The combination of technical resistance, practicality in care and aesthetic appeal in the properties of flooring has always been a challenge. Depending on the operating conditions, certain operational qualities had to be sacrificed in order to preserve other, more important ones. This problem is especially acute in relation to floors for car washes, where all the above qualities are important. However, the development of technologies for the manufacture of mortars also allowed us to come closer to solving this problem.
Floor construction
At first glance, the coating in the working area of the car wash should be hard, wear-resistant and tough. This is absolutely true, but with significant nuances. Firstly, under the dynamic loads of automobiles, even a mechanically stable, solid foundation of high-quality sand-concrete mix will deteriorate over time. Secondly, additional functional layers may be required, the main of which will be insulating substrates and temperature controllers. This does not mean that the floor design itself in car washes should be multi-level. At a minimum, it is desirable to arrange its base as a monolithic screed, but with the mandatory damping effect, which will eliminate the negative effect of the dynamic effect.
Classic concrete screed technology
This option can be called the most simple and technologically affordable, although it provides for a number of design features. As the initial data, it should be noted the presence of a solution with Portland cement and a working temperature of at least +5 ° C. Next, the concrete floor for the car wash is arranged according to the following instructions:
- The site is zoned in squares with reinforcement elements. Thin formwork rods with a thickness of 8-10 mm or even better fiberglass rods with a diameter of 6 mm can be used.
- Concrete screed is poured on marked squares.
- With the help of needle levelers or a vibrator, the mass is compacted, which will allow air bubbles to be removed from it and strengthen the base.
- Especially to give a damping effect, an additional finish layer is formed. Impact-resistant additives in the form of quartz and corundum seals with metal inclusions are used for its mixture. The laid mass is leveled over the entire area with the capture of interband barriers.
- When the surface layer hardens, it is ground and a water-resistant varnish is applied to ensure tightness.
By the way, to give a decorative effect, both solutions can be diluted with coloring pigments. The texture will turn out monophonic, but colored and not as boring as a regular cement screed.
Tile coatings for car wash
This coating is good in that its very configuration of a non-continuous base excludes destruction from dynamic loads. In any case, it will be possible to replace the cracked tile without dismantling the entire coating. Another thing is that mosaic and segment coatings, in principle, are not the best option for work processes with constant water filling and vehicle movement. Porcelain tile and wear-resistant moisture-proof adhesive mortar for construction purposes will help improve the performance of such a flooring. Also, the installation of car wash floors on a tile basis involves the initial creation of a smooth and reliable rough base - for example, the same concrete screed. An adhesive is applied to its surface, and the coating elements are laid with mounting crosses to level the position. The most crucial stage is finishing grouting of joints, which must be performed with special sealants with increased mechanical resistance.
Bulk polymer floors
By the combination of technical and operational properties, this coating can be called the best choice for a car wash. As the operators themselves note, the self-leveling floor is practically trouble-free - it is easy to maintain, it does not slip, does not wear out and retains its basic structural integrity. In addition, if necessary, you can choose a coating with the original texture - even with the presence of patterns and patterns. As for the technology of the device, the self-leveling floor for a car wash is also formed on a concrete screed with a flat and strong surface. For the solution, epoxy or polyurethane dry mixes can be used, depending on the specific physical requirements. The filling is carried out according to the principle of self-leveling coating with a small thickness of 3-10 mm. Further along the flooded surface pass a needle roller and expect complete solidification within a day or several days.
Rubber floor
The configurations of the performance of such coatings can be different - from the same tiled form factor to carpet and liquid mixtures. As a result, a tenacious and protected from mechanical damage surface is formed, which is also insensitive to the effects of water. Experts recommend performing rubber floors for a car wash on a solid liquid basis from a powder mixture. Typically, a combination of rubber particles, synthetic mounting glue and coloring pigments is included.
The use of metal at the heart of the design
A fairly simple and also practical version of the floor base, which will be more like a raised floor. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the metal structure does not work as a floor covering. It only acts as a kind of overlay with trays and pit. The base is made of corrugated steel sheets with mounting profiles and corners on the sides. The main difficulty in installing metal floors for a car wash is to ensure a secure fit. For this, the supporting beams and reinforcing bars fixed in the side wall recesses or on the existing rough coating should be prepared from the start. The frame is welded to them.
Underfloor heating system for car wash
For industrial coatings, it is recommended to use water heating circuits. These are thin plastic pipes with a diameter of about 15-20 mm, which are connected to a collector that regulates the circulation of hot water. The difficulty will be that the pipes must be laid in a strong concrete niche. That is, in any case, it will be necessary to lay a new screed at least 5 cm thick. Actually, for this reason, it is impossible to implement a system with bulk polymer coatings - precisely because of the insufficient thickness of the layer that is required for the contours of the warm floor. At the car wash, it will also be necessary to provide a separate control unit for the heating system with setting the temperature and the water supply channel with antifreeze.
Features of coatings for self-service car washes
Stations of this type have a significant feature, which imposes additional conditions on the device of flooring. The fact is that self-service sites are often located outdoors. That is, protection from negative climatic factors with precipitation and frost is absent, therefore, the flooring should have its own set of protective qualities. Both for the concrete floor and for various synthetic mixtures, special modifier additives should be provided that improve water and frost resistance. Of course, the option of organizing a warm floor for a self-service car wash does not disappear, but in this case the limitations associated with the installation of heating circuits are also taken into account. In extreme cases, you can choose electric cables with mats instead of water pipes. They are less demanding on the thickness of the layer for laying, but they also have significant disadvantages. Firstly, more reliable insulation will be required due to the high risks of electrical wiring contact with water, and secondly, the volume of heat transfer will not be as high as in the case of a water heated floor.
Conclusion
Even at the stage of choosing the technology of flooring, it is important to consider how much the planned coating will be demanding in terms of further maintenance. Nevertheless, intensive operation under high loads gradually destroys or deforms any surface. For example, floors for a polymer-based car wash under voltage can crack, which will require restoration with the same bulk composition. Concrete screed to a greater extent needs periodic repair of chips, small cracks and delaminations on the surface. As for rubber and metal coatings, serious damage can be expressed in the form of deformations and ruptures of the coating.