Laying crumb rubber

A seamless crumb rubber coating has been gaining in popularity lately. The demand for such flooring has increased due to its injury safety, resistance to UV exposure and mechanical abrasion. Subject to the laying technology, the coating will last for tens of years, retaining its operational properties throughout the entire period of operation.

It is possible to lay a mixture of crumb rubber and glue using 4 technologies. This is a manual method, a method using special devices, spraying using pneumatic equipment. And you can also resort to the combined technology. The choice of one or another installation method directly depends on the amount of work, the quality of the base and the purpose of the site.

This method is used when arranging any types of playgrounds - sports, children's, backyards. It is advisable to lay rubber granulate by this method in areas small in area, while it is allowed to have previously installed game or sports complexes on them.

In this case, the mixture is sprayed using a unit that includes an air compressor and a gun. Wherein The laying compound should consist of crumb rubber, the size of which does not exceed 1 mm. High-pressure sprayers are practically not used to create new self-leveling flooring, but they are indispensable for the repair or restoration of previously installed surfaces. With their help, you can "refresh" the color or completely change the color of the site.

The use of specialized equipment is advisable when arranging large areas - stadiums, gyms, multidisciplinary complexes for sports, treadmills. There are 2 types of stackers:

• mechanical;
• automated.

The first ones have a trolley and an adjustable rail for changing the thickness of the laid flooring. Automatic is equipped with a motor - the device moves independently. Most models support the following features:

• heating the granulate to accelerate the hardening of the flooring;
• pressing the mixture;
• surface sealing;
• automatic adjustment of the thickness of the flooring.

This technology involves the use of 2 or 3 of the above laying methods. The combined method is used on spacious areas to create a monolithic coating with lines, bends or various decorative inserts.

Approximately 700 grams of rubber granulate will be required per square meter of 1 mm thick coating. At the same time, 7 kg of crumbs should be taken to create a coating of standard thickness. For such a mass of the main component, 1.5 kg of a binder and 0.3 kg of a dye will be needed.

It is not difficult to calculate how much mixture is needed to fill 10 m2 with a thickness of 1 cm:

• 10 x 7 = 70 kg of rubber crumb;
• 10 x 1.5 = 15 kg of glue;
• 10 x 0.3 = 3 kg of pigment.

When mixing the components, it is important to observe the accuracy of the dye dosage at each preparation.

Monolithic rubber coating is most often created by hand using various tools at hand or with partial mechanization of the process. When laying, you will need specialized workers, tools and equipment.

Regardless of the type of laying technology and manufacturing of the working mixture, when creating the coating, you will need crumb rubber, adhesive composition and coloring pigments. For the arrangement of floors in swimming pools, on sports grounds and treadmills, granulate up to 2 mm in size is used. For playgrounds and playgrounds - medium fraction crumbs 2-5 mm.

A one-component adhesive, polyurethane, is most often used as a binder. It provides the coating with water resistance, abrasion resistance, resilience and durability. Less commonly, two-component binders are used, including epoxy-polyurethane adhesive and a hardener. Such a composition is inconvenient to use, since it must be used within half an hour after preparation.

You also need to pay close attention to dyes. The pigment gives color to the future coating. The composition of high-quality dyes should include various components of inorganic origin and iron oxyls. For high-quality installation, a primer is required. The base is processed with it to ensure good penetration of the laid mass.

The equipment used in the work will affect the reliability and durability of the created coating. The following equipment will be required when laying the pavement.

To obtain a high-quality mixture when preparing it, it is important to observe the accuracy of the dosage of all components. Deviation from the prescribed rate even by 5% can lead to a decrease in the properties of the finished coating.

This is a heavyweight manual unit designed to compact the working composition on the base. It is best to refuse the use of lightweight equipment - it will not be able to effectively compact the mixture, because of which the coating may soon collapse. In work, a thermal roller can be used for rolling seams and joints, as well as small rollers for corners.

Thanks to this equipment, high-quality mixing of all components of the working mixture is carried out. DFor mixing the components, auger equipment or a unit with a top loading and side discharge opening is suitable.

This is a device, the working bodies of which are an adjustable scraper and a weighty pressing plate. The rear part of the equipment is equipped with heating elements for heating the working mixture to a predetermined temperature.

This equipment allows you to evenly apply the composition to the surface by spraying a finely dispersed composition over the surface. It is intended for applying a topcoat and masking small "flaws" made during installation.

And you will also need buckets, basins or wheelbarrows to transport the solution to the working area. After preparing the toolkit, you can start laying.

It is not difficult to make your own rubber coating on the site, but in this matter it is important to follow the step-by-step instructions. All work is divided into several stages.

The first stage is preparatory. It is necessary for high-quality preparation of the base for the subsequent application of the mixture. Crumb rubber adheres well to asphalt, wood or concrete. To improve the adhesion properties, the surface must be cleaned from dirt (oil stains and dirt from chemicals are unacceptable).First of all, the concrete area must be moistened, and then sanded with a grinder. To clean the base from dirt and dust, use a construction vacuum cleaner. An ideally prepared substrate should be clean and dry with a slight roughness on the surface.

Often, the installation of the coating is carried out on the soil or sand and crushed stone flooring. In this case, experts recommend using a rolled rubber backing. It will help to reduce the consumption of the composition and increase the damping qualities of the finished surface. To strengthen the subgrade, it is recommended to apply a layer of geotextile fabric to it. It will protect the base from erosion by groundwater.

To increase adhesion, the prepared sub-base must be primed. For these purposes, you can take a store composition or make it yourself. To prepare the primer, you will need to mix turpentine and polyurethane glue in a 1: 1 ratio. The resulting solution is applied with a roller to the site. The approximate consumption of the primer is 300 g per 1 m2.

To form a decorative coating with a thickness of 1 cm and an area of ​​5 m2, you will need to take 40 kg of rubber granulate, 8.5 kg of polyurethane-based glue and at least 2.5 kg of pigment. First of all, add crumb to the loading tank, turn on the equipment and mix for 2-3 minutes. During storage, the granulate often cakes, and if you neglect its mixing, lumps may remain.

After mixing the crumbs, load the dye and mix it with the crumbs for 3 minutes to evenly distribute. The glue composition is poured into the rotating equipment in a stream - it is impossible to stop the operation of the equipment while mixing. Otherwise, lumps may form. After applying the glue, all components are mixed for 15 minutes. The mass should be dense and homogeneous.

It is recommended to lay the mortar in segments with an area of ​​1 m2. For each such square, you need to distribute 10.2 kg of solution. The working composition must be leveled with spatulas alternately on all segments, and then compacted with a roller. With a large amount of work, the handy tool must be replaced with automatic stackers.

Laying the rubber cover can also be done using a two-layer technology. In this case, it will be possible to save money on painting the working mixture located in the lower part. To achieve greater elasticity of the coating for preparing the solution for laying the first layer, it is recommended to take granules up to 2.5 mm.

After laying and hardening, a fiberglass mesh is laid on the rough layer. In the future, a finishing color coating is formed on it. It will take from 8 to 12 hours to sinter the composition.

The components of the working solution for laying a monolithic rubber coating do not contain toxic or other substances harmful to human health. However, if moisture gets into the polyurethane adhesive, a chemical reaction will occur and the active release of carbon dioxide will begin. Inhaling it, the worker will feel weakness, loss of strength and drowsiness. To prevent the risks of these consequences, when working in closed rooms, ensure good air ventilation.

You need to lay the coating in special suits. All employees must be provided with a set of personal protective equipment:

• shoe covers;
• gloves;
• glasses;
• respirators when using dry dyes.

If polyurethane glue comes into contact with exposed skin, rinse off immediately under warm running water using soap.

Instructions for self-laying rubber crumb coating in the video below.