Bitumen mastic for wood. Treating wood with bitumen mastic. What types of waterproofing mastic are there?
Wood is considered a popular material in construction. Its versatility, general availability, and optimal price allow it to be used for any production needs. This raw material is used to create walls, strengthen the roof, and cover the floor. A significant disadvantage that is characteristic of wood is that it is not able to withstand the influences of the external environment.
Bitumen mastic protects wood from moisture and gives it antiseptic properties.
To increase service life and protect raw materials, the material should be processed systematically by special means. With their help you can protect the coating from harmful influence water, dust, dirt, improve appearance, prevent the occurrence of abrasions. One of these substances that supports high quality wooden floor is bitumen or wax mastic for wood.
Why do you need mastic?
Wood is considered a sensitive material, which is systematically subjected to heavy loads and loses its properties. This is possible due to the risk of contamination, mold and other negative consequences. To improve the protection of raw materials, it is customary to apply varnish to its surface. The substance will retain the original appearance of the coating and its basic properties unchanged.
Bitumen mastic increases the life of wood several times.
The service life of the material treated in this way will increase significantly if the wood is systematically coated with mastic. The product will not only increase the degree of protection of the boards, but also level the floor level.
The main advantages of using mastic for flooring include:
- ensuring complete waterproofing;
- ecological composition;
- relatively high wear resistance;
- providing protection from heavy loads;
- facilitates the cleaning process;
- adding shine and aesthetic beauty to the floor.
Such qualities explain the growing demand from consumers.
Classification of mastic
The development of the construction industry leads to the emergence of new floor covering options. As a result, for each case it is necessary to use a certain type of mastic. It is usually classified into the following groups:
- Cold, containing chemical solvents such as ethyl acetate, white alcohol, gasoline.
- Hot, based on bitumen or rubber.
When applying mastics of the first group, it is recommended not to occupy the room for several days. They evaporate during the drying process chemical substances that can harm a person. Mixtures of the second group dry faster and are characterized by the presence of certain application features. Bitumen mastic for wood is applied after heating to 160-180 degrees.
During processing cold mastic It is necessary to exclude living in the premises due to the release of harmful substances.
This practice ensures that the coating dries in a few minutes. The process of treating the floor is complicated by the fact that if used carelessly, you can get serious burns. The solution has high level fire, which makes us pay great attention to the safety system.
Mastic can also be one-component or two-component. The first type is characterized by ease of use, since the substance can be used immediately after opening the package. One-component solutions are designed for full use, since, due to their own composition, they can harden immediately in the container.
Two-component mastics have a longer shelf life and are more economical to use. The consumer has the opportunity to use small quantities of the substance without worrying about the loss of properties of the remaining mastic. To apply to the floor, simply combine the mixture with a special thickener.
Features of hot solutions
Bitumen mastic may contain wax or water-based elements. Such characteristics determine the rules for applying the substance. Wax compositions are used for all types wooden boards. The products add shine, increase the level of protection and preserve natural look coverings.
A bitumen water-based solution is considered universal and can be sold in a liquid, solid state or in the form of a kind of paste.
A unique feature of some models is the content of active elements that make it easy to clean the floor surface from dirt and dust.
Application rules
For correct coverage Floor mastic must adhere to certain rules. The substance should be applied in as thin a layer as possible, which will allow a new layer to be properly applied to the previous one. It is rational to treat parquet, boards, and wooden floors at least 1-2 times a month. It is enough to apply one layer of bitumen solution, although in some cases the procedure must be repeated 2-3 times in a row to ensure better protection.
Bitumen mastic can be applied either with construction brushes, rollers, or sprayed using a spray gun.
To treat the surface, you can use a construction roller, a special brush, a flat brush or wide spatula. Wax solutions must be additionally leveled with a roller in order to evenly distribute the thick mixture over the surface. When using water-based compositions, you should pre-cleaning surfaces from dust and dirt. After treating with mastic, the floor is rubbed with a dry cloth, which adds shine and improves the appearance.
Correct application of the solution will ensure complete waterproofing of the subfloor and protect wood material from rapid destruction.
Making mastic at home
There are many options for creating mastic with your own hands. According to some, the substance is made only on a wax basis, while others provide for the possibility of adding additional components. Mastic for a wooden floor prepared in this way will practically not differ in its quality characteristics from the bitumen mixture from a hardware store.
For one method you will need three ingredients: beeswax or carnauba wax, gum or pine rosin and gum turpentine. The ratio of product volumes involves maintaining the ratio of elements in the proportion 4:1:2. The wax is cut with a knife or grater and mixed with crushed rosin.
The resulting mass is placed in a water bath until completely dissolved, stirring systematically. Due to the fact that turpentine is highly flammable, it is heated in a container with hot water. Then, when the liquid mixture is ready, heated turpentine is added to it and mixed thoroughly. Once finished, the mass poured into a separate container can be placed in the cold until it thickens.
Having three components on hand: wax, rosin and turpentine, you can prepare mastic at home.
According to the second recipe, it is enough to take two pieces beeswax, which is ground on a fine grater. Then, place it in a water bath and make sure that the ingredient is completely melted. Stirring constantly, add a glass of water to the resulting mass, making sure that the solution does not curdle. At the final stage, the mixture prepared in this way is left in a cold place.
The solution does not harden completely; due to the presence of water, the mastic turns into a thick paste, which is applied to the surface to be treated. It is recommended to coat individual wooden elements, which are not subject to constant load.
In general, you can systematize the knowledge gained and create your own recipe for making mastic.
Conclusion
Bitumen mastic is considered useful substance for treating the floor surface. High-quality characteristics and relatively natural composition improve the protective properties of parquet and wooden boards, increase their service life, give them shine and a good appearance.
The mastic coating process has its own characteristics, so you should carefully select a product suitable for a particular type of wood and carefully study the instructions for use.
By purchasing bitumen mastic, you don’t have to worry about the condition of the floor: wood covering will be protected from dirt, abrasions and microorganisms.
Video: processing wood with bitumen
Mastics, waxes and impregnations for wood. We cook ourselves
I suspect that almost all of this miracle can be used when working with gypsum, clay, salt dough... What do you think?
There are situations when varnishes and stains are generally unacceptable. For example, during production wooden spoons or dishes. Natural beeswax or vegetable wax 1) is harmless to health, 2) emphasizes the beauty and reveals the texture of wood, it becomes brighter, more expressive, slightly darkens and acquires a noble golden hue, 3) the surface of wood treated with waxing becomes water-repellent and scratch-resistant, in addition it breathes, unlike varnish, 4) the wood acquires a noble matte shine, which does not hurt the eyes, 5) has an excellent smell.
Before waxing, the wood must be treated with impregnation. The simplest impregnation is vegetable oil, preferably linseed oil, of course. They process the product in several stages. After each impregnation, the product is allowed to dry, then sanded.
Based linseed oil Impregnating compositions are often prepared using herbs and roots (angelica root, burdock, elecampane, galangal). Tannins contained in plants turn into oil and, when processing wood, strengthen its surface layers.
Here is a recipe for making mint oil, which has a very pleasant light aroma:
100g of dried crushed mint leaves are poured into a glass container, pour 0.5 l vegetable oil, shaken and sent for 2 weeks in dark place. It is then filtered and used.
Afterwards the wood is treated with wax mastic.
The simplest wax mastic prepared from wax and turpentine in a ratio of 2:1 or oil and wax in a ratio of 2:1 (this is for food products). Here's another recipe for making wax mastic:
Take 100g of wax, 25g of crushed rosin and 50g of purified turpentine
In a water bath, melt the wax in an enamel container, add rosin. After the wax has dissolved, gradually add turpentine. I add a little more propolis, it strengthens the wood and gives it an extra aroma. Remove everything from the heat, pour into a tin jar and let the mixture cool. The mastic becomes thick and pasty:
The product is rubbed with it and rubbed in with a piece of cloth or wool until the fabric stops sticking and a shine appears.
Sometimes resin or cherry gum is added to the mastic.
In addition to beeswax, carnauba wax, which is obtained from the leaves of the Brazilian palm tree, is often used. In hot weather, it secretes wax, which covers the surface of the leaf and protects against moisture loss.
Carnauba wax has more high temperature melting, so it is more stable than bees. But also 3 times more expensive.
All photos from the article
The tree is beautiful natural material, throughout its history, humanity has used it both for construction and for arranging everyday life. But the durability of the tree leaves much to be desired, so different times their own compounds were used to protect it.
Many people are now interested in how to protect a tree and whether it is possible to apply mastic to a tree. Mastic is one of the main protective materials for wood, but not everything is so simple; each industry uses its own types of mastic.
For example, waterproofing mastic may be absolutely unsuitable for sealing cracks. Our website specialists have tried to outline the main types and purposes of this material.
Good old bitumen
Bitumen itself is a by-product of the oil refining process. But in pure form this material not suitable for wood processing, so a series of special compounds based on it. Bituminous mastic is used for wood, most often used as waterproofing. In some cases, it can act as a fastening layer when installing a wooden covering.
Separation by technological features
Both bitumen and some other mastics are divided into compositions used hot or cold.
- Hot compositions, as the name implies, are heated to a temperature of about 160 ºС before application.. After hardening, this coating has high strength and elasticity. The price of such material is quite affordable. It is this composition that is most often processed wooden poles before digging in.
- Various types of solvents are used to liquefy cold bitumen mastic.. Such compositions are somewhat more expensive, but they can be used for dual purposes. Both for waterproofing and as a fastening layer, for example, when laying parquet. Hardening occurs as the solvent evaporates.
Besides, in trading network There are two types of compositions: one-component and two-component.
- One-component bitumen mastic for wood is convenient because it is sold ready-made. In other words, after opening the can you can immediately work with it. But there is also a significant disadvantage here. The entire container must be used immediately; upon contact with air, hardening processes are initiated, and it will be almost impossible to revive it later.
- Two-component mastic is stored much longer. In order to bring it into working condition, you need to combine the base with a thickener. Consequently, it becomes possible to prepare the required amount of the composition.
Separation by composition
Wood processing bitumen mastic The process is simple, but it is important not to make a mistake with the choice of composition.
Each of the polymers improves certain properties.
- The record holder for elasticity is polyurethane-rubber mastic based on bitumen. When cold, it can stretch 20 times. For waterproofing surfaces using raw wood, this is an almost ideal option. No matter how the array behaves, you can rest assured about the integrity of the layer.
Important: polyurethane-rubber composite mastic, made with an oil solvent, does not completely harden, being constantly in a semi-liquid state.
It is used for waterproofing in damp soils or in rooms with high vibration.
- The composition based on rubber and bitumen has high adhesion to the surface, stretches well and can withstand temperatures from -40 ºС to +100 ºС. It is often used for installation roll waterproofing on a wooden floor.
- The mixture of bitumen and rubber also has high elasticity, plus it works as an antiseptic. It is used for waterproofing surfaces with complex terrain.
Advice: bitumen-latex composition is an alternative to using mastic based on natural rubber.
It is much cheaper and differs little in its characteristics.
This mastic is well suited for treating joists when arranging wooden floors.
Wood floor mastics and natural decorative compounds
Wooden floors have been installed in our great power since time immemorial; parquet appeared a little later, about 300 years ago. But both of these coatings need protection, and the compositions and processing methods in both cases are practically no different.
In the recent past, wax with the addition of natural oils was used to make mastic. With the development of science, similar compositions began to be made on the basis of the same wax but with the addition of various kinds of polymers and synthetic additives. As a result, the quality and durability of the coating has increased significantly.
Classification of floor coating compositions
Wax-based compositions are considered classics, despite the fact that many alternative options, this material is still in great demand. This coating gives the wood a special noble shine and stability. In addition, wax mastic is best suited for leveling wooden floors. There are practically no restrictions on the type of wood here.
If you are interested in imitation wood on mastic with your own hands, then this material is perfect. Most often, water-based mastic is used on acrylic or any other fibrous base to match natural massif and with a brush with stiff bristles, dark translucent varnish or paint, apply a surface pattern of fibers.
The price of such material is quite reasonable, but the problem is that these compounds were developed for hard wood, ideally it should be oak. This option is also suitable for coating other types of wood, only the consistency is thicker.
Natural compositions
- Most natural mastics contain 2 main components: oil and beeswax.
- As for oil, any pure refined oil is taken as a basis, seasoned craftsmen prefer linseed oil. Based on it, the 3 most common compositions are made. Mint, angelica and dandelion oil.
- Add 200 grams of dried and crushed mint per liter of liquid, mix well and place in a dark place for 2 weeks, and shake and stir every day during this entire period. After filtering, the composition can be used.
Important: peppermint oil is prepared from dried mint, and angelica and dandelion oil are prepared from the dried and crushed roots of these plants.
The proportions and technology remain the same.
- Only real beeswax is used, and it should not be cleaned too much; a small amount of honey, propolis and dried bees will only make the mastic better.
- The natural wax mastic itself is easy to prepare. Depending on what consistency you require, the proportions can be 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4, where 1 part wax to 4 parts oil.
- The composition is heated in a glass or enamel container in a water bath until completely dissolved and mixed. After the mastic has cooled, it can be used. For hard wood, use soft mastics and vice versa.
Wood can rightfully be called one of the best building materials. Ease of use and versatility allow us to use wood for almost everything. Well, such shortcomings as susceptibility to fire, moisture, mold and pests, as well as other things, can be corrected with the help of processing agents. And one of these means is mastic based on bitumen or wax. In this article we will focus on its description, application methods and even methods for making it yourself.
Waterproofing is the main advantage of using mastic and its main purpose. The use of this processing material increases the wood's resistance to wear, improves its aesthetic characteristics, simplifies further cleaning, and much more. Floors protected with this composition receive protection from pests. For the same purpose, other wooden surfaces are treated with mastic.
One-component and two-component mastic
One-component. Ready-to-use solution, without the need for dilution or other manipulations. This shows the simplicity of the work, since you don’t have to spend time on preparation. The disadvantage is that after opening the container, the coating begins to harden, and the mastic that we did not use will become useless in the future.
Two-component. As the name suggests, this type mastic is two components that are mixed in the right proportions, thus turning it into a mixture ready for use. Separately, the components can be stored for a very long time, so this type of mastic is much more economical.
Cold and hot mastic
Cold. The mixture is based on various chemical solvents, such as white spirit. It usually takes several days for a floor covered with such mastic to dry completely. Moreover, all this time there will be a strong chemical smell in the room, which is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous to health. So it is still advisable not to occupy the premises for several days.
Hot. Mastic created on the basis of bitumen or rubber. Before use, it must be warmed up to desired temperature and consistency. This temperature, by the way, reaches 180 degrees Celsius. So you need to work with such a composition as carefully as possible so as not to get burns. You also need to be careful because the composition is fire hazardous. The advantage of this composition is that it hardens very quickly - up to several minutes.
Advantages of bitumen mastic
Bituminous mastic can make your floor or other wooden surface shiny due to the fact that some of its types contain wax. Some types of such mastic contain water-based components, allowing the mastic to be solid, liquid, and even in the form of a kind of paste. Finally, bitumen mastic contains components that make it much easier to remove dirt, so cleaning such floors will be much easier.
How to apply this material to the surface of wood
Mastic, like paint, can be applied with various brushes and rollers. If you need to cover a large surface and technical capabilities allow then ideal option will become spraying. Cleaning a brush or roller from this solution is a very difficult process.
Rules for applying mastic to wood
- Before work, you need to make sure that the surface is perfectly clean and does not contain old traces of paint or varnish;
- Try to apply the mastic in as thin a layer as possible, which will reduce drying time and improve the quality of the coating;
- Usually mastic if we're talking about about bitumen solution, apply once. However, depending on the application, up to three layers may be required;
- After application, the mastic can be polished with a cloth, thus achieving shine;
- In the case of polyurethane-rubber mastic, complete hardening does not occur. The material remains semi-liquid at all times. Therefore, it is used either in rooms with high vibrations or in wet soils. The mastic with the best waterproofing properties is polyurethane-rubber. It can stretch up to 20 times and, regardless of the degree of movement and other factors, does not lose its insulating properties.
Bitumen mastic – other applications
Having serious waterproofing properties, bitumen mastic is used not only for wood. For example, bitumen mastic is actively applied to concrete structures. The operating rules in this case are as follows:
As soon as the concrete hardens, it is cleaned of sand and dust. After this, in order to ensure better adhesion, the concrete must be treated with a bitumen primer. If this primer is well absorbed into the concrete, then it is best to reapply the layer. After this, you can proceed directly to applying mastic, choosing a bitumen or bitumen-polymer variation. In case of excessive thickness, the composition can be diluted with turpentine.
Making your own mastic
Coating wooden floors, including parquet, with wax mastic not only helps maintain resistance to water, but also significantly improves the appearance of the floor. At the same time, the composition of such mastic is quite simple, and you can prepare it with your own hands.
To do this, we need caranuba or beeswax, pine-based rosin and gum turpentine. The ratio of materials is 4x1x1. During preparation, wax and rosin are crushed and mixed, after which they are poured into one container, which is placed in a water bath. After dissolution, when the mixture becomes homogeneous, turpentine is poured into it. All that remains is to put the solution in the cold to make it thicker.
It is important to highlight the wood texture with appropriate finishing. Of course, now there are a lot of chemical stains and varnishes available on different basis. They have their advantages, but there are also significant disadvantages, the main ones of which are unnaturalness and toxicity. There are situations when varnishes and stains are generally unacceptable. For example, in the manufacture of wooden spoons or dishes.
Natural beeswax or vegetable wax 1) is harmless to health, 2) emphasizes the beauty and reveals the texture of wood, it becomes brighter, more expressive, slightly darkens and acquires a noble golden hue, 3) the surface of wood treated with waxing becomes water-repellent and scratch-resistant, in addition it breathes, unlike varnish, 4) the wood acquires a noble matte shine that does not hurt the eyes, 5) has an excellent smell.
The wood must be treated before waxing. impregnation. The simplest impregnation is vegetable oil, of course linseed oil is better. They process the product in several stages. After each impregnation, the product is allowed to dry, then sanded.
Based on linseed oil, impregnating compositions are often prepared on herbs and roots (angelica root, burdock, elecampane, galangal). Tannins contained in plants turn into oil and, when processing wood, strengthen its surface layers.
Here is a recipe for making mint oil, which has a very pleasant light aroma:
100g of dried crushed mint leaves are poured into a glass container, poured in 0.5 liters of vegetable oil, shaken and sent to a dark place for 2 weeks. It is then filtered and used.
Afterwards the wood is treated with wax mastic. The simplest wax mastic prepared from wax and turpentine in a ratio of 2:1 or oil and wax in a ratio of 2:1 (this is for food products). Here's another recipe for making wax mastic:
We take 100g of wax, 25g of crushed rosin and 50g of purified turpentine.
In a water bath, melt the wax in an enamel container, add rosin. After the wax has dissolved, gradually add turpentine. I add a little more propolis, it strengthens the wood and gives it an extra aroma. Remove everything from the heat, pour into a tin jar and let the mixture cool. The mastic becomes thick and pasty:
The product is rubbed with it and rubbed in with a piece of cloth or wool until the fabric stops sticking and a shine appears.
Sometimes resin or cherry gum is added to the mastic.
In addition to beeswax, it is often used, which is obtained from the leaves of the Brazilian palm tree. In hot weather, it secretes wax, which covers the surface of the leaf and protects against moisture loss.
Carnauba wax has a higher melting point, so it is more stable than beeswax. But also 3 times more expensive.
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