How to properly level the floor in the room. Is it possible to level individual sections of the screed with a self-leveling floor

To date, there are several techniques that talk about how you can level the floor, even if it has huge irregularities. They are all field tested. What are the most commonly used methods?

These include bulk floors using self-leveling mixtures, a classic screed using a cement-sand mortar. The choice of one or another method of leveling the floor depends on the unevenness of the surface, height differences, its slope.

For instance if there are height differences of about 50 mm or more on the floor, it is advisable to use a screed. It allows you to make the floor even, even with very strong irregularities.

If you need a “dry” base, raised floors made of plywood sheets on logs or chipboards are suitable. This method has an advantage. It lies in the fact that there is no need to wait for the floors to dry completely, and only then proceed to the fine finish, namely the laying of the substrate and the laminate itself.

In other words, this method is the most suitable and clean among all those associated with floor leveling.

Naturally, each type of mixture has its own characteristics, they should be taken into account when studying their properties. If you are planning to level a floor that has a wooden base, you will need mixtures that contain fiberglass.

Useful advice ! In the case of a concrete base, it is better to buy quick-drying mixtures that include various additives.

A separate case is made up of mixtures with the help of which small defects in the base are eliminated. They allow you to smooth out small irregularities, but it also happens that you have to fill cracks and recesses, the depth of which reaches 20-30 mm.

Be that as it may, the advantage of self-leveling compounds is that they quickly harden. If the area of \u200b\u200bthe room whose floors you will level is higher than 8 m 2, you will have to buy limiters and divide the area into sectors with them. This will make it easier to pour the mixture.

Floor leveling methods

How can I level a wood floor before laying laminate flooring? This method is called "dry", in this case a floor screed is not required.

The base is cleaned of putty, paint and dust that could accidentally get on it. Having purchased an unplanned board, build logs on the base. The board should have a size of 100 * 40 mm. Logs are fastened with anchors with an interval of 300 mm.

Useful advice! As often as possible, measure the surface with a level in a horizontal plane to determine how flat it is. If you notice a drop or slope, it can be removed by placing wooden wedges under the boards.

You can start creating the crate: the logs must have crossbars, which are fastened with self-tapping screws. The spacing is equal to the sheet sizes. Sheets of chipboard or plywood, previously treated with an antiseptic, are laid on the logs. Seal the seams with sealant.

« Wet", or self-leveling floor

It is advisable to use it if the height differences are insignificant (up to approximately 30 mm). In the same way, you can level the self-leveling mixture. The mixture is sold as a dry powder packaged in 25 kg bags.

It is designed to be diluted with water in a certain proportion. Each manufacturer indicates on the bag the proportions that are important not to “overdo it” and not pour more water than required. The “pot life” of the solution is a maximum of 10 minutes.

Important! First of all, clean the surface of dust and other elements, apply a primer layer. If you see cracks, bumps and flaws, cover them.

When the floor preparation is completed, you can start mixing the self-leveling mortar, which is then poured onto the surface in parts and leveled using a rule. These actions must be carried out at the same time, so make sure that someone will help you.

The self-leveling floor dries for about a day, but this time may be less. The main thing is to monitor the level of temperature and humidity in the room in which you made the self-leveling floor.

If you are thinking about how to level the floor with a leveler, consider the working conditions in which it can be applied. For example, the presence of a draft and a change in temperature in the room are unacceptable, otherwise the floor may crack.

Leveling wooden floors

We suggest considering the method of leveling the floors on which the laminate or linoleum will be laid without removing the board. If there are no gaps on the floor, there is no extraneous sound in the form of a creak when walking, and it is durable, only the boards are peeling off, it is easy to repair.

The main thing is to understand what quality your floor covering and lags.

So, the repair itself is as follows:

First of all, the floor is leveled - puttying work is carried out, OSB boards or plywood are laid, a screed is being built.
Then a fine finish is carried out - the floor covering is laid.
To clarify how uneven the floor is, marks are applied to the walls, corners and middle of the walls.
If during measurements you notice a difference in height of about 5 mm, you can assume that the floor of your room is ideal. There is no need for additional alignment.

Only one job can be done- putty the floor surface with acrylic sealant, which has good ductility. But before you do this, prime the surface.

If after leveling work you want to lay linoleum or carpets on the floor, it is best to sand the putty surface.

Not in every case, acrylic putty is used. Sometimes you will have to apply a layer of putty, which includes PVA glue. In truth, there is one drawback, expressed by the strong adhesion of the putty, which will make it difficult to apply an even layer.

Remember The more putty you applied, the longer it will take to dry.

Then, a sheet of plywood with a thickness of up to 20 mm (GVL is possible) is laid on the prepared floor surface. If GVL is used, the top of the profile will act as lags for the floor. If the width of the board is about 200 mm and the profile is evenly distributed, plywood 8-10 mm thick will suffice.

If the floor height difference of 2 mm does not please you, you will need to build a support under the new base, which will have one level. You can do this in the following way:

Logs from bars will serve as a tape support. This method is suitable if the floor level difference ranges from 30-100 mm.
At the same time, “covens” will help to ensure that the bars are on one side - linings from pieces of a bar that have different thicknesses.
The gap between this type of lag depends on the thickness of the materials you choose: for example, if it is plywood with a thickness of 14 mm, or fiberboard sheets with a thickness of 18 mm, the gap will be 350 mm. If the sheets are thicker, the distance can be increased up to 500 mm.
You can fasten them both across and along. The main thing is to ensure accurate marking of sheets for drilling holes.
"Shabashki", they are also point supports. This method is acceptable in cases of small differences, since point support is less reliable than tape fastening.
Point supports are installed more often - according to the type of grid 350 * 350 mm (in the event that the plywood is 14 mm thick, chipboard 16 mm) or the grid 450 * 450 mm (if the thickness of the chipboard is 24 mm, plywood 18 mm.

At the last stage, a screed is constructed, it is made on the basis of a wooden floor. Often, many people use the well-known cement-sand screed, it is used only in cases where the wooden floor has reinforced concrete floor.

In other cases, it is better to use a dry self-leveling mixture, which includes special additives - plasticizers. They will make your screed plastic and elastic. These types of screeds should be applied in a thickness of about 1 cm.

Important! The surface you will work with must be pre-reinforced and primed. It should also have a layer of waterproofing material on it.

You are now ready to start laying or laying the finish coat. Do not forget about such a moment as underground ventilation. If there is a ventilation grill, even though it is old, do not cover it with wallpaper or cover it with wallpaper. She'll come in handy. What is it, you ask?

It's simple, it will allow the floor under the finish to be ventilated, therefore, it will not rot.

Leveling for laying laminate flooring

There are several ways to level the floor for laying laminate - they are all similar, the principle is the same. To begin with, the floor height difference is determined, the base surface is prepared for leveling, all irregularities are polished and removed (cracks and depressions are repaired, the surface is polished).

It may be that the surface distortion is insignificant (about 20 mm), in which case the leveling mixture is poured.

Useful information ! If the floor in your apartment has significant height differences, you will need to make more efforts: remove the old floor covering, clean the base from dirt, prime it. Only after priming and drying of the soil, proceed to pouring the self-leveling mixture.

After taking measurements and receiving disappointing results, which indicate that you will have to good alignment floor under the laminate, set the beacons to the level required to create a flat floor (drywall guides are not a bad option, since they are initially even).

Beacons are installed in such a way that they coincide with the mark along the perimeter of the room, and the interval should be 600-800 mm. It is best to fasten the beacons with self-tapping screws. You can fill.

The building mixture is poured between the beacons, if necessary, level it. After the screed has dried, proceed to the finishing work.

I want to note that not in all cases it is necessary to use a screed to level the floor. In some, you can use a method such as leveling the floor under a laminate or linoleum using cement particle boards, they are also CSP.

The base is prepared according to the same principle as in the case of a screed. Only instead of using lighthouses, building boards serve as the basis for the future floor. They are aligned on the plane with a building level and attached to the base of the floor. And already sheets of DSP are laid on them, fastened with self-tapping screws.

The gaps between them are filled with sealant. At each stage, measure the surface with a building level. Everything, surface leveling is completed and you can start laying the laminate. Leveling for laying linoleum

Not in all cases it is required to level the floor in a “wet” way, that is, using a cement screed. In some cases, it is enough to apply the alignment method, which is called "dry".

The basis of this method is plywood sheets, the thickness of which is from 12 mm. They have sufficient strength and moisture-resistant properties - this option is more acceptable if the base of your floors consists of wooden structure.

Plywood offers excellent resistance to deflection and bending that can occur when walking on the floor, installing furniture and creating a general interior.

And the price of this material is less than others. Plywood sheets have proven themselves as a material for leveling uneven boards.

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

Why is floor leveling required?

Today, concrete flooring can be seen in commercial premises, industrial facilities, and living rooms. It has a lot of useful characteristics, but it is possible to use them only when the concrete bases are qualitatively leveled. The most common defects in concrete floors are:

shallow "waves" called chills that appear after the rule;
smooth repetitive changes in the level of the floor - wave drops;
raising (local) floor level - influxes.

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

And from an aesthetic point of view, uneven flooring, you see, does not add beauty to the room. To avoid these inconveniences, competent leveling of the floor with your own hands is required. Such a procedure, carried out qualitatively, in addition, will achieve a high level of noise, hydro and thermal insulation of the floor covering. The leveling of the concrete base is carried out by arranging the screed, which can be done wet or dry.

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

Cement-sand composition - a classic leveling

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

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

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

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

It is necessary to stir the composition very carefully. It is best to do this with a construction mixer. The finished solution should not spread, but at the same time on a flat base it should be slightly blurred. Please note - the mixture is applied after stirring for 60-90 minutes (otherwise it will simply harden). And you need to cook it immediately for the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room.

Pouring a cement-sand screed - we work carefully

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

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

If you hesitate, "cold seams" are guaranteed to appear on the surface. They will significantly reduce the strength characteristics of the finished layer. For this reason, do-it-yourself floor leveling should be done not alone, but with an assistant. After laying the entire cement-sand mortar, it is left for 24 hours, and then using a spray gun or a roller for painting works moisten thoroughly. After 48-60 hours, you will need to check how well she grabbed.

After that, the screed is moistened again and a plastic film is placed on it. It protects the floor from rapid drying, which is fraught with the appearance of cracks. Over the next 7-8 days, once a day, it is required to moisten the screed with water. And then the film is removed and the floor is left to dry in natural conditions for another 1-2 weeks. On the completed screed in the kitchen or in another room, you can safely lay the floor covering that you have chosen. But first, make sure that the screed is of high quality.

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

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

Dry screed - how to level the floors without water?

Do-it-yourself “cleaner” leveling of the floor is carried out using mixtures consisting of granulate, quartz sand, expanded clay or expanded polystyrene, and fiberboard, chipboard, moisture-resistant gypsum fiber sheet materials or regular plywood. Such a screed additionally soundproofs and insulates the room, so it is used in the kitchen or hall in the apartments of high-rise buildings. It is not difficult to independently make such an alignment even for a person very far from building wisdom.

Advantages of dry screed:

fast execution of work and the possibility of laying the selected floor covering immediately after the completion of leveling operations;
no need to use water to mix the solution;
installation of utilities inside the screed is allowed;
work can be done without assistants, performing them gradually on small areas of the room.

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

The scheme for leveling a concrete floor using this technology is as follows:

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

The work is done fairly quickly. You may only have a problem with the fact that it is forbidden to move sheets over a layer of dry leveling material. So, it is required to put them on the planned place from the first time.

Self-leveling floors - an affordable and convenient leveling method

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

Such self-leveling coatings cannot be operated "naked" - without flooring on them. ceramic tiles, PVC materials, linoleum, cork or carpet. If you decide to use, for example, in the kitchen, be sure to finish them with the specified materials. Otherwise, they will actively absorb oils and various liquids.

How to level the floor with your own hands using a self-levelling compound? Quite easy. Stick to this pattern:

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

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

Agree, it is difficult to imagine a beautiful and cozy house without a flat floor, because this is the basis of all the foundations. Driving into new house or an apartment, each owner seeks first of all to deal with the arrangement of the floor. And modern Construction Materials And the latest technology allow you to make the floor beautiful and even with your own hands, even for a person who does not have enough experience.

In the vast majority of cases, building slabs serve as the base of the floor covering, which often have a far from the most even surface, which inevitably entails differences in floor level. Of course, it is impossible to put a new coating on such a surface. The floor must be leveled, in other words, a cement screed is required.

It should be noted that self-leveling the floor with a concrete screed is a rather long and very dirty process, but even a beginner can do it.

Surface preparation

The video describes how to take measurements to level the floor in all rooms of the apartment to the same level.

Before starting work, the surface to be leveled must be carefully prepared - cleaned of dust, paint, loose parts of concrete, oil stains. All cracks are sealed at the base, as they lead to material leakage.

Professional builders in the process of laying electrical wiring in the cavity of the slabs to illuminate the center of the room often do not drill one side of the slab from the ceiling side, but make a “high-tech hole” with a sledgehammer and a crowbar, punching the slab to its entire depth from a higher floor. This, of course, will save the builders some time, but it will give you decibels of noise and "flavors" from the apartment below.

Surface preparation for screed

If you are a victim of “high domestic building technologies”, then carefully and carefully close up all the holes, otherwise you will have to get to know your neighbors later under other circumstances.

Concrete screed level marking

When the surface is well cleaned, you can begin to mark the level of the future coating. For this, a building hydraulic level is used, made up of a pair of flasks with marks connected to each other by a long hose. The operation of this instrument is based on the principle of connected vessels - the liquid in vertically arranged flasks will be located at the same level.

Marking with a hydraulic level

Marking should be carried out by two people: one will install the first flask in the corner of the room, marking the initial strip on the wall, and the other should move with the second flask, making marks around the entire perimeter of the room at the same level. Further, by means of measurements from the floor to the marks, the level of the future floor is determined directly.

Important point: for greater strength, it is not recommended to make a coating less than 30 millimeters thick.

Primer for concrete screed

The primer makes it possible to increase the adhesion (adhesion) of the screed to your surface, and in addition, it helps to waterproof the base. And this operation cannot be neglected, since savings can lead to the fact that the floor will subsequently crack.

Primer for concrete screed

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

Dry building mixes for concrete screeds

Cement screed for leveling floors is best done using dry building mixes. The binder components in them are non-shrink types of cement. In the form of a filling material, fine-grained sand is taken. After mixing with water, such a composition forms an emulsion that spreads well over the surface and fills all irregularities well.

Dry mixes

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

Groups of building mixtures:

mixtures for primary leveling. Allows you to create the main layer of coatings. The surface as a result turns out to be uneven, since filler materials of a large fraction are used in such mixtures;
finishing mixtures of the second type correct the shortcomings of the first. They contain small fractions of fillers, and they spread very well over the surface, resulting in a smooth and even coating. The finishing mixture is applied in a thin layer, the thickness of which should be only a few millimeters.

Installation of beacons for concrete screed

After the primer has been carried out, it is necessary to mount beacon profiles on the floor surface - they will be a kind of levels for setting the thickness of the screed being performed. In cross section, such profiles resemble the letter "T".

Guide profiles are fixed with mortar

The slats must be mounted on the floor parallel to each other - so that the top is at the same level as the marks on the wall. This can be done, for example, using a stretched cord or a conventional building level.

To the base, the slats are fixed at several points along the entire length of the walls with gypsum or mortar. Keep a distance between the fixing points - 1-1.5 meters, based on considerations of the length of the leveling tool. In particular, if it is a 1.5-meter instrument, the distance should be 120-130 centimeters. If a three-meter rule is used, the slats can be spaced 2-2.5 meters apart.

Reiki are fixed at several points along the entire length

Highly professional specialists do not install these profiles, since they are able to create horizontal surfaces even without them.

But if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to install them, as slats really improve the quality of work.

Before laying a new coating on the floor, preliminary surface preparation is necessary. It consists in leveling the floor. The subsequent installation and the amount of raw materials used depend on how well this work will be carried out. How to level the floor quickly? To do this, you need to know the laying technology and the rules for following the steps well.

With the help of a screed, you can level the floor even with significant defects, the main thing is to correctly set the beacons.

Therefore, the question of how to level the floor is quite logical, the answer to it can be found below.

First prepare the following tools:

level;
empty containers;
perforator;
hammer;
rule and others that may be required during work (for example, tape measure).

Surface preparation

Before leveling the base, it is necessary to prepare the surface. To do this, remove the old baseboards, carefully remove the coating, debris and dust. As soon as cleaning is completed, it is important to properly prime the surface. Beacons are installed in the corners, advantage is given to laser ones. It is important to correctly determine the height of this device. Then 4 points for the solution are assigned.

After that, the beacons are pressed to the desired height limit. For a clear installation of these elements, you can use a solution prepared from cement and gypsum. They are well smeared with this mixture. Moreover, it is not worth completely coating it, you can leave a free space of 10 cm. A possible height difference will be 5-30 mm.

Screed making: features

This floor leveling technique is especially relevant among masters. It is often carried out on surfaces subject to significant defects. It is worth noting that the floor in a room with high humidity must be provided with high-quality waterproofing.

The subsequent installation of beacons will help to qualitatively level the floor. They are placed around the perimeter of the room. It is important to maintain an equal distance between them. It is equal to the length of the rule minus 20 cm.

Their installation is associated with the following factors:

The elevation level of the named structure will correspond to the height of the future floor. Therefore, this basis is given increased interest. When constructing a screed in rooms with plumbing where there are pipes, they must be provided with reliable protection against mechanical damage that occurs during the expansion of the dried solution due to heating. For these purposes, it is good to use a damper tape, it is installed over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room.
Further leveling of the floor is associated with the preparation of a solution in proportions of 1: 3, making it from sand and cement.
After that, the prepared mixture is poured into the space between the beacons and the base is smoothed using the rule.
The main part of the techniques is designed to work with the surface during the week. It is believed that during this time the solution will acquire a special strength.

Important! To prepare a cement mixture, water should be used in a ratio of 50% to dry matter. Excessively liquid consistency leads to the appearance of cracks in the base.

How to level the floor? To obtain the necessary information, you can read the recommendations that allow the use of special-purpose mixtures for the installation of self-leveling floors. Such structures are not afraid of dampness, various mechanical influences and are distinguished by excellent external data.

The technique is so simple that even an inexperienced master can handle it. Basic rules for leveling the self-leveling floor:

On the eve of the repair work, the room should be cleaned with a thorough sweeping of debris from the surface. Then there is a double priming of the base.
Then horizontal marks are applied to the walls, a level or level will help with this.
After that, special beacons, called benchmarks, are placed around the perimeter. They must be level. It is independently set according to the length of the probe and will show the thickness of the self-leveling floor.
Further, a damper tape is installed over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room, which provides the surface with reliable protection from mechanical influences that occur during expansion under the action of high temperatures.
After that, you need to prepare the mixture. To correctly maintain the proportions, you can read the instructions that come with the material. In order for the stirring process to be most fruitful and fast, you can use a nozzle on a drill.
It is necessary to start pouring the floor from especially problematic areas, in which there are pits and irregularities. The level of the mixture is regulated by benchmarks. Often, many specialists, in order to quickly level the floor, use spiked rollers to help fight air bubbles in the mixture.
The solidification time of the named solution is directly dependent on the selected material.

In order to properly level the floor in the room, on the eve of pouring the surface, a certain air temperature should be maintained in the room, which will affect the further operation of the base. If such recommendations are not followed, the surface may be deformed and brought into an improper form.

Logs and their proper arrangement

You can level the floor in this way without making a screed. To do this, the coating you like is placed on a pre-prepared base.

First, horizontal markings are made on the walls.
After that, timber bars are laid all over the floor.
The allowable distance between the lags will be 50 cm. Dowels are used for better fastening.
Some experts, in order to better level the floor, mount additional logs in the space between the slats. It turns out the base in the form of squares.
To give the surface maximum evenness, you can use the building level with the appropriate markings. The resulting height will match the final surface.
In the space between the slats, it is possible to install insulating materials and a waterproofing layer.
The subsequent leveling of the floor is associated with the installation of plywood sheets. Self-tapping screws are used as fasteners, which are simply recessed in the plane.

In order to provide the surface with a moisture resistant base, an appropriate material can be used. The result is a coating that is not afraid of moisture.

Individual specialists in order to reduce costs when installation work often use a regular floorboard.

It is screwed to the lags with special fasteners.

In order for the leveling of the base to be successful, it is important to dry the wood first. Otherwise, it may noticeably deform. The coating with lags is collected during the day.

The use of fiberboard under linoleum

Leveling the base with the help of a wood board was used back in the Soviet era, but even today it has not lost its relevance. Often such a coating is presented as an additional means for warming the base.

Fiberboard also helps straighten the plane and prepare it for laying linoleum. However, fiberboard is able to deteriorate from dampness and become unusable within 6 months in the absence of waterproofing. Therefore, it is important to do the following:

dry the base during any period of work;
a polyethylene film is placed under the fiberboard layer with an overlap of 5-10 cm;
it is desirable to treat the layers with drying oil.

Then sheets of wood board are placed on the base, they are allowed to adapt and smooth out their own plane. Next, you can start fastening the material.

Fixing fiberboard to concrete

Fiberboard is glued to concrete with tar or boiled drying oil. Despite the high speed of the flooring, it will not be easy to dismantle these foundations later. The most common method of fixing fiberboard is dowels. But such a base may not be reflected in the best way on linoleum in the future. To avoid trouble, the caps of the screws need to be deepened.

Hardboard flooring involves preliminary surface preparation. For this, a leveling procedure is carried out with putty.

To carry out high-quality leveling of the floor, you need to stock up on tools. They will help to avoid visible errors.
A flawless surface can be made using leveling compounds.
A less expensive method of leveling the base would be a conventional cement screed. However, the process of its creation differs in some difficulties.
The use of leveling compounds must be combined with strict adherence to the installation instructions.
Priming the mixture will provide durable protection against dampness, will contribute to good adhesion of the surface and reliable protection against fungus.
Conclusion

All of these recommendations answer the question: how to level the floor? Each of these methods has its positive and negative indications. Giving preference to one or another variety, it is important to make a decision and choose suitable option, which helps to carry out smoothing measures in a short time.

Holding overhaul often forces the owners to resort to leveling the existing surfaces, and this applies not only to vertical, but also to horizontal areas. Proper base preparation has a direct impact on durability and attractiveness. finishing materials, therefore, this issue must be approached with all responsibility. Today we will talk about how to properly level the floor and what tools are best suited for this.

Peculiarities

If you want your home to look aesthetically pleasing and not be ashamed to show it to guests, then it is necessary to think through and refine all the details in it. This applies not only to the color of the finish or furniture design, but also to the neat and even appearance of the surfaces. It's no secret that "wave-like" ceilings or floors are most often striking. Such defects can spoil even the most stylish and original interior its unpresentability.

To avoid such troubles, it is worth leveling the surfaces that need it. It is necessary to carry out such work before you decide on the floor finish. It can be good old linoleum, laminate, parquet board, expensive massive board, soft carpet or tile. All of these coatings require a perfectly flat subfloor. If you lay them on an uneven rough base, they will look sloppy and will not last very long.

Leveling the floor can be done by hand. In this case, you need to be as careful as possible. In no case do not start work without reading the instructions for the selected material. Incorrect actions can lead to noticeable deformations of the base, which will not be so easy to get rid of.

It is worth noting that floor leveling must be addressed not only in the process of repairing a city apartment, but also in a private house. Modern manufacturers produce many varieties of leveling compounds, the drying of which does not have to wait too long.

In addition, thanks to the wide range, there are different ways to lay the leveler on the subfloor, so best option every consumer can choose.

materials

Do not think that only dry mixes are sold for leveling the floor, which must be diluted with water. In fact, others are great for such purposes. practical materials with which it is easy and convenient to work. Let's consider them in more detail.

Plywood

This material is the most practical in matters of dry leveling. Floor screed using such parts is less expensive, especially when compared with the use of special expensive mixtures.

If you are going to renovate a room in which there is high humidity, then it is worth turning to moisture-resistant raw materials. In addition to the good old plywood, you can use GVLV, MDF, OSB, chipboard or chipboard.

The choice of plywood base should be approached quite seriously. Depending on the height of the floor differences, sheets of the appropriate thickness should be selected. Also, the type of finish you choose and the method of laying it affect the purchase of leveling plywood. So, for soft carpet or elastic linoleum, it is permissible to install plywood sheets of small thickness. This choice is due to the fact that these finishing products do not require a perfectly flat base.

If we are talking about such popular coatings as laminate or parquet board, then it is worth buying plywood, the thickness of which is at least 12 mm. It should be thicker, as the above floor coverings require the most even surface for installation.

There are no phenols and other similar compounds in the composition of FC sheets. Such materials are absolutely safe for human health even at high temperatures. In addition, FC specimens have an average moisture resistance and resistance to mechanical damage.

If the space holds high humidity, then you should contact to plywood brand FSF. This material is more durable and wear-resistant. He is not afraid of temperature changes. However, plywood acquires such good performance characteristics of PSF due to the use of harmful formaldehyde resins in the production process. These substances are toxic and hazardous to human health.

In accordance with GOST, plywood sheets of the following grades are produced:

1 grade. These are products of the highest quality. There is not the slightest defect on their surface. However, GOST allows for small cracks (no more than 20 cm), as well as the presence of minimal warping of the material.
2 grade. For this grade, materials are made in which minimal glue seepage and wood inserts are acceptable. On the surface of such sheets, you can notice scratches and dents, which occupy about 5% of total area existing surface.
3 grade. Material in this category may have noticeable traces of wormholes on the surface, as well as intergrown and fallen knots.
4 grade. Such materials are of the lowest quality. They have many different defects that appear during their production. But despite the big shortcomings, the veneer, as a rule, is glued with high quality and reliably.

Most experienced craftsmen advise turning to grade 2 plywood.

Among other things, this leveling material is sanded and unpolished. This parameter is indicated by the letter "Ш":

The designation "Sh1" means that the plywood is produced with one-sided grinding;
"Sh-2" - double-sided;
"NSh" - unpolished material.

On sanded plywood sheets, you can find designations of the free formaldehyde emission class (as is the case with laminated chipboard):

"E-1" means the presence of 10 milligrams for every 10 g of plywood;
"E-2" - 10-30 mgm per 100 g of dry weight.

Expanded clay

There are currently many different materials, which are most often used in leveling the sexual base before finishing. However, there are cases when there is nothing better than the preparation of the base with expanded clay. This old and well-known material is indispensable in the following cases:

If the height difference of the base is more than 10 cm. If you install a classic concrete screed on such a surface, then its weight can form a serious load on the floors. Expanded clay is recognized as one of the lightest and most undemanding materials. It does not overload the floor structure at all.
If the base is represented by a reinforced concrete slab. This material is cold. This is noticeable in the conditions of the lower floors. With the help of expanded clay, you can fix this problem, as it can make the floor a little warmer.
If there are various additional communications or electric heating systems under the floor level.
If the repair budget is significantly limited. It is worth noting here that leveling the floor with expanded clay will cost the owners much less than a heavy concrete screed.

The main advantages of expanded clay include the following distinctive characteristics:

Environmental friendliness. Expanded clay, even in conditions of temperature extremes, does not emit harmful substances and does not contain hazardous compounds.
Durability. It lasts a very long time and does not create any problems during operation.
thermal insulation characteristics.
Noise isolation properties.
Fire safety. Expanded clay is not a flammable material.
Resistant to temperature extremes.
Low cost.

Experts say with confidence that such material is considered an excellent solution for leveling hopeless foundations. It is often used to tidy up foundations with pits and a slope exceeding 10 cm.

In addition, with the help of expanded clay, you will not only make the floor even, but also provide it with additional noise and heat insulation.

Drywall

Drywall sheets can also be used to level the subfloor. It is laid on the subfloor only after it has been completely cleaned of the previous finish and debris / dust. In addition, to finish the base with drywall, it must be sprinkled with sand. It must completely cover all cracks and irregularities that are visible in the base.

The sand on the floor must be properly loosened and leveled with high quality so that its layer becomes as even as possible and is located over the entire area of the room. It is worth considering that the sand layer should not be thicker than 2-3 cm.

If there are small depressions at the base, then they must be eliminated using a cement-sand composition.

Only after that drywall can be laid out on the floor. Between its plates you need to leave small gaps of 5 mm. In this gap, it will be necessary to fill in a sealant with special protective properties. The ideal option will be a special composition designed for ceramic plates. It can be found in almost any hardware store.

Immediately after the drywall sheets are laid out on the sandy base layer, the resulting coating must be treated with a special primer. It must be different deep penetration. After all the actions taken, it is quite possible to proceed to the installation of the finishing floor material. For example, beautiful self-leveling floors are very popular today, under which a plasterboard leveling base is often mounted. From above they can be supplemented with laminate or parquet board.

fiberboard

This is another common material used in floor leveling. Today, many consumers turn to fiberboard, as it is inexpensive and its installation is quite straightforward. For the manufacture of such coatings, residues are used wood production(shavings, sawdust). The characteristics and properties of particle board largely depend on the level of its density, which, as a rule, varies from 150 to 950 kg / sq m.

It is worth noting that high-quality fiberboard has good thermal insulation properties, so it is often chosen as a leveling coating. Often, such canvases are laid on top of a cement screed. Also, many consumers opt for fiberboard sheets because of their environmental friendliness. In their composition, to a greater extent there are wastes of natural wood.

Such coatings are installed quite easily and quickly. Even a person who is far from repair work can easily cope with this work.

If you install fiberboard boards correctly and accurately, they will last for many years and will not cause any trouble to the household.

Mixes

To level the floor, not only various hard and dry bases are used, but also appropriate building mixtures. They differ from each other in composition, drying speed and other operational characteristics. Let's take a closer look at the most common products that are popular with modern buyers.

Cement and cement-sand

These mixtures are among the most popular. They are classified as universal, since there are many of their modifications. Thanks to a wide range of cement and cement-sand compositions, you can choose for any room and any operating conditions.

Currently in stores you can meet quality options for leveling the base, having a different structure, a different number of influxes and recesses. Most quality cement compositions do not shrink.

You can increase the strength characteristics of this leveler using ordinary PVA glue. It shouldn't be too much.

But it should be borne in mind that the hardening of the composition with the adhesive will take a little less time, which means that all work will have to be done even faster. To do this, you can pour it in small portions on different parts of the available area in the room. It is also worth noting that cleaning putty with PVA glue is more laborious. Some people are turning to a stronger tile adhesive. It will be even more difficult to work with him.

Gypsum

Gypsum equalizers are recommended to be used only in rooms with a low percentage of humidity. Also, they are not advised to be installed in rooms subject to regular jumps in temperature values. These recommendations are explained by the fact that gypsum mixtures are able to absorb moisture. This can lead to swelling of the base and loss of its useful characteristics. Such defects are unlikely to have a positive effect on finishing floor coverings.

A distinctive characteristic of gypsum bases is their vapor permeability and lack of shrinkage. Often, such a mixture is addressed in the case of not the most reliable sexual base. In addition, all factory mixtures are divided according to their main purpose and application technology.

Leveling

Such compositions are necessary for the primary finishing of the rough surface, which has many defects and irregularities. With the help of such tools, very strong and reliable foundations up to 50 mm are created. As a rule, these types of equalizers are applied by hand. The material is used exclusively as a special layer. This is due to the fact that large sand particles are present in the composition of the leveling agents, which do not allow the formation of perfectly smooth and regular coatings.

Self leveling

Similar mixtures are used for the implementation of the finish coating. Its thickness can be from 2 to 10 mm. As a rule, such self-leveling has a viscous consistency. It contains small finely dispersed particles, which are evenly distributed over the required area by means of self-spreading.

There are special self-leveling quick-drying mixtures. To fill such a tool, one filling material is enough. Often, a small work team copes with the application of quick-setting agents, in which one or another function is assigned to each of the workers. For example, it can be the direct preparation of the required amount of the mixture, pouring the mortar onto the floor base, spreading it over the surface of the base using a special tool, as well as the necessary removal of air bubbles with a roller.

Some work crews use a rotband to level the floor. However, according to user feedback, this composition is not distinguished by durability and strength, therefore, its use is generally abandoned in favor of more reliable formulations.

Level detection

Floor level can be determined different ways. You can use the following tools for this:

Rack bubble level. The standard line of this device, as a rule, is 1 m, however, in stores you can find two- and three-meter products. These items are inexpensive, easy to use and very comfortable to work with. In addition, bubble levels are independent of electricity, making them self-contained and more practical. True, they cannot measure too large spaces.
Hydraulic level. Bubble levels allow you to determine the condition of the floor only in small or medium-sized rooms. For more spacious rooms, it is worth purchasing a high-quality hydraulic level. It consists of special tubular vessels. In the inside of this device is tinted water, with the help of which the surface level is determined.

Laser. Using it is very easy and simple. Most models are highly efficient. To determine the desired parameters, it is quite enough to fix the tool in the desired position (for this you should read the instructions). All other actions will be performed by the level itself.
Rotary. With this device, you can not only determine the level of curvature of the floor, but also set and design the values obtained. As a rule, such high-tech items are used by professionals, which is why it is quite expensive.
Optic. Such devices are more common for measuring territorial areas of the outer part of the premises. However, this does not prevent their use in matters of determining the curvature of the floor. Optical levels are in many ways similar to rotary levels, however, their use in spacious rooms will give more accurate results.

Surface preparation

Before direct alignment of the sexual base, it is necessary to make it proper training. You should not neglect this process if you want the floor covering to serve you for a long time and without problems.

First you need to carefully measure the room in which you plan to level the floor. Then you can proceed to the selection of suitable materials and methods of their installation. During preparatory work are often identified various problems associated with flooring. At the same stage, the level of the existing foundation should be studied. For this, various levels are used, both liquid and laser (their list is indicated above).

The maximum leveling efficiency is ensured by the use of a material that would fit the unevenness on the surface of the base. For a floor that is in almost perfect condition, it is recommended to use high-quality leveling agents or self-leveling of well-known brands.

If there are noticeable differences on the base, then it is better to turn to sheet levelers or apply cement-sand screeds.

wood flooring

Absolutely any gender can lose its attractive appearance over time. appearance and imperceptibly deform. This trouble did not bypass the quality wooden coverings. Over time, old and dry floors can warp and sag, irrevocably losing their ideal evenness. Ugly gaps often appear between individual boards. On such bases it will not be possible to correctly and accurately lay out finishing decorative materials, therefore in this case, it is impossible to do without leveling the existing system.

You can give the plank base a flat surface with your own hands using the following methods:

scraping;
leveling using flat wood-based materials (plywood, fiberboard or MDF);
leveling using a self-made mixture consisting of putty for sawdust and natural wood;
pouring special self-leveling compounds.

Most often, people choose to align such structures with plywood, since the differences between the wooden floor boards often become very impressive. For such work, it is recommended to use a sheet of plywood of standard dimensions. It is cut into 4 pieces. The cut should be made very carefully so that delamination does not appear on the edges of the sheets.

After these steps, it is quite possible to proceed to laying levelers on the base. The joints between the laid coatings should be above the joists. In areas where communications are located and in other necessary places, plywood must be cut (just as carefully to prevent delamination). After that, the sheets are attached to the base on self-tapping screws with hidden heads. This leveling method is not the most aesthetic, but for the finishing layer it is an excellent solution that will perfectly hide all the irregularities of the wooden base.

concrete base

Quite often it is necessary to make leveling in rooms with a concrete floor base. In this case, there is an easy step-by-step instruction, which will help to carry out all actions to update the surface quickly and correctly.

If the concrete base has not too sharp and noticeable drops, then it is best to use modern self-leveling mixtures, which are sold in every hardware store. As a rule, the main component in them is cement. To perform work with such a tool you need:

pour the dry composition with water;
stir well so that there are no lumps and dry particles left in it;
gradually (in portions) lay it out on concrete (for this you can call an assistant to the rescue).

The self-leveling mortar must fill absolutely all the cracks and cavities present in the concrete base, forming a neat and smooth surface. These mixtures dry out fairly quickly. You can walk on them after 3-4 hours, and after a day it is permissible to start laying a decorative coating, for example, tiles.

If the irregularities concrete floor are more impressive and noticeable, then It is worth turning to a high-quality and reliable concrete screed. This alignment method is one of the cheapest and most popular. Mounting technology concrete screed, first of all, is based on the installation of special beacons. They are installed on the floor (the distance between the beacons should be 500-800 mm), leveling in one plane using a level.

After that, it is necessary to knead the solution of the required consistency and add special plasticizers to it. Then you can start laying out the resulting mixture on the concrete base of the floor. When the screed "grabs", all guides will have to be removed, and the remaining grooves should be filled with mortar. The surface of the concrete screed must be grouted, however You can start this work only after 4 weeks.

It will also need to be strengthened by processing with a high-quality primer.

Before proceeding with self-leveling the floor, you should familiarize yourself with some simple tips to avoid serious mistakes in the process:

Avoid drafts entering the room where you are leveling the subfloor. And if everything is quite simple with a bathroom or toilet, then in other rooms (living room, bedroom, corridor, kitchen and balcony) it is necessary to close all windows and cover the doors (as is the case with wallpapering the walls).
Never use ventilation devices.
Be sure to adhere to the drying time of the solution indicated on its packaging / box. They can only be broken if the composition is applied in a thin layer. Two-layer coatings should not be "disturbed" until they are completely hardened.
Before pouring the existing base, it is recommended to treat the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room with a special primer. It is necessary to provide improved adhesion.

Use only reliable and high-quality tools, as well as materials and mixtures. Otherwise, the floor may not turn out the way you planned it.
Do not look for too cheap and affordable means for leveling. Too low a price can hide a low quality product.
Do not forget that the old floor must be completely cleaned of the previous coating. Otherwise, the leveling layer may not lie perfectly, which will affect the decorative floor finish.
If noticeable seams and large gaps are visible on the base (for example, between boards), then they must be covered with putty or the same leveling mixture. For such work, it is worth kneading thicker and more viscous compounds.

In no case do not neglect the preparation of the base. This stage is one of the most important in this work, so experts recommend taking it as seriously as possible.
Always wait until the dust has settled completely while working. You can clean the room with a vacuum cleaner. Do not leave even the smallest debris on the base.
Leveling the floor in a living room is quite possible to do it yourself, but this process is not the easiest and fastest.

Starting to process the sexual base, you need to stock up on all necessary tools, materials and, of course, patience.