How to make a ceiling screed in an apartment. Leveling the ceiling

If a man is independent, then this is good, but if he is also constantly learning something new, then this is a godsend for his wife. Not everyone can make a ceiling canopy with their own hands, but everyone can learn how to do it, but for this it is necessary wish.

If you feel it, then you have come to the right place - here you will find some valuable lessons from experienced craftsman for the home owner.

The most popular ceilings in the house

This article will discuss two types of ceiling repairs: suspended ceiling plasterboard and leveling (plaster) putty solutions. There is also a video clip at your service that will allow you to visually consolidate the acquired knowledge.

Due to the fact that it is simply impossible to post absolutely all the information about these issues, here are the basics of these two types of finishing, the use of which will allow you to grow as a master.

Plasterboard ceiling

To make a ceiling canopy with your own hands, you must need to learn how to use a water level. This is not difficult, but there is one caveat - given that we will have to place marks right under the ceiling, the plastic cones that are attached to the ends of the tube will interfere, resting against the ceiling. There are two ways out - place marks 10-15cm lower, and then lift them using a tape measure, or simply get rid of cones, which is much preferable.
So, put the first mark on the wall. Please note that minimum distance from the main ceiling should be no less than the thickness of the CD profile for the suspended frame, and this 25mm. So if you want to raise the suspended structure as much as possible, then these figures will be the limit for you, and besides, the calculation must be made from the lowest point on the main ceiling.

With help water level(you can also use laser level ) move the control point to all internal and external corners of the room. After that, stretch between the marks chokeline (painting cord) and beat off the control line, which will indicate the lower plane of the hanging frame.

When the perimeter is repulsed control line– you can proceed to the installation of the frame, and start with the wall profile UD. You screw it along the reference line so that the bottom of the UD coincides with the reference line. Some UD profiles come with mounting holes, but if they don't, do it at a distance 40-50cm.
To pin a profile, you can mark drilling locations on the wall through profile holes, and then make them. But there is more quick way– drill holes in the wall through the body of the profile. To do this, use a 6mm drill and dowels of the same diameter, and the screw head will still be larger.
Let's move on to marking the ceiling for hangers. I would like to immediately make a reservation that we will not make a cellular frame, but only with transverse profiles - practice shows that in terms of strength it is not inferior to a cellular one, but, at the same time, it saves both time for its installation and the financial costs of the material. The plasterboard sheet is 250cm long, so we will make markings every 50cm, across the intended direction of the gypsum board.

On the lines etched on the main ceiling, installing strip hangers, on which the profiles will be held CD. The distance between pawns should be no more 50-60cm, and they need to be installed on two of the same dowels as the profiles UD.

Recommendation. It is very common to install hangers on a ceiling made of concrete floors, which have emptiness in the middle. An ordinary dowel falls through there during installation, so you can use two little tricks.

Firstly, dowels can be purchased with extension at the inlet so that it is wider than the seat.

Secondly, if there are no such dowels, then insert it through the suspension so that the edge lingers on the tape, and then it will not fall through. Optimal thickness screw for 6mm dowel – 4-5mm.

We continue to install ceilings in the room with our own hands and move on to CD editing. The length of the profile will be equal to the distance between the opposite walls on which it is screwed UD minus 5mm. This allowance is necessary to cover the thickness of the wall profile, as well as for ease of installation so that the CD does not deform. Insert all the profiles, but do not screw them in yet.

To make the ceiling even, you need to align each profile, and it will help with this nylon thread, stretched under the frame and secured with screws to the lower shelves of the UD. But the thread will be pulled back by the CD profiles, so they need to be temporarily tightened with hangers. Bend the middle pawn under each CD to raise it above the plane and begin leveling one at a time.

Profiles for hangers and among themselves screwed with special screws from galvanized or oxidized steel for sheet material up to 0.9 mm. If you screw in on each side of the profile 1 screw each, then sometimes there is some play left, so to prevent the frame from “rattling”, screw in an additional self-tapping screw.

A screw is put on the PH#2 nozzle and installed in a horizontal position, but with a slope towards the screw by 40⁰-45⁰. If the screw does not fly off in this position, then it will be easy to work with.

When the frame is ready, you can start drywall installation, but do not forget that there will be lighting in the room and the lamps will most likely be installed on the ceiling. Therefore you need to do electrical wiring and hide it in a corrugated cable channel, which, in turn, needs to be attached to the main ceiling.
For recessed luminaires, as a rule, they do loops on the wire, and you can make them together with a protective hose. When you need to connect lighting fixture– cut the corrugation along with the wire, and remove excess pieces of the hose by simply pulling it to the required distance.

To attach one plasterboard sheet to the ceiling, it takes about 60 metal screws, 25mm long. They are screwed in at a distance of 30 cm from each other and the head of the screw should be recessed under the plane of the gypsum board, but without breaking through the paper. To ensure that the paper remains intact, use a special attachment for drywall with a lampshade that fixes the depth of the cap.

You need two people to lift a sheet of drywall (if there is no special mechanism) so that it does not break, and in this case it is much easier to fix it with screws. When the plasterboard is placed in its place, fix its edges and center, and then you can loosen and tighten with two screwdrivers.

Please note that the edge of the plasterboard covers only half of the CD profile, because the next one will fall on the other half. It is especially important to adjust this when installing the first sheet as the walls may not be level, so you may have to trim the drywall around the edges of the wall to get it to fit correctly.
In technical rooms, sometimes instead of gypsum plasterboard (plasterboard sheet) they use GVL (gypsum fiber sheet). By appearance the materials are almost the same, but GVL is made without a cardboard shell, and its structure is reinforced with reinforcement in the form of fluffed cellulose, waste paper, etc. Its density is much higher and has 1250 kg/m 3.
You can make ceilings from GVL with your own hands in the same way as from regular drywall, but the whole question is feasibility of using such material. Typically, GVL is used for walls, and sometimes for floors.
When installing gypsum boards, do not forget bring out wires for lamps, and if there is a chandelier in the center of the room, then it must first be installed hook or another type of console.

The joints between the sheets should be sealed with fugenfüller or regular putty., but in this case an additional adhesive perforated tape is installed. The entire surface of the ceiling (not just the joints) should be primed. After the primer has dried, the ceiling is ready for further finishing.

Recommendation. If the ceiling area is large enough, then the gypsum boards should be installed in a staggered manner so that there is no continuous joint line. This is especially important in houses located near railway or roads where heavy vehicles pass, and to ensure that the seam fails, start installing every second sheet from half.

A smooth, snow-white ceiling is considered by professionals to be the most important indicator of a flawlessly completed repair. Of course, this means someone who has not experienced the trends of modern fashion with its inherent complications, such as multi-levelness and refusal white. Making a ceiling screed is a labor-intensive task, but it is quite doable, and all the work can be done independently.

The use of plaster or leveling mixture, especially in rooms with low ceilings, where the possibilities for creating suspended structures, allows you to “save” the height of the room, and the use natural materials makes the ceiling “breathable”.

The preparatory stage of work includes thorough cleaning of the ceiling surface from layers of old coatings and peeling plaster. It is also necessary to determine the greatest height difference. It should not exceed 50 mm if the ceiling screed is to be done using leveling mixtures.

For small differences (up to 5 mm) it will be enough to use leveling putties. On the construction market you can find enough a large assortment putties that can be applied in a thick layer. The putty is applied to the surface and, after drying, treated with fine-grain sandpaper.

But if the difference is more than 20 mm, it is necessary to use a reinforcing mesh and then work with plaster. Painting (serpyanka) and metal mesh are used. The serpyanka is glued to the ceiling with glue. PVA is most often used. All seams should also be sealed with mesh. You can also find self-adhesive serpyanka on sale. To secure metal mesh Use staples or nails with wide heads. This mesh is used if it is necessary to apply a layer of plaster more than 50 mm. Before plastering, the surface must be primed, for example, with concrete contact. Among modern materials, allowing to eliminate significant differences One can note, for example, the Rotband mixtures.

Alignment quality control is carried out various methods. You can use beacons, which are often used as nails. They are driven in so that the caps lie in the same plane, and the ceiling is leveled along a thin rope or thread stretched between them, filling the gap between the thread and the surface with plaster.

Another way is to use a water level. At its core, this level is two communicating vessels filled with water. By applying level tubes in different places, the degree of surface leveling is assessed. More modern method– use of laser marking. With this device you can mark both vertical and horizontal lines.

After waiting the required period, a layer of leveling putty is applied to the dry plaster. Then prime and paint if this option is chosen. final finishing. As a primer, you can take the same paint, diluted with the thinner indicated in the instructions for use, by 20 percent. If you decide to use a primer, then it is better to use it in tandem with paint from the same manufacturer.

Perfectly flat ceiling surface - required condition, which must be met before decorative finishing this surface so that the quality of the work carried out is high level. This is especially true for ceilings made of reinforced concrete slabs. The evenness of the ceiling is achieved after the ceiling has been dry screeded.

A perfectly flat ceiling surface is a prerequisite that must be met before decorative finishing of this surface.

Design Features

The difficulty in leveling the surface of reinforced concrete slabs (unlike others) lies in the fact that most often they do not lie in the same plane, but there are significant differences between them. In any newspaper you can find advertisements in which professional builders For a certain fee they will do everything quickly and efficiently. But if you want to save money, then you can try to do everything yourself, based on the recommendations of experts. Moreover, the described nuances are suitable for almost any ceilings.

There are two known ways to level (screed) the ceiling:

"wet";
"dry".

“Wet” screed involves the use of special solutions and mixtures, and “dry” screed involves leveling the ceiling surface using sheet material. These include:

drywall;
plywood;
Fiberboard, chipboard and many others.

There are several criteria for choosing a ceiling screed method, but the main one is that if the differences at the joints are more than 50 mm, then you should choose the “dry” leveling method, since the thickness of the plaster layer will exceed permissible norm and may fall off during operation, causing serious injury to a person.

It should also be noted that “dry” ceiling screed significantly reduces the height of the room, which is not very beneficial for. In this case, it is more advisable to use putty for leveling (provided there are small differences).

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Ceiling screed: installation process

To work, you will need to prepare the following tools and devices:

In preparation for screeding, remove the previous layer from the ceiling. finishing material, whitewash, putty.

spatulas of different sizes;
aluminum rule;
metal smoother or grater;
plaster comb;
plaster falcon;
a plastic container with a volume of at least 18 liters;
drill with mixer attachment;
sponge grout.

Before you begin directly leveling the ceiling surface with your own hands, you need to prepare it, especially if this is not a newly built house. The layer of previous finishing material, whitewash, putty, etc. is removed from the ceiling.

To ensure that the work progresses quickly and not too tediously, you should use the recommendations of experts:

The plaster is removed with a sharp spatula, periodically sharpening it.

To make work easier, you can lengthen the handle of the spatula by screwing a wooden or plastic stick to it.

The plaster must first be moistened with a spray bottle or a foam sponge.

The layer will be much easier to remove water-based paint, if you add a few drops of iodine to the water.

The most difficult situation is with water-dispersion paint. Here you will need to use either a drill with a wire brush, or a special remover, which can be purchased at any hardware store.

a layer of old material is removed not only from the surface itself, but also from the tile joints. To do this, take a pick, hammer and spatula. Only the lagging and cracked part of the material needs to be removed;
if there is fungus on the surface, then you definitely need to pay attention to this problem. Otherwise, the new surface will suffer the same fate. First, the surface is treated with an antiseptic, which is either bought in a store or made by hand, and then it is primed to increase adhesion to the material.

Screeding the ceiling with your own hands begins with eliminating the largest defects using coarse putty for rough work. You can use tow, which is soaked in a solution of such putty and you get a kind of sponge for sealing cracks. To prevent the joints between the plates from cracking, they are reinforced with a special mesh, which is pressed into the layer of putty.

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Final moments: do-it-yourself flat ceiling

Before applying the second layer of putty, you need to “comb” the first one with a plaster comb, without waiting for it to harden.

After all of the above, they begin to putty the entire surface of the ceiling, for which the prepared mixture is applied to the base and carefully leveled with a spatula. The putty mixture is applied in a direction away from you, with a thickness of no more than 20 mm. Next, the layer is leveled with a rule of zigzag movements towards itself. Before applying the second layer, it is necessary to “comb” the first one with a plaster comb, without waiting for it to harden.

Only after two days can you begin to apply the next layer.

Combing the previous layer allows you to roughen the surface to increase the adhesion of materials.

The length of time the layers are kept is determined by the level of humidity in the room. If the room is dry and warm, then the plaster hardens very quickly, and high humidity promotes uniform hardening of the material.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that during work the air humidity increases, therefore, the plaster will not dry quickly. You should not change the humidity level artificially, since the layers of plaster must harden under the same conditions in which they were applied.

To level each subsequent layer, the rule is set with a straight edge towards itself.

Thus, the new layer will be thinner and smoother than the previous one, since the rule will remove all unnecessary things. Before applying a layer of plaster, carefully check the levelness of the ceiling.

To do this, you need to move the rule from one side to the other, and if there are any irregularities, they are sanded with sandpaper.

If the ceiling is to be pasted or painted, after applying the plaster, work is stopped for 10 minutes, and then the surface is moistened and rubbed in a circular motion with a special sponge grater.

This will make it possible to mask the marks left from working with a wide spatula. As soon as the surface of the ceiling becomes matte, this will indicate that the plaster has dried and can be smoothed over with a metal trowel. The ceiling screed is completed by applying a finishing layer of putty.

From all of the above, we can conclude that screeding the ceiling with your own hands is possible if you follow all the recommendations of professionals.

This article is about how to build a concrete ceiling. Fill concrete ceiling is a common technique in Europe. However, although it is more expensive and time consuming compared to a wood ceiling, it has several advantages that may make you think twice about building your home. Therefore, when constructing a concrete ceiling, the rigidity of your home will be much better and it can withstand more weight, compared with lightweight structures. On the other hand, a concrete ceiling has good sound insulation and is more durable.

But this technology also has a few disadvantages, such as the high cost of the project or the fact that pouring a concrete ceiling can take up to several months before you can actually build the walls and roof. Additionally, you must build formwork to be able to construct a concrete ceiling.

Pouring a concrete ceiling is difficult without the help of a qualified engineer. In addition, you must comply with the rules in order to obtain a building permit. The thickness of concrete ceilings varies depending on the weight it must support, but it is generally in the 5-6″ range for residential buildings. It is necessary to take into account the weight of the reinforcement, as well as the weight of the concrete; for reliable construction this is very important important.

In order to build a concrete ceiling, you need the following:

Materials

1×4 wooden planks for formwork construction / 4×4 plywood wooden beams for ceiling support / metal reinforcement, nails / screws for fastening formwork

Tools

protective gloves, glasses, tape measure, carpenter's pencils, square, circular saw, to create formwork, hammer.

Adviсe

use protective clothing, clean your tools thoroughly after completing the project, wear safety glasses and gloves to avoid possible injury, ensure that the ceiling formwork is at an ideal level

Time

Several hours are possible per day, depending on the surface of your foundation and the number of workers

How to make formwork for a concrete ceiling

In order to build a concrete ceiling, you need to do correct formwork. Construction of formwork is difficult process, but if you have experience working with wood, you will succeed.

Complete information about formwork, as well as reinforcement, must be provided in the plans of your house. Remember that the construction of a concrete ceiling is essential to the longevity of your home, so you should consult with qualified specialist before starting such a project. In addition, you must follow all the rules and obtain all necessary construction permits so as not to expose yourself to unnecessary threats.

Smart advice: When constructing formwork, you should use pressure treated wood, make sure it can support the weight of the reinforcement as well as the concrete.

As you can see in the image, you must build the first row of formwork using 4×4 boards. On this structure it is necessary to install 2 × 4 wooden planks or plywood. The first option is better for a project with a limited budget, but we recommend that you use sheets of plywood, then everything will be completely straight at the bottom of the ceiling and you will not have to put in extra effort to make it level.

If you are using wooden boards, you must ensure that they are straight and in good condition. Also, make sure that you do not leave any gaps between the boards, as this may cause the concrete to leak.

Smart Tip: When building formwork, you must use a level to make sure it is level, otherwise you will waste money and time correcting these imperfections.

You can look at the ceiling from inside the house to get a better idea of the procedure. This may look strange to you, but it's The right way pouring a concrete ceiling. You will notice that there are many 4×4 timbers installed every 15″ to support the weight of the structure and concrete.

Smart Tip: use adjustable metal reinforcement when constructing a concrete ceiling. It can support more weight and can be easily adjusted to the height of your room.

We have prepared this sketch to show you in detail what the ceiling formwork structure should look like. As we said, these details will be provided by the architect, but we want you to get used to these construction techniques.

Smart Tip: Use a 4' spirit level to ensure the shape and level of the supports are plumb correctly. Construction of a concrete ceiling requires, in most cases, to build a strong reinforcement, otherwise it will not be stable and the walls will not support their weight.

If you are using 4×4 joists, you must carefully attach them to the base of your ceiling. Hence, you should use 2×4 lumber and some nails to fix it firmly. Use a level to check that the supports are plumb correctly.

Strengthening the building structure for a concrete ceiling

After you have built the formwork for pouring concrete, you must create and fix the reinforcement in the desired position. The concrete ceiling is almost floating, it is supported only by a few walls and pillars, so you must use a lot of reinforcement (the architect will calculate required amount)

Smart Tip: if your formwork is made of wooden boards, it would not be a bad idea to stretch plastic film over the entire surface to prevent concrete leakage.

In this photo you can see close-up reinforcement to strengthen the concrete ceiling. You may have noticed the thick iron pins, are you wondering what they are for? The reinforcement pins are located at the top of the wall and are connected to the rest of the reinforced concrete ceiling. This way, the concrete ceiling will support the walls and will be more rigid and durable.

Smart Tip: You must always follow the construction plan, otherwise you may jeopardize your safety.

In this photo you can see the reinforcement of the structure around the stairs. You may have noticed that we used a lot of rebar around the stairs and along the walls.

Smart Tip: These kinds of projects need to be carried out by qualified and experienced professionals, so you should learn the basic principles for yourself. We recommend that you hire an experienced architect and a team of qualified workers.

How to pour concrete on a ceiling

After installing the formwork and strengthening the structure, you must fill everything with concrete. Therefore, you must rent a machine equipped with a pump and several hoses to pour concrete into the ceiling form.

Additionally, you must order the required amount of concrete from your local company (they will deliver it by car). You should be aware that there are several types of concrete, so make sure you order the one specified in your building plan (generally for ceilings, you should use B250). Ideally, you should hire an engineer to supervise the workers who are pouring the concrete ceiling.

Smart Tip: if the surface to be filled is large, then it is better to start from the very far corner. In this case, you don't have to run around liquid concrete with a hose. In addition, you must wear rubber boots to protect your feet from concrete contamination.

After finishing pouring the concrete into the formwork, you must level it from one end to the other. But first you must pound the concrete to make sure there are no air pockets left in the concrete.

Make sure you level the surfaces properly, make sure it is level. However, in most cases you will need to screed after the concrete ceiling has dried to make it completely level.

Next, you must wait a couple of months until the concrete ceiling is completely dry. Once the ceiling is dry, you can remove the formwork and continue building the walls and the rest of your home.

Smart Tip: If the outside temperature is high, you should spray the concrete with water at least twice a day.

Spray the concrete with water, otherwise the ceiling may crack. In the worst case, you'll have to do it all over again if the cracks are too deep (cracks can affect the rigidity of the ceiling).

Smart Tip: Do not remove the formwork too early, otherwise the ceiling will crack or become crooked. This is why it is important to consult a qualified structural engineer.

Once the ceiling has dried properly, you can begin to build the walls and roof of your home. Pouring a concrete ceiling is not very difficult if you follow the directions from your structural plans.

Smart Tip: just make sure you install the fortifications properly. Make sure you use the right tools and materials to get a project done at a high professional level.

Before decorating the ceiling, its surface must be made perfectly flat. Only in this case the quality of work will be high. First of all, this condition must be met when ceiling, made from precast concrete slabs, which are not always perfectly installed. Therefore, first we screed the ceiling, and only then move on to the decorative design.

Design features

The answer to the question, what is a screed for? ceiling canvas, quite simple. Reinforced concrete slabs- these are massive floor elements that, even with the help of technology, are difficult to install on one level, therefore, as a rule, there are some differences between them. Their size depends on the quality of installation of the ceiling: what better specialists and their work, the smaller the difference in the levels of the bottom of the slabs will be.

Of course, you don’t have to save money on your own home and call a team of specialists who can quickly and efficiently screed the ceiling. But if you study all the nuances of this process, you can try to do it yourself.

Alignment methods

Before you begin screeding the ceiling surface, you need to decide on the method you will use. There are two types of screed ceiling surface: “wet” and “dry”. The first method involves the use of solutions or mixtures. It could be concrete screed ceiling made of cement mortar.

The second method requires using sheet materials such as drywall, plywood, fiberboard or chipboard. How to determine the right way to do the screed with your own hands? Of several criteria, it is worth paying attention to one main one. To do this, measure the difference at the junction of the plates. If it exceeds 5 cm, then the screed wet method will not work, since the thickness of the applied plaster will exceed the normalized value. This is fraught with the fact that, under the weight of its own weight, the plaster layer simply cannot withstand it and falls, and this can lead to human injuries.

In addition, a large thickness of plaster may exceed the standardized load for which the ceiling was designed, which will also lead to negative consequences. To prevent all this from happening, you should use a dry screed. Of course, she also has her shortcomings. For example, this method “steals” quite a lot of height from the room, so already low rooms will become even lower.

Plastering the ceiling

The plaster is a hardened concrete mixture, the application process of which is quite labor-intensive, especially on the ceiling surface. But this method of screeding the ceiling does not lose its relevance, because sometimes it is the only way to create a flat surface. In addition, you can plaster any coating: wood, concrete or metal. But in any case it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. They include several stages:

Cleaning the surface of contaminants, for example, mold or other fungal stains that need to be disinfected;
Removing old coating in the form of paint, whitewash, etc.;
Primer concrete surface using strengthening mixtures;
For wooden and metal structures installation of reinforcing mesh is required.

Then they move on to the installation of beacons, which are then used to plaster the ceiling. Using a paint cord, you need to mark the zero level, which determines the lowest level of the ceiling surface. It will be the first lighthouse. The rest are installed every 30-50 cm on plaster marks. The height of the beacons should not be greater than the thickness of the plaster, that is, 5 cm.

Applying plaster on beacons

After installing the beacons, you can begin plastering. To do this, you need to make a working solution based on gypsum, cement or lime. Then follow this simple instructions shown in the video:

Apply the first layer of spray without leveling;
Distribute several primer layers, gradually leveling the plaster;
After applying the last layer, remove the marks with beacons and fill the recesses remaining from them with the solution;
Using a rule applied along, across and diagonally to the ceiling, check the evenness of the surface (excess plaster is cut off, and, on the contrary, more mortar is added to the missing places);
Seal with a grater internal corners and places where the ceiling meets the walls;
Apply a final, carefully leveled coat to create a smooth surface.

When applying plaster, be sure to ensure that no defects in the form of shells or pits are formed. After the rough screed, you can apply the finishing coat in the form of putty.

Dry screed

Do-it-yourself dry ceiling screed can be made from plasterboard, which serves as a high-quality alternative to the long and labor-intensive method using plaster.

As can be seen in the photo, using plasterboard sheets designers implement different ideas and ideas in interior design, which is a definite advantage.

In addition, simplicity and speed of installation can also be attributed to the advantages of dry screed. The sequence of work includes only three stages:

Marking the ceiling surface, when the zero level is placed on the walls, the corners and frame are marked, and options for laying out plasterboard sheets are determined so that their shift is equal to the pitch of the sheathing;
Installation of the frame structure is a stage that involves fastening guides, which can be made of wood (attached with screws or direct hangers) or metal (fastened only with direct hangers);
Cutting and installation of plasterboard sheets according to the drawing.

Results

Screeding the ceiling with your own hands is possible, despite its labor intensity. The main thing is to follow the installation steps and recommendations of specialists. Then the ceiling with its evenness and beauty will only emphasize the interior design.