In most private and apartment buildings, concrete slabs act as the base of the floor, which do not differ in a perfectly flat surface. Therefore, before laying the finish coating, they need to be repaired and leveled. How can such a floor be put in order, and how to level it?
Why do you need an alignment procedure
A flat floor surface is the key to its successful cladding.
Leveling the floor means creating a strictly horizontal surface. The fact is that the laying of many modern finishing materials is unacceptable in the presence of curvature. Laminate or parquet board will quickly become unusable if laid on a base with a large height difference.
More and more often cabinet furniture without legs is used in interior design. If the floor is "littered", any curvature will be noticeable when installing the same closet.
When do floors need to be leveled? There are several such cases:
- Concrete slabs with a large height difference act as the floor.
- The old parquet or hardboard, laid earlier with the use of bituminous mastics, has been removed. Small influxes cannot be eliminated, so you will have to perform a floor screed.
- The old wooden base creaks strongly and wobbles noticeably.
- The old screed cracked and fell into disrepair.
- Before laying ceramic tiles.
- Before installing the underfloor heating system.
You should not start a complicated process if you need to hide the wiring. It can simply be placed in a strobe or box.
There are many ways to level. Let's consider the main ones.
Modern techniques
The choice of floor leveling method depends on the condition of its surface, the scope of work, the repair budget and the type of future flooring. The amount of time allocated for all this matters, as well as the need to insulate the surface and soundproof it. Some technologies go through several stages, including rough and finish leveling.
The most popular ways are:
- Cement-sand screed.
- Self-leveling floors.
- "Dry" screed.
- Leveling the floor with a log.
- Use of self-regulating plywood.
- Glue method.
Foundation preparation
Any of these technologies requires preliminary preparation of the base. To begin with, it is completely freed from old finishes, paint, debris, flaking materials, oil stains and other defects. If the base is concrete, it is necessary to repair cracks and potholes, dimples and crevices in advance with the help of a mortar.
It is advisable to examine the plates for the presence of "technological" holes. Even at the stage of building a house, many workers do not stand on ceremony and, in order to save time, they simply punch holes in the concrete, through which engineering communications are then laid. The latter are deprived of reliable insulation, therefore, during repairs, it is necessary to eliminate the results of careless work of builders.
Note! "Technological" holes must be carefully sealed. This will provide additional heat and sound insulation of the room.
Rotten and damaged parts must be replaced with new ones.
If the floors are wooden, examine each floorboard, replace rotten parts, repair damaged areas, check the reliability of the log and fasteners, as well as the strength of the entire base.
After all these actions, using the building level, check for height differences. To do this, find the smallest and highest points of the floor and determine the difference in height. This value will make it clear how to proceed. With a difference of less than 5 centimeters and more than this indicator, different technologies are used.
For example, using the adhesive method or using sheet material, the surface is leveled with a height difference of 2-3 cm. A cement-sand and “dry” screed allows you to eliminate a difference of 5-7 centimeters. The lag installation is used when it is possible to steal from a room height of 10 centimeters or more.
Let's consider each method in more detail.
Cement-sand screed
To perform a cement-sand screed, you must first mark its upper edge with the help of a hydraulic level and upholstery cord. And then install beacons under it. As them, you can use an aluminum ceiling profile, which is simply pressed into piles of mortar from cement and sand in a ratio of 1 × 3.
Lighthouses are set in parallel steps with the optimal distance between the two crossbars of 1.5-2 meters. First, the first and last landmarks are placed according to the marks on the walls, then others are placed relative to them. You can identify and eliminate the curvature of the profiles by stretched nylon threads. A special tape is attached around the perimeter of the room, which prevents the deformation of the screed during seasonal temperature changes.
Screed alignment
The next step is to prepare the solution. To do this, it is necessary to mix one part of cement with three parts of sand in a large container. First, dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and then they are added to the water. In this case, it is necessary to achieve mass uniformity. Also, it shouldn't be too thick or runny.
The finished solution should be left for 15 minutes, and then stirred again before use. It is better to use a construction mixer for these purposes. It is not necessary to buy it, since there are companies in the service market that provide construction tools for rent.
Filling the floor
Before laying the mortar, the floor surface must be primed with two layers of a penetrating primer. It will ensure good adhesion of the new screed to the old concrete base.
The solution is placed in a niche between two beacons, leveled with a rule and polished with a trowel. The pouring work is best done in two hands - some work with a screed, while others knead the solution. The continuity of the process will ensure the creation of a uniform, even surface.
Properly dry the screed
After laying the screed, it must be covered with plastic wrap. After 12 hours, the mounds are knocked off the hardened screed with a metal spatula, and the surface is rubbed with a wooden grater.
The grouting solution is prepared at the rate of 1 part sand to 1 part cement. The sand should be well dried and sifted through a large sieve. The screed is moistened with water using a spray gun and a long rail is laid out on it to check the quality of the base and identify defects. Small irregularities are immediately corrected with grout. At this stage, beacons are also pulled out. And the traces of them are filled with a solution.
Drying the screed is also necessary in several stages. Sand or wood shavings are poured onto the film with which the new floor is covered and moistened well with water. As the layer of chips dries, it must be constantly moistened for the first two weeks. Then the film can be removed and again for 5 days water the screed with water, then leave it to dry completely.
Note! In total, the screed dries for 28 days.
Self-leveling floors
Mixture universal M-150
On sale you can find ready-made mixtures for screeds, which, in addition to sand and cement, include polymer additives. They increase the plasticity of the base, its strength, frost resistance and resistance to corrosive processes. Mixtures facilitate the process of preparing a solution, but also increase the cost of work.
Depending on the main component, 4 groups of self-leveling floors are distinguished:
- Methyl methacrylate.
- Epoxy.
- Cement-acrylic.
- Polyurethane.
All of them allow not only to level the floors, but also to decorate them without additional finishing coatings. The scope of such mixtures is quite large. Bulk self-leveling floor is used in rooms with the lowest possible temperatures, high pedestrian loads and the action of chemicals.
The technology of laying a self-leveling floor resembles the technology of a cement-sand screed. The only difference is that it is necessary to walk on the surface of the filled composition with a spiked roller to get rid of air bubbles.
The bulk floor has:
- Great look.
- Long terms of operation.
- Moisture resistant.
- Fire safety.
But this technology also has disadvantages:
- Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, such a floor quickly turns yellow.
- Before application, the surface of the plate must be carefully prepared.
- This material is not natural.
- It will be very difficult to get rid of the annoying polymer finish.
- When laying a self-leveling floor, it is necessary to control the level of surface moisture, which a simple consumer cannot do on his own.
Therefore, this method is not yet very popular.
"Dry" screed
Dry floor leveling
This method can be done independently. It involves leveling the floor with expanded clay and sheet material.
The laying technology is simple:
- The floor in the room is covered with dense polyethylene so that its edges go 10-15 cm onto the walls. Beacons are placed on the gypsum mortar, and expanded clay with grain sizes up to 5 mm is poured into the niche between them. A plastic film or vapor barrier membrane is again lined over the expanded clay.
- Any sheet material is laid on top of it. It can be plywood or fiberboard sheets, but it's better to use the Knauf superfloor - a special prefabricated system that allows you to quickly and easily complete the process. It consists of separate segments. Each element is a gypsum fiber sheet manufactured in the factory. It consists of two small-format bases connected to each other with an offset of 50 millimeters.
- It is these indents that help connect the two elements. First, they are glued with glue, and then fastened with self-tapping screws for greater strength. You need to lay such sheets from the threshold, gradually moving towards the farthest corner of the room.
Note! "Dry" screed saves a lot of time. You don't have to wait 28 days to start installing the top coat. But it has one significant drawback - it is afraid of moisture. Any flood from neighbors will lead to irreparable consequences.
And how can you level the floor if there is a very high height difference in the room?
Leveling the floor with a log
Sheets of plywood are stuffed onto the exposed logs
There are simple methods to eliminate significant elevation differences. For example, you can lay logs on a concrete base. Ordinary wooden bars with a section of 40 × 60 or 40 × 80 mm act as a log.
In this case, the height differences are compensated by the installation of wooden spacers, which are attached to the base of the floor after preliminary waterproofing. They should not be too thin and small, as they will definitely break under the weight of the flooring. Then the floor will begin to sag, and the floorboards will creak.
First, the first two lags are set, and then a cord is pulled between them, which serves as a guide for the location of other elements. The step between the lags should not exceed 50 cm. The distance between the jumpers depends on the material from which the rough flooring is made. If it is plywood, then the jumper should be at the junction of two sheets and in the middle of each module.
Note! For the subfloor, it is better to choose moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of 10-12 mm.
At this stage, the floor can be additionally insulated using mineral or basalt wool mats, as well as any bulk materials. From above, all logs are treated with bituminous mastic. If insulation is laid, then the wooden base is additionally covered with a vapor barrier membrane or ordinary polyethylene film, and then only plywood, chipboard sheets or ordinary wooden lamellas are stuffed. Fastening is carried out using self-tapping screws or screws.
This alignment is used for soft flooring - parquet, laminate, linoleum or ceramic tiles.
Self-adjusting plywood
If it is not possible to reduce the height of the room, self-leveling plywood is used. On the basis, with the help of a plywood log, a honeycomb frame is assembled. Height differences are compensated by wooden linings, which are screwed to the base or glued to it.
Previously, sheet material is laid out on the floor and its location is indicated with chalk, and then along these lines and build a honeycomb frame. From above it is covered with sheets of moisture-resistant plywood in 2 layers.
The second layer should lie on the joints of the first. Before laying the soft finishing finishing material, the butt joints are lightly sanded and then coated with varnish. If a laminate or parquet board is laid, it is advisable to cover the plywood base of the new floor with a shock-absorbing underlay.
glue method
The adhesive method is used when there is a concrete base with a height difference of up to 3 centimeters. Squares of plywood are glued directly onto it. But first you need to check the humidity of the base. A piece of polyethylene is laid out on the floor and pressed on all sides with wooden blocks. If after 4 days condensation has formed on the inner layer, waterproofing will have to be carried out.
After leveling, proceed to the flooring
Next, sheets of plywood are cut out and laid out on the floor in a checkerboard pattern - as they will then be glued to the floor. This operation allows you to adjust the desired dimensions. Usually the sheets are sawn into small fragments, which are then assembled into one large puzzle. The decomposed plywood is numbered, and after sawing, its ends are inspected for delamination.
The base is pre-primed and treated with a composition of glue, bituminous mastic and gasoline.
For gluing, undiluted adhesive mixtures are used, which can be found in a specialized store. They are applied to plywood with a two-millimeter layer and rolled out with a spiked roller. The first sheets are laid against the walls, leaving a temperature gap of 10-15 cm. Masters recommend additionally fixing the plywood to the base with anchor bolts.
Note! This leveling is perfect for laminate, parquet or boards.
Generalization on the topic
Now you know the most popular floor leveling technologies that you can do yourself. By choosing the most suitable option, you will end up with a horizontal surface suitable for decorating with the latest finishing materials.
Ruslan Vasiliev
Equally relevant for owners of apartments in old houses, and for the inhabitants of new buildings. The first ones are looking for an answer because the basic coverage in their living quarters is in a deplorable state due to the already fairly long service life (yes, perhaps it has never been good, even in the years of its “youth”), but the second needs to know this by the reason is that, despite the use of new technologies, the quality of finishing even in newly commissioned buildings is still far from ideal. While modern floor coverings sometimes require an almost flat surface. How to create acceptable conditions for them? What to do? How to level a concrete floor and how best to do it? You will find the answer to all these questions in our review.
We evaluate the existing surface and choose a new floor covering
It is worth noting that the alignment procedure can sometimes be quite expensive and quite lengthy. That is why, in order to reduce material and time costs, you need to be able to correctly assess the situation. That is, carefully examine the existing base and decide which flooring will be used. As for the first. The base surface after all can be different. Sometimes it is in quite good condition, with the exception of some places covered with cracks. Or there are only small protrusions and depressions on it. In such cases, you can get by with little bloodshed by leveling the floor locally, as they say, according to indications. If there are significant defects on the base coat, as well as huge height differences, you will naturally have to level from corner to corner. Now as for the finishing materials. Some floor coverings are very demanding on the base. Take the same laminate. Even a slight difference of some five millimeters can negate all the finishing work. A laminate laid on such a basis in a year can simply deform and crack at the seams. While linoleum is not afraid of such minor defects. So it is from the choice of the finishing floor covering and directly the very state of the base base that you need to build on, being in search of an answer to the question of how and with what to level the concrete floor.
Variants of irregularities that require elimination
So, which concrete floor is to be leveled? It is imperative to put in order a foundation that has:
- Roughness, chips, various cracks.
- All kinds of protrusions or pits that are visible during visual inspection.
- Slope or height difference.
Depending on the existing defects, the alignment method and the material required for the work are selected.
Types of alignment
If the floor does not have any special differences in height, but has some defects such as cracks, then they are repaired using a self-made composition or epoxy concrete, while doing some preliminary work to prepare the base. Local protrusions and pits close up in the same way. Elevation differences are eliminated by dry screed, alignment with beacons or using a bulk composition.
Getting rid of cracks
Such defects can appear both on the old foundation and on the newly poured one, if the stages or requirements of the technological process have been violated. Therefore, every master needs to know how to get rid of cracks in the concrete floor. So, you can’t just cover them from above. Firstly, you need to carefully tap the entire surface of the crack, and in a very peculiar way - you need to drive the chisel into the defect as deeply as possible with a hammer. Thanks to this procedure, you, firstly, will be able to detect chips hidden under the defect, and secondly, create the desired gap for the mixture. After the preparatory work has been carried out, you need to carefully remove all pieces of concrete, clean the cavities from dirt and dust, and fill them with water. After drying, the entire surface must be primed. Grund composition is ideal for these purposes. Then you need to mix cement grade M400 with water. The solution should have the consistency of liquid sour cream. And then you should add liquid glass or PVA glue to it. The amount of additional ingredient should be equal to the volume of the prepared mixture. After that, you need to fill the cracks with the resulting solution, wait for it to dry and grind the surface. Very small cracks can not be expanded, but simply repaired with tile adhesive of any brand, without forgetting to prime them first.
We close up the pits
If the floor surface is sufficiently even, then it is not necessary to carry out the screed completely. It is enough just to get rid of the holes. To do this, their walls and bottom must be treated with a grinder to remove chips and fragile layers. After that, the pit must be cleaned of pieces of concrete, dirt and dust, filled with water, primed after drying. At the bottom, you need to pour dry fine-grained crushed stone in a fairly thin layer, and then repair the defect with epoxy concrete. The domestic Claypol composition is perfect for these purposes. We fill them with a hole so that the solution does not reach the top of a centimeter by two. After drying (approximately after an hour), we compare the surface with a special putty for concrete. Experts recommend paying attention to the Elakor-ED brand.
As for the bumps, it is enough to grind them with a grinder, clean, prime, and then level the surface using the same Elakor.
Dry screed
How and with what can a concrete floor be leveled if there is little time at your disposal and you don’t really want to mess around with mortars? Make a dry screed. This procedure is quite simple, so almost any home master can handle it. The principle is the following. The base base is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust. Then a waterproofing film is laid on it (you can use ordinary thick polyethylene). Then, a dry leveling mixture is poured over the entire surface with a layer five centimeters thick. It can be made of expanded clay, granulate, quartz sand or even polystyrene foam. And from above they are already laid on logs and fastened with screws either plywood, or fiberboard sheets, or moisture-resistant drywall. But it is best to use a special sheet material called "Superpol" for these purposes. After a dry screed, you can almost immediately lay the finishing floor covering. It is for home craftsmen that experts recommend first of all to consider this method, since you can level the concrete floor with your own hands using this method without any problems.
Screed on lighthouses
Since it is sometimes almost impossible to level the floor using less expensive methods, you will have to consider such a method as pouring a new floor using beacons. As for the financial side of the issue, it is not so terrible, but the procedure will require significant time costs. In addition, in this case, you need to have at least minimal skills in working with beacons and cement mortar. What should be done? First of all, clean and prime the base. Then mark up, preferably using a laser level, and stretch between the walls in the direction from the window to the door the guide threads for the beacons. And after that, install perforated guides along them on the floor, using cement (you can use gypsum) mortar for fixing. The step between each beacon should not be more than one meter. After that, you need to prepare a cement mortar M400 (the amount of water will be indicated on the package), pour it between the installed profiles and level it with the rule, moving backwards in the direction from the window to the door. Such a screed dries for a long time, in addition, for the first three days it must be moistened with water. However, it is this method that is quite budgetary and allows you to get a really even and durable coating. Therefore, if you have enough time and do not know, for example, how to level a concrete floor under a laminate, take this method into service.
As for lighthouses, some masters leave them inside. However, experts recommend that you still get the profile, and seal the voids with tile adhesive. The budget, but no less durable Lux composition is perfect for these purposes.
Self leveling floor
If the height difference is no more than five centimeters, and free funds are available, a leveling mix for a concrete floor is perfect for arranging the base surface. It is quite expensive, but easy to work with, in addition, the alignment procedure does not take much time. As for technology, you need to start, as always, with preparation. The base substrate needs to be cleaned and primed. Then you need to markup using a laser level, drawing lines on the walls along which the upper boundaries of the new floor will pass. After that, you need to mix the solution according to the instructions on the package. The best mixtures for leveling, according to experts, are self-leveling Ceresit CN 69 and Ceresit CN 68, Vetonit 3000, EK FT03 FINISH. Many masters also praise more budgetary domestic mixtures produced under the Prospectors brand. So, we start leveling from the far corner, pouring the solution onto the floor and leveling the coating (according to the markings) first with the rule, and then with a special roller with needles.
How to level a concrete floor under a laminate
Laminate is perhaps the most capricious flooring that requires an almost perfectly even base. What is the best way to level the concrete floor under it? By and large, in this case, any of the three methods described above will do. However, there is another option. You can try leveling the concrete floor with plywood. Unlike the same tiles, the laying of laminate does not require the use of mortar, so the presence of wooden sheets under this coating will not affect the quality of the underlying base. But the alignment method itself is quite simple and fast. The concrete base is cleaned of dirt, primed, after which sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are laid on it without any fasteners (a thickness of 10 mm will be enough), and according to the same principle as the laminate (so that the seams of the elements do not match, but are staggered) . After that, another layer is laid, but so that its joints do not coincide with those of the lower layer. This plywood is already attached to the bottom sheets with self-tapping screws. After laying, you need to walk along the seams with a grinder in order to final level the subfloor.
A few words about the loggia
On the loggia, you can also apply all the methods described above. However, many experts consider it very attractive to level the concrete floor in this room using the same plywood, but on logs. What do they base their choice on? The fact that thanks to this method it is possible to additionally insulate the floor of the loggia by laying the appropriate material between the lags. Say, polystyrene, mineral wool. Or a professional, but more expensive TechnoNIKOL insulation.
… about the garage
It is quite clear that no one is laying laminate or parquet in this room. The floor here is usually made of concrete. The main requirements for the base are that it be even. And, of course, durable. How to level It is best to do and then cover it with a special layer of hardener - the so-called topping - which will protect the surface from destruction. The best compositions are considered mixtures of Caparol-Disbon, Neodur (Korodur), MasterTop (BASF) and domestic "Herkulit" and "Reflor".
… and about ceramics
If you plan to lay ceramic tiles on concrete and the base itself is not particularly curved, you can level the floor in the process by adding more or less tile adhesive under level control. True, this method is applicable only if the differences are no more than three centimeters. In addition, if you decide to resort to this method, you need to buy only high-quality, with improved characteristics, for example, designed for Ceresit. Ideal for these purposes.
Conclusion
We tried to talk in sufficient detail about how and what is better to level the concrete floor in a particular case. In addition, they also touched upon the issues of leveling technology, named the brands of the best materials used in this type of work. We hope that now you can easily choose the right option for your particular case. After all, you already know as well as any professional how and with what to level the concrete floor.
Work on preparing the floor for laying the finishing coating is one of the most important when carrying out any repair in an apartment or house. They are necessary so that the finishing materials are not damaged during operation and serve for many years. And given that most of them are capricious about the state of the base, then the final leveling of the floor may not always be, but it is very necessary. For example, if the screed was unevenly poured, it must be corrected. And it's easier not to dismantle it, but to further align it.
Now people often make repairs in the premises on their own - why overpay when you can find a lot of lessons on how to carry out the work and just follow step-by-step instructions? But sometimes the technology can be broken by novice craftsmen - somewhere they neglected the addition of a component to the building composition, and somewhere they missed a whole step, considering it unnecessary. The result can be sad - for example, when pouring a new screed, they ended up with an uneven base, on which in no case should tiles or laminate be laid, because of this they deform very quickly. And as a result - wasted money and time.
Attention! To prevent this from happening, it is important to always follow the installation instructions exactly, including the arrangement of the floor. This will save both money and time, and as a result, the finish coating will delight its owner for many years and will not require replacement for a long time.
Also, additional leveling of the base may be required if there are gaps and gaps between the floorboards, but in general the floor is quite strong, does not creak and does not require disassembly and repair.
Finishing alignment is also used when installing the floor on an old, but reliable screed. It’s just that over time, the rough base can become rough, cracks will appear on it, and it is the final leveling that will help get rid of these irregularities.
Concrete floor finishes
Fortunately, there are practically no irreparable situations, and all thanks to the fact that there are a lot of offers on the building materials market that allow you to cope with almost any problem. Consider what are the main types of materials used for finishing floor leveling. In general, leveling technologies are usually chosen depending on how curved the floor is, whether additional sound, heat and waterproofing is needed, etc. The type of finish that will eventually decorate the room will also be an important factor.
- this is perhaps the most popular way to level the floors. Usually it is laid immediately on the floor or directly on the ground, depending on the type of building. It is prepared on the basis of sand, cement and water, sometimes with the addition of any polymerizing components, additives or. The screed is usually used in cases where the height difference is significant and is at least 5 cm, although usually more.
The screed can be installed wet or semi-dry. In the first case, the cement mortar is diluted with water to the consistency of liquid sour cream; in the second case, the mixture will generally resemble wet sand.
On a note! Sometimes water is replaced with PVA building glue. In this case, the solution is prepared as follows: 1 hour of cement, 3 hours of sand are mixed and PVA is added to them in a ratio of 1: 4.
When laying the screed, beacons are often used - these are kind of marks that demonstrate the final level of the floor. Do not neglect their use - it is thanks to this that it will be possible to lay the floor as evenly as possible. Metal slats mounted on small heaps of cement mortar, or special devices sold in hardware stores, can be used as beacons.
As soon as the solution under the beacons sets a little, the screed begins to be poured - the solution is evenly distributed over the floor, and the movement of the rule along the beacons will allow you to remove its excess and add the solution where there is a lack of it. After the screed dries a little (after a few days, a couple of days is usually enough), the beacons can be removed, although they can be left inside the screed. In the first case, the resulting recesses are filled with a cement-sand mixture.
It is also important to dry the screed properly, otherwise it may crack. For the first few days, its surface is abundantly wetted with water, then covered with a film. This is necessary so that the release of moisture from the screed layer is gradual, and not abrupt. Drying of the screed lasts at least 28 days.
Advantages of concrete screed:
- the ability to get not only an even, but also a reliable foundation;
- long service life - up to 50 years;
- the ability to lay some communications inside the screed and equip the underfloor heating system;
- the base is resistant to mechanical shocks;
- relatively inexpensive way to level the floor;
- the possibility of arranging reliable heat and waterproofing.
Disadvantages of concrete screed:
- long drying time;
- complexity of installation;
- the inability to correct errors made during installation without extra costs;
- in case of improper drying, there is a risk of cracking.
Usually, the screed is immediately laid on the ceiling and does not require additional alignment, however, there are also cases when its surface is not completely even. If so, the cement-sand mortar can also be used for laying the finishing leveling layer. Just installation is carried out on the surface of a previously laid screed. You can use ready-made dry building mixes.
Gypsum fiber sheets - dry floor screed
This option is much faster than the previous one, it will allow you to proceed with further work, because you do not have to wait until the screed dries out. A waterproofing layer is usually laid on the base, and then a sand cushion or a layer of expanded clay. Beacons for mounting such a screed are not used, but for beginners they can be very useful in order to pour the pillow in one level and not make mistakes. A layer of expanded clay or sand is carefully leveled, after which gypsum fiber sheets can also be laid, which are interconnected by edges using self-tapping screws and glue.
GVL - gypsum fiber sheet
Dry floor screed - installation diagram
During laying, you should not “carry” sheets on expanded clay - it is better to immediately put them in the chosen place. Otherwise, the material may be damaged. A dry screed can be used for any topcoat, provided that the level difference of the rough base is 4 cm or more.
On a note! For dry floor screed, not only gypsum fiber sheets, but also plywood, chipboard and other sheet materials can be used. They are usually laid using the same technology or on logs.
Advantages of dry screed:
- all work is easy to do independently;
- no need to wait until the screed dries;
- any type of flooring can be laid on such a base;
- gypsum fiber boards are lightweight, which simplifies their installation;
- excellent indicators of heat and sound insulation;
- the method is suitable for premises of any purpose.
Disadvantages of dry screed:
- gypsum fiber does not like water, therefore it is important to pay attention to protecting the finishing leveling layer from water;
- under the base it will not be possible to lay communications, with the exception of certain types of underfloor heating;
- it will not be possible to mount a water heated floor under such a coating.
Prices for GVL for the floor
gvl for floor
Self-leveling floor as a finishing coating
You can also level the base of the floor with the help of a self-leveling floor. Perhaps this is one of the fastest, most convenient methods and it is used for small level differences - from 5 mm. For this, special mixtures are used, which are called -. Properly prepared solution has a significant fluidity and due to this it is quickly and evenly distributed over the surface of the base, leveling the floor level. Such an indicator of fluidity can be achieved by adding special plasticizers to building mixtures. In general, the composition of the mixture may include cement, epoxy, methyl methacrylate, etc.
After the self-leveling floor dries, it becomes perfectly smooth, provided that it has been filled in correctly. Yes, and the mixture must be prepared clearly according to the instructions. Otherwise, a beautiful and even foundation will not be achieved.
The thickness of the self-leveling floor, in comparison with the screed, is not at all large - sometimes a layer of several millimeters is enough to correct the situation. And you need to work quickly - in just 20 minutes, such a floor is already beginning to set. After the mixture has been spread on the floor with a doctor blade, it is rolled with a special toothed roller - thanks to this procedure, all the air comes out of it.
Attention! It is possible to move on a freshly flooded self-leveling floor only in special shoes - paint shoes.
If necessary, it may be necessary to refill such a floor. But, fortunately, if you correctly calculate the consumption of the mixture initially, then usually there is no need for this. In general, any other material intended for finishing the floor can be laid on such finishing floors.
Advantages of a self-leveling floor:
- fast curing speed;
- ease of filling;
- the ability to get the perfect coverage;
- non-toxicity of the finished product;
- self-leveling floor can also serve as an option for finishing the floor.
Disadvantages of self-leveling floor:
- if an error is made during installation, it will be difficult to correct it;
- higher price compared to other floor leveling methods;
- the need to purchase paint shoes and a needle roller.
Prices for self-leveling floors "Prospectors"
self-leveling floors Prospectors
One of the top priorities when carrying out a major overhaul in an apartment is leveling the floors. This is especially true of housing in houses of old construction, which was purchased on the secondary real estate market. A typical situation is when floor slabs not only have differences within the same room, but are also located at different levels in neighboring rooms. To level the floors throughout the apartment in one horizontal plane under the flooring of linoleum, laminate and other modern floor materials, there are several technologies, most of which, after studying the nuances, are quite doable with your own hands. Which floor leveling method to choose in a particular case, focusing on the complexity of the process, and how much it costs, you will understand after reading the article.
How to measure the floor level?
The method of leveling the floor surface directly depends on the degree of its unevenness. It is impossible to notice irregularities with the naked eye, and even more clearly to note the level of future coverage, for this you need to use special measuring tools:
- Water line level. This is an ordinary bubble level of not great length in the form of a ruler. In order to measure irregularities over large areas, a building rule or an even rail of the required length is used, on which the level is laid. This measurement method has large errors for large areas; it is used to measure irregularities in an area of up to 2 square meters.
- Hydraulic level. This device is in the form of a transparent hose filled with water and having two flasks with stoppers at the ends. Such a device allows you to accurately mark the horizon around the perimeter of the room and make notes on the walls. It cannot measure unevenness on a plane.
- Laser level. This is a modern and accurate tool, as easy to use as possible. The device emits laser beams in several planes. It is enough to install it in the center of the room, and it will indicate the level around the perimeter with a maximum error of 1 mm.
- Level. This is a high-precision optical device that allows you to calculate the difference between two given points on a conditional plane. Such levels are used in large-scale construction to work with huge areas.
To work within the same room, it is enough to use a laser level. If it is necessary to bring a single floor level in several rooms, then a hydraulic level with the required hose length is used.
Agree, it is difficult to imagine a beautiful and comfortable house without a flat floor, because this is the basis of all the foundations. When moving into a new house or apartment, each owner seeks to first of all deal with the arrangement of the floor. And modern building materials and the latest technologies allow you to make the floor beautiful and even with your own hands, even for a person who does not have enough experience.
In the vast majority of cases, building slabs serve as the base of the floor covering, which often have a far from the most even surface, which inevitably entails differences in floor level. Of course, it is impossible to put a new coating on such a surface. The floor must be leveled, in other words, a cement screed is required.
It should be noted that self-leveling the floor with a concrete screed is a rather long and very dirty process, but even a beginner can do it.
Surface preparation
The video describes how to take measurements to level the floor in all rooms of the apartment to the same level.
Before starting work, the surface to be leveled must be carefully prepared - cleaned of dust, paint, loose parts of concrete, oil stains. All cracks are sealed at the base, as they lead to material leakage.
Professional builders, in the process of laying electrical wiring in the cavity of the slabs to illuminate the center of the room, often do not drill one side of the slab from the ceiling side, but make a “high-tech hole” using a sledgehammer and a crowbar, punching the slab to its entire depth from a higher floor. This, of course, will save the builders some time, but it will give you decibels of noise and "flavors" from the apartment below.
Surface preparation for screed
If you are a victim of “high domestic building technologies”, then carefully and carefully close up all the holes, otherwise you will have to get to know your neighbors later under other circumstances.
Concrete screed level marking
When the surface is well cleaned, you can begin to mark the level of the future coating. For this, a building hydraulic level is used, made up of a pair of flasks with marks connected to each other by a long hose. The operation of this instrument is based on the principle of connected vessels - the liquid in vertically arranged flasks will be located at the same level.
Marking with a hydraulic level
Marking should be carried out by two people: one will install the first flask in the corner of the room, marking the initial strip on the wall, and the other should move with the second flask, making marks around the entire perimeter of the room at the same level. Further, by means of measurements from the floor to the marks, the level of the future floor is determined directly.
Important point: for greater strength, it is not recommended to make a coating less than 30 millimeters thick.
Primer for concrete screed
The primer makes it possible to increase the adhesion (adhesion) of the screed to your surface, and in addition, it helps to waterproof the base. And this operation cannot be neglected, since savings can lead to the fact that the floor will subsequently crack.
Primer for concrete screed
If you are leveling the floors in the kitchen or, then use specialized waterproofing primers. Choose a primer marked "for concrete". For the primary treatment of bases, priming compositions are usually called "primer primers".
Dry building mixes for concrete screeds
Cement screed for leveling floors is best done using dry building mixes. The binder components in them are non-shrink types of cement. In the form of a filling material, fine-grained sand is taken. After mixing with water, such a composition forms an emulsion that spreads well over the surface and fills all irregularities well.
Dry mixes
When compared with conventional cement-sand mixtures, dry mixtures have a number of advantages. First of all, we are talking about a short drying time for the coating - you can walk on the floor in a day. And secondly, the high strength of the coating, which is ensured by the use of filler materials of small sizes.
Groups of building mixtures:
- mixtures for primary leveling. Allows you to create the main layer of coatings. The surface as a result turns out to be uneven, since filler materials of a large fraction are used in such mixtures;
- finishing mixtures of the second type correct the shortcomings of the first. They contain small fractions of fillers, and they spread very well over the surface, resulting in a smooth and even coating. The finishing mixture is applied in a thin layer, the thickness of which should be only a few millimeters.
Installation of beacons for concrete screed
After the primer has been carried out, it is necessary to mount beacon profiles on the floor surface - they will be a kind of levels for setting the thickness of the screed being performed. In cross section, such profiles resemble the letter "T".
Guide profiles are fixed with mortar
The slats must be mounted on the floor parallel to each other - so that the top is at the same level as the marks on the wall. This can be done, for example, using a stretched cord or a conventional building level.
To the base, the slats are fixed at several points along the entire length of the walls with gypsum or mortar. Keep a distance between the fixing points - 1-1.5 meters, based on considerations of the length of the leveling tool. In particular, if it is a 1.5-meter instrument, the distance should be 120-130 centimeters. If a three-meter rule is used, the slats can be spaced 2-2.5 meters apart.
Reiki are fixed at several points along the entire length
Highly professional specialists do not install these profiles, since they are able to create horizontal surfaces even without them.
But if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to install them, as slats really improve the quality of work.
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