How to fill a floor from scratch - creating a reliable foundation for future coverage. How to fill a floor with your own hands: floor pouring technology Pouring floors from start to finish

Used to level the floor. And now this is the most common method due to the possibility of application in completely different rooms for the use of all types of flooring, regardless of weather conditions. Another big advantage of the screed is that you can install warm water floors with it. And even the labor intensity of pouring the screed does not reduce its popularity, because anyone can handle it.

A screed is a smooth, durable subfloor covering. A 50 mm thick screed can withstand any load, even from heavy furniture.

Screed as a means of leveling the floor can be used absolutely everywhere, without exceptions or restrictions. But it is important to understand that due to the smaller bearing capacity balconies and loggias, the screed must be used on them with caution so as not to harm them. But in the bathroom and other rooms with high humidity The screed is a must!

The screed is the most best choice when laying cable heated floors and tiles.

Filling the floor with screed is a crude method of leveling the floor, which means leaks to the neighbors below are possible. Therefore, before starting work, you need to prepare the floor. The preparation of the floor in this case is the sealing of the joints of the floor slabs and other defects of the slabs with cement. If you think that this is not enough, then you can also waterproof the floor.

Waterproofing can be done bitumen mastic, which is the most common and in an accessible way waterproofing the bathroom.

If the air humidity in your room is low, then you can protect yourself from leaks by simply laying thick polyethylene on the floor. But then, when screeding the floor, you will need to try not to damage the polyethylene.

The thickness of the screed after pouring the floor should be at least 50 mm, which will allow it to withstand heavy loads. And if you want to further increase the strength and endurance of the screed, you can reinforce it, for example, with metal mesh. And you must understand that the mesh for screed reinforcement should be laid in the place of the strongest bending stress - i.e. closer to the bottom.

For reinforcement of the screed, welded metal mesh with a cell size of 10x10 or 20x20 cm. And the smaller the cell size, the greater the expected load on the floor.

In order for the screed reinforcement mesh to perform its task, it must be located at a distance of 1-2 centimeters above the floor. This can be done using special spacers or using available materials, for example, scraps of drywall.

To save a little and reduce the weight of the screed (if its thickness is rather large), you can resort to this method of filling the floor with a screed: a filler, for example, expanded clay, is added to the bottom underlying layer of the screed. The main layer of screed without fillers is laid on top of the layer with filler.

Expanded clay can also be used as a heat and sound insulating layer. In addition, expanded clay is used if you need to greatly raise the floor level. In this case, there will be no need to fill the floor with a thick screed.

Expanded clay as a filler to make the screed lighter and cheaper can be used only in those rooms where large loads on the floor are not expected, since the screed with the filler loses a little in strength. For example, it can be used to fill the floor with screed in a loggia.

Preparing the floor for pouring screed.

Before starting work on pouring the screed, the floor must be prepared. Preparing the floor for screeding will include cleaning it from dirt and it would also be good to do some priming. And, as mentioned above, to prevent leaks it is necessary problem areas Cover it with cement and you can waterproof it.

Upon completion of the floor preparation, you need to measure the floor level and mark the highest place, which will then be the main guideline for installing the beacons and the thickness of the screed. To do this, you can use a regular or laser level. We recommend using a laser, as it will make your work easier due to its simplicity.

Installation of beacons when screeding the floor.

When pouring a floor with screed, it is very important to make the surface of the layers even, and without beacons this is almost impossible to achieve. Structurally, they are guides along which the rule will move when leveling the cement mortar. Beacons can be installed in any way, but taking into account the requirement that the distance from them to the wall be at least 20 cm. The distance between the beacons should be 20 - 30 cm less than the length of the rule that will be used to level the mortar.

When filling the floor with a screed, beacon profiles with a height of 10 mm can serve as beacons. They can be installed on the mortar without additional fasteners.

A guide profile for drywall can also serve as beacons.

Now there are 2 methods of installing beacons when screeding a floor: mortar beacons and metal ones. Mortar beacons are made from the same mortar as the screed itself, and metal beacons will need to be purchased in advance.

Mortar beacons are made quite simply. A solution is poured in the place designated for the beacon, after which, using a rule or a long level, a platform is formed on the solution that will correspond to the floor level. Excess solution is removed.

Mortar beacons are relevant when filling the floor with a screed of very small thickness. In addition, concrete beacons are well suited when using a special mixture for self-leveling floors.

To make the installation easier and the accuracy of the solution beacons to be higher, you can work according to this scheme. Along the installation line of the beacon at the base of the floor, at a distance slightly less than the length of the rule, 2 self-tapping screws are screwed in. The screws must be installed so that the surface of the cap is at the level of the future screed. After this, the mortar beacons themselves are made. The self-tapping screws here will serve as limiters to prevent the beacon from being installed too low. After the solution has hardened, you can begin pouring the screed.

Although mortar beacons are installed quite simply, metal ones are more often used due to their greater manufacturability and better results. Metal beacons come in 2 types, 6 mm and 10 mm thick. When pouring the screed, 10 mm beacons are used, which can be installed using 2 methods.

The first step is the same as when installing mortar beacons - screw in the screws and pour in the mortar. A metal beacon is placed on top of the solution and, using a level or rule, pressed into the solution until it comes into contact with the screws. After this, the excess solution is removed, and the metal beacon is smeared into the solution, making sure that there is no solution on the surface of the beacon. At this stage you need to be very careful because at the moment of smearing the beacon, it is quite easy to bend it, which will negatively affect the result of the work.

The beacon profile has some flexibility, so before pouring the screed it is covered with mortar.

The second method solves this problem. To do this, together with a metal beacon, you must use special fasteners for the beacon. Using fasteners, the metal beacon is leveled. After this, to increase the rigidity of the beacon, as well as to zone the filling of the screed, you can apply a solution under its base, that is, smear the beacon. After the cement has hardened, the lighthouse is ready for use.

This method will the best solution for people who install beacons for the first time.

Fasteners for beacons are different. But regardless of the type of fastener, the installation method is the same. First of all, self-tapping screws are screwed into the floor in increments of 50 cm and leveled. Fasteners are installed on them and then a beacon profile.

Before screeding the floor, mix the solution. The best option will be using a ready-made screed mortar. The advantages of ready-made screed mortar are that it contains additives that make it easier to install, that reduce the rate of hardening, and that increase the strength of the screed. In addition, it is important to monitor the exact required quantity water for the solution in order to avoid cracking or shrinkage of the screed. When using a homemade solution, such consequences are more likely. And what should pleasantly surprise you is that the cost of ready-made and homemade solutions will be approximately the same.

To level the poured solution along the installed beacons, it is necessary to move the rule. At the same time, the rule is rocked, so the solution is easier to lay and compacts better.

If holes have formed in some places, you need to add mortar into them and smooth them out again. It is important to prevent air pockets from forming.

If, upon completion of the work, cement laitance appears on the surface of the mortar, it means that you have done everything correctly and the screed will be of high quality and durable.

After leveling the mortar is completed, after about 2-3 hours, it can be further sanded with a float. This will make the surface of the screed uniform and smooth.

It takes approximately 25 days for the screed to gain strength and for the remaining moisture to evaporate. Moreover, for the first 7 days it is necessary to exclude the formation of drafts in the room. You can walk on the screed within a couple of days if you used a ready-made solution; all time parameters are usually indicated on the packaging.

Only after the screed has completely dried can you proceed to laying the finishing floor covering. Despite the fact that laying a screed requires a lot of effort, anyone can do it with their own hands, and given its durability and practicality, most people choose a screed as a base for the floor or as a method of leveling the floor.

Pouring the floor with concrete is the basis in any construction. In this article we will describe in detail the entire process, from preparing the correct solution and installing “beacons” to the pouring process itself. Photos and video materials will help you understand the process more clearly.

Manufacturing concrete base sex – surgery preceding finishing works when building a house.

Concrete pouring is carried out in all premises, both residential and auxiliary. There are many ways to fill, however, they all boil down to creating the foundation of a certain structure that performs the functions assigned to it:

thermal and noise protection;
heating the room (as an option);
load-bearing;
decorative.

Preparatory stages of work

To complete the task, an initial marking of the finished floor level is carried out. Along the entire perimeter of the walls, you need to draw a level line corresponding to the lower edge of the doorway. When marking, it is necessary to maintain horizontality, controlling it with a building level.

Further work is carried out in the following order:

Hydro- and thermal insulation of the concrete base;
Reinforcement;
Arrangement of beacons;
Making a subfloor;
Pouring cement-sand screed.

Measure the distance from the finished floor line to the ground level. If it is more than 35 centimeters, remove excess soil. Compact the surface. For this, it is better to use a vibrating machine, but you can use a piece of log about 1 meter long and nail a piece of wood in the form of handles to the upper end.

It is highly advisable to triple the primary waterproofing layer. To do this, you need to dilute the clay thickly and cover the soil with a layer of 5-7 centimeters. The clay layer needs to be sprinkled with water from time to time to avoid the formation of cracks. The readiness of the waterproofing layer is determined by its ability to withstand the weight of a person.

pour a layer of gravel 10–15 cm thick, pour water on it and compact it;
arrange a sand layer of the same thickness, pour water on it and compact it;
pour another layer of gravel (fraction 40 - 50 mm) about 10 cm thick, level it, add fine gravel (screenings) or sand and compact it.

Lay waterproofing using roll materials in the form of film, membrane, roofing felt and the like. The flooring must be overlapped and the material secured with tape. Apply the film to the level of the finished floor, securing it to the walls with tape.

To construct a heat-insulating layer, you can use materials such as:

expanded clay;
perlite;
extracted polystyrene foam;
Styrofoam;
basalt wool;
polyurethane.

The laid thermal insulation must be covered with another layer of film.

Lay down reinforcing elements. For them, a road mesh with a cell of 100x100 mm is most often used. The grid cards are installed on “chairs” 30–40 mm high, made from scraps of asbestos cement board.

The installation of beacons must be coordinated with the finished floor mark. Knowing the front cladding of the floor, you can easily determine the total thickness of the layers that still need to be laid. Having measured this thickness from the finished floor line on opposite walls, hammer in two dowels and pull a cord between them. To attach the beacons when pouring the floor, it is better to use diluted construction plaster, laying it out in several piles and drowning the substrate in the plaster.

In the same way, install the beacons in relation to the second pair of walls. The distance between the beacons is 0.6 - 1.0 meters, the distance from the walls is about 0.15 meters. Filling the floor along the beacons will provide a fairly even layer.

Before pouring the subfloor, damper tape is glued along the entire perimeter of the walls to ensure a gap between the wall and the floor. The height of the tape is pasted to the level of the finished floor. The damping layer is designed for compensation of thermal expansion of the concrete layer to avoid wall deformations.

The process of pouring concrete floors

Concrete is the most common material in construction; it is widely used for pouring concrete floors in private homes and industrial facilities. There are hundreds of varieties of concrete with the most different properties. Many compounds and additives are used to give it specific properties. Reasons for the popularity of concrete:

relative ease of use;
affordable prices for materials;
low energy consumption in use;
large selection of different properties.

In our case, plasticizers must be introduced into concrete to give it elastic properties.

When pouring the floor with concrete, it is evenly distributed over the area. Compaction is best done with a deep vibrator, or, in its absence, with a shovel using piercing movements. The signal for the end of the compaction process is the appearance of “milk” on the surface. Using a rule, the mass is leveled along the beacons to the required level.

The thickness of the rough concrete floor is 15 - 20 centimeters.

The laid layer of concrete should stand for 12 - 16 hours. When it can support the weight of a person, you need to remove the beacons and seal the spaces they occupy with mortar. When using metal beacons, they do not need to be removed.

To prepare concrete, it is better to use cement grades no lower than M400, and when creating heavily loaded floors - M500.

The flooded floor should be allowed to stand for 28-30 days. At the same time, you need to water it regularly, several times a day. After watering, cover the floor with film, preventing the water from drying quickly. These measures will help prevent cracks from appearing in the concrete screed.

Installation of a finishing cement-sand floor

The purpose of this floor layer is to create a flat supporting surface for finishing and heat transfer (in case of installation of heated floors). Cement-sand mortar is prepared using cement grade not lower than M400, the ratio of components in accordance with the instructions on the cement packaging. The amount of solution is prepared based on a layer thickness of 5 - 7 centimeters.

Before starting to lay a new layer, it is advisable to lay reinforcing grids over the surface of the rough concrete floor. If we are talking about creating a warm floor, before pouring the solution, you need to spread it out and fix it on the grates. heating elements, mount the circuit and conduct a test run.

Brands and proportions of solution

Knowing the brand of cement and the requirements for the solution, you can easily calculate the ratio of the components in it. Well-known and frequently used brands of cement are M300 - M400 - M500 - M600.

M400 grade cement is usually used to fill the floor. The requirement for the solution is that it must be at least grade 150. Thus, the proportion of cement to sand will be 1:3, the total proportion of cement - sand - water will look like 1:3:0,55 .

Maintaining proportions with perfect accuracy is not so easy. Therefore, you need to control the consistency of the solution. It should correspond to thick sour cream, maybe a little thicker. The solution should disintegrate in your hands, and when placed on a flat surface, spread slightly. If a lot of water is added, the screed will become weak and may crack when it hardens.

To obtain 1 cubic meter of solution you need 500 kg of ear mixture. Knowing the thickness of the screed layer and the area of the room, you can easily calculate the quantity of each component and purchase them without significant leftovers upon completion of the work.

Preparation of the solution

It is necessary to add fiber fiber as a reinforcing additive and a plasticizer to the solution for the finishing layer to improve mechanical properties screeds.

When preparing the mixture, mix dry with dry, wet with wet. Add fiber fiber to cement and sand and mix thoroughly until the mixture is homogeneous. You can mix with a trowel, but it is better to use a drill with a special attachment. At large volume work, you need to purchase or rent a concrete mixer.

Add plasticizer to water.

Pour the dry mixture into the water and mix everything thoroughly. At the same time, control the consistency of the solution.

When preparing the mixture for large area The operation will have to be repeated several times, so it is better to do the work with an assistant. He will prepare the mixture and deliver the solution to the work site.

Execution of cement-sand screed

The use of beacons for laying screed is mandatory. Installation and adjustment of beacons should be carried out using building level.

Start laying out the solution with far corner and then to the exit. Control the uniformity of the layer with a bar. As you lay out, carefully pierce the next portion with a trowel, removing air. The strips opposite the door are poured last.

After hardening, as soon as the screed begins to support the weight, you need to remove all noticed irregularities with a trowel. Remove the beacons, fill the opened cavities with the same solution and let it sit until it sets. Next - all the surface must be rubbed with a wooden float to a uniform rough surface.

The required operation is grouting. For it you need to prepare a solution in the same proportions from well-dried sand and sifted cement. During the grouting process, it is necessary to constantly wet the surface of the screed with a spray bottle.

At the end of the work, check the surface with a rule and level, and eliminate any deficiencies noted.

Depending on the properties of the solution, the screed dries from 10 to 30 days, after which the face covering can be laid. As a rule, such a screed does not require additional leveling.

Not only in old houses, but also in new buildings, the subfloor is rarely level. Most modern coatings require an ideal surface. That's why major renovation you should start with leveling the floors. So, we’ll tell you how to fill the floor in an apartment with your own hands.

Preparing the base

In order to concrete covering to last as long as possible, the floors should be carefully prepared before pouring:

Dismantle the old covering and baseboards;

You should also remove door jambs– they will interfere with pouring;

Door jambs must be dismantled before pouring

Remove large debris and loose pieces of concrete;

Large cracks are widened so that the solution penetrates into them as deeply as possible, dust is removed from them, thoroughly moistened, reinforced with sickle tape and sealed. cement-sand mortar; small cracks can be coated with adhesive;

Large cracks are pre-covered with mortar.

Thoroughly clean the floors from dust with a vacuum cleaner;

If necessary, to degrease, wash them with a soap solution;

To improve adhesion, after the floors have dried, they should be treated with a primer; porous surfaces are coated with it twice, the second layer only after the first has completely dried.

Is waterproofing necessary?

Protection of concrete from moisture is required mainly in rooms with high levels of moisture - bathrooms and toilets. Without reliable waterproofing Over time, cracks will quickly appear in the concrete foundation and it will become unusable. Source high humidity can also serve modern kitchens with washing and dishwashers. High-quality waterproofing will also protect the lower floors in case of leakage.

The simplest type of waterproofing is polyethylene film of sufficient thickness and strength. In this case, it is better to pre-coat the floors bitumen mastic. Since the flooring should only be continuous, after rolling out the roll with an overlap of 25-30 cm, all layers must be glued together. The film needs to be slightly placed on the walls and attached to them using adhesive tape.

Waterproofing screed with polyethylene

More reliable protection from moisture is bituminous roll waterproofing or fiberglass flooring. The cost of bitumen-rubber mixtures is slightly higher, but they are considered more durable, plus their use does not require heating and melting.

Important! Waterproofing can be located both under the screed and on top of it. When applied over concrete, it will remain dry even in the event of leaks. But still liquid types Waterproofing, which can be easily damaged, is wiser to apply under the screed.

Cement-sand mortar. Proportions

For getting durable coating better to take a quality one cement grade 300-400. Don’t get confused - after all, the resulting solution also has a brand. For example (see photo), when mixing M400 cement with sand 1:3 we will get concrete grade 150, and when mixing sand and M300 cement in the same proportion - less durable concrete grade 100. For screeds, it is recommended to use concrete (not cement, but concrete) grades 150-200.

The brand of concrete directly depends on the brand of cement and the proportions of the solution

So, prepare the solution:

It is better if the sand for the solution has both large and small fractions; best to use dry river;

Before kneading, it must be sifted;

To obtain a homogeneous mass, sand and cement are mixed only dry; water is added gradually until it reaches the consistency of liquid sour cream; such a solution should not be too liquid and run off the trowel;

It is simply impossible to mix a large amount of mortar perfectly without a concrete mixer; so it’s better to rent it or borrow it from friends, otherwise you’ll have to mix the solution in small portions; To fill small areas, you can mix the concrete with a drill with an attachment.

Floor level markings

Marking - determining the level of the future floor by drawing horizontal lines on the walls. To begin, we arbitrarily determine the highest point of the room (in case of an error, the line can be easily redrawn).

Now, using a building level, we draw horizontal lines along all the walls. It is along these lines that the beacons will be placed.

Beacons are placed according to markings on the walls

What are beacons?

Lighthouses in the construction business they are called slaps of mortar or alabaster on which metal or wooden slats, used to level floors. Self-tapping screws screwed to a certain height are sometimes used as beacons. For convenience, they are pre-fixed on small pieces of wood. The distance between the beacon slats is selected according to the width rules – construction tools, used to stretch (level) the solution (see photo below).

A simple way to install beacons

Since the cement mortar hardens for at least 2 days, it is sometimes used to place beacons alabaster, hardens in 15-20 minutes. But experienced craftsmen It is recommended to refrain from using it - the resulting screed will be unreliable due to the heterogeneity of the composition.

Leveling the solution using the rule

Important! Please note that it is too thick layer The concrete will dry unevenly, and its quality will not be up to par - it will immediately crack. If a screed with a thickness of 5 cm or more is required, it is applied in two layers or the screed is strengthened with a reinforcing mesh.

Main stages

Filling of the screed begins after the beacons have completely dried (that is, after 2 days):

Work should begin from the farthest corner, moving gradually towards the front door;

Using a trowel, the space between the beacons is completely filled without gaps or voids;

Laying out the solution

After laying a couple of meters, the solution begins to be leveled according to the rule, first in different sides“right-left”, and then along the rules;

There is no need to perfectly level the surface - after a couple of hours, when the concrete has set slightly, small irregularities are leveled with a trowel;

Grouting the screed with a float

The resulting screed is covered with polyethylene for uniform drying;

Lighthouse slats are removed after 24 hours; the voids formed in their place are filled with mortar and carefully leveled.

Important! Despite the fact that the screed room temperature can dry out in 2-3 days, and you can walk on it; the main work should begin only after a month, when the concrete has fully gained strength.

Video: How to fill a floor with your own hands

How to fill the floor in a house or office and save as much as possible and, preferably, complete renovation work with his own hand. This requires some knowledge or a desire to learn new skills. How to make a self-leveling floor with my own hands so that the result does not differ from the work of the masters?

Surface preparation before pouring

Before pouring the floor in the house, you need to decide on the material for covering the room. Today, self-leveling floors are considered the most wear-resistant and effective among other options. floor coverings.

The self-leveling floor can be either plain or with an exclusive pattern. Filled floors are easy to clean, they do not break, do not scratch, and do not emit life-threatening substances. To learn how to make a self-leveling floor, you need to carefully study the technology and step-by-step work.

Video instructions on how to fill a floor:

Before pouring a self-leveling floor, you need to consider some points:

Before making a self-leveling floor, the walls must be completely erected, the roof and the room must be heated. Otherwise, the floor may be damaged by weather conditions;
the floor in a private house should be poured only if the soil in this area is stationary and groundwater pass deeper than 4 meters from the surface;
Before pouring floors in a private house, you need to make sure that the soil is dry. Wet soil needs to be dried, otherwise the technology will be disrupted and the shelf life of such a floor will be significantly reduced.

Preparation steps before making a poured floor

How to fill floors is not difficult. It is more important to prepare the surface well so that the floor lasts a long time.

Marking the top of the finish

You need to start preparing from the top mark of the coating. To do this, using water or laser level Serifs are made along the entire perimeter of the room. The upper mark should be slightly below the doorway, but in no case above it, otherwise the door will not close or open.

Removing the top layer

Afterwards it is necessary to remove 30-35 centimeters of the coating. After the soil is removed, it is necessary to compact the surface. If possible, it is better to use compacting equipment, but if this is not available, you can replace it with improvised means.

A log and a small handle along the edges are nailed onto a wide board 1 meter long. You will need an assistant for compaction. You need to work with the board until there are no traces of steps left on the ground, constantly leveling the surface using a water or laser level.

Cushion made of sand and crushed stone

On the compacted surface it is necessary to lay a 10 centimeter layer of sand (it must be watered and compacted) and a 15 centimeter layer of crushed stone. You can level the surface of crushed stone using sand or granot sieving.

Laying waterproofing

Placed on a bed of sand and crushed stone waterproofing material. The choice of waterproofing depends on how much the owner is willing to pay for it. You can use roofing felt plastic film or other types of waterproofing.

When laying, you must follow the rule that the joints should overlap up to 20 centimeters and be taped with construction tape. The edges of the waterproofing should be wrapped around the walls and extend to the finish line of the floor.

How to make a self-leveling floor if the floor is not level. To eliminate unevenness, use a screed. When installing the screed, there are several important points:

first you need to place reinforced mesh. Reinforcement will strengthen the cement structure and increase the service life of the coating.
To ensure that the filling surface is at the same level, a leveling profile (guides) is used, which is installed across the width of the entire room. Cement mortar pour to the guides and carefully align using the rule.
After 3 - 7 days, the surface must be wiped down and vacuumed thoroughly to remove dust and small particles.

Finishing with poured floor

How to pour a liquid floor with your own hands so that the result is no worse than the masters? Filling a level floor is much easier if all the above steps have been done correctly and the surface is well leveled.

How to work with self-leveling floors is most often written on bags with the selected powder, but there are also several important secrets. If possible, then you need to invite an assistant who has already dealt with this material and knows how to properly fill the floor in the house. But if there is no assistant, then you must follow the following instructions.

Fill the floor only on a well-dried and prepared surface. How to fill a self-leveling floor if there are roughness and crumbling parts on the surface? All elements that may break off or peel off must be carefully removed.

What to fill the floor with? The choice of material should be one that is compatible with the cement coating; for this you need to pay attention to the manufacturers’ advice.

How to properly fill a floor using emulsion

To evenly fill the floor, it is better to invite a couple of assistants, since finishing layer It dries quickly and you may not have time to fill and level it alone. In a large container, mix the mixture until it has a uniform consistency. Before pouring the floor, it must be lubricated with a primer; it will remove dust and increase adhesion.

How to fill floors evenly?

Before pouring the floor, you must carefully read the instructions on how to make a self-leveling floor; they are indicated on the bags with the mixture. The prepared emulsion begins to be poured in continuous pours along the wall.

While one person pours the mixture, the second, using a roller, carefully distributes the emulsion to the edges of the walls. When half the room is flooded, you need to take a roller with needles and walk through the flooded area. This way, the flat floor will be free of air bubbles accumulated from the emulsion.

Afterwards, the remaining emulsion is distributed and processed again with a needle roller. If there is a need to go onto a flooded surface, then you need to use special shoes - paint shoes.

The final result depends on how evenly the emulsion is distributed.

A room with a self-leveling floor must be protected from drafts and direct sun rays until completely dry. Some craftsmen cover the self-leveling floor with a film to prevent moisture from evaporating prematurely.

It turned out that how to fill a self-leveling floor is not so difficult task. The main thing is to follow a clear sequence of actions and carefully prepare the surface. How to properly fill a self-leveling floor was outlined in this material.

A major renovation often starts with the floor. Laying laminate, linoleum, parquet and other floor coverings requires a flat surface, which is rare in our homes. Height differences can reach 10 cm; moreover, in accordance with existing technologies, floor slabs are laid smooth side towards the ceiling, and uneven – towards the floor. Therefore, it will need to be leveled using fill or screed.

The screed is also used for insulation, laying a “warm floor” structure, and sometimes in the case of repairing a worn-out concrete base. All future repairs will depend on the filling performed, so many people are concerned about how to do it correctly.

The outcome of the work is determined by the quality of the selected materials, as well as the observance and correct execution of all stages.

The surface must be cleaned of debris, dust, paint residues, grease stains and previous coating. You can use a special construction vacuum cleaner, but if you don’t have it, then a regular one will do, which isn’t too bad. Only it needs to be cleared of garbage more often! By the way, wet cleaning will not be superfluous.

This is very important stage, because contaminant particles prevent the adhesion of the floor surface to the fill. Voids appear in it, from which cracks will subsequently appear, and as a result, the incorrect screed will collapse on its own and lead to damage to the selected coating.

Stage 2. Waterproofing

The purpose of this stage is to isolate the floor from possible leaks. IN living rooms waterproofing is carried out where the walls adjoin the floor slab, as well as in the locations of water supply, sewer and heating pipes. There are a lot of methods - from the cheapest, which involves treating with bitumen, to purchasing special sealants or roll insulators in the form of a film or special membrane material.

Such insulators are laid with an overlap of at least 10 cm on the walls, and at least 15 cm at the joints, creating a so-called pocket. The joints are additionally glued with a special mastic. After the filling is completed, the fragments sticking out along the walls must be carefully cut off.

In the bathroom, toilet and kitchen, it is advisable to waterproof the entire floor to avoid flooding the neighbors in the event of an accident.

Stage 3. Finding the horizontal level

To carry out this work you will need a level, preferably a laser one. First you need to set the highest point of the surface. This is the main guideline. Then you should find out the minimum thickness of the filling layer. The information can be found on the packaging of the mixture, and if you have experience working with concrete and cement and plan to use a homemade solution, then you can start from a thickness of 2 cm.

The highest point plus two centimeters will be the level of the screed. Moreover, when pouring all the floors in the apartment, it is advisable to install a single level in each room, except for the bathroom and toilet - there the floors should be slightly lower so that during a flood the water does not spread throughout the room.

The level of the future screed must be projected onto the corners of the room and marks made directly on the wall, which are then connected by a horizontal line along the perimeter.

Stage 4. Approximate calculation of the amount of materials

Finding the highest and lowest points will help you roughly estimate the amount of materials required for the job. It is quite difficult to accurately determine this figure, since the surface roughness cannot be described by any formulas, but an approximate calculation will not hurt.

First, the height difference is calculated, that is, the difference between the highest and lowest points. This value is divided by 2 to obtain the average height of the screed throughout the room. Added to it minimum thickness fill layer (in our case - 2 cm) and the finished number is multiplied by the area of the room. This way you can find out the approximate volume of the finished potting mixture.

If the solution is mixed in a ratio of 1:3, then for one cubic meter you will need approximately 12 bags of cement, packed in 40 kg, and 35 bags of sand of the same weight. In the case when you plan to use the finished mixture, you need to clarify the information on the label.

By the way, if the height difference is too large, the screed layer will be very thick. This is bad.

Firstly, pouring the floor will be quite expensive.
Secondly, the screed will take a long time to dry. In deep holes, the solution will not have time to dry as quickly as above the mounds, and this leads to the appearance of cracks.
Thirdly, the floor will be too heavy. In such a situation, you can use, for example, an expanded clay pillow.

Stage 5. Installation of beacons

Along long wall you need to pull parallel nylon laces, securing them to nails driven into the level line, and set beacons along these laces.

These can be special plaster markers, as well as wooden slats, corners and metal profiles.

The lighthouse must be stationary, so it is installed on the solution. If the profile is higher than the level of the screed and is needed only to put a mark on it, then after finishing the work it can be removed and the free space filled cement-sand mixture. In the case when the beacon is made level, it can be left in the filling layer.

Stage 6. Pouring the solution

Before you start pouring, you need to make sure that all the windows are closed and there is no draft in the room. If a straight line falls from a window onto the floor sunlight, then it is advisable to cover the frames, even just with newspaper.

You can prepare concrete mortar for pouring yourself, or you can buy it ready-made mixtures, fortunately, their selection in stores is large and varied.

Mixtures will cost more, but if you strictly follow the instructions, the risk of making a mistake is minimal. Mistakes in such a matter are extremely undesirable, so self-cooking The solution should be taken only with experience and confidence that everything will be correct.

To prepare the solution, you will need a container and a construction mixer or a drill with a special attachment.

The finished potting mixture is laid in strips along the beacons, smoothing with a rule or spatula. The movements should be vibrating, shaking, so that the vibrations evenly distribute the solution and squeeze out air from it, leading to the appearance of voids, and then unevenness. After filling and leveling one strip, they proceed to the next, and so on until the end, leaving the area at the threshold for last.

A floor poured in this way dries in about 3 days, depending on the temperature and humidity in the room, and gains full strength in about a month.

As mentioned above, the use of expanded clay cushion can reduce the cost of materials, as well as reduce the load on the floor. In addition, expanded clay is good insulation and sound insulator.

When pouring a floor using a dry expanded clay cushion, you will need to make two marks on the beacons - one for the level of expanded clay, and the other for the level of the screed. First fill the expanded clay with so-called cement laitance, that is, a liquid mixture of water and cement, and let it dry so that the foot does not fall through when stepped on. This will take about a day. You can spread the filling solution onto the finished, dried pillow.

The second way to use expanded clay is to prepare a mixture of sand, cement and expanded clay. Its granules will need to be filled with water and allowed to soak, then add sand and cement and mix until smooth. The finished mass must be laid in strips along the beacons, compacted and leveled.

Stage 7. Drying the screed

Filling of each room should be done without interruption, in one day, so that the entire surface is uniform. The screed will harden in a few days, and you can step on it. At this time, it is necessary to finally level the surface by cutting off the protrusions and grinding the roughness.

To prevent the floor from cracking, it can be covered with a film that prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture. More better time moisturize from time to time concrete surface– this will help you do without film.

All further activities related to laying the selected coating should begin only after the screed has completely dried, and this will last up to 4 weeks.

Stage 8. Self-leveling floors

They can be used on top of a concrete screed to give the coating a perfect smoothness, or you can do it yourself if you’re lucky and the floor is relatively flat.

Self-leveling floor is a special mixture that can be made using different bases: polyurethane, epoxy, cement-acrylic, methyl acrylic. The most elastic and often used for residential premises are polyurethane-based floors.

The essence of using self-leveling floors is very simple: the mixture is diluted with water in the proportions indicated on the packaging and poured onto the floor. The liquid will level itself out under the influence of gravity and surface tension. You will need the bare minimum of tools - a container for the solution, a needle roller to distribute the mixture and remove air, a squeegee and krakoshoes so that you don’t have to worry about walking on the liquid fill.

This coating resembles linoleum, but unlike it has no joints and looks smoother and glossier.

Advantages of self-leveling floors

It would seem that with such advantages of self-leveling floors, they should replace the traditional concrete screed, but they also have their disadvantages.

Self-leveling floors are expensive. If the floor is very uneven and there is significant difference heights, then a lot of mixture will be required.
Floor solution in liquid form is flammable and toxic; it should not even come into contact with your hands, not to mention your eyes and mucous membranes.
If the base has big holes, and the floor is poured in one go, the mixture will not dry evenly, which can cause cracks.
Despite the apparent simplicity of working with self-leveling floors It is better not to trust it to those whose qualifications can be doubted. An incorrectly diluted mixture or insufficiently thorough surface preparation will ruin the future floor, and the cost of such a failure may be more expensive than saving on the services of workers.

First, prepare the base: clean it of debris, fill cracks and dents and prime it. The primer is usually matched to the specific mixture and applied in at least two coats until it stops being absorbed. Each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has dried, and the filling is done 6-12 hours after the primer.
Dilute the mixture with water according to the specified proportions, mix with a construction mixer or a drill with a special attachment. The resulting solution is quite liquid, reminiscent of kefir or condensed milk.
Immediately after preparation, the mixture should be poured onto the base. Filling is usually carried out by two people: one pours out a portion of the mixture, and the second distributes it with a squeegee, helping it spread, and rolls it with a needle roller to remove air bubbles. At this time, the first one prepares the next portion of the solution. Move around for now liquid floor possible in paint shoes.

This floor dries quite quickly and has a beautiful, smooth surface on which you can lay any coating.

So, in an apartment this is a very important and responsible matter, which, if desired, you can even approach creatively. Whatever screed you have to do, you will first need quality materials, knowledge of technology and compliance with all stages of work. Flooding the floors according to all the rules will require effort and time, but then they will delight the residents of the house with their beauty and good quality for a long time.