiles range from $ 35 to $ 200 per square meter. Expensive samples can cost up to $ 500.Mindfulness and caution in choosing will help you not to fall for the deception of unscrupulous sellers. After all, sometimes they give out a simple granite, mined in the quarries of Russia, for a rare and expensive Italian. Polished material usually has a higher price than heat-treated material.

Of course, granite tiles are better suited for flooring than ceramic. The floor of granite will last much longer and will withstand heavy loads. However, when facing the floor with granite, you must always take into account the size, weight and color of the material. If all this is taken into account, then your efforts will necessarily be crowned with success. Granite tiles require a completely different approach when working with it, but it's worth it.

Required tool for working with granite

In order to make a floor of granite, you will need a special construction tool. After all, this material is very durable. Therefore, it can not be cut using a tile cutter. For work, for example, you will need a Bulgarian or a USM.It should be powerful enough. It will also require a disc for cutting stone. With the help of the grinder, some sections of granite tiles will be performed. However, it is difficult to achieve good quality when cutting the ESM.

In addition to Bulgariks, the following tools will be needed:

1. Building level.
2. Trowel.
3. Rubber spatula.
4. Rubber mallet.
5. Mixer for construction works.
6. Light beams.
7. Bucket.
8. Pieces of tiles for lighthouses.
9. To calculate the laying of granite slabs you will need a long ruler, a tape measure and a large square.

Nuances of work with granite

1. Granite tiles are put not like ceramic. Therefore, before proceeding to the floor lining, you need to know several rules for working with this material.
2. Granite is laid back, but not with seams, like ceramic tiles.
3. Before beginning the laying work, it is necessary to level the floor, for this it is necessary to make its screed.
4. Do not forget that granite tiles can have different thicknesses. To be able to press the protruding parts, you should use a thick layer of glue or mortar.
5. This material can be of different sizes. Therefore, you can not put such a tile on the diagonal or seam in the seam. It is best to lay out the flotation and at the same time observe the drawing.
6. Tiles can be cut from different slabs. Therefore, it differs in color. To solve this problem, remember the following:

• in no case lay the tiles behind the tiles from one package;
• you need to lay out all the material from all the packages before starting the work in order to reveal tiles of different colors or a possible marriage;
• if on some tiles there are defects, then they are best placed in invisible areas. Material without defects should be placed in a chaotic order to evenly distribute tiles of different colors on the floor. So they will be less obvious.

Surface preparation

Granite tiles are much thicker than ceramic tiles. Therefore, before laying, be sure to measure the height of the threshold. Granite requires at least 40-50 millimeters. In addition, always remove dust and debris from the floor. You can coat it with a primer.

Calculations for laying and cutting

Granite tiles are usually lined from one of the end walls, from left to right. It is important to know from which tiles to start: either with the whole, or with halves or with one third. Everything depends on the area of ​​the room and the size of the material. In any case, you need to use the method "in the runaway".

Calculating the floor level

1. When making screeds and installing doors, leave a level of 40 millimeters. To determine the level of the floor, it should be set at the corners of the beacon. As them, you can use levels over long distances.
2. From each beacon you need to pull around the perimeter and the diagonal of the filament space.
3. It can often be seen that some corners have an unnecessary level. If the angle of the room is not more than 60 millimeters, you can add even more solution to these places. If the level in some area, on the contrary, is higher than necessary, then you can put granite on the glue, and not on the solution.
4. In addition to corners, you also need to check the quality of the floor along all beacon threads.

Laying granite on the floor

There are three types of granite tile laying:

1. On a mortar.
2. On the glue.
3. On the equipped metal frame.

This material is usually laid on the floor by the first or the second method. On vertical surfaces, the tile is lined onto a metal frame. Different solutions have different prices. The cheapest option is portland cement, diluted with water with hydrated lime and sand( mainly river).The glue will cost more than the solution. At the same time, its consumption will be greater.

Work technology:

1. It is important to put the first row of tiles correctly. Because the rest of the material will be attached to it. For the first and last row, the tiles themselves will be the beacons themselves. To do this, the thread from the left and right corner is bandaged into two tiles, which were laid at the beginning and end without a solution.
2. The mortar must be applied to the floor with a trowel. Then the tile is laid on it, then it is taped with a rubber mallet, watching the threads of the beacons at the same time.
3. It is important that no voids remain under the tiles. This should be closely monitored. The rest of the material is stacked in the same way. It will remain to put on the solution only the first and the last in the row tile, which, for the time being, play the role of beacons. Untie the threads and put them on the solution.
4. When installing the next row, it is also necessary to first install the beacon plates and bind the threads to them. In order not to bring down the picture, it is important to remember from which plate you started the previous series. One beacon is not enough to check the smoothness of the masonry. Therefore, you need to control it with a level.
5. In exactly the same way, you should perform the laying of the remaining rows of the tile. If a defect appears on the tile or there is an error, you can get it and replace it with another one only within a day. In the future, this will be impossible to do.
6. Each time you move to a new row, you need to wash the tiles from the solution with a damp cloth. Do not be afraid to pour too much water between the tiles. Clutching is only good.
7. With horizontal masonry, there are no restrictions. If you want, you can lay the whole surface of the floor at once. Only after the work will need to wait about two days before it can be walked.
8. Almost always after drying between slabs, crevices are formed, which should be rubbed with a grout in the color of the stone. It should be chosen according to the characteristics of the room. It is moisture resistant, frost-resistant and extremely durable.

Finishing finish

In order to give the granite after laying an attractive appearance, you can use a paste with silicone or liquid wax. This can be done, either with a polishing machine, or manually with felt or felt.

Granite in its strength is not inferior to any building material. It is so practical that if there is a need, you can easily put a new one in place of the old one. Over time, such a tile does not lose its appearance, its quality characteristics also do not suffer. A weak spot in the clutch is a solution that can eventually collapse. Therefore, often granite slabs are removed and cleaned from the old mortar and stacked on a new one. In this he fully pays all the costs of its acquisition and installation.

Granite floors - photo