Level the floors. How to level a floor in the presence of serious and minor defects: sanding, laying plywood, self-leveling floor

Agree, it is difficult to imagine a beautiful and cozy home without a flat floor, because this is the basis of all foundations. Entering new house or an apartment, every owner strives to first of all deal with the arrangement of the floor. And modern Construction Materials and the latest technologies make it possible to make the floor beautiful and even with your own hands, even for a person who does not have sufficient experience.

In the vast majority of cases, the base of the floor covering is building slabs, which often have a far from even surface, which inevitably entails differences in floor level. Of course, you cannot install 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 leveling the floor yourself 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, and oil stains. All cracks in the base are sealed, as they lead to material leakage.

Professional builders, in the process of laying electrical wiring in the cavities of 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 through the slab to its entire depth from a higher floor. This, of course, will save the builders some time, but will give you decibels of noise and “odors” from the apartment below.

Preparing the surface for screed

If you are a victim of “high domestic construction technologies", then carefully and thoroughly seal all the holes, otherwise you will have to get acquainted with your neighbors later under different circumstances.

Marking the level of concrete screed

When the surface is well cleaned, you can begin to mark the level of the future coating. For this purpose, a construction 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 located flasks will be located at the same level.

Marking using a hydraulic level

The 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 along the entire perimeter of the room at the same level. Next, by taking 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 waterproof the base. And this operation cannot be neglected, since savings can lead to the floor subsequently cracking.

Primer for concrete screed

If you are leveling floors in the kitchen or, then use specialized waterproofing primers. Choose a primer marked “for concrete”. For the primary treatment of bases, primer compositions are usually called “primer primers”.

Dry building mixtures for concrete screeds

It is better to make a cement screed for leveling floors using dry building mixtures. The binding components in them are non-shrinkable types of cement. Fine-grained sand is used as filling material. After mixing with water, this composition forms an emulsion that spreads well over the surface and fills all unevenness well.

Dry mixes

When compared with conventional cement-sand mixtures, dry mixtures have a number of advantages. First of all, we are talking about the short drying time of the coating - you can walk on the floor within a day. And secondly, high strength coating, which is ensured by the use of small filler materials.

Groups of building mixtures:

• mixtures for primary leveling. Allows you to create the main layer of coatings. The surface ends up being uneven, since such mixtures use filler materials of a large fraction;
• 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. Apply finishing mixture thin layer, the thickness of which should be only a few millimeters.

Installation of beacons for concrete screed

After the priming has been carried out, it is necessary to install beacon profiles on the floor surface - they will be a kind of level 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 need to be mounted on the floor parallel to each other - so that the top is located at the same level as the marks on the wall. This can be done, for example, using a stretched cord or a regular building level.

The slats are fixed to the base at several points along the entire length of the walls using plaster or mortar. Maintain a distance between the fastening 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 the three-meter rule is used, the slats can be spaced 2-2.5 meters apart.

The slats are fixed at several points along the entire length

Highly professional specialists do not install these profiles, since they know how to create horizontal surfaces 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.

Advantages cement-sand screed:

Among the main disadvantages it is worth highlighting:

• long hardening period;
• the need for execution skills similar works or the involvement of professionals.

The execution of the screed begins with zero level determination. To do this, you can use a building level, with the help of which a single line is created at a height of about 1.5 m from the floor, from which the distance to the floor level is measured. It is worth focusing on minimum distance, which will help determine the floor height level, but it is worth considering that minimum thickness ties 2 cm. Possible along the bottom of the wall, also mark the lines of the future floor level, which will help make the screed as even as possible.

Next stage - display of beacons, which allow you to achieve the most even surface. They can be used as T-shaped metal guides, which are attached to the base with adjustable screws. An easier way is to install guides on slides made of thick cement-sand mortar of the required height. The evenness of the beacons is constantly checked using a building level. The first one is installed at a distance of 20 cm from the wall, the rest are mounted parallel to it in increments of 40-60 cm.

The basis of the self-leveling mixture is cement, but in addition to it, the composition also includes special modifying additives that can increase the plasticity and fluidity of the solution. Some additives make it possible to suppress the appearance of microcracks in the future. Depending on the composition Self-leveling mixtures are divided into:

• high strength;
• For ;
• fast-hardening;
• thin-layer.

In addition, there are self-leveling mixtures on sale, intended not only for rough finishing, but also for the finishing, as well as compositions with special properties. There are also compositions for rough leveling, they are intended for surfaces with significant unevenness.

All self-leveling mixtures boast a number of advantages:

• simplicity and high speed of working with them;
• speed of hardening;
• high strength indicators, so this leveling method is quite suitable for rooms with high degree cross-country ability;
• resistance to temperature changes.

Cons this method there is little leveling of the floor - these are rather its features. Big changes You cannot level the floor surface with a self-leveling floor. You need to work with the mixtures very quickly - if you hesitate and allow it to dry out, then it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve a smooth surface.

Working with such mixtures is really simple. They are usually used to level concrete and sandy bases. Preparing the mixture consists of diluting the purchased powder the right amount water. For mixing, it is better to use a construction mixer or a drill with an attachment. The composition is prepared in portions, since its properties are lost within 20 minutes. Naturally, before starting work, you should carefully prepare the original surface: clean it from dust, seal all cracks, and treat it with a primer.

When the mixture is ready, it is immediately poured onto the floor. The principle of its operation is based on the law of gravity, so there is no need to install beacons and level the solution according to them. It is also worth remembering that this solution is self-leveling and not self-spreading, so after pouring it onto the floor you need to smooth with a wide spatula or a needle roller. It is better to immediately fill the entire floor in the room, but if the area is large, apply the solution in strips, acting very quickly and not allowing the edge of the strip to dry out. In this case, only professionals can achieve a perfectly flat surface.

The hardening speed depends on the room temperature, humidity and layer thickness. On average, after 6-12 hours you can move on the surface, and after 3-4 days – install the finishing coating.

No. 4. Leveling with gypsum fiber sheets (GVL)

Leveling with GVL is called dry screed. This process is much simpler and faster, but the quality of the finished screed is inferior to a monolithic one. A layer of expanded clay is laid under the gypsum plasterboard, which plays. The technology allows the use of other materials that have similar thermal insulation properties.

Begin leveling the GVL with surface cleaning from dust and dirt, after which it spreads waterproofing material, which can be polyethylene film. Its strips are laid with an overlap of about 10-15 cm and overlapping the walls by 10 cm. It is better to use it around the perimeter of the room. edge tape, which is located between plastic film and a layer of expanded clay.

Expanded clay must be thoroughly compacted and leveled at the intended level. The first slab is installed in the closest

Leveling a concrete floor without the help of hired specialists is not such a difficult task if you approach it “armed” with certain knowledge. Let's figure out how you can complete this process yourself.

Why do you need to level floors?

Floor concrete covering these days can be seen in commercial premises, industrial facilities, and living rooms Oh. It has mass useful characteristics, but they can only be used if the concrete bases are properly leveled. The most common defects in concrete floors are the following:

• small "waves" called plows that appear after the rule;
• smooth repeating changes in floor level - wave changes;
• increases (local) floor level - sagging.

With prolonged use of poorly constructed concrete foundations, cracks often form on them, as well as cavities and lenses—lowering (local) floor levels. Sometimes protruding pieces of crushed stone filler appear on its surface, which indicate destruction of the coating. All the mentioned defects lead to unevenness on the floor, which can cause injury to a person, the impossibility of reliable installation of equipment used in everyday life and in the kitchen, and furniture.

And from an aesthetic point of view, an uneven floor covering, you see, does not add beauty to the room. To avoid these inconveniences, you need to properly level the floor yourself. Such a procedure, carried out efficiently, will also allow achieving high level noise, hydro and thermal insulation of floor coverings. Alignment concrete base carried out by arranging a screed, which can be done wet or dry.

In the first case, it is mandatory to use a special leveling compound with the addition of water. With the dry method, dry mixtures are used. Choice optimal technology for each specific case is based on the condition of the initial floor covering and the height differences present on the floor of the room. Typically, cement-sand compositions, “dry” compositions and self-leveling mixtures are used for screeds. We'll talk about them further.

Cement-sand composition - classic leveling

Screed based on sand and cement is considered classic and very effective way giving the floors the desired “evenness”. It is recommended for rooms where the difference in the level of the concrete base is five or more centimeters. The technology of cement-sand screed is characterized by certain difficulties and high labor intensity of the process.

But you can do it yourself in any living space - in the bedroom, hallway, kitchen, and be confident in the strength and excellent reliability of the resulting coating. It is only important to remember that the thickness of the prepared mixture must be at least three centimeters. With a smaller thickness, the strength indicators of the completed screed will be unsatisfactory. We'll tell you how to level a concrete floor using a mixture of sand, cement and water.

First you need to remove all dirt and accumulated dust from it, wipe off stains from oil solutions that were used during construction or repair work. Then a waterproofing material is laid on the floor - it can be anything. At this stage, it is important to glue the waterproofing joints well and leave allowances near the walls. Next, beacons are installed using a level. For their installation, metal profiles are used, fixed to the floor using gypsum hardening solutions.

The distance between the guides of the “frame” being performed is up to one meter, no more. If the distance is greater, pouring the mixture and leveling it will be difficult. The sand-cement mixture is prepared from M-300 cement, ordinary sand and water. Nowadays no one makes such a solution on their own. It is much more convenient to buy dry ready-made mixtures and add water to them in the proportions recommended by the manufacturer of the material.

The composition must be mixed very thoroughly. This is best done with a construction mixer. The finished solution should not spread, but on a flat surface it should spread slightly. Please note that the mixture is applied after stirring for 60–90 minutes (otherwise it will simply harden). Moreover, it needs to be prepared for the entire area of ​​the room at once.

Pouring cement-sand screed - work carefully

The prepared solution begins to be poured from far corner rooms between lighthouses. It is necessary to immediately level the composition after applying each individual portion of it, using the rule. We move it towards ourselves, and not away from ourselves. Also, the rule is to “spread” the mixture on the sides (some level it exclusively along the guides, which is incorrect) in order to achieve a good compaction of the screed layer and fill the existing voids.

Professionals also advise piercing the applied composition with a metal rod of small diameter. This simple action will avoid the risk of air voids appearing in the screed. If the mixture of sand and cement is made of a large thickness, it is advisable to strengthen the screed with reinforcement from a convenient (available at hand) material. In addition, it is recommended to cut special seams in it (they are called shrinkage joints) every 250–300 cm. Long breaks when laying a cement-sand composition should be avoided.

If you hesitate, “cold seams” are guaranteed to appear on the surface. They will significantly reduce the strength properties of the finished layer. For this reason, leveling the floor with your own hands should not be done alone, but with an assistant. Having laid all the cement-sand mortar, leave it for 24 hours, and then use a spray gun or roller to painting works moisten thoroughly. After 48-60 hours you will need to check how well it has set.

After this, the screed is moistened again and a plastic film is placed on it. It protects the floor from drying out quickly, which can cause cracks. Over the next 7–8 days, you need to moisten the screed with water once a day. And then the film is removed and the floor is left to dry in natural conditions for another 1–2 weeks. You can safely lay the floor covering that you have chosen on the completed screed in the kitchen or in another room. But first make sure that the screed is done well.

If everything was done correctly, the floor surface has a uniform gray color, and when tapped with a block of wood, it makes the same sound in all parts of the room. We hope we have explained clearly enough how to level a concrete floor using a wet mixture of sand and cement. This technique can be used in all areas of the home, including the kitchen and even outside (on open verandas, terraces). We add that the finished surface can be additionally sanded. There is no point in performing such a procedure if the coating was done outdoors. But for living rooms it will not be superfluous.

Grinding is carried out with a special unit (machine), which quickly and efficiently smoothes out all minor irregularities.

Dry screed - how to level floors without water?

A cleaner leveling of the floor with your own hands is carried out using mixtures consisting of granulate, quartz sand, expanded clay or expanded polystyrene, and fiberboard, chipboard, gypsum fiber moisture-resistant sheet materials or ordinary plywood. This screed additionally soundproofs and insulates the room, so it is used in the kitchen or living room in apartments multi-storey buildings. It is not difficult to do such an alignment on your own, even for a person who is very far from the intricacies of construction.

Advantages of dry screed:

• quick completion of work and the ability to lay the selected floor covering immediately after finishing the leveling operations;
• no need to use water to mix the solution;
• installation of utilities inside the screed is allowed;
• work can be done without assistants, performing it gradually in small areas of separate areas of the room.

In addition, dry screed makes it possible not to worry about the need for additional installation of sound and thermal insulation systems for the floor.

The diagram of how to level a concrete floor using this technology is as follows:

• the base is thoroughly cleaned;
• a waterproofing material is laid - a 50-micron polyethylene film (it is advisable to prime the surface before this);
• scatter the dry mixture over the film and distribute it evenly;
• lay plywood, sheets of gypsum fiber or chipboard, fastening them together with glue and self-tapping screws;
• prime the resulting screed and remove the excess film (cut off its protruding parts).

The work is completed quite quickly. The only problem you may have is that the sheets are prohibited from moving over a layer of dry leveling material. This means that you need to place them in the planned place the first time.

Self-leveling floors - an affordable and convenient leveling method

If in your kitchen or in another room the difference in floor levels is relatively small - up to three centimeters, it is recommended to level them with special mixtures, which themselves spread over the surface. Such compositions are very popular these days. They are made on the basis of cement, to which modifier additives are added that increase the fluidity of the solution.

Such self-leveling coatings cannot be used “bare” - without a floor on them ceramic tiles, PVC materials, linoleum, cork or carpet. If you decide to use, for example, in the kitchen, be sure to make them finishing the specified materials. Otherwise, they will actively absorb oils and various liquids.

How to level the floor with your own hands using a self-leveling compound? It's not difficult at all. Follow this pattern:

• prepare the base - remove dirt from it, vacuum, seal even the smallest holes and cracks;
• clean the surface with a primer (special primer composition);
• prepare a small portion of the mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions (it becomes unusable after 15–20 minutes);
• Apply the self-leveling solution to the floor in 30–50 cm wide strips and spread it with a spatula.

Now just wait until the mixture hardens completely (6 to 24 hours).

Updated: December 25, 2018

Replacement floor coverings impossible without quality leveling rough base. This can be done different ways: using wet and dry screed, installing raised plywood floors, pouring leveling mixtures. In most cases, leveling the floor can be done independently, because there is nothing complicated here.

The plank floor can be reliable basis for any floor covering, if it does not have serious defects. If there are strong deflections, creaking when walking, rotten boards or joists, there is no point in repairing the floor; but if the unevenness does not exceed 10 mm, the paint has peeled off a little or small cracks have appeared, it will not be difficult to correct the defects.

During the work you will need:

• hammer;
• self-tapping screws;
• electric plane;
• drill;
• primer;
• wood putty;
• putty knife;
• brush or roller;
• level;
• waterproof plywood.

Step 1. Elimination of irregularities

All protruding areas on the floor must be removed with a plane; if the elevations are no more than 5 mm, you can use a grinding attachment and a grinder. The nail heads in these areas should be recessed into the boards a few millimeters. After processing the boards, the surface is checked building level to make sure there are no irregularities.

Step 2. Putty

Depressions, small cracks and gaps between the boards are sealed with acrylic or PVA-based putty, having previously treated the problem areas with a primer. The putty mixture is well leveled with a spatula, and after drying it is sanded with sandpaper.

Table. Putty mixtures

Name and packaging	Application base	Consumption kg/m2	Maximum layer thickness	Drying time	Price RUR/pack
PVA-based putty, 4 kg	Plaster, concrete	0,450	3 mm	5 minutes	154
putty stone Flower, 25 kg	Concrete, wood, plaster, drywall	1,4	10 mm	24 hours	138
Ready putty Sheetrock, 3.5 l	Any	0,67	2 mm	5 o'clock	350

Step 3: Prime the floor

The puttyed and sanded surface is cleaned of dust and a primer is applied with a roller or brush. Use a small brush in the corners and along the walls so that there are no dry areas left. Since wood is a fairly porous material, it is recommended to prime the floor twice.

Step 4: Lay down the plywood

Plywood sheets are laid out on the floor so that there is a gap of 15-20 mm around the perimeter of the room, and about 8 mm between the sheets themselves. These gaps are necessary to compensate for deformations that occur due to changes in temperature and humidity. The plywood is fastened with self-tapping screws in increments of 15-20 cm, with each row being laid with the seams offset by ½ sheet.

Instead of plywood, you can use gypsum fiber sheets or chipboard with a thickness of 8 to 14 mm. It is not recommended to use fiberboard for these purposes: under the influence of loads this material takes the shape of the subfloor, revealing the slightest defects. After laying, the plywood is sanded, its horizontalness is checked and it is cleaned of dust. This completes the floor leveling process.

Concrete floors are leveled in several ways - wet and dry screed, dry screed on joists, grinding and pouring self-leveling mixtures. Floor sanding is used on surfaces with minimal unevenness; This method is the fastest and cheapest; the coating can be laid immediately after the primer has dried. Filling with mixtures is suitable for floors with differences of up to 5 mm; wet and dry screeds are designed for the most uneven concrete bases.

Floor sanding

Step 1. The floor is cleared of debris and the surface is treated with a grinder or grinder with an attachment.

Step 2. The horizontalness of the base is checked, all detected cracks and peelings are cleaned, dusted, primed and sealed with thick cement mortar. Instead of a solution, you can use polymer putty.

Step 3. When the putty dries, these areas are sanded again.

Step 4. Carefully remove dust and prime the surface.

Manufacturer	Description	Consumption	Volume and price
PrimeGround	Primer deep penetration with antiseptic	0.08 -0.2 kg per 1 m2 depending on absorbency and surface treated	10 l, 600 rub.
CT 17, Ceresit	Deep penetration primer	0.1-0.2 l/m2 with a single application depending from absorbent foundation abilities	10 l, 500 rub.
OSNOVIT UNKONT T-51	Universal primer	100-200 mg. per 1m2	10 l, 450 rub.
OSNOVIT DIPCONT T-53	Deep penetration soil	50-100 mg per m2	10 l, 500 rub.
Knauf-Tiefengrund	Universal primer	0.07 - 0.1 kg/m2	10 l, 650 rub.

Pouring self-leveling mixture

• primer;
• wide brush;
• squeegee;
• roller with spikes;
• construction mixer;
• dry mix for floors;
• level;
• waterproofing material.

Step 1. Cracks in concrete are expanded along their length, peeled areas are cleaned, and all defects are sealed with mortar or putty.

Step 2. Determine the highest point of the floor and use a level gauge to mark the fill line on the walls.

Step 3. The base is dusted and primed, the primer is applied in two layers.

Step 4. A waterproofing film is spread on the floor, leveled, the edges are placed on the walls, and adjacent strips are overlapped and secured with construction tape.

Step 5. In the proportions indicated on the package, the dry mixture is diluted with water and stirred with a construction mixer. The mixture begins to harden 15 minutes after preparation, so calculate the amount correctly.

Step 6. The mixture is poured onto the floor in the corner farthest from the doors, take a wide spatula and level the polymer along the wall in a wide strip.

Step 7 As soon as the solution is evenly distributed and forms a layer of the required thickness, its surface is rolled with a needle roller, removing air bubbles.

Each subsequent section of the floor is poured in exactly the same way, but no later than ten minutes after pouring the previous one. The boundaries of adjacent strips must be leveled especially carefully to avoid the formation of thickenings. The completely filled floor is covered with film and left to dry; all this time there should be no drafts, changes in temperature and humidity in the room.

Leveling with cement screed

What you need for work:

• water and construction levels;
• large capacity;
• trowel;
• rule;
• dry gypsum;
• guides;
• waterproofing film;
• reinforcing mesh;
• cement and sand;
• primer.

Step 1. Marks are placed on the walls using a water level to indicate the floor line.

Step 2. The surface is cleaned and treated with a primer.

Step 3. A film for waterproofing is laid, with a reinforcing mesh on top. Pieces of plastic are placed under the mesh in several places to raise it by 5-10 mm. There should be a distance of about 1-2 cm between the mesh and the wall.

Step 4. The guides are laid out on the floor so that there is a distance of 20 cm from the side walls, at least 1.5 m between the beacons, and the beacons themselves lie in parallel rows.

Step 5. Mix the gypsum solution and secure the beacons with it. Using a level, check the horizontality of the guides, add a solution if necessary, or vice versa, recess the slats into the plaster. The upper edges of all guides must be in the same plane and coincide with the marking line around the perimeter of the room.

Step 6. Take 1 part of cement M400 or M500, 3 parts of sifted sand, mix and dilute with water until sour cream thick. Stir very vigorously so that no lumps remain in the solution. The cement mixture is poured between two rows of guides, and then stretched with a rule, removing excess mortar from the surface of the beacons. If voids have formed, you need to add more solution and apply the rule again.

Cement consumption table

The screed must be completed in one day, then the coating will be as monolithic and durable as possible. After a day, the guides should be removed from the screed, the grooves should be sealed with a fresh solution of the same consistency, and the surface should be covered with polyethylene. Drying will take at least 28 days, during which time the concrete must be regularly moistened, protected from direct rays, drafts, and eliminated from any loads and vibrations.

Dry screed

Required tools and materials:

• level;
• primer;
• roller;
• lighthouses;
• waterproofing film;
• rule;
• damper tape;
• sheets of chipboard or gypsum fiber board;
• expanded clay;
• self-tapping screws

Step 1. concrete surface clean, seal the cracks, apply two layers of primer.

Step 2. Along the perimeter of the room, the level of the finished floor is marked on the walls.

Step 3. The base is covered with plastic film or roofing felt, bringing the edges of the material to the walls.

Step 4. Install the guide rails and secure them gypsum mortar. Cement can be used instead of gypsum, but this solution takes longer to set. The level controls the location of the beacons relative to the horizontal, adjusting their height by pressing them into the solution. The distance between the slats is approximately 1.8 m, the distances from the side walls are at least 20 cm.

Step 5. A damper tape is glued along the marking line. The space between the beacons is filled with expanded clay or other loose filler, using the rule it is leveled and slightly compacted.

Step 6. Placed on top of expanded clay sheet material, starting laying from the doorway. Each new row is laid with the obligatory displacement of the seams by half a sheet. It is recommended to install the rough coating in two layers, fastening them together with glue and self-tapping screws. Top sheets need to be positioned so that the bottom seams are completely covered. Matching bottom and top seams is not allowed!

Step 7 The recesses from the heads of the screws are covered with wood putty, the horizontalness and evenness of the rough coating are checked, and all roughness is sanded. Finally, the floor is cleaned of dust and primed.

Waterproofing material laid on the floor

Step 3. The beams, pre-treated with an antiseptic primer, are laid out on the floor in parallel rows at a distance of 60 cm. Holes for dowels are drilled in the base and logs are installed. Then, using a level, adjust the horizontal position of the beam, if necessary, placing wedges or removing excess with a plane. It is convenient to attach the logs to special adjustable support bolts with external threads, the use of which significantly speeds up the installation process.

Logs for prefabricated screed

Step 4. A damper tape is secured along the marking line and the sheet covering begins to be laid. Plywood, chipboard, gypsum fiber board or cement-bonded particle boards are suitable for this. The material is attached to the joists with self-tapping screws; The sheets are laid with offset joints in each row. The number of coating layers depends on the thickness of the sheets and the expected loads. If 2 layers are made, the plates are fastened together with self-tapping screws.

The joints between the slabs should be puttied

Step 5. Finally, the rough edges are polished, the joints are rubbed with a putty mixture, and the ground surface is also dust-free.

The described methods do not require special skills and large construction experience. Here it is important to follow the technology and adhere to the recommended proportions when preparing working mixtures. A properly executed screed will provide a perfectly flat and durable surface, ready for the finishing coat.

Video - Leveling the floor with Vetonit mixture

Video - Leveling the floor with a leveling mixture

During the overhaul In an apartment or private house, you most often need to level the floor yourself. This is especially true for old housing purchased on the secondary market. In this case, the ceiling may be blocked, and its level may be different rooms will be different. Before, laminate or parquet and other finishing materials, you need to prepare the surface. Used to level the floor great amount products and methods, each of which has advantages and disadvantages.

This method combines several technologies. Wet screed is traditional; it has been used for decades. Relatively new methods of floor leveling using dry and semi-dry mixtures are considered not so common.

In this case, two types of solutions are used: concrete and cement-sand mixture. Both are made on the basis of cement, the filler is sand, and the solvent is water, but crushed stone is additionally introduced into the concrete. This material is inexpensive, which reduces the cost of the entire solution. But it is not suitable for leveling floors in residential areas, where high demands are placed on the surface. Then use a cement-sand mixture. It costs a little more, but after drying it gives an even coating.

If speak about positive aspects wet screeds, then especially stand out:

There are also disadvantages:

• Long period of drying and strength gain. Proceed with further finishing works possible only after 28 days. The coating must be protected from heat and drafts, and also regularly moistened in the first week after pouring.
• The surface may crack due to shrinkage. This is partially mitigated by laying damper tape before pouring the floor, but there is still a risk.
• If the screed layer is more than 5 cm, it must be reinforced with special meshes, metal rods, and so on. This is also reflected in the cost of work.
• Before starting, it is necessary to lay a waterproofing layer so that moisture from the solution does not seep into the neighbors below.
• The work is quite hard and dirty. A huge amount of material needs to be transferred and mixed.

This technology came to us from Europe not so long ago, but has already gained popularity. Manufacturing involves using minimum quantity water and several plasticizers. These substances ensure reliable adhesion of filler particles. Since the solution turns out to be relatively dry, it is not poured, but poured onto the floor slabs between installed beacons, then compacted and sanded with special machines.

Advantages of this method:

1. After compaction and grinding, there is virtually no shrinkage of the coating, so the risk of cracks is minimized.
2. After drying and gaining strength, a stronger surface is obtained than when pouring using the wet method.
3. The ability to lay large layers of material without reinforcement, which allows you to level floors with almost any blockage.
4. No need to install reinforcing elements.
5. 28 days after completion of the work, any topcoat can be laid.

Flaws:

• High price. All processes are carried out with the participation of specialized equipment, the purchase or rental of which costs a significant amount. In addition, materials for leveling floors in this way are relatively expensive. It is also important to consider the need to hire specialists to service the equipment.
• Organization special conditions. Semi-dry formulations are prepared outside and served indoors through special sleeves. In cold weather they constantly freeze, which reduces the feeding speed. Therefore, it may be necessary to erect a temporary structure with mobile heating equipment.
• Strengthening time. According to the technology, the period of complete drying and polymerization is 28 days. That is, the same as in the case of the wet method.

Leveling materials of this type were first developed by the German company Knauf; now many of them are produced brands. The essence of the method is to fill the floor slab with a dry composition: expanded clay, vermiculite, perlite and others. This layer is covered with boards, plywood, gypsum, plasterboard or gypsum fiber boards. Since hollow materials are used for backfill, additional thermal insulation is not required.

Dry screeds have the following advantages:

1. Immediately after leveling the floors in the apartment, you can begin further finishing activities. This distinguishes dry screeds from other types.
2. The work happens quickly and does not require special equipment, so installation can be done independently.
3. The backfill layer demonstrates high sound insulation performance.

The main disadvantage is low moisture resistance, because of this it is necessary to additionally insulate the bulk layer with a membrane. In addition, the backfill and slabs for covering it will cost a little more than the sand-cement composition.

Leveling mixtures

These materials replaced standard cement or gypsum based mortars. They are manufactured in factories strict technologies, therefore they differ high quality. Modern market offers two main types of self-leveling solutions.

Regular

A budget option for the material, it is made on the basis of lime, cement or gypsum with various fillers. Manufacturers supply a variety of mixtures: the simplest and cheapest are used only for leveling floor coverings, the more expensive ones contain insulating materials. The composition necessarily contains plasticizers and components that protect against moisture and frost. They also make the coating more durable and abrasion resistant.

Industrial mixtures for leveling floors are of higher quality compared to compositions made independently

Among positive qualities it is necessary to highlight:

1. Short drying time. In most cases, one week is enough to begin further installation.
2. No need for finishing. Using these materials, you can complete the final leveling of the floor, while the quality of the surface will be high.
3. Versatility. Such coatings are suitable for premises of any purpose.

There are no significant shortcomings. You can note the cost, which is slightly higher than the prices for standard cement-sand mixtures. In addition, the work is quite dirty.

Self-leveling composition

This material is also called self-leveling. In this case, the solution just needs to be applied in small portions onto the surface so that they touch. Over the course of some time it will spread over the floor slab. The result is a perfectly smooth coating that does not require further processing.

It should be noted that it is only suitable for relatively flat substrates. The maximum permissible layer of material is 3.5 cm; if there is a large blockage, it will simply not be possible to level the floors. The minimum layer is 3 mm, so self-leveling mixtures are often used for finishing coatings.

Self-leveling screed is used on last stage arrangement of the floor and usually does not require further finishing

Advantages:

• Easy to fill.
• Short drying time for the solution.
• Possibility of use in conjunction with the “warm floor” system.

The coating also has all positive properties concrete screeds, such as strength and wear resistance. Of the shortcomings, only two can be noted: high cost and the inability to eliminate serious defects.

Wood materials

The described methods for leveling the floor involve creating a cold stone covering. But there is another option - using wood. In recent decades, wood and products made from it have experienced another wave of popularity.

Plywood

This material is probably familiar to everyone. It is inexpensive, and you can buy it at almost any hardware or construction store.

Installation technologies:

1. Glue installation. In this case, the base is carefully prepared, tile adhesive is applied to it, and then a sheet of plywood is pressed to the floor. Sometimes dowels and screws are used to increase the reliability of contact.
2. Installation on logs. Logs are installed on the rough coating at a certain interval, which depends on the thickness of the plywood (the thinner it is, the smaller the step). For fastening, use ordinary wood screws.
3. Using anchor bolts. It's comparative new technology, which involves the use of a certain type of plywood. First, sheets of plywood with holes are laid out on the floor, and the locations of future fastenings are marked on the surface. The slabs are removed, holes are drilled in the floor with a drill and anchors are installed in them, the height of which is set according to laser level. After adjustment, the plywood is put in place and tightened with nuts. sticking out hardware cut with a grinder, and then put a second layer of plywood on the glue.

Advantages of the material:

• Wear resistance and strength.
• Environmental friendliness.
• Easy to install and handle.
• Low cost of materials and labor.

Flaws:

• Exposure to moisture.
• Flammability.
• Limited sizes.
• Need for further finishing.

Boards

This is a more expensive flooring option. There are a huge number of models that differ in size and availability lock connections. The boards are mounted either on logs or on a prepared base. Compared to plywood, they are more expensive and more difficult to work with. In addition, after installation, the boards need to be sanded.

Nevertheless, a floor made of this material will last much longer and it looks more presentable. Usually the boards are impregnated with special primers, and at the end installation work they are treated with varnish or wax, so the products are not susceptible to water, mold and insects.

Tile

Leveling the floor tile adhesive followed by installation of tiles is used quite rarely. You can do without tiles, but then the surface will be subject to abrasion and the formation of large quantity dust. This method is not suitable if the floor is heavily blocked; ideally, it is better to level the floor with tiles only in case of minor defects.

The essence of the method is that the zero level is first struck, and then, taking it into account, a tile is laid, the height of which is regulated by the amount of glue and pressure. The leveled floor can be used within a day.

Some flooring methods are suitable for independent use, others are only available experienced craftsmen. Before choosing materials for leveling the floor, it is recommended to consult a specialist or take a competent person with you to the store.