A typical repair method would include removing the layer of magnesite and grinding back all affected concrete, then installing cathodic protection or patch repair work is to ensure that the propagation of corrosion is seized and that the chlorides within the concrete matrix are removed.
What is magnesite flooring?
Magnesite floors were common in the 1960s, mainly in Sydney, as a slab topping or an underlay to carpet and other forms of floor covering.
How do you remove magnesite from concrete?
Option 1 involves removal of magnesite topping and all chloride contaminated concrete and replacing with fresh concrete.
How much does it cost to fix magnesite damage?
Signs of magnesite damage include cracked tiles and floors that bulge over rusting steel bars. "The owners will have to spend up to $2 million to fix this problem," he said. "They're spending millions of dollars rectifying a problem caused by a defective building material that is no longer in the market for the last 30-odd years."
What is magnesite and why is it bad for your property?
When magnesite absorbs water, the glue can leach into concrete floors and corrode steel reinforcement bars, causing the concrete to expand. The City Futures Research Centre at University of NSW said that in NSW alone there were more than 14,000 strata schemes containing more than 186,000 lots or units registered between 1961 and 1979.
Can you screed over magnesite?
Most magnesite floors are now coming to the end of their life, only if they can be guaranteed to remain unaffected by moisture can they be used as a screed to receive other floorings, otherwise the flooring should be replaced.
Does magnesite contain asbestos?
If your home was built in the 1920s-1940s, it is likely that your home has magnesite flooring. Magnesite flooring consists of Magnesium Oxychloride, which is a white asbestos material. Magnesite was applied to the top of concrete ground floors, which resulted in reddish-pink hued colored floors.
How can you tell if a floor is magnesite?
Identifying a Magnesite floor Another way is to hold a small lump of the screed in a gas flame, if it is magnesite, it will glow brightly around the edges.
Does magnesite need to be removed?
Magnesite Floor Removal is a MUST as long-term exposure to moisture that occurs in household kitchens, bathrooms, laundries or balconies, as well as windows, can lead to the Magnesite Floor releasing harmful chlorides.
Can you tile over magnesite?
Basically Ardex does not recommend the use of any of its Flooring, Waterproofing or Ceramic Tile Adhesive products over Magnesite floor topping. This type of flooring is an in-situ composition that was commonly laid in the 1960's and 70's and is rarely applied today, though some types are still available.
What is magnesite flooring used for?
Magnesite flooring is typically common property and as such, it will usually be the responsibility of the owners corporation to remediate the damaged concrete slabs. As concrete cancer will eventually cause structural issues, works to remediate damaged concrete need to be done as soon as possible and cannot be delayed.
How much does it cost to remove magnesite?
Magnesite Waste Disposal Cost $150 – $450.
Is there asbestos in floor screed?
Asbestos in floor screed Screed is commonly laid over asbestos-contaminated concrete surfaces from the original building site that may not have been cleared up effectively beforehand. On this particular project, the contamination of the floor screed was considered a real possibility.
What is magnesite paint?
Technically called diato magnesium oxychlorite (and also sometimes referred to as “diato flooring”) magnesite is a blend of magnesium chloride and a finely ground organic filler such as sawdust, mixed with water. Colorant is added to produce a wide range of hues.
When was magnesite flooring used?
1960sMagnesite floors were common in the 1960s, mainly in Sydney, as a slab topping or an underlay to carpet and other forms of floor covering.
What is magnesite removal?
Magnesite is removed with specialized equipment such as strong jackhammers, leaving the concrete slab in a condition that is ready to have new flooring installed on. Although sometimes some Magnesite Removal jobs will have magnesite residue stuck to the floor even after the Magnesite has been removed.
What is the chemical composition of magnesite?
Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula MgCO3 (magnesium carbonate). Mixed crystals of iron II carbonate and magnesite (mixed crystals known as ankerite) possess a layered structure: monolayers of carbonate groups alternate with magnesium monolayers as well as iron II carbonate monolayers.
What is magnesite flooring?
From the 1920s to the 1950s, magnesite incorporated elegance and serviceability as a low-cost pourable flooring material, utilized everywhere from Depression-era art deco homes to mass-produced apartment projects to the decking of World War Two battleships. The iconic American architect Frank Lloyd Wright made extensive use ...
How many square feet of magnesite flooring are there in Los Angeles?
In the city of Los Angeles alone, it’s estimated that at least 4 million square feet of vintage magnesite flooring still survives in existing houses and apartment buildings, a lot of it now sadly covered up by carpet or vinyl tile.
How thick is magnesite?
Most magnesite flooring of the past was anywhere from 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Think of magnesite as a sort of plaster for the floor.
What is diato magnesium oxychlorite?
Technically called diato magnesium oxychlorite (and also sometimes referred to as “diato flooring”) magnesite is a blend of magnesium chloride and a finely ground organic filler such as sawdust, mixed with water . Colorant is added to produce a wide range of hues.
Is magnesite grout a problem?
Magnesite is impervious to oil or grease. Because it is a poured material, a magnesite floor is totally seamless so there are no issues with grout staining or discoloration that are typical maintenance concerns with other types of tile. Nor is water penetration between individual tiles a problem.
Is magnesite stronger than cement?
However, magnesite differs from cement in that it contains wood pulp or sawdust that also adds resiliency. Cement is a strong but brittle material. Magnesite, on the other hand, has a certain amount of “give” that makes it more durable under normal household wear and tear.
Is magnesite a spreadable material?
Versatility. Because wet magnesite is a pourable, spreadable material, it can be adapted to flooring in a wide variety of places.
When was Magnetite affecting apartments?
Potentially affecting tens of thousands of apartments built from 1960 through to the 1980s, the little-known magnesite-related defects are also more expensive and invasive to fix. You have reached an article available exclusively to subscribers.
Is magnesite a problem?
Magnesite floors may be a bigger problem than cladding. As governments and the building industry focus on managing combustible cladding issues, another crisis is looming over the use of a flooring material known as magnesite, experts warn.
