Uneven wooden floor. How to level wood floors? Leveling a wooden floor with your own hands under linoleum or laminate

Reanimating an old plank floor is much easier and cheaper than performing a complete replacement. Of course, both the logs and the boards must be strong enough for this, and the damaged areas not too large. There are several ways to level a wooden floor, depending on the degree of deformation.

To select the correct leveling method, you first need to accurately assess the degree of damage. To do this, you need to walk over the entire surface, carefully examine every centimeter of the floor, remove 1-2 boards and inspect the logs. If rotten or bugged areas are visible, serious repairs will be required, with the replacement of damaged parts. If the logs and boards are in good condition, without cracks and rot, the floor does not bend or creak under loads, and only peeling paint and a wavy surface are defects, the cost of repairs will be minimal.

Small crevices or creaks are also not a problem, since such defects are not difficult to fix. If the gaps between the boards are wider than 10 mm or there is a noticeable slope in the floor, the wooden surface will have to be covered with sheet material, such as chipboard.

So, if the damage is minimal, the easiest way to level the floor is to process it with a scraper. If it was not possible to rent a typewriter, you can use an electric plane.

Step 1. Surface preparation

All unnecessary things are taken out of the room, the baseboards are removed, and the garbage is thoroughly swept out. The protruding heads of the nails are hammered with a hammer using a doboiner so that they are sunk into the boards by a few millimeters. Sections of the floor that are loosely adjacent to the logs are additionally strengthened with self-tapping screws.

Step 2. Looping

When working with a looper, you will need headphones and a respirator. Start work from the corner, slowly moving along the wall. Having reached the second corner, the machine is turned around and moved in the opposite direction, treating the floor surface with narrow strips.

Step 3. Sealing the cracks

After removing the top layer of wood, all cracks and cracks in the floor become clearly visible. To seal them, use an acrylic putty of the appropriate shade, which is carefully applied and leveled with a metal or rubber spatula.

Step 4. Final treatment of the floor

After waiting for the putty to dry, the boards are cycled again, then the floor is vacuumed and primed. If the primer absorbs very quickly, another coat should be applied to close the pores of the wood well. After that, the boards can be painted or opened with wood varnish.

In the case when the floor has undulating irregularities due to the deformation of the boards, but at the same time it is strictly horizontal, it can be leveled using a sheet covering - plywood, chipboard, cement particle boards or gypsum fiber board. Fiberboard is not suitable for these purposes, as over time it takes the form of a base.

Comparison table of sheet materials for flooring

For work you will need:

• screwdriver;
• jigsaw;
• self-tapping screws;
• primer;
• acrylic sealant or putty;
• any sheet material for the floor.

Step 1. Preparing the base

The skirting boards are removed, peeling paint is removed from the floor surface, protruding nails are hammered in, the cracks and grooves in the boards are covered with putty. Then debris and dust are removed, the floor is primed.

Step 2. Cutting and adjusting the material

The size of a chipboard sheet is 250x185 cm, plywood - 125x125 cm, therefore, for convenience, the sheets are cut into several parts. Squares of 60x60 cm are optimal for laying; they are less affected by thermal expansion, since the number of damper joints increases. The material is cut with a hacksaw with fine teeth or a jigsaw; so that during cutting the edges of the chipboard do not crumble, you need to stick masking tape along the cut line. Cutting plywood should be done as carefully as possible so as not to form torn edges.

An important point: if, when cutting a plywood sheet, its edges delaminate, the material is not suitable for laying on the floor.

So, the sheets cut into squares are brought into the room, laid out on the floor and adjusted to the size of the base. The material is cut out for the existing protrusions or niches, the outer sheets are cut off to displace the seams, technological gaps are left around the perimeter of the room and damper seams between the squares themselves. In order not to confuse the elements during installation, immediately after fitting each square must be numbered.

Step 3. Laying the cover

When using waterproof plywood, you can immediately start laying, but chipboard must be pre-treated with linseed oil or covered with 2 layers of primer. The first sheet is laid from the corner, leaving a gap of 1-1.5 cm between the edge and the walls. The length of the screws for fastening should be three times the thickness of the material. Screws are screwed in in places where the material is in close contact with the board, that is, in the upper part of the wave. If the waves go along each board, you can use sheets with a thickness of 8-10 mm, but if the distance between the waves is more than 20 cm, the recommended thickness is from 16 mm.

The distance between the screws should not exceed 20 cm; the holes for the fasteners are pre-expanded at the top with a larger diameter drill so that the screw caps are hidden in the thickness of the material. A gap of up to 10 mm is left between adjacent plywood sheets, the rows are laid with an offset of the seams by half of the sheet. If necessary, you can mount a second layer of coating, covering the bottom seams with whole sheets. Both layers are fastened together with self-tapping screws.

Step 4. Finishing

When the rough coating is laid, the joints between the sheets and the grooves from the self-tapping screws are covered with acrylic putty or sealant on the same basis. Next, using a level, check the levelness of the floor, the absence of irregularities. Rough areas are treated with sandpaper or a grinding attachment, dust is removed from the surface, and primed. After that, the base is completely ready for laying the topcoat.

Video - leveling the floor with plywood

If, in addition to the wavy surface, the floor has a noticeable slope, another leveling method is used - fastening the plywood to the logs. So you can even out drops from 3 to 10 cm in height and prepare a reliable base for any coating. As a lag, beams, solid boards, as well as plywood strips up to 4 cm wide are used. Preparation of the base is carried out in a standard way: they take out everything unnecessary from the room, remove the skirting boards, clean the old coating, close up the defects.

Step 1. Marking the floor level

From the highest point of the base, a mark is projected onto the wall using a level gauge. A distance equal to the thickness of the coating is retreated upward, and one more mark is put. Now, using a water level, at this height, markers are set around the entire perimeter and connect them into one line. This is the floor level.

Step 2. Installing lag

If there is a risk of dampness of the base, a waterproofing film is laid on top of the boards, in other cases the logs are fixed directly to the wooden surface. You can install the beams both along and across the boards.

Lags are laid flat in parallel rows at a distance of no more than half a meter and baited with nails. Then, using a level and wooden pads of different thicknesses, each log is aligned horizontally. To prevent the linings from moving, they are glued together. When all the logs are level, the nails are driven in to the end, securely fixing the beams to the wooden floor.

The thinner the plywood, the smaller the distance between the logs; in places where an increased load on the floor is expected, cross-members made of beams of a smaller section are additionally attached between the lags.

Step 3. Laying plywood

Plywood sheets are cut into squares and laid out on the joists to fit. On each square, you must immediately mark the places for the fasteners so that you do not drill unnecessary holes during installation. If the material lies neatly and evenly, there are no unnecessary gaps, you can attach it to the logs. They start from the outermost square and gradually work their way up the row. Self-tapping screws need to be slightly recessed into plywood so that the caps are 1-2 millimeters below the surface. Be sure to watch the joints - they should not coincide anywhere.

Step 4. Arrangement of ventilation openings

To prolong the life of the wooden subfloor, it is necessary to make small ventilation holes in the floor. In opposite corners of the room, preferably under the heating radiators, they determine the place for the ventilation grilles and make neat cutouts in the plywood. A ventilation grill is installed on top, having smeared the joints with glue or sealant.

Step 4. Finishing the floor

The finished coating is checked by the building level, all joints and attachment points are inspected. If no defects are observed, the seams and grooves from the self-tapping screws are covered with putty, then the surface is sanded and dedusted. Finally, apply a primer mixture and allow the base to dry.

Dry mix for floor screed

In the process of work you will need:

• kneading container;
• construction mixer;
• fiberglass mesh;
• primer;
• putty knife;
• putty;
• polyethylene film;
• stapler.

Step 1. Preparing the floor

The boards are cleaned of old paint, greasy stains, debris and dust, the baseboards are removed and thin boards are placed in their place so that the solution does not get into the gaps. The gaps between the floor and the planks, as well as small cracks and recesses, are putty, the entire surface is primed.

Waterproofing and reinforcement

A plastic wrap is laid on the floor, the joints of the overlapping strips are fixed with tape, a fiberglass mesh is laid on top for reinforcement. To prevent the mesh from moving and float up when pouring the mixture, it is fastened to the floor with staple staples. In this case, it is very important to hammer in the staples so that the mesh is not pressed tightly against the base. It should be in the thickness of the solution, and not under it, otherwise there is no point in laying it.

Step 3. Pouring the mixture

The dry mixture is poured into a container with clean water, observing the proportions indicated on the package, and stirred for a minute with a construction mixer. The finished composition must be applied and leveled in 15 minutes, until the solution begins to harden. The mixture is poured onto the floor and spread over the entire surface with a notched wide spatula.

Step 4. Final processing

4 hours after applying the screed, the boards along the walls can be carefully pulled out and the joints can be sanded. The surface is then ready for any final finish.

Sometimes, to level the plank floor, a cement-sand screed up to 7 cm thick is also used. But in this case, both the floor itself and the floors must be very strong, in excellent condition, which is a rarity for an old floor.

Video - Leveling a wooden floor

Video - How to level a wooden floor in an old house

It is not uncommon for cases when it becomes necessary to level a wooden floor, say, before laying laminate or carpet. Completely changing the floor is laborious and costly, and is often difficult to do if the renovation is carried out in the same dwelling where the family remains to live during the renovation.

In houses with concrete or heavy wooden floors, the problem is usually solved quite simply - a concrete screed of 3-10 cm.

But what if the lags are old, rare and weak? The screed can lead to new problems: the floor level will rise significantly, due to which the doors will have to be reinstalled, the already low ceiling height will decrease. Sometimes, when repairing an old boardwalk, you have to completely disassemble it and move the logs - a time-consuming and expensive pleasure.
Consider several technologies that will allow you to get perfectly flat floors without thoroughly disassembling them, with a loss of just a couple of centimeters of height.

Ways to form a flat plane

The first step is to determine the degree of curvature. You can use a long building level for this. If there is none, marks are set around the perimeter of the room.

The permissible difference is 1.5-2 mm per 1 lm. If it is higher than this value, but does not exceed 3 mm, the surface can be putty. Since there are several ways to level a wooden floor without tearing off the boards, putty is considered the least laborious of them. To do this, it is necessary to use acrylic compounds with high plasticity and durability.

Often the causes of curvature are due to deformation of the floorboards. It occurs as a result of frequent changes in temperature and humidity. You can fix the problem using the following technology.

1. Improve the clamping of the boards to the joists. Additionally, several nails are hammered.
2. Remove the old paint coat and re-measure the curvature.
3. Level the surface using a special tool - a planer or grinder.
4. Check the result again.

Then apply or lay a decorative coating. It is important to correctly identify the "problem" areas. If you remove the layer in the wrong place, new irregularities will form.

This is how defects are corrected in the country or in the apartment. This method is relevant both for the further installation of decor and for painting.

On a note

For leveling it is necessary to use special tools. Each of them has a specific application and certain limitations.

With a plane

This is the most time consuming troubleshooting method. Since it is very problematic to level the old wooden floor, it is recommended to use cardinal methods. These include removing the floorboards and leveling them with a planer.

The process will take a long time and take a lot of effort. You must first take out all the furniture from the room. Then, with the help of a nailer and a hammer, the floorboards are dismantled. The paint layer can be removed. For work in a private house, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Check the geometry of the floorboards, determine the degree of their curvature.
2. Check for mold and mildew. If necessary, treat the surface with special compounds.
3. Fasten the floorboard in a horizontal position and remove the excess with a planer.
4. Check the dimensions again.

This method will take a long time. But thanks to a detailed analysis of the condition, it is possible to qualitatively remove the coating errors.

Floor leveling scraper

Let's start with the most difficult method - scraper alignment. This will require a sander or sander. Its design contains cutting elements that remove excess decorative material. Therefore, there is no need to remove the old paint coat.

This procedure is very dusty and dirty, moreover, it is still quite laborious and requires careful preparation. This method has the following features:

• High cost of equipment. You can rent it or order this service from specialized companies;
• All the nails with which the floorboards are nailed to the logs must first be "secured": it is enough even for one nail to get under the knife of the scraper, you will have to remove all the knives, resharpen them again, the scraper will have to be reconfigured. And it's easy to miss a nail in painted boards. Damage to the cutting part;
• It is very inconvenient to scrape corners and places directly adjacent to the walls.

That's not all. As the thickness of the boards decreases during scraping, their load-bearing capacity also decreases. Due to temperature changes, sooner or later, bumps and pits will appear on the treated floors. They are treated with a special putty.

On a note

An alternative leveling option is the independent production of a composition from small sawdust and varnish. Once applied and dried, it will have the same properties as the rest of the decor.

Chipboard or plywood flooring

When installing a soft decorative coating, the requirements for the base increase significantly. How to level a wooden floor under linoleum with minimal costs, but also observing the required technology? For this, you can use different types of plates.

One of the best options is OSB installation. They are made from wood chips, which undergo several processing stages. The fibers in each layer are directed in the opposite direction relative to each other. Additionally, the material is impregnated with moisture resistant and antibacterial compounds.

With small differences up to 7 mm, they prefer to install plywood. Its thickness can vary from 7 to 20 mm. In terms of its properties, it is similar to the above-described stove. Experts recommend choosing a material intended for use in "wet" rooms.

Before leveling OSB-3 on a wooden floor, the base must be prepared. After installing the boards, moisture can accumulate on the rough surface, which will lead to decomposition of the floorboards or logs. Therefore, the technology for adjusting the height with plywood or similar material is as follows:

1. Checking the condition of the subfloor, replacing floorboards damaged by fungus or mold.
2. Cleaning from a layer of paint.
3. Treatment of the base with antifungal and moisture resistant compounds. The installation of sheet material can be done only after their final drying.
4. Installation of slabs for leveling the wooden floor under the laminate. Particular attention should be paid to the joints - they must be tight.

The leveling process begins with the installation of beacons. This role may well be played by ordinary self-tapping screws. The floor area is divided into squares, into the corners of which self-tapping screws are screwed to the desired height (the side of the square is 20-30 cm).

As soon as all the beacons are exposed with the help of a screwdriver and a level, lags are laid. Fasteners are carried out with self-tapping screws or with glue (PVA, PVA-Moment and others intended for wood). In places where the lags hang over the boards, pieces of plywood of the required thickness, smeared with glue, are placed under them. The width of the lag should be approximately 30-50 mm.

After the glue dries, it is covered with a leveling coating, plywood sheets or chipboard.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account in advance that when laying the covering, the joints of the sheets must necessarily fall on the logs. In order not to cut sheet material in the future, it is very convenient to first spread out the plywood sheets and circle them with chalk, pastel or chalk pencils, and lay the logs exactly along these lines.

Plywood sheets are fastened with self-tapping screws with a countersunk head. The attachment points must be drilled and countersunk. As a result, a very durable and even floor is obtained without much loss of height, only by 2-3 cm.

After that, you can mount the main decor. Coatings such as linoleum or carpet require a little additional processing of plywood: it is lightly sanded with a grinder, especially for joints and attachment points, then several layers of varnish are applied. For, a backing (cork or foamed polyethylene cork) is preliminarily laid on plywood.

The main disadvantage of this method is the inability to eliminate significant level drops. But for the formation of a flat surface, it is ideal.

Leveling mixtures

In some cases, you can use special self-leveling compounds. But this can only be done if the rough wood floors can withstand the additional stress.

One of the disadvantages of this method is the different temperature expansion of the leveling compounds and wood. Therefore, it can only be used for rooms with a small area. It is also important to do the preparatory work correctly. It is not recommended to use a classic concrete composition, as it will have a significant mass. It is best to purchase special mixes.

The order of work.

1. Base cleaning, priming.
2. Installation of a putty layer that seals the cracks.
3. Installation of waterproofing. A polyethylene film of 200 microns is used. The strips are overlapped, the joints are sealed with double-sided tape. It is important to secure the waterproofing to the subfloor to avoid movement.
4. Reinforcing mesh installation.
5. Pouring self-leveling mixture.

During the last step, all air bubbles should be removed as much as possible. In this way, crooked wooden floors that have sufficient mechanical strength can be leveled. However, in case of significant level differences, it is recommended to use a different technology.

Ventilation grilles must be installed for air exchange. With their help, excess moisture will be removed. They are usually installed in the corners of the room.

Adjustable lags

Adjustable logs are quite effective, but expensive. These are ordinary lags, into which special adjusting pins and support screws are screwed. insulation. The horizontal position is ensured by screwing and unscrewing the supporting screws. Adjustable floors are not always possible to use. In addition to being expensive, they have a significant drawback - raising the floor height to at least 10 cm, even without taking into account the thickness of the final coating.

The work is performed according to the following algorithm.

• First, you should make sure that the level difference depends on the lag. Then the floorboards are dismantled and the condition of the beams is checked. Defective ones are replaced if necessary.
• To align their level, you can use mounting elements. A support is previously installed under the lags. Then, using a drill, a hole is drilled into which the screw pin is mounted. After passing through the material, a support and a height clamp are attached to the bottom of the screw. This technology is used to level the wooden floor under the laminate over the entire plane.

Wood putty evens the floor

A kind of well-known PVA glue and small sawdust turns out to be an excellent material for leveling the floor. It will be inexpensive, and the result will be excellent.

On the floor, laths are stuffed along the horizontal level - beacons. PVA glue for wood is mixed with fine sawdust until sour cream is thick and the space between the slats is filled with this mixture. It is better to moisten the sawdust first and squeeze it out a little - this way they will not pull moisture out of the glue very quickly.

Considering that this putty can give a slight shrinkage, it is better to apply thick layers in several layers, no more than one or two centimeters each. If, after drying, the level detects an unevenness, a certain amount of putty is applied to this place. The leveling material is laid after complete drying.

On a note

It should be noted right away that this type of putty dries for a very long time, but this inconvenience is fully compensated by the ability to use cheap and thin plywood (5-8mm).

This is the only method that provides the smallest floor rise, up to the “highest board”.

Anyone can do their own leveling of a wooden floor. Now there are several methods for this. You only need to correctly assess the condition of the wooden base in your home and choose the best option for its restoration.

Why do we need alignment?

Over time, wood flooring in a private house begins to bend, sag, and crack. All flaws that appear are usually hidden by laying on a wooden base any modern coatings, be it tiles, laminate or linoleum, which is affordable at a price. Before this process, the wooden floor should be carefully leveled so that the new coating lies on it without defects, creating a pleasant atmosphere in the home.

Before restoring an old base from a tree, it is necessary to analyze its condition. To do this, you need to lift several floorboards and examine the logs on which they lie. If during inspection you did not see traces of insects, and the surface of the wood is strong and dry, you can safely proceed to leveling the base - it does not need a complete or partial replacement.

If there are extensive cracks and decay on the inside of the boards or on the logs, you will first have to change the problem areas for new wood. And only then proceed to leveling the floor. In cases where the entire base is "eaten" by insects, and the tree has turned to dust, you need to completely change the coating. Such situations also occur in a private house, but quite rarely.

The next stage in assessing the condition of a wooden base is to establish its deviation from the horizontal. The operation is performed using a level (it is better to use the most accurate laser instrument), which is placed at the highest corner in the house. And then the appropriate marks are made on the walls. The information obtained will allow you to choose the way in which the leveling of the wooden floor will be carried out. There are several of them now.

You can level the old base:

• ordinary plywood;
• putty based on PVA glue;
• scrambling;
• special mixtures.

We will consider each of these methods in detail. All you have to do is choose the technique you want to use to restore your wood flooring in your home.

Plywood is the most common way

A smooth rough base is easy to obtain using plywood sheets. Such restoration of a wooden floor makes it possible to subsequently lay on it the coating you need, from laminate to ceramic tiles. Most often, the technique is used in situations where it is planned to lay linoleum on a base made of wood.

Plywood alignment is a simple method characterized by minimal material costs and efficiency of work. After all the operations that we will present below, the old floor of boards will rise by 2-3 centimeters, while it will be really even. You can buy any plywood. It is only important that its humidity is approximately the same as the humidity in the room. Usually, after purchase in the store, plywood sheets are sprayed a little on both sides with water and left for 40-48 hours in the room where the repair work will be carried out.

Before starting work on the restoration of the floor covering, it is advisable to scrupulously check the condition of the utility lines laid under the floor. Once you have covered them with plywood, it will be very difficult to get to them. Now let's look at how to level a wooden floor:

• We screw standard self-tapping screws to the required height on all floor surfaces. They will function as beacons. The recommended step for installing self-tapping screws is 30–35 cm. It can be increased if you use thick plywood.
• We mount plywood strips 3–5 cm thick on the old floor. These will be our new lags. They need to be fixed with the same screws or wood glue. Sometimes gaps form between the new lags and the old base. Pieces of plywood greased with glue can be placed in them.
• Laying plywood sheets. It is better to immediately cut them into pieces convenient for installation - not large and not small (optimally - 60 by 60 centimeters). Please note - installation is done after the adhesive on the plywood logs is completely dry.
• We cut (very carefully and precisely) the ledges, existing arches, bay windows and other elements.
• We fix the plywood with countersunk head hardware. Professionals, in addition, advise pre-drilling holes for self-tapping screws in the places of their planned attachment and countersinking them. In this case, the caps of the fasteners will not protrude above the surface.

Everything. The leveling of the wood floor with plywood is over! It is advisable, however, to perform a few more finishing operations (they are not required, but it is better to do them). If you plan to lay laminate flooring, experts advise placing a special substrate on a leveled base . Plywood is varnished (2-3 layers) when the carpet will be laid on it. On the new base, you need to "walk" with a grinder if you want to lay linoleum on it.

Scraping - time consuming but effective leveling

If, after restoring a flat surface of the floor, you do not plan to lay any material on it, you can use the mechanical scraping technique. Let's figure out how to level a wooden floor using a scraper. The work flow chart is indicated below:

1. We take out all interior items from the room. If any structure cannot be removed, be sure to cover it with a polyethylene film.
2. We remove all carnations and other fasteners from the floor without exception. If you leave them, the scraper will break down very quickly.
3. We put on gloves made of dense material, headphones and a respirator. These protective equipment will protect you from vibrations and machine noise (strong enough), as well as from getting into the respiratory system of fine wood dust.
4. We start the process of scraping from the far corner of the room. The first layer of the old floor covering should be removed carefully, moving around the room with a snake.
5. We close up all holes and cracks in the floor, without exception, using a putty that matches the color. Finding the shade you need "under the wood" will be easy, given the huge range of modern hardware stores.
6. After the putty dries, the surface is cycled again.

After achieving the desired result, remove the resulting dust from the floor. You will need a powerful vacuum cleaner. Then, using a lint-free cloth soaked in a degreasing agent, wipe the surface thoroughly. After all these procedures, you can proceed to. The wooden base that you receive will look, trust me, "as good as new".

One caveat - in theory, looping can be done manually. But without the use of a special machine, the work on leveling the wooden base will drag on for a very indefinite period. And their quality will not always meet your needs. Therefore, manual scraping is practically not used these days.

Self-leveling compounds - progress does not stand still

Recently, the technique of obtaining a flat surface of old floors from boards through the use of self-leveling mixtures has been gaining popularity. If you have plans to lay on a renewed wood base or other covering, it is best to use that. Even a floor made of wood that is very “killed” from long-term use will become flawlessly even after using a self-leveling compound, which will increase the height of the existing base by a maximum of 2-3 centimeters.

Leveling a wooden floor with such a mixture requires good preparation of the restored base for processing. You will need:

• "Drown" all protruding hardware - screws, nails;
• secure the loosened boards with screws as securely as possible;
• remove old layers of varnish and paint;
• sand the floors;
• seal the gaps in the base with a special acrylic-based compound.

After such a scrupulous preparation, a primer with high moisture-protective properties should be applied to the floor. It will provide high-quality adhesion of the old coating to the applied composition. Then the insulation of the lower sections of the walls in the room is carried out. For these purposes, scotch tape is used for construction work. A mark is put on it, which will indicate the level of filling of the self-leveling compound. Be sure to place and fix a bar near the exit to the next room, which will not allow the poured mixture to get into another room.

The filling process itself is as follows:

• with a construction stapler we fasten the reinforcing frame (net) to the floor;
• we dilute the self-leveling composition in the recommended proportions, we hold it for 15 minutes;
• apply the mixture (pour it) and use a rubber squeegee to distribute it on the floor.

Then we patiently wait until the composition dries. This process must take place at temperatures specified by the manufacturer of the mixture.

Putty based on PVA glue - a guarantee of an even floor

An original and somewhat innovative option for leveling wooden floors is a technique in which a putty made from PVA glue and ordinary sawdust is used. Such a composition is cheap, and when diluted with water, it forms a sufficiently strong mixture with which you can easily fill all the gaps on the old floor.

Note that for some floor coverings, for example, laminate, the described putty in its pure form is not suitable. It cannot provide the required level of strength. Therefore, after leveling the wooden base with it, you need to additionally lay plywood sheets, drywall or chipboards on top.

It is necessary to make an even floor with a PVA-based putty as follows:

• the base is removed and carefully cleaned;
• at the required level, wooden slats are laid on the floor;
• a mixture of sawdust and putty is poured into the gaps between the floor and the installed slats (it is recommended to slightly moisten the sawdust so that they do not take all the moisture from the adhesive).

Usually several fills are performed. In this case, each subsequent one is done exclusively after the previous layer of putty dries completely (it takes about two days). Once the desired alignment has been achieved, the finishing material can be applied to the surface.

If indoors uneven wood floor, it becomes uncomfortable to live in it. Boards creak, bend or, conversely, stick out, diverge, forming cracks.

The aesthetics of the room is violated, a traumatic situation is created. On such a floor, it is easy to fall and damage yourself. To avoid serious trouble and improve the condition of the home, uneven floors are leveled. They do it in different ways.

Dry methods

An uneven wooden floor must be leveled if the height difference is more than 5 cm. This uneven floor is visible to the naked eye. The surface may slope in any direction. In another case, the boards are unevenly arranged, in waves: one protrudes, the other sinks, bends. There are several options for eliminating unevenness in the floor using a dry method.

Installation of minilag from bars (tape support)

Tape support is one of the most reliable methods for leveling uneven wood floors. The method is used for height differences from 3 to 10 cm. The timber serves as a lining under the boardwalk. It should be of different thicknesses in order to be evenly spaced in the direction of increasing slope. For ease of installation, craftsmen use pieces of plywood rather than wood.

To install the minilags correctly, a preliminary calculation is carried out and the readings are checked with a meter level. The distance between them corresponds to the thickness of the sheets made from wood waste.

It is not recommended to lay sheets that are too thick to level an uneven wooden floor:

• they are heavy and inconvenient for do-it-yourself installation;
• create additional load on the floor and base.

Beams of different sections and sheet products are screwed to the wooden base of the floor with self-tapping screws. The fasteners should be of different lengths as the distance to the boards varies. Minilags are fixed across and along the boards. It is important to mark the sheets as accurately as possible according to the points of drilling holes.

Installation of leveling point supports (scabs)

If indoors uneven wood floor, you can eliminate the defect and align it with the help of point supports, which are called shabashi. They are installed under sheet products in the form of a grid. In this case, cells are obtained, the dimensions of which are determined by the thickness of the sheets.

Such dimensions of the cells will not allow sagging in subsequent operation.

Since the supporting "posts" are located pointwise, they make a careful marking on the sheets and screw in self-tapping screws at the points. Additionally, the sheets are fixed to the very base of the floor, choosing longer fasteners.

Methods for leveling uneven wood floors without screed are highly effective. After leveling work, the surface acquires an ideal shape and holds the topcoat well. 8-10 cm - a difference in height, at which it is better to dismantle the old floor and lay a new base with the replacement of the lag.

Wet screed method

For minor irregularities (up to 3mm), the wooden floor can be covered with acrylic putty or sealant. Before work, the boards are primed to protect the wood and ensure better adhesion with the leveling compound. The composition is applied in a thin layer, distributing it evenly along the pre-made marks on the walls, along the lighthouses.

It is important to know: the thickness of the layer determines the amount of time it takes to dry. To prevent the putty from cracking over time, PVA glue is added to it. After the mixture has dried, the surface is sanded.

If uneven wood floor has a slope of more than 3 mm, is used. This is not quite the right way for a wooden base. The screed creates a significant load on the base and floors. It is most possible when the boards are laid on concrete or brick posts, reinforced concrete supports. The need for it arises, for example, when using tiles as a topcoat.

To level an uneven wooden floor using the "wet" method, use dry mixtures with components that provide the screed with elasticity and special strength. These include various plasticizers and synthetic fillers.

1. Before applying the leveling compound, check the wood floors for ventilation. If it is not there, then holes are drilled in certain places on the surface, and decorative grilles are installed over the topcoat.
2. The boards are covered with plastic wrap, which performs the function of waterproofing. The tree is afraid of water. And with a wet screed, this liquid is used to dilute the dry mixture.
3. The leveling compound is poured in portions onto the surface and evenly distributed using a special rule. You can work gradually, filling in small areas.
4. After the screed has dried, it is sanded and primed.

A wet screed on a wooden base is rarely made. The main reason is the incompatibility between wood and leveling compound. Wood is mobile, and the cement mixture is static, therefore, over time, it can crack and crumble.

When choosing a method for leveling an uneven wooden floor, they are guided by the specific conditions of the room. It is important that in subsequent operation the surface does not deform, and the finish coat does not deteriorate.

Comfortable living in a house depends on many conditions. These include the quality of the finish and the general condition of the surfaces, including the leveling of uneven wood floors.

Plank floor leveling.

Some old houses from the times of Stalin's and Khrushchev's buildings still have rough wooden floors. Over time, the floorboards rot, loosen and begin to creak. And during the repair, in order to tear off the defects of the old uneven floor, they use a new coating in the form of a laminate or linolem.

But before laying a new floor, it is recommended to align the sub-floor with sheet material. You can do this procedure yourself without involving construction specialists and at minimal cost. For leveling the floor, it is best to use plywood, since the fiberboard sheets will eventually take the shape of an uneven floor and waves will appear again. Plywood is indispensable for the material used to level old wood floors.

It has a relatively low weight, is strong enough, resistant to stress and water, well polished, and has no unpleasant odor. The material does not change its properties with changes in temperature and humidity.

In order to carry out the procedure for leveling the wooden floor, it is necessary to prepare the tools and materials that will be needed in the process.

• plywood sheets;
• roll insulation;
• screwdriver and self-tapping screws;
• jigsaw;

Preparation for leveling the wooden floor in the apartment

• Initially, it is necessary to check the state of the communications that are laid under the floor, since after the completion of the work there will be no free access to them.
• Next, you need to get rid of various irregularities that are very characteristic of a wooden floor.
• Fasten, and, if necessary, replace old, rotten, squeaky boards.
• As additional insulation, if the floor is initially cold, you can use a roll of mineral wool insulation.

Prepared sheets of plywood are laid on the floor and in order to assess the strength and reliability of the coating, you should walk on it. In the course of such tests, additional defects may come to light that can be corrected at the moment without dismantling the floor. If it turns out that the floor is sagging, then it is necessary to additionally put pieces of fiberboard in these places.

The most optimal and reliable fastening of plywood sheets will be fastening with self-tapping screws, which at the initial stage of fastening do not need to be driven in to the end. In places where plywood sags, fastening is unacceptable. After fixing the sheets, you need to carefully walk through the made flooring again.

This is necessary in order to check how firmly and correctly the sheets fit together. If the result of the test is satisfactory and pleased, then all the screws will be driven to the end, tightly drowning the cap in the tree.

After fixing the sheet material, the caps of the screws and the seams are putty with acrylic sealant. The advantage of such a putty is that even if the boards and sheets bend a little, the sealant, due to its high plasticity, will not collapse and spill out.

After finishing the installation of plywood sheets, you can start laying another linoleum or laminate flooring.

Leveling an uneven wooden floor - video

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Wooden floor coverings have excellent characteristics, but they also deteriorate over time. To prolong the life of a wooden floor, it is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance from time to time. If things are really bad - the board sags, cracks and deformations are everywhere, then you will have to resort to leveling the coating.

Leveling the subfloor is not an easy task, but if you have certain knowledge, skills and materials, you can cope with the work on your own, without attracting expensive craftsmen. The cost of a rough wooden floor depends on its characteristics and performance, so today we will tell you how to make high-quality and durable, and most importantly, even floors with your own hands.

Often times, subfloors in a wooden house are leveled to accommodate laminate or other flooring. This procedure is one of the main ones in the process of laying work, and the final result depends on it. It doesn't matter if you are going to lay laminate, carpet or tile, the surface must be flat. So, on a crooked floor in places where the floorboards bend, even the most durable linoleum will crack or fray over time, to say nothing of a whimsical laminate, which will soon begin to creak and loosen.

How to level a wooden sub-floor

There are several effective ways to level rough wooden floors, the price of which can be very frightening for professional craftsmen, but if you do it yourself, you can save a lot!

So, today there are four ways to level the floor:

• putty;
• self-leveling mixtures;
• laying of plywood.

The choice of floor leveling method depends on the initial surface condition and the desired end result. Let's consider in more detail the features of each method and the process of carrying out the work.

Looping

Scraping is the most efficient and time consuming way to level rough wood floors. This method is relevant for those cases if you are not going to lay a new coating on top of a tree, but just want to open the floor with varnish or paint it with paint.

Scraping can be carried out both manually and mechanically. It is clear that if you have a special technique, then you do not need a manual scraper. Even if there is no car, it makes sense to rent it, because the manual method is irrevocably outdated, as it takes a tremendous amount of energy and time. Below we will consider the application of the mechanical cycling method.

First of all, take care of safety and get protective plastic goggles, vibration-absorbing gloves (can be replaced with thick gloves) and construction headphones, since the scraper machine is very noisy. Remember to use a respirator to protect your lungs from wood dust.

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Self-leveling mixtures

Self-leveling mixtures are suitable if you intend to lay laminate flooring. It makes no sense to cycle the surface for this, but you can solve the issue with the help of special mixtures in no time. Do not be fooled by the name and think that you just have to pour the composition on the floor, and it will level out by itself. This is a time-consuming process, which, however, results in an ideal base for laminate flooring or tiling.

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Helpful hints:

Carefully observe all proportions and rules written on the package.

During drying, the recommended heat regime should be maintained until the mixture is completely hardened.

If too much water is poured while mixing the mortar, the floor may delaminate after drying. If you add too little liquid, the mixture will not be able to spread evenly over the floor.

If you want to raise the level of the wood floor, fill it in two layers, with the first layer not being too thick.

Putty

Now you know how to level a rough wood floor for tiling and laminating. Putty is not recommended for these purposes, but it is ideal if you intend to cover the floor with carpet.

Today in hardware stores you can find a lot of putty mixtures based on PVA glue and sawdust. This is the best option - reasonable cost, ease of use, large coverage area.

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Leveling the floor with plywood

Leveling subfloors with plywood is the most popular method because of its speed, simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

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Helpful Hint: To save time and effort when installing a plywood floor, mark with chalk the places where the joints will be.

Leveling the subfloor in a wooden house using plywood sheets is perfect for any topcoat, be it laminate, tile or carpet.