During the repair, it is imperative to level the floor concrete base. Since there are various ways to level a concrete floor, you should choose the most suitable one. Experts say that there is nothing complicated in this. Enough to purchase necessary materials, of course same, in primarily certain knowledge. Why is the alignment of the base floor base carried out, if anyway it is subsequently covered finishing material? So that the base as a result has a perfectly flat surface. The horizontality, for example, of the laid parquet directly depends on the quality of the rough base.
Carrying out work
List of materials and tools used to level the floor base:
- water;
- composition for alignment;
- electric drill, concrete mixer (if possible);
- needle roller;
- level, rule;
- container for preparation of leveling mixture;
- polyethylene material;
- spatula with a trowel;
- paint shoes as shoes.
Step-by-step work on leveling the concrete base:
- After preparing the tools and material, the old base is cleaned. Be sure to close up all the cracks, remove dirt, dust. You can use a vacuum cleaner.
- The next stage is the treatment of the base with a deep penetration primer. This is necessary to increase adhesion.
- Further, the surface is dried during the day. Only then is the leveling of the concrete floor done by hand.
Experienced experts advise that around the perimeter of the room, glue the bottom of the walls with a specialized tape so that the used screed solution does not get on them.
It is necessary to move on the poured floor in special shoes, which are called paint shoes.
Selection, calculation of casting material
Today, the construction market is filled with various types of leveling compounds for concrete floor bases, of which many types of mixtures are self-leveling.. If desired, to level the base, you can make a cement-based mortar with your own hands.
To calculate the required volume of mortar for pouring the floor base in the apartment, you must first measure the area of \u200b\u200bthe room in which the work will be carried out, as well as determine the required thickness of the screed. For example, if you need to raise the surface in the apartment by 1 cm, then for 1 square meter you will need about 13-16 kg of dry mix. We take the average figure of 15 kg per 1 m2 and multiply by the floor area. Accordingly, if a screed thickness of 2 cm is required, then the floor area is multiplied by 30 kg.
Installation of beacons
To determine the highest point of the floor in the room, you need a level. After determining the maximum and minimum points, the thickness of the screed is calculated. Marks are placed around the entire perimeter of the room in the apartment, focusing on the highest point on the walls. Beat off a horizontal line with lacing. To do this, you can use thin slats made of wood. On them it will be much easier to control the level of pouring the screed.
The container for the preparation of the working composition must be absolutely clean. Falls asleep in it required amount dry mixture, and then gradually poured water.
If the solution is made from the purchased dry mix, then it must be mixed according to the factory instructions printed on the package. The composition of the mixtures may differ significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer. And if you add an excess amount of water to the mixture, then subsequently the base of the floor will begin to crack. On the contrary, if the required amount of water is not added to the mixture, the solution will be too thick, as a result of which the working composition will lose plasticity and it will become inconvenient to work with it.
Work with self-levelling compounds
The leveling of the concrete floor is carried out in several ways, given below.
Bulk method
Quick, easy method alignment. Its essence is the pouring of the floor base with a cement-based liquid mortar. Such a mass spreads independently, evenly, dries quickly. A layer of such a screed is made up to 3.5 cm. This method is relatively inexpensive, and the screed is of sufficient quality. One downside: this method not suitable for substrates with severe irregularities.
Lighthouse Alignment
One of the most popular alignment methods. The resulting floor has high strength, quality and long service life. To carry out the work, you will need metal or wooden slats. This method is great for leveling complex surfaces. The main disadvantage is that such a floor dries for a long time. This may take about one month.
Installation of perforated metal corners carried out along the room 0.3 meters from the wall. This is how the first and last rails are laid, and the others are mounted in increments of one meter. The fastening of the rails is carried out using a cement-gypsum mixture, which is applied to the concrete base. Corners are placed on top. When the solution hardens, the resulting voids are filled with it.
Tiled way
This method is used to perform a floor screed under ceramic tiles. More mortar is applied to uneven areas.
Surface build-up
In this case, you will need the use of wooden logs, plywood sheets. In this design, you can arrange communication systems, thermal insulation products. Extension is rarely used, because it is a rather laborious and expensive method.
If the slope of the base floor is up to 3.5 cm, the leveling of the concrete base can be done by building up or by pouring. With a slope of more than 3.5 cm, alignment is carried out according to the beacons. If most of the base plane is flat, errors are observed only near the walls, you can get by with a perforator. With its help, irregularities are knocked down, after which they are smeared with a solution.
other methods
A self-levelling compound is used to level the base. It is diluted with water, according to the manufacturer's instructions. After pouring a certain amount of the mixture, it is leveled using a spiked roller. This is done to remove air bubbles remaining in the solution. The roller is selected depending on the planned thickness of the screed: the length of the needles must be greater than the height of the applied mortar layer.
Dry screed execution scheme
On a concrete base, pre-coated with a film of polyethylene, build up wooden logs. They are fastened with anchors, special metal plates. Laying of adjacent logs is carried out at a distance of 0.5 meters, you need to retreat 5 cm from the wall. Wedges can be placed for leveling. Fastening materials to the base is carried out with self-tapping screws. After laying the heat-insulating materials, plywood sheets are mounted, which are also fastened with self-tapping screws.
Expert advice on how to level a concrete floor:
- Experienced craftsmen recommend that when using any method of leveling the floor base in the apartment, always take into account temperature regime premises.
- Be sure to prevent the formation of drafts during the work.
- When diluting the leveling mixture, it must be mixed thoroughly so that no lumps remain.
- The working mixture must be a completely homogeneous mass.
- If it is not possible to purchase a concrete mixer to mix the solution, you can use electric drill, but for this you definitely need to purchase a specialized mixing nozzle.
- When mixing the solution with an electric drill, it is necessary to set it to the minimum speed. Only in this case can a good mixing of the mixture be achieved.
- The nozzle can be made by hand. You will need a piece of thick wire. She needs to provide the shape of the blades.
- For better control the quality of filling the leveling mortar, fix the level on a long rail.
If you follow all the rules, listen to advice experienced craftsmen, leveling the floor surface in your apartment can be done with your own hands.
Leveling the concrete floor is an integral part overhaul especially in old buildings and new buildings.
by the most in a simple way leveling the concrete floor is the leveling of the floors with the help of beacons and pouring the floor with sand-cement mortar. Beacons must be installed before pouring.
It is necessary to level the floor if you plan to lay tiles, laminate or linoleum. The work is hard, but it is quite possible to do it with your own hands without involving specialists for this. Leveling the floor must be done before repairing ceilings and walls.
There are several tricks on how to level the floor. The main ones are a self-leveling floor, leveling along beacons, leveling with cement mortar build-up. Alignment in each way can be done by hand. Each of these methods has its own positive and negative sides.
Surface leveling concrete mix and seal.
You will need tools:
- level;
- rule;
- lighthouses;
- building thread;
- notched spatula;
- Master OK;
- construction hammer;
- needle roller;
- construction hammer;
- perforator.
And materials:
- roofing material, hydroisol or polystyrene;
- primer;
- concrete or sand-cement mortar.
In order to decide on the choice of leveling method, you first need to disassemble the previously used floor covering (in case of repair) and measure the unevenness.
Causes of defects in slabs are their irregularities, bulges and depressions, longitudinal inconsistencies in slabs and irregularities in their laying, made during construction.
To begin with, all protruding irregularities (remnants of adhering concrete) should be removed. This is done using a construction hammer or perforator. After that, using a long level, you need to determine and mark the highest and lowest points on the base.
It is necessary to provide that, taking into account the thickness of the intended floor covering, there will be no obstacles for opening doors.
Device cement screed along the lighthouse rails.
There are cases when the floor plane is quite even, but there are irregularities in the joints of the floor tiles, due to the fact that the joints are not properly sealed. Irregularities can be removed with a perforator, and then the defects must be leveled with cement.
To level the floor as a mixture, you can use pure cement, mixed in the right proportion with sand. You can use mixtures that are designed specifically for leveling floors.
Before you level the surface, it should be prepared. It is necessary to remove existing paint, dust, repair cracks and microcracks through which expensive material can leak. The base should preferably be primed. The primer is necessary so that the thin layer of the screed does not crack. If you plan to level the base of the floor in the bathroom or in the kitchen with your own hands, the primer must be special, waterproofing.
Preparatory work does not require special qualifications, it is realistic to do it yourself.
Lighthouse Alignment
Cement base for tiled and roll materials: a - surface leveling wooden slats; b - rough grouting of the surface; c - final grouting of the surface; d - grinding the base under the floors.
Before starting work, you should determine the level of the screed so that, taking into account the thickness of the future coating, the floor levels in adjacent rooms coincide. In rooms on the ground floor it is mandatory, but on other floors it is desirable to isolate the screed from the walls. This can be done with roofing material, waterproofing, polystyrene. The insulating material is laid a little higher than the future level of the screed, the excess is then cut off.
Lighthouses are metal slats, pipes, profiles or strips. Before installation on the walls using a level, preferably a laser, marks are made around the entire perimeter of the room. The room must be bypassed completely, while the initial mark and the final mark must necessarily coincide. This is a guarantee that the beacons will be set strictly horizontally.
Lighthouses are installed on a semi-dry concrete mortar or gypsum (alabaster) mortar and tapped. After the solution has set, it is necessary to check that the beacons have not moved. This must be done using a level, rule or construction thread.
The distance between the beacons and the walls should be minimal, but so that the beacons can be removed later.
Usually 4 beacons are stacked. Between the two middle ones, the solution is not placed at the beginning, but is placed from the walls, starting from the corner farthest from the exit. There is an exit path in the center.
The scheme of the concrete floor on the ground.
When the concrete solution is partially and with some excess over the lighthouses laid along the walls, it is pulled together by the rule to the end of the lighthouse. The beacon is then removed. So that he does not pull out the concrete behind him, you need to lightly tap on it with a hammer. The resulting void is filled with mortar and leveled with a trowel.
The problem that arises with this method is the abundance of air bubbles in the concrete screed, which makes it loose. A spiked paint roller is used to remove bubbles.
After that, the central part of the room is filled with a solution and pulled together.
With the help of beacons, a screed is made large rooms. The screed is strong and perfectly even even with large differences in the concrete base. Most the best option preparation for laying laminate, linoleum and tiles.
The disadvantage is that the screed can take quite a long time to dry. Drying time depends primarily on the humidity and temperature of the air in the room, the thickness of the screed layer. Drafts should be avoided during drying.
The use of self-leveling floor
Floor leveling plan.
This is the fastest and easiest way to do-it-yourself leveling a concrete floor base. A special cement-based leveling mortar is used for this. The solution is fairly fluid. It is enough to pour it on the concrete floor, and the solution itself will spread evenly, creating a perfectly flat surface. Therefore, the solution is called self-levelling. The drying process is quite fast due to the small thickness of the solution layer.
Bulk floors are irreplaceable for the device of heat-insulated floors.
According to the technology, the self-leveling floor must have a thickness of at least 3 millimeters; it will not be possible to achieve such a small thickness by leveling the beacons. But there is a limit to maximum thickness- 35 mm. Quite often, slabs or a rough screed have a slope of more than 35 mm.
Therefore, if there are large irregularities, it will not be possible to make a self-leveling floor.
Main disadvantages
In order to level the base of a sufficiently large area, you need to prepare the entire solution, otherwise you will not be able to get a flat surface. The flow time of the solution is from 20 to 60 minutes. In a short period, you need to have time to use the entire prepared mixture.
The fluidity of the solution is guaranteed at a temperature not lower than 5 degrees.
Another disadvantage is quite high price material.
What to do if the thickness of the screed is 10 cm or more?
This situation may arise if in one of the adjacent rooms wooden floor mounted on logs, and in the second, the flooring was removed to the base and it is planned to lay linoleum, laminate or tiles. The level difference can be up to 10 cm or more. Making a screed of this thickness is expensive and time consuming. This is an extra load on the floor slabs, foundation and bearing structures. The simplest solution is to pre-lay a layer of foam plastic of maximum density and make a screed over it and finally level the floor. The screed can be reinforced at will.
Leveling the base of the floor is not an easy job, dusty, dirty and noisy. Therefore, before proceeding with it, all actions must be coordinated with the neighbors so that there are no problems with them. The main thing is not to be afraid of difficulties. With desire and perseverance, everything can be done with your own hands.
If you have become the owner of an apartment in a new building or have purchased housing that requires major repairs, then be sure to ask yourself about leveling the concrete floor and quality styling a finish floor covering that will last for a long time.
Among all the options for uneven concrete floors that need to be eliminated, the following are distinguished:
- cracks, minor chips, roughness;
- mounds, significant influxes and pits, visible to the naked eye;
- differences in height, bevel of the floor towards one of the walls.
Depending on the defects and their number, the method of leveling the concrete floor will be chosen. Before starting work, do not forget to clean, dedust, and, if necessary, cover the radiator and external heating pipes with foil. In the case of the presence of paint, oil or grease on the concrete, the top layer of concrete is removed with a mosaic-grinding or shot-blasting machine. After that, it is more efficient to remove dust with a construction vacuum cleaner.
Cracks may appear in an old screed or in a recently filled one, but with technological errors. It is also not uncommon for cracks to appear between concrete slabs, resulting in a difference in floor height. These defects cannot be missed.
Step one. We visually inspect the room, using the level, we check the horizontal position. It is important not only to close the cracks, but also to create the most even floor.
Step two. We prepare a chisel and a hammer. Each crack will have to be tapped, driving the chisel as deep as possible. This is necessary to expand the gap under the leveling compound and detect possible hidden chips. We remove all the dirt and pieces of broken concrete.
If the cracks are dynamic, it is worth making their transverse reinforcement. Across the crack in several places we hollow out narrow grooves and lay dowels or short pieces of metal rods in them.
We fill the floor with water, removing the last dust, wait for it to dry, treat the inner surface with a primer (for example, from Grund) and proceed to prepare the mixture.
Step three. We mix water and cement M 400 (dry powder). To stir the mixture, use a drill with a mixing nozzle. In a solution of cement (medium liquid), we add an equal amount of PVA glue or liquid glass in volume. Mix the ingredients until smooth.
Step four. A homogeneous and sufficiently liquid solution is poured into the crack. Adhesive composition should protrude slightly above the floor surface, as shrinkage will occur during the drying process. We work through each crack and wait for drying.
Step five. It remains only to wipe the poured cement to hide all traces of the repair. It is most convenient to use a grinder, but in the absence of such, grouting is done with an abrasive wheel. Press the abrasive with your hand to the floor and make circular motions, removing excess cement.
Similarly, it is worth wiping the existing roughness on the concrete floor. Quite minor microcracks can simply be worked out with a deep penetration primer and tile adhesive.
Removing bumps from concrete floors
Uneven bumpy floor will lead to instability later installed furniture and break lock connection laminate, as well as other defects finish coating.
To get rid of bumps, you will need a diamond end mill and, accordingly, a milling machine. We process the concrete floor, simultaneously checking the horizontal level.
Note! The inclusions of crushed stone or reinforcement present in the bumps cannot be removed with a milling cutter. The rebar is cut off by a grinder, and pieces of rubble are beaten off with a hammer and chisel.
Leveling a concrete floor with pits
If there are visible local holes in the screed, they must be repaired. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to build up the screed over the entire area (provided that the surface is sufficiently horizontal).
We eliminate the difference in floor heights with a self-leveling mixture
It happens that visually the concrete floor does not have defects and irregularities, but, nevertheless, when checking with a laser level, differences in height are revealed towards one of the walls of the room. In this case, the difference between the highest and lowest points can be up to 5 centimeters. In this case, it is more convenient and faster to level the concrete floor with a special self-leveling mixture.
If the height difference is significant (over 3 cm), you will need a mixture for rough leveling. It is better to fill a screed of small thickness with finishing self-leveling mixtures, which are distinguished by a smoother finished surface and an attractive appearance.
Stage one. We dedust the rough concrete floor with a construction vacuum cleaner, removing all particles of dirt and debris. Using laser level, we make markings on the walls in order to fill in the layer of a new screed as high as possible.
Stage two. We treat the entire surface of the concrete floor with a deep penetration primer to improve the adhesion of the old concrete floor and the poured screed. In addition, the primer has a positive effect on the quality and speed of drying of the leveling mortar. It is recommended to glue edge tape up to 8 cm wide on the walls around the perimeter of the room.
Stage three. We mix the solution by combining the powder with water according to the instructions that each manufacturer attaches to the product.
Note! Start work early in order to flood the entire area in one day. Self-leveling screeds do not allow the presence of technological interruptions in work.
Stage four. Pour the solution from the bucket onto the floor. We move from the far corner of the room, gradually pouring the mixture onto the floor (in a strip up to 30 cm wide) and leveling it with a doctor blade or a rule. Don't wait for the mixture to spread on its own. Align according to the marks on the walls. Each flooded area must be processed with a spiked roller. Choose a roller according to the thickness of your screed. A thin layer of self-levelling compound is processed with a roller with the shortest plastic spikes.
If you plan to walk on a floor that has not yet dried out, put on special shoes with spikes.
The drying time of the mixture is always indicated on the packaging. After the stated period of time, the even surface is ready for the installation of a fine floor covering, such as ceramic tiles.
If the existing concrete surface is too uneven, then it is better to pour a new screed over it. However, this option is not suitable for those who are in a hurry to finish the repair and do not have enough time. Filling a new screed is optimal for the first floors of buildings, garages, private houses, the coating is the most durable and durable.
The technological process is simple, however, the work of mixing and leveling cement is not easy.
Step one. We examine the old concrete floor. We remove all impurities, expand large cracks with a chisel.
Step two. We use a laser level to mark and level the concrete floor horizontally. We stretch the beacons threads across the walls for the convenience of installing profiles.
Step three. We cut perforated corner profiles based on the length of the room. We place profiles along the room. We maintain a distance from the walls of 30 centimeters and between the corners of 100 cm or equal to the length regulations. We fix the corners to the floor with gypsum or thick cement mortar. We use the level so that the profiles are located strictly horizontally. We wait until the fixing mixture hardens at the corners.
Step four. We prepare and pour the mixed cement mortar between the perforated profiles. We move from the far corner towards the door, usually shifting the excess mixture (we make movements along the rails and around the circle, filling all the voids).
Step five. We are waiting for the screed to dry, moistening the coating with water in the first three days after the work. When the monolithic screed hardens, all that remains is to pull out the beacons and close up the voids using a primer and a liquid cement mass in combination with a plasticizer.
Video - How to level a concrete floor with a cement-sand screed
Other ways to level a concrete floor
You can level the rough concrete floor by laying a dry screed, which is additionally noise and heat-insulating material. This option is applicable if there is a significant horizontal difference. The thickness of the dry screed can be up to 7-10 cm.
Surface preparation of concrete is reduced to its cleaning (sweeping) and sealing excessively large cracks. Next, polyethylene is laid, guide profiles-logs are installed according to the level, between which granular material (for example, expanded clay) is poured. surplus rule bulk material move away from walls and corners towards the exit.
Superpol sheets are laid on the covered expanded clay
A perfectly flat surface is ready for laying any finishing coating, whether it be carpet, linoleum, parquet or tile, etc.
Video - Leveling a concrete floor with a dry screed
If you are leveling the concrete floor on a glazed covered loggia, pay attention to the option of leveling the concrete base with plywood sheets on logs that are attached to galvanized beacons. Between the lags, you can lay a layer of insulation, and on top of the plywood - any finishing coating.
Specifications concrete floors must meet the requirements of SNiP 2.03.13-88 and the recommendations of the development aid existing rules and norms. Unfortunately, not all builders perform their work with high quality; during the laying of the finish coating, you have to deal with the correction of the admitted marriage.
Concrete floors can be leveled with self-levelling mortars, cement mortar screeds or ceramic tile adhesives. Under linoleum and carpet, leveling concrete floors is considered a mandatory operation, under ceramic or stone tiles the decision is made based on the actual state bearing base. All floors installed on logs can be laid without prior leveling of concrete bases.
In the article we will look at several examples of alignment using various materials taking into account the actual condition of the floors.
Part modern materials for leveling concrete floors, several components are included, at the same time with high mechanical strength, the mixtures have good spreadability, ease of use, low shrinkage, resistance to various chemical compounds, manufacturability and relatively low cost.
Most of the existing brands meet the requirements of consumers, during the selection, the main attention should be paid to the following factors:
- which floor should be leveled. There are options for monolithic concrete, industrial reinforced concrete slab, base cement screed, self-leveling floor, underfloor heating system, etc.;
- fill thickness. Depends on the maximum roughness values and the type of alignment. Alignment can be preliminary or final. There are no strict requirements for the horizontal surface to the preliminary, it is used for finishing floor coverings along the logs. During installation, the position of the lag is controlled, if necessary, with the help of wedges or other linings, they are aligned;
- floor finish type. The softer flooring, the more accurate and stronger the alignment should be, the better the material should be purchased.
After all the questions have been answered, you can begin work on leveling the concrete floor. To carry out the work, you will need a suitable this case self-leveling floor, primer, construction mixer for preparing the mixture, mortar container, powerful (preferably industrial) vacuum cleaner, needle and paint rollers, wide stainless steel spatula, laser or water level, dowels for lighthouses, damper tape, tape measure, ordinary bubble level or rule.
Step 1. Count the amount of materials. To do this, first find out the maximum difference in height of the concrete floor. When checking its status, you need to use a long level or rule. Apply tools around the perimeter of the room, in the center and diagonally, keep the level in a horizontal position. The clearance is determined by eye or with a tape measure. The more lines that are tested, the more accurate the final results.
The minimum thickness of the leveling layer should be within 2-3 mm, add the maximum height of the irregularities to this value. Thickness liquid screed should be 2–3 mm greater than the height of the maximum irregularities.
Practical advice. In order to save expensive material, it is recommended to cut down the highest ledges. Preliminary mechanical alignment saves 25-30% of the material.
Step 2 Foundation preparation. The branded strength of the material for the leveling layer should not exceed the strength of the concrete base by more than 50 kg/m2. You can check the strength of the base with an ordinary coin. Draw two perpendicular lines on the concrete with the edge of a coin at an angle of about 30 ° to the surface, if the lines are even and without chips, then the base has sufficient strength for leveling work. The presence of a deep furrow, the appearance of chips at the intersection of the lines indicates that the strength of the base does not meet current standards. In this case, it is impossible to simply level the concrete floor, it is necessary to fill in one more layer according to SNiP. If the floor height does not allow this, then the old layer will have to be completely removed. It is very long and expensive.
Why is foundation strength so important? If the leveling layer is much stronger, then during shrinkage it will tear weak base, the fill will peel off. There is a way out - to do alignment weak solution. But it can only be used under hard topcoats, this option cannot be used for soft ones.
Removal old screed- the best solution
Step 3 Clean the concrete floor. You need to remove dust, dirt, all loose elements of the concrete floor. Remember that the cleaner the base, the higher the adhesion of the leveling layer.
Step 4 One day before the start of leveling, fix big gaps. Clean them from the remnants of old material, remove dust and moisten a little. Cracks can be sealed with the same mortar that is used to level the concrete. Clog them tightly, do not leave air pockets. You can level with a trowel or a small spatula.
Step 5 Prime the surface. The primer should be for concrete surfaces only. Due to it, not only the adhesion of the two materials improves, but also the indicators of hydroprotection improve, which is very important for floors in residential premises. It is necessary to prime with a roller, in hard-to-reach places enjoy paint brush. If the primer is absorbed very quickly, then the operation will have to be repeated. The second layer of primer is applied only after the first has completely dried, the time depends on the brand of material, temperature and humidity in the room.
Step 6 Glue along the perimeter of walls, columns, interior partitions damper tape from expanded polyethylene. It compensates for thermal expansion, prevents swelling and cracking of the leveling layer.
Important. If the room has a large area, then shrinkage seams should be made. They are located at a distance of about three meters, the lines should be parallel, at the intersection the angle is only a straight line. Damper seams can be made in advance using metal profiles or cut through the next day after pouring the solution. Remember that the second option is accompanied by a lot of noise and dust.
Step 7 Find the horizon level on the wall. It is much easier and faster to do this with a laser level, if you don’t have one, then use a water level. Set the laser level in the center of the room, bring a horizontal beam to the walls. Use a tape measure to mark desired height from the concrete floor.
Step 8 Screw self-tapping screws into the concrete floor to control the height of the leveling layer. Beacons should be in the corners and along the lines of the room, the step between the rows is approximately one meter. First, fix the dowels against the walls, the height is set according to the marks. Then, between the extreme opposites, pull the rope and install all the other dowels along it. If you do not have strict requirements for the horizontal fill, then you can not install beacons.
Step 9 Prepare a solution. The proportions are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging, follow his recommendations. Water is always poured into the container first, and then the dry mixture is added. It is advisable to pour the mixture with the mixer on, this will help minimize the number of lumps and allow you to constantly control the consistency of the solution. Mix the material thoroughly and leave it for 5-10 minutes. for insistence. During this time, all the smallest lumps of cement are completely saturated with water. At the same time, chemical curing reactions are started. After infusion, stir the mixture again a little.
Important. Do not allow an overdose of water, this significantly reduces the strength indicators. One more thing. Accurately calculate the volume of the solution with your performance, consider the recommended use time. Keep in mind that once the solidification process has begun, it is impossible to stop it, and adding water to the thickened mass only exacerbates the situation. On average, a freshly prepared mixture should be used within half an hour.
Step 10 Start pouring the solution. Start pouring from the far wall of the room and move towards the exit. Pour the solution from a height of 20-30 cm, avoid large splashes. Move the bucket in a zigzag manner, do not leave large gaps. The width of the strip is approximately 40 cm, you should easily level it with a spatula. Each subsequent portion of the material should overlap the previous one by about five centimeters. Constantly monitor the marks on the wall and the markers from the dowels, if necessary, increase the thickness of the mass or disperse the excess over the free area.
Step 11 As the flooded area expands, roll it with a spiked roller. It removes air bubbles and improves the adhesion of the mass to the concrete base. The length of the needles of the roller should be several millimeters greater than the maximum thickness of the application of the solution. Keep this in mind when purchasing the instrument.
Practical advice. To increase the strength of the leveling layer, it is necessary to prevent the penetration of direct sun rays Close windows and doors to prevent drafts. If this is not done, then some areas will lose moisture much faster than is necessary for optimal flow conditions. chemical reactions. In these places, the strength of the layer becomes significantly lower than expected.
After complete hardening, the floor surface can be covered with any soft coatings or glued with ceramic tiles. But it should be borne in mind that leveling with bulk materials according to the technology described above will always have deviations from horizontal within ± 1.5–2 mm. Is it possible to level concrete floors with perfect precision? It is possible, but for this you should use a different technology for the production of work.
Prices for self-leveling floor compounds
self-levelling floor compounds
Alignment of the concrete floor on the lighthouses
This method takes a little longer, but guarantees a perfectly horizontal surface. The most difficult thing is the creation of lighthouses. For this process, we will give detailed instructions. For work, only a laser level is needed, ordinary water levels cannot achieve such a result.
Of the tools you will need big rule, wide and narrow spatulas, a trowel and a folding wooden meter. Roulette is not good, it is too soft.
Lighthouses can be made from any cement or gypsum mixtures, but we recommend using Fugenfüller putty. She has high performance physical strength, excellent adhesion to all cement-based mixtures with or without the addition of innovative fillers. In addition, the hardening time of the putty is approximately 30 minutes, which is quite enough for the manufacture of lighthouses at an average pace. After the preparation of the last lighthouse is completed, it is already possible to work on the first ones.
Another plus of the leveling beacons offered by us is that they make it possible to save building materials. The height of metal profiles is at least one centimeter, which means that the minimum thickness of the fill will be the same. Minimum Height of our beacons is equal to the thickness of plastic crosses and is only a few millimeters. The difference in the volume of filling due to the height for large rooms is significant.
Step 1. Set the laser level, check the condition of the floor, determine the minimum thickness of the leveling layer. Remove from the surface construction garbage, vacuum it.
Step 2 Prepare putty. Accurately observe the proportions indicated by the manufacturer, do not experiment, they will not lead to anything good.
Step 3. Start installing beacons against the wall, the rule will be used instead of a tape measure to measure the distances between the beacons. Lay out the first pile of putty at a distance of about 15-20 cm from the wall, trim it a little.
Install a plastic cross for ceramic tiles in the center.
Put a meter on it and, taking into account the location of the laser beam, drown it in the solution. Make sure that the cross is lying horizontally, check its position in several places.
Carefully remove excess putty. You can not clean up near the cross, it will then be cut off with a spatula. If you touch the unhardened putty, then you can violate the position of the cross, you will have to redo everything again.
Step 4 Lay a rule on the floor, the distance between the beacons should be 15–20 cm shorter than the length of the rule. In the same way, the width between the lines of beacons will be determined. Install all beacons in the room.
Step 5 After the point beacons have hardened, clean the surface of the crosses from putty, pay attention that it is even. Put the rule on two adjacent points on top, put the solution with a spatula into the gap formed between it and the concrete floor. From the first time it is difficult to guess the thickness, in the future it will appear practical experience and work will go significantly faster.
Step 6 Rule carefully align the surface of the shaft made. If there are unfilled places, then add a little putty to them and again level the surface with the rule. Remove excess mass immediately in a container, mix the mass periodically.
It is possible to level the floor only after the beacons have completely solidified. It is allowed to use a self-leveling floor mortar, a cement-sand mixture or an adhesive for ceramic tiles. Decide for yourself which one, but there are general recommendations.
- The cost is the cheapest cement-sand mortar. If you have large areas or a significant thickness of the floor leveling, it is better to use this material. Per cubic meter of solution, significant financial savings are obtained.
- In terms of physical strength, tile adhesive is in first place. But it is difficult to work with him, you need to have practical experience.
- Self-leveling floors serve as additional waterproofing, in some cases this property allows you to speed up construction work.
As for time, there is almost no difference. You don't have to believe that bulk materials allow you to significantly reduce the time of leveling the floor. Experienced Builder will make exactly the same footage with the help of beacons and rules.
Step 7 Pour the mass between the beacons, align it as a rule. The tool must be pulled towards you and at the same time perform small movements to the left and right in amplitude. There are gaps - add the solution and repeat the leveling.
Practical advice. For inexperienced builders, after leveling the rule, small waves may remain on the floor surface. This is not a problem, do not scrape off the frozen mass. It is much better, easier and faster to repeat the leveling of the floor in a direction perpendicular to the first one. No more beacons. Just pour a thin layer of the solution on the floor and, as a rule, pull off the excess, make the mass a little thinner. It will fill all the waves and perfectly level the floor.
Leveling a concrete floor with tile adhesive according to a simplified scheme
This method is great for ceramic tiles, the time of work is significantly reduced, and the quality completely satisfies the tilers. It is quite difficult to level the floor during tile laying by changing the thickness of the adhesive; only highly professional tilers can do this. And even then, most of them prefer to level the concrete base on their own and lay tiles on the finished surface, especially if the height difference is 1 cm or more. The end result is time savings.
Step 1. Cut down large mounds, remove the surface from building dust and garbage. If the concrete is very dry, it is recommended to moisten it with plenty of water. Water should not be immediately drawn out of the adhesive, it is needed for the optimal flow of chemical reactions. The lack of the required amount of liquid critically reduces the strength of the adhesive leveling layer.
Step 2 Prepare the tile adhesive. There is a caveat here, the glue should be a little thinner than the manufacturer recommends. It will be difficult to work with thick, in addition, in places with a small thickness, water is quickly absorbed by concrete, which causes a decrease in physical strength indicators. We have already mentioned this. The consistency of the solution should resemble ordinary sour cream or heavy cream and spread a little over the surface.
Step 3 Pour the adhesive in portions onto the floor surface and, as a rule, pull off the excess. The towering sections of concrete serve as beacons, the glue fills only the depressions.
Important. Before starting work, you need to determine in which direction to pull the tool. This can be done after a careful inspection of the concrete floor. You should find the beacons by which it flooded. Then bubble level or the rule to find out the location of the recesses.
Professional builders during this alignment after the first screed make a few more additional diagonal or circular movements as a rule. At the same time, the pressing force is minimal, the quality of alignment largely depends on practical experience.
If after the first pass the height differences still have big values, then draw the rule in a perpendicular direction to the first pass. Once again we warn you, on the second pass, reduce the pressing force. You do not need to achieve ideal performance, differences in height within ± 5 mm for laying tiles are not a problem.
In order to improve the adhesion of the adhesive to concrete, after pouring, it is recommended to carefully rub it into the floor with a spatula or trowel. The recesses found after stretching the rule must be immediately covered with glue and re-leveled. The work does not take much time, the only drawback is that tiles can only be laid the next day. But a professional builder does not waste time, there is always a small amount of previously deferred or preparatory work at the facility.
Video - Leveling the concrete floor with bulk mixtures
Leveling the concrete floor is necessary for laying the subsequent decorative coating. Therefore, this is an important part of the improvement of the premises, which includes classic and modern ways leveling, such as wet and dry screed, pouring the composition and falling asleep multi-component mixtures.
Peculiarities
In apartments where people live for a long time, top part concrete pavement The floor is gradually broken, sometimes coming into disrepair. In that case, in without fail carry out a major overhaul of either the entire floor, or a separately leaky part of it.
In new homes, concrete floor screeds tend to be better prepared and look smoother. But here, too, it is necessary to take into account individual shortcomings that arise in the places where individual plates are joined to each other. And when buying such an apartment, residents most often have to additionally carry out minor repairs. Before the beginning repair work careful measurements, cleaning and other types of floor preparation for leveling are carried out.
The preparatory stage includes the removal of the outer coating and the inspection of all uneven places and crevices found. Some of the defects exist in houses from the moment of construction and then become even more aggravated during operation.
The height of the concrete pavement should ideally be the same over the entire floor area. To determine this indicator, a long tool is used, which is called the level. Often, modern devices are also connected to the process - laser builders or water levels.
Preliminary measurements reveal, first of all, two main parameters - the highest point on the surface and the most extensive and deep dent. The gap between them is to be evenly filled with concrete or other material.
It is necessary to raise the sagging places to the maximum level, counting from zero - between the horizon and the floor plane. Only after that, linoleum or tile, parquet or laminate is applied to the subfloor. At the same time, we must not forget that all parts of the interior are interconnected: if the coating is excessively raised, it may be difficult to open doors and operate heating batteries. In order not to redo the work twice, these factors must be taken into account in advance.
What is better to equalize?
The ideal material for leveling, according to many experts, has not yet been invented. Putty can eliminate small roughness, putty and cover chips conveniently and with the help of tile adhesive.
A liquid mixture of concrete and water combined with other fibers is an excellent leveling agent for small dents. For preparation as a filler of the sand-concrete composition, cement grade M-400, sand and thinner are used. A building mixer mixes all the components, since it is rather difficult to achieve a high-quality leveler manually.
cement mortar level significant defects, achieving results even in case of serious damage to the concrete base during construction. Gypsum composition used to fix metal guides in the screed process, the so-called beacons. At home, when doing do-it-yourself repair work, ready-made dry mixes and polystyrene concrete are preferable, combining synthetic plasticity and fast, durable hardening after application. In the case of using a universal ready-made or mixed mixture of concrete and sand obtained in a mixer, the poured floor is subjected to additional grinding with a special machine.
Work technology
A completely smooth and even floor looks beautiful and elegant, while a curved flooring detracts from the aesthetic perception of the entire room or kitchen. In the process of overhaul, the floors in the house are the last to be dismantled, and they are the first to be put in order. If a total leveling of surfaces is carried out during the preparatory work, the floor is first leveled, and then they move on to the walls and ceiling.
Among the common defects in the floor screed in both private and multi-storey buildings of a standard layout, experts call:
- Local minor errors that look like level "swells" that create irregularities on the floor.
- Changes and drops in the form of periodic, especially noticeable on the surface of finding waves from concrete or other material. In private buildings, such waves on the floor can be quite significant, up to several centimeters.
- Small wave drops or "chill". These defects usually remain after application. construction tool- regulations.
- small cracks, lenses and caverns, protruding pieces of rubble, as evidence of the destruction of the floor. In this case, it becomes unsafe to move around the house, it is impossible to securely fix furniture and household appliances. In addition, the ability of the coating to provide insulation from noise, odors and excess moisture is lost.
The floor needs to be cleaned, putty bumps and chipped parts. In order to reduce the consumption of a concrete-based leveling compound or not to break a plywood sheet, large bumps are knocked down with a chisel.
Leveling methods used by builders: the use of concrete or dry screed on pre-set beacons or without them, as well as the method bulk coating gender. Right choice method depends on the magnitude of the difference between the maximum and minimum levels.
If the irregularities are minor, up to two or three centimeters, a technology such as arranging a self-leveling floor is suitable. This is an expensive way, because one square meter area is a significant amount of mixture for leveling. Therefore, dry screed or alignment with beacons is most often used.
In order to make a screed based on a sand-concrete mixture with high quality, metal slats are laid on the base, which will indicate guidelines for movement during the screed. The process is labor-intensive, but it allows you to even out potholes and differences of several centimeters, to make the coating ideal in any room.
Step by step, the work is carried out as follows. Necessary:
- Prepare the floor by removing oil stains and dirt.
- Put waterproofing material, gluing the joints. Leave allowances along the walls of the room.
- Using a level, mount metal guides - beacons. The distance between them is allowed no more than one meter, otherwise it will be more difficult to level the surface.
- Prepare a concrete-sand mixture, preferably immediately for the entire area to be poured. Stirring time - from an hour to an hour and a half, so that the composition does not harden. Most often, a building automatic mixer is used, bringing the composition to a semi-liquid state. Ready mix should only spread a little to the sides without spreading.
- Alignment is done from a distant corner, in small parts, using a rule. Applying the mixture, it is immediately leveled. To securely close all dents, the mixture is scattered on the sides, and not just along the guides. In order not to form air gaps, each layer of the screed must be pierced with a metal knitting needle.
- A thick screed is reinforced with other material, and special seams are cut for shrinkage. The distance between them is selected up to three meters. After that, the flooded surface is left for about a day. After this time, the screed must be moistened with water from the sprayer and left for another two days. Then you can check whether the sand concrete mixture has solidified well.
- At the next stage, the surface is moistened again, a polyethylene film is placed on top to protect it from cracks.
- Over the next week, daily moistening of the screed is required, then the film is removed, leaving the floor to dry naturally. The process of complete drying takes at least a week or even two.
- The dry finished surface has a uniform gray color. Tapping it with a block of wood causes the layer to sound the same anywhere on the floor.
- If the alignment is done qualitatively, you can proceed with the installation of the coating of laminate, linoleum, and parquet. Tiles can be installed at the same time last layer screeds.
When performing alignment, one should not rush too much, but it is also undesirable to delay the procedure. Cold seams may appear. Therefore, it is recommended, especially in the case of a large room, to invite an assistant and work together.
Material
Whatever the main coating is laid - tiles, parquet boards or linoleum, they are used to level the floor. auxiliary materials. Most often, plywood, layers of concrete and GVL are placed under the flooring. Only in this case is it possible to achieve required quality flawless surface, ready to serve for many years.
Sand and cement based screed refers to classic options, because it provides a flat surface even in those rooms where the differences reach four or more centimeters. Dry screed is provided with self-leveling mixtures based on quartz sand, granular particles and expanded clay, expanded polystyrene. flat surface give sheets of plywood, chipboard, fiberboard or gypsum fiber sheets that are resistant to moisture.
room
Level the floor, achieving perfect coverage, adopted by polystyrene concrete, wet or dry mix. This method, along with cement-sand screed, well prepares the floor for laminate and parquet in the living room and bedroom, nursery or dining room. If the apartment is small low ceiling, and the differences in the floor are not more than three millimeters, it is better to resort to a flooded floor, which will dry out after 12-14 hours. The entire process of laying the floor, as a rule, does not take more than two weeks.
A polyurethane-based filler floor is not intended for rooms with temperature fluctuations; it is better to use this method starting from the second floor. But he is great option rough base for laminate. Before applying the self-levelling compound, the floor must be thoroughly primed. Then the finished liquid composition is poured onto the floor, leveling with a spatula.
To eliminate air bubbles that cause coating defects, a needle roller is used, piercing the filled layer. The flooded floor dries in just 15 minutes, so you should do all the operations together with an assistant. Slows down hardening cold water with which the coating is wetted.
If you have to lay linoleum, the surface must be absolutely flat. To ensure these goals, a method such as a dry screed for drops of no more than a centimeter and a half is suitable. If repairs need to be done quickly, strengthening the floor with almost no defects, leveling is done with sheets of plywood or chipboard. Strengthen them with self-tapping screws and dowels after gluing to the floor surface.
For the kitchen and balcony, beautiful ceramic tiles are often used as the main coating. There is an easy way to lay it evenly while repairing small imperfections in the concrete base. The method does not give a full leveling of the floor, however, it allows you to lay the tiles evenly. First you need to draw horizontal lines above the floor surface on the walls along the entire perimeter of the room. This will be the level at which the tiles are laid.
