Self-leveling floors on wooden floors. Is it possible to pour a self-leveling floor onto a wooden floor and how to do it correctly

Quite often during repairs in Lately self-leveling floor systems are used, which are durable, wear-resistant and durable. Among their positive qualities are safety and environmental friendliness. Since the creation of such coatings, serious technical changes. For example, they are presented in a wide range color scheme, which is especially true. With their help, you can create real masterpieces of design.

Can wood be used as a base?

Quite often, craftsmen ask the question of whether it is possible to install a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor. The answer is yes, but before laying such a coating, it is necessary to analyze the rough base and determine whether it requires preparation. Realize installation work on wood is necessary only if it is well preserved, and it is recommended to use a thin mixture for arranging the finishing surface, which will not be able to increase the height significantly.

Preparatory work

The self-leveling can be installed not only on the type of rough foundation described above, but also on concrete. Before pouring, any surface must be prepared; the first step is to remove the baseboards and remove the fastenings from the walls. Then the master scrapes the surface; for this you should use the appropriate equipment. If the room has a small area, then it will be possible to cope with the help of a manual cycle. On next stage it is necessary to hide the cracks using an encryption machine. Such errors during operation in any case appear on wooden covering. The resulting irregularities and crevices are treated with putty, which after application is left to dry completely. Then the surface should be sanded with coarse sandpaper, which will improve the quality of adhesion.

The self-leveling floor on a wooden floor will last a long time if the base is cleaned of dust after sanding. It is most effective to use for this. Before priming, the base is degreased. The primer is necessary to increase the adhesion strength of the material to the wood. The composition is applied in two layers; before carrying out work, you can add sifted quartz sand. This will ensure the most reliable adhesion between polymer coating and the basis.

Preparing tools

If you are wondering whether self-leveling floors can be wooden floor apply, then the answer will be clear. Such work is carried out quite often today. It is important to properly prepare the surface and ensure that you have the appropriate tools. To dismantle the skirting boards you will need wooden wedges, a nail puller and a chisel, but to process wood you need to prepare a sanding machine and a grinding device. You can finally prepare the surface using coarse sandpaper; cleaning the base will allow industrial vacuum cleaner. To apply the primer to the surface, you will need a brush or roller. Quite often these instruments are used in tandem, since not all hard to reach places can be processed with a roller. A short-haired roller and a flat brush will allow you to distribute most effectively. The craftsman will need a spatula and a squeegee. You can mix the solution for installing a self-leveling floor using a construction mixer or a drill. It is best to pour a self-leveling floor on a wooden base while wearing special clothing, wearing safety glasses, a respirator and gloves. To move on the surface you will need special soles with spikes. This will allow the master to move around the freshly laid layer.

Work technology

Laying a polymer floor on a wooden floor is no different from the procedure that involves using concrete as a base. Only the preparatory stage differs, which was discussed in more detail above. Before pouring the self-leveling floor, you should prepare the solution using the instructions. The dry mixture should be mixed with water until a homogeneous mass is formed. The resulting solution is laid out on the base, and it is necessary to advance from far corner rooms.

The self-leveling floor is poured onto a wooden floor, then leveled using a spatula until it is possible to achieve required thickness layer. If we are talking about a wooden covering, then the thickness should be five millimeters or more. As the most optimal and convenient tool a needle roller acts to level and combat bubbles. The intervals between pouring batches should not be more than 10 minutes, otherwise the joints will be clearly visible. But even in this case, the connection of the mortar strips must be carefully rolled with a roller. As soon as the pouring is completed, you should cover the curing surface with film; this must be done 15 minutes after completion of the work. This will prevent dust from settling. After applying the base layer and its hardening, you can begin to apply the finishing coating, which can be a varnish or a polymer.

Cost of work from specialists

The self-leveling floor on a wooden floor will hold quite firmly if you follow the instructions provided. This process can be called quite simple, and you can do it yourself. But if financial capabilities allow, it is recommended to hire a team of specialists who guarantee high quality executions, carry out installation according to technology, and also provide a guarantee for the work done. As a rule, specialists use expensive Building tools. All this adds up to the cost of preparatory, priming work and manipulations for pouring the mixture. In one square meter to prepare a wooden base you will have to pay 400 rubles, while applying a primer costs 200 rubles. per one square meter. Specialists fill the surface with quick-drying liquid compounds for 400 rubles. per one square meter.

If you want to make renovations in a residential area, it is recommended to choose mixtures based on polymer resins. If there are areas of high humidity, then epoxy filler should be used in them, while polyurethane flooring is suitable for other areas of the house. If you are wondering whether it is possible to pour a self-leveling floor, a wooden floor can be an excellent base. If there is a plank covering, it should be repaired and the peeling floorboards replaced. The fasteners are tightened, the cracks are filled with sealant or the latter is mixed with an equal volume of sawdust. Waterproofing should be laid on the wooden base. Do not neglect the need to apply a primer, two layers of which will facilitate the main work and increase the strength of the coating.

Secrets of using finishing mixtures

A self-leveling floor on a wooden floor will look very good if the rough base does not have rough relief flaws. It is advisable to exclude them, since the thickness of the laid layer does not exceed 5 millimeters. Even though the bumps and depressions can be smoothed out by a leveling compound, there is a strong argument for eliminating the defects. Self-leveling floors will harden unevenly, and the strength indicator will vary.

It is also important to choose the right dry composition, the ingredients of which will determine the purpose of the future floor. For example, if the mixture contains cement as a binder, then this composition is suitable for pouring floors in bathrooms, kitchens, showers and bathrooms. If we are talking about mixtures with gypsum in the composition, then such a floor is best used for rooms with dry and low level humidity, it will demonstrate all its positive traits self-leveling floor A wooden surface can also be used for a base in which a heating system will be present. In this case, you should choose a leveling mass that has increased elasticity. It will expand and contract during operation without cracking.

Conclusion

Sometimes the self-leveling floor is separated from the wooden surface with oiled paper, which is covered with an overlap. In this case, the layer should be poured one or two centimeters thick. The boundary between the screed and the self-leveling floor should be formed by treating the surface with waterproofing impregnation.

Installing a self-leveling floor on a wooden base with your own hands raises questions for many. Is it possible? How to do it? What is better to use as a base - plywood, chipboard, OSB or just boards? You will find all the answers you need in our article.

Self-leveling mixtures are compositions of cement or gypsum binder, mineral fillers and modifying polymer additives that improve the basic characteristics of the composition (hardening speed, bending strength, compression, etc.).

Manufacturers usually indicate on the label that the mixtures are intended for leveling and repairing mineral-type substrates. These are cement-sand, anhydrite and other types of screeds, concrete plates, underlying layers of crushed stone, slag, sand, bulk and natural soils(compacted).

How can you find out which compositions can be used on chipboard and OSB boards, wood and plywood? To do this, just look at the instructions. In the description of cement and cement-gypsum self-leveling floors, these categories must be indicated among the bases.

For wooden and sheet surfaces, the compositions are applied in a layer of 3 to 7 cm. Do not confuse with thin-layer gypsum and gypsum-cement levelers, the layer thickness of which does not exceed 0.2-3 cm.

Since wood and its derivatives (plywood, fiberboard, chipboard, OSB, HDF) have high coefficient seasonal changes linear dimensions, manufacturers strongly recommend using separation layers (geotextile, PE film) plus a damper around the perimeter. Simply put, create a “floating” type floor.

How to choose the right multicomponent mixture? See the composition. According to the established rule, in complex formulations the component that is in greater quantity is indicated first. For example, a cement-gypsum self-leveling floor contains more than 50% Portland cement and less than 30% gypsum. Although the best option professionals consider purely cement compositions. The fact is that their strength is much higher than that of their analogues; accordingly, it is possible to make a more durable and reliable self-leveling floor on a wooden base.

So, is it possible to level a base made of boards, chipboard, OSB with your own hands using ready-made compositions? The answer is yes, but with some caveats:

When choosing a mixture, carefully read the instructions, in particular the sections “Composition” and “Types of bases”.
Create a floating floor using plastic film and damper tape. As a last resort, carefully treat the base with waterproofing compounds (locking primers, impregnators, mastics).

Do-it-yourself self-leveling floor technology on a wooden base

To fill the mixture you will need the following set of tools and materials:

Belt, planetary (surface grinding) and/or angle grinding machine. It is better to rent professional series devices for 1-2 days. They are more powerful and operate in several modes;
Fine grain sandpaper for finishing sanding (from 180 to 600 units), as well as a belt or attachments for a grinder (grain size - from 80 units);
Plastic or wooden grater for sanding paper, hand scraper for small jobs;
Construction vacuum cleaner;
Hammer and nail puller;
Sealant or repair putty for filling cracks and gaps;
Waterproofing compounds or polyethylene film thickness from 150 microns;
Damper tape;
Roller or coating for applying coating waterproofing;
Wide spatula or squeegee;
Plastic bucket or container for mixing the solution;
Construction mixer or drill with an attachment;
Point beacons, laser level or water level;
Needle roller for rolling the mixture;
Paint shoes, gloves.

To prevent your hands from getting tired too quickly, choose tools with ergonomic, rubberized handles. They are easy to use and do not slip.

Self-leveling flooring on plywood, chipboard or OSB board must be done in 3 stages.

Stage 1. Preparing the wooden surface

When working, you must be guided by SP 29.13330.2011. Normative act requires pouring rolling stock onto a level (!), strong and dry base. That is, without oil stains, paint and varnish materials, bitumen and other defects.

First, inspect the floor. He must be in good condition: no rot, mold stains, paint residues, varnish, blackness, chips, “playing” boards. Floorboard, OSB and chipboard should be checked for differences between sheets or planks, gaps, and squeaks.

Removing old paintwork

For painted surfaces, use removers of old paintwork materials. Or hand grater, carefully remove the coating using a scraper. This will create a fairly rough base on which the waterproofing material will “lay down” well and will not slip.

The simplest and effective way preparation - grinding the entire surface with a planetary or belt unit. Corundum or diamond abrasive will perfectly eliminate all protruding irregularities (slabs, drops), heavy pollution. Manufacturers and technologists strongly recommend not skipping the stage of carefully leveling the surface for pouring. This is necessary in order to create a single, monolithic cement sheet of the same thickness over the entire area, and therefore identical strength, without weak areas.

For the same purpose, holes, potholes, chips and cracks are filled with elastic wood sealant and putty compounds. Professional repairmen devote a lot of time to this, because they know: when rolling the solution, the needle roller very often simply “rips” the solution out of the recesses. Because of this, the frozen surface turns out uneven. Instead of putties, you can use a simpler option - sawdust mixed with PVA glue.

Laying plywood on dry boards.

Walk along the floor and mark where you need to further secure the base with screws or nails. Be sure to check each slab or floorboard. The minimum interval between fastenings is 40-50 cm.

If the boards are dry or too damaged, you can additionally sew chipboard or plywood with a thickness of at least 14 mm on top. And to avoid squeaking between the sheets, pour finely crushed chalk into the gaps.

Do not forget to first remove the skirting boards, as well as protruding metal elements or hardware. “Down” all fasteners with a hammer 0.5 cm into the floor. After finishing work, take a walk construction vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth to remove dust and small sawdust.

Formation of a separating layer of polyethylene.

The next step is the formation of a separating waterproofing layer and its careful fixation. The film is spread over the entire surface with an overlap of 10-15 cm on the walls. If strips are used, they are overlapped by 8-12 cm.

Instead of polyethylene, it is allowed to use waterproofing compounds. And this must be done without fail. Wood and its derivatives do not like moisture, there is a risk of rotten areas forming under the finished product. bulk composition. In addition, untreated wood tends to “pull” water from the solution. As a result, the cement binder will not have enough liquid to mature and gain full strength, and the floor will turn out to be loose, weak, with pits and tubercles.

It is known that cement and wood have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Therefore, to prevent the finished base from cracking or damaging the walls in the future, be sure to glue damper tape around the perimeter. Can be replaced with isolon (NPE) cut into narrow strips with a thickness of 1-2 mm.

Stage 2. Preparation of bulk solution

Pour clean, free water at a temperature of +5 to +25 °C into the container. Carefully add the dry component and mix with a construction mixer for 5-7 minutes at a speed of up to 500 rpm. The composition should be homogeneous, without lumps or separations.

Let the solution mature for 5-10 minutes, then stir again. The pot life of the solution is always indicated on the label. This is the time during which the mixture should be used. On average it is 20-60 minutes.

Stage 3. Pouring a self-leveling self-leveling floor

If necessary, mark the required level of the new cement layer on the walls or place benchmarks along the base.

Pouring a self-leveling self-leveling floor.

Carefully pour the mixture onto the surface. Start from the far corner, gradually moving towards the exit. Spread the solution with a spatula or squeegee and roll it with a needle roller to deaerate and compact the composition. After 7-14 days, the new flat floor will be ready for laying tiles, porcelain tiles and other finishes flooring.

To summarize, we note: it does not matter whether the base is plywood or chipboard, HDF or OSB, boards or concrete. What is important is proper preparation, namely the formation of a smooth, hard and dry base.

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IN modern renovation Very often self-leveling floors are used to level the base and for the finishing coating. The main advantages of such floors are their durability, wear resistance, strength and ease of installation. In addition, one cannot fail to note their environmental friendliness and safety. Today, self-leveling floors have changed qualitatively very much compared to those that were presented on the market a few years ago. An example of this is 3D floors, which can be called real masterpieces, thanks to unique design with a three-dimensional image of any object.
Laying a self-leveling mixture on a concrete base does not cause any difficulties for anyone, but how to make a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor? After all, not everyone likes the prospect of dismantling the old plank floor. What if this a private house, where the floor was originally completely wooden? It's no problem. It is possible to lay self-leveling floors on wooden surface under certain conditions. It is important here that the old base is still sound, and the mixture for the floor is thin, so as not to reduce the height of the ceilings.
Preparing the base for pouring self-leveling floors

Since the self-leveling mixture must be poured onto a sufficiently prepared base, increased attention should be paid to this process. Any foundation requires careful preparation. This especially applies to the old wooden floor. Let’s immediately make a reservation that this old floor should not be rotten, there should not be any creaks coming from it, not to mention the presence of loose boards.

First of all, all skirting boards in the room are dismantled. After this, using a scraping machine, carefully remove the top painted layer from the boards. Further grinder rub the base, revealing cracks that are sure to exist on any old wooden covering. These cracks, irregularities and gaps between the boards are covered with putty. For further work, wait until it dries well. Then, using coarse sandpaper, rub the entire surface. This technique will ensure better adhesion of the self-leveling mixture to the base.

The worn and smooth base is cleaned of dust and degreased using a vacuum cleaner. Then the surface must be primed. This guarantees excellent adhesion of the polyurethane mixture to the wood. This must be done in at least two layers. Sifted quartz sand should be added to the primer composition. Grains of this substance create roughness on the surface of the base, which increases the adhesion area and creates its multidirectionality. In total, this gives greater adhesion of the polymer and wood.

Tools needed to perform the work

To prepare the wooden base and pour the mixture you will need:

An ordinary nail puller, wooden wedges and a chisel for dismantling skirting boards.
A scraper or a hand scraper.
Sander.
Coarse sandpaper or emery paper.
Industrial or household vacuum cleaner.
Roller or medium size brush for applying primer.
A flat brush or short-haired paint roller to evenly distribute the polymer coating.
Needle roller for removing air from a polymer coating.
Squeegee and metal spatula.
A construction mixer or drill with an attachment for mixing the polymer floor solution.
Don’t forget about such mandatory items as safety glasses, work clothing, gloves and respirators. In order to be able to move, if necessary, on a freshly applied layer of self-leveling floor without fear, you need to acquire shoes equipped with soles with spikes.

Self-leveling polymer floor technology

In itself, the technology of pouring a self-leveling mixture onto an ordinary plank floor is no fundamentally different from a similar procedure where concrete serves as the base. The differences are only in the initial preparatory stage, which we discussed above in sufficient detail.

Before pouring a polymer floor, you should very carefully read the instructions for preparing the solution, which are on the package. The solution must be prepared in strict accordance with it.
Take the dry mixture from the bag and pour it into a container convenient for mixing. A plastic bucket from water-based paint. The amount of water required according to the instructions is poured into the powder and mixed with a construction mixer or a drill with a special attachment. Stir the mixture until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then, the finished solution is laid out on a prepared wooden base. They begin to do this from the farthest corner of the room, gradually moving towards the door.
The poured mass is leveled as it progresses using a spatula to obtain a layer no more than 5 mm thick. This optimal size in the case of a wooden base. Final leveling and removal of air bubbles is done using a rubber needle roller. At the same time, you can move around the room using spiked shoes.
Self-leveling polymer flooring mixture hardens very quickly, so batches must be prepared quickly. The intervals between their fillings should be no more than 10 minutes. It is advisable to fill such a floor together, using two containers. While one person prepares the mixture, the second person pours and levels the previous batch. The joints between pouring batches should be rolled more carefully with a roller if you are making the floor alone and cannot ensure a continuous process.

15 minutes after the room is completely filled, the entire surface must be covered with film. This is required to prevent dust from settling on the floor, ruining the quality of the glossy surface. When the self-leveling floor is completely dry and can be walked on, it becomes possible to apply the finishing coating. It can be a polymer for three-dimensional floors, varnish or traditional options floor coverings.
Expert advice

In any residential premises, it is recommended to use self-leveling mixtures only based on polymer resins. In rooms where there is constant presence high humidity, nessesary to use epoxy type self-leveling flooring, while the rest of the house has polyurethane flooring.

The technology for filling is provided for concrete base, but installation on a wooden surface is also allowed. At the same time, the labor intensity of the work increases, since it is imperative to carry out high-quality preparation of the base with a two-layer primer. The adhesion strength of the coating to the base wood depends on this.

If the old wood flooring in your home has lost its appearance, has not rotted or broken, or you want to heat it, you may be interested in information on how to pour the floor over wood floors without dismantling them. So, concrete screed will be poured from above onto the existing base, for which you initially need to coordinate the height of the future coating with doorways and communication lines (pipes, radiators, etc.). In most cases you have to shorten door leaves, filing them from below. Sometimes they resort to installing new doors, and all the highways are laid in a new way; here the owners of the home make the decision.

To install a high-quality screed on an existing wooden floor, choose mixtures that are suitable for such purposes, otherwise there is a risk of destruction of the screed if the old floor is rotten or sagged from age. Bulk mixtures that are easily leveled and quickly harden are ideal here. For greater strength, such a screed should be strengthened by reinforcing it, and it is advisable to check the compressive strength 28-30 days after installation. Typically the height of the concrete layer is 10 mm.

Concrete as a screed: installation stages

Anyone who is familiar with construction knows that any such process begins with preparatory work, and installation of flooring in wooden house not an exception.

Preparing the base

Be sure to make sure that the old floor is not rotten and can withstand the load from the new screed

The main task facing the craftsmen in this case is to ensure high strength screed after it has hardened.

If you are dealing with a very worn-out previous foundation in a concrete house, you need to eliminate the peeling layer by grinding or milling. The grease, adhesive base, and old bulk mixtures that have accumulated over the years of long-term operation of the floor structure must be removed, as well as unevenness whose differences exceed 10 mm must be leveled. For such purposes, special cement-based mixtures are used, or, more simply, concrete. Final leveling can only be done after the mass that has filled the recesses has completely hardened.

When pouring on old wooden flooring in a house, all rotten and broken boards are removed, and new ones are nailed to the joists in their place. You also need to ensure that each board is securely fixed and does not wobble, which can be eliminated using ordinary self-tapping screws. Under no circumstances should there be any creaking or bending of the floor when exposed to its surface. If there are holes in the flooring through which concrete will leak, they are sealed with wood putty, which consists of wood dust and plastic components. You can also prepare this putty yourself: mix sawdust with oil paint in a ratio of 4:1. Water-soluble putties are not suitable for such purposes.

Step by step, before the main process, the subfloor is prepared as follows:

The baseboards are dismantled and planks are put in their place to cover the openings between the wall and the floor.
The gaps between the installed planks and the base are puttied. After removing the boards between the wall and the covering, ventilation underground space will be restored.

Padding

The wooden flooring in the house needs to be sanded, and then using a vacuum cleaner to remove all debris and prime it. The primer will significantly improve adhesion between the concrete and the old coating and prevent the appearance of air bubbles. Also, the soil will prevent the water contained in the solution from quickly being absorbed into the wood and will ensure that the mixture spreads evenly over the base. Dry flooring needs to be primed twice, and in the case of multi-layer leveling, each layer of fill is processed. Make sure that before applying the primer, the floor is not damp even to a slight extent, otherwise the result will not give the desired effect.

Reinforcement

For weak wooden foundations in the house, it is best to purchase a fiberglass-based mesh, which will strengthen the leveling layer. It is attached directly to the base using staples and a special stapler. The staples will prevent the mesh from floating after pouring the solution. The reinforcement system must be installed in the middle or slightly below a third of the thickness of the screed. When hammering in the staples, control the strength of their fixation to the flooring.

Mixing concrete

The preparation of the solution takes Special attention, because the final result depends on its quality. Basically, for such purposes, dry formulations are purchased in 25 kg bags. This amount of dry matter takes approximately 6.5 liters of water; if the required consistency is not obtained, you can gradually add another 0.5 liter of liquid. Do not overdo it, as it is difficult to pour a liquid solution and it will not have any properties. necessary properties strength. The mixing process itself is best done using a drill with a special attachment until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. The prepared solution must be used within 15 minutes after mixing, otherwise it will harden and be unsuitable for use. Also don't forget to control temperature regime in a wooden house and in mortar. The optimal value is considered to be no lower than +10C. If you are carrying out work in a new, unheated building, it will help warm water, the temperature of which should not exceed +35C.

Pouring concrete

Now that the wooden base and mortar are ready, you can install self-leveling floors in the house. The screed is poured continuously until its surface is perfectly leveled. Spatulas with steel or serrated blades are used for this work. 4-5 hours after wood flooring will be covered with a mortar mass, you can carefully step on it. 6 hours after the completed process, grinding the surface is allowed, if necessary. It is usually carried out for future painting or application of liquid floors. Before sanding, remove the boards that are temporarily installed instead of baseboards; they have completed their mission and are no longer needed.

Processing expansion joints

In the places where they were expansion joints(doorways) using a grinder with a diamond wheel, cut out a layer of screed. Perform this process only after self-leveling surfaces frozen and you can walk on them. Next, each seam needs to be filled special material, which is intended exclusively for such purposes. It is highly elastic and hermetically fills the holes in the screed. When will you count? required amount material for self-leveling floors, proceed from the following parameters: for a layer thickness of 1 mm, 1.5 kg/sq.m. is consumed. mixtures.

After finishing work, be sure to clean the tool before the solution on it hardens, which will complicate such actions. To do this, rinse the spatulas and rules with water, and clean off the hardened mass with a coarse brush or spatula with a flat blade. Now you know that in a house with an old wood covering you can install a screed made of concrete mortar, and are also familiar with the technology of such work.

A visual example of pouring a floor is shown in the video:

In modern renovations, self-leveling floors are often used to level the base and for the finishing coating. The main advantages of such floors are their durability, wear resistance, strength and ease of installation. In addition, one cannot fail to note their environmental friendliness and safety.
Today, self-leveling floors have changed qualitatively very much compared to those that were presented on the market a few years ago. An example of this is 3D floors, which can be called real masterpieces, thanks to their unique design with a three-dimensional image of any object.
Laying a self-leveling mixture on a concrete base does not cause any difficulties for anyone, but how to make a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor? After all, not everyone likes the prospect of dismantling the old plank floor. What if this is a private house, where the floor was originally completely wooden? It's no problem. It is possible to lay a self-leveling floor on a wooden surface under certain conditions. It is important here that the old base is still sound, and the mixture for the floor is thin, so as not to reduce the height of the ceilings.
Preparing the base for pouring self-leveling floors
Since the self-leveling mixture must be poured onto a sufficiently prepared base, increased attention should be paid to this process. Any foundation requires careful preparation. This especially applies to old wooden floors. Let’s immediately make a reservation that this old floor should not be rotten, there should not be any creaks coming from it, not to mention the presence of loose boards.
First of all, all skirting boards in the room are dismantled. After this, using a scraping machine, carefully remove the top painted layer from the boards. Next, the base is rubbed with a grinding machine, revealing cracks that are sure to exist on any old wooden covering. These cracks, irregularities and gaps between the boards are covered with putty. For further work, wait until it dries well. Then, using coarse sandpaper, rub the entire surface. This technique will ensure better adhesion of the self-leveling mixture to the base.
The worn and smooth base is cleaned of dust and degreased using a vacuum cleaner. Then the surface must be primed. This guarantees excellent adhesion of the polyurethane mixture to the wood. This must be done in at least two layers. Sifted quartz sand should be added to the primer composition. Grains of this substance create roughness on the surface of the base, which increases the adhesion area and creates its multidirectionality. In total, this gives greater adhesion of the polymer and wood.
Tools needed to perform the work
To prepare the wooden base and pour the mixture you will need:
An ordinary nail puller, wooden wedges and a chisel for dismantling skirting boards.
A scraper or a hand scraper.
Sander.
Coarse sandpaper or emery paper.
Industrial or household vacuum cleaner.
Roller or medium size brush for applying primer.
A flat brush or short-haired paint roller to evenly distribute the polymer coating.
Needle roller for removing air from a polymer coating.
Squeegee and metal spatula.
A construction mixer or drill with an attachment for mixing the polymer floor solution.
Don’t forget about such mandatory items as safety glasses, work clothing, gloves and respirators. In order to be able to move, if necessary, on a freshly applied layer of self-leveling floor without fear, you need to acquire shoes equipped with soles with spikes.
Self-leveling polymer floor technology
In itself, the technology of pouring a self-leveling mixture onto an ordinary plank floor is no fundamentally different from a similar procedure where concrete serves as the base. The differences lie only in the initial preparatory stage, which we discussed above in sufficient detail.
Before pouring a polymer floor, you should very carefully read the instructions for preparing the solution, which are on the package. The solution must be prepared in strict accordance with it.
Take the dry mixture from the bag and pour it into a container convenient for mixing. A plastic bucket from water-based paint can work very well. The amount of water required according to the instructions is poured into the powder and mixed with a construction mixer or a drill with a special attachment. Stir the mixture until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then, the finished solution is laid out on a prepared wooden base. They begin to do this from the farthest corner of the room, gradually moving towards the door.
The poured mass is leveled as it progresses using a spatula to obtain a layer no more than 5 mm thick. This is the optimal size in case of a wooden base. Final leveling and removal of air bubbles is done using a rubber needle roller. At the same time, you can move around the room using spiked shoes.
Self-leveling polymer flooring mixture hardens very quickly, so batches must be prepared quickly. The intervals between their fillings should be no more than 10 minutes. It is advisable to fill such a floor together, using two containers. While one person prepares the mixture, the second person pours and levels the previous batch. The joints between pouring batches should be rolled more carefully with a roller if you are making the floor alone and cannot ensure a continuous process.
15 minutes after the room is completely filled, the entire surface must be covered with film. This is required to prevent dust from settling on the floor, ruining the quality of the glossy surface. When the self-leveling floor is completely dry and can be walked on, it becomes possible to apply the finishing coating. This can be a polymer for three-dimensional floors, varnish, or traditional flooring options.
Expert advice
In any residential premises, it is recommended to use self-leveling mixtures only based on polymer resins. In rooms where high humidity is constantly present, it is necessary to use an epoxy type of self-leveling flooring, while in the rest of the house a polyurethane floor is used.
The technology is intended to be poured on a concrete base, but installation on a wooden surface is also allowed. At the same time, the labor intensity of the work increases, since it is imperative to carry out high-quality preparation of the base with a two-layer primer. The adhesion strength of the coating to the base wood depends on this.