The floor is one of the important parts of the interior. This is one of the planes that, like walls and ceilings, can be richly decorated. The floor can be monochromatic or close to monochromatic, and then it acts as a surface that brings together all the components of the room. Or maybe, on the contrary, have a rich decor that will set the tone in the room, dominating among monochromatic furniture and the design of vertical planes.
Designers continue to delight with new findings in the interior design of bathrooms. A recent innovation is the 3D floor. This is a decorative design of the floor covering that creates the appearance of a three-dimensional image. If a seabed is depicted under a person's feet, then when you look at it, it seems that your feet are stepping on the sand and marine life. This 3D image is achieved by stacking several layers of coating. One of the important components is the decorative cover with a printed picture. A transparent composition is poured over it, which solidifies. When it solidifies, it is its transparency that creates the extraordinary vibrant effects of the image underneath.
This floor is not just beautiful. Marine and natural motives serve to relax, restore the strength of a person who sees them underfoot. And if it is much easier to apply a volumetric image to the wall, then the floor requires a protective coating, since during operation it is under load.
But on the other hand, the visual effect of the 3D image under your feet has a very strong effect on the human psyche, forcing you to switch from a stressed state to a calm and relaxed one.
Specifications
The beauty of 3D flooring, thanks to its multi-layer coating and durable top layer, has several benefits. The self-leveling floor during installation creates a perfectly flat surface, since the liquid is always distributed parallel to the earth's surface. The 3D floor is monolithic and has no gaps, so the image in the middle is not distorted or separated by seams.
The surface is easy to clean, as there are no seams in which dust can clog. After cleaning, the floor looks just as beautiful as after installation.
Drawings under a layer of epoxy can be very diverse , which opens up wide design possibilities. This can be a printed film, a painted image, a DIY mosaic, or any beautiful surface. Transparent epoxy fills the image and adds liveliness thanks to the transparent layer.
3D self-leveling floors have very good performance characteristics. Such a surface is very durable and can withstand heavy loads. The floor does not fade and does not wear out, retaining its original appearance and delighting its owners. It can be easily cleaned from dirt, and to wash them off, it is enough to wipe the surface with a damp cloth. Epoxy resin on the surface of such a coating is resistant to moisture, so self-leveling floors can be successfully used in damp areas of houses and apartments. The floors do not change their appearance when exposed to dust and are inert to common household chemicals.
In addition, such a floor lasts for a long time - up to 15 years, practically unchanged.
The floor must be repaired after the end of its useful life. Such repair can be partial, or maybe with a complete replacement of the top layer, including the 3D image. Therefore, during repairs, you can not only update the coating, but also change the design of the room. When installing under a multi-layer coating, you can lay a warm floor, since the multi-layer 3D coating conducts heat. In addition, if you understand the instructions for laying the floor, you can install it yourself.
The quality of the 3D coating is distinguished by its safe operation. This floor is antistatic and does not conduct electrical discharges. If an electrical appliance suddenly falls to the bathroom floor, it will not shock the person using it, so such floors are safe in wet rooms. The floor is non-slip, which is especially important when used in the bathroom. In addition, such a floor does not emit harmful substances, so it can be safely used in any premises with small children.
Epoxy resin is non-combustible, so it can be used not only in bathrooms, but also in rooms where there is a danger of a spark from fire.
With all the advantages of such a coating, it is necessary to know about some of the disadvantages inherent in 3D floors.
In order to maintain the transparency of the top coat, it must be periodically treated with special compounds.
If it becomes necessary to replace the floor, the process of removing the coating is quite complicated , as is the application of numerous layers. Self-leveling floors freeze for a long time and during this process you cannot use the entire room, you need to wait until the resin completely hardens. In addition, these floors are very expensive, much more expensive than tile flooring.
The cost of a floor in general depends on three factors - the complexity of the image, the thickness of the top layer of epoxy resin and the area of the bathroom. You also need to take into account that the work on their creation is more expensive than laying out the tiles. But the result is much more interesting, prettier and more unusual than the tiles on the floor.
The cost of 3D floors is very high. For a small space of 3 square meters, such coverage can cost $ 720. That is, 1 square meter of floor will cost $ 240. But with an increase in the area of the room, the price per meter decreases. Floor area from 4 to 8 m2 will cost $ 800-1300, that is, the price per 1 meter already starts from $ 200 and drops to 160. In the same price range per meter, a room of 8-10 m2 will cost $ 1,600 on average ... If the room has an area of 10-20 m2, then for its unique design you will have to pay a price starting from $ 2,000 and above, that is, the cost of one meter remains in the range of up to $ 200. Considering the prices for the creation of such a surface, it is not always ordered to decorate the entire room with such a floor.
Sometimes only part of the room is finished with a volumetric image, combining 3D flooring with other materials.
Given the high cost of 3D flooring, experts advise you to install it yourself. In the case of self-leveling floors, there is such an opportunity - to make repairs yourself. Independent work will significantly reduce coverage costs. The floor consists of many layers, each of which must be laid out carefully, thoroughly and perfectly. However, before starting repairs, it is necessary to study the instructions for laying such a floor so as not to make mistakes.
Kinds
The drawing in 3D bathroom flooring plays a huge role. Before choosing it, you need to imagine all the possibilities that open up when using a surface with an imitation of a volumetric image.
Drawings are:
- Solid or Gradient - transition from one color to another.
- Film with applied drawing, pattern, photograph.
- Hand-painted by a hired artist.
- Mosaic from any materials that are laid out by hand. A designer who creates a floor ornament can use any suitable materials - shells, coins, pieces of metal, sand, beads, dried flowers, threads, buttons, pieces of ceramic tiles, and much more.
You can also make a combination of a film coating and its pattern with the addition of individual items to the overall composition.
There are two types of 3D coatings by the thickness of the top coat:
- highly filled (with a thick coating) - used in rooms with heavy loads;
- thin - used in rooms with a small load.
Also, 3D flooring has one feature. The top layer resembles a lens that creates the illusion of volume. The thicker the upper film is above the image, the more voluminous the drawing appears.
Drawing
Virtually any image can be 3D coated. But there are certain themes that are most popular in bathrooms.
The theme of the sea is very popular. Marine motives return the inhabitants of cities and continents to the memories of vacations, the sea, relax, tune in to a good mood, have a positive effect on the psychological state. Therefore, very often this theme is displayed in 3D floor coverings. It can be dolphins, sharks. Sea waves, surf, sand from the beach are very popular. You can add real objects to such plots - shells brought from vacation, pebbles, some real sand, a bare footprint in the sand. This is all filled with resin on top and looks absolutely realistic.
The surf depicted on the floor divides the room into zones of sand and water.
Therefore, the location of the picture in space must also be thought out. For example, the image of water is best placed closer to the bathroom or shower.
Also often popular are images of grass and flowers that are reminiscent of flowering meadows. They can also be varied with additives in the form of dry plants or various objects. As a result, the flooring can look very impressive.
Today it is possible to add any stickers.
For bathrooms in historical styles, experts recommend painting the floor to maintain the overall classic design. For more modern styles, you can use macro photography of small elements of nature - drops of water, dew, flowers, grass, cuts of trees, coffee beans and other subjects. For those who are looking for tranquility in city life, you can use images of various mechanisms, city streets at night and other metropolitan scenes. There is also a direction for creating unusual images in the interior - dungeons, the illusion of placement above or below the ground. A whole direction of images in the interior is graphic patterns or drawings that can be perfectly combined with a variety of styles - from classic to modern.
Application in the interior
A feature of a floor with a volumetric image is its active role. And although according to the plots the floors can be both quieter and more active, they still attract a lot of attention to themselves. Therefore, designers do not recommend making such a coating in very small bathrooms. Of course, it can be created if the customer wants it, but in this case the 3D floor will not reveal all the beauty of its artistic image. It is better to place such floors in larger rooms so that you can see the whole picture.
In general, 3D flooring, due to its physical characteristics, is suitable for any environment. Of course, its high cost will force you to create such effects only in the most important rooms of a house or apartment. It is simply unprofitable to do it in technical rooms. But on the other hand, the main rooms can be decorated with 3D images and create a wonderful relaxing atmosphere in the home.
For the technology of manufacturing 3D floors, see the video below.