Basics of floor leveling
How to level the floor and what you need to know for this? Alignment should be done before a similar procedure with walls and ceiling. There are several ways to work. Each of them has its pros and cons.
Nowadays three methods of floor leveling are successfully implemented:
- Alignment by build-up.
- Fill leveling.
- Application of lighthouses.
Let's start with the alignment with the build-up. The essence of this option is that lags are fixed on the deck. With their help, an even foundation of the parquet is created( boards of plywood, chipboards are placed on logs).
The big plus of this method is that it's possible to put heat insulation in the empty space. This option is great for the first floors, wooden houses, villas. In addition, you can lift the parquet to the height you need. Be it 10 or 20 centimeters.
Fill leveling is perhaps one of the easiest and fastest way to level the floor. The basis of this method is that you can pour the floor with a special mixture( based on DSP - cement-sand screed).This mixture is self-leveling, i.e.in fact, it is not necessary to level. The thickness of the pouring is relatively small, since cement is a fairly good material, perceiving loads on compression. The only negative - this method can cost a pretty penny.
Another way to work is lighthouses. The essence of this method lies in the fact that the flooring stacks the rake-levels. By their level the screed is produced. This method is more often used for premises with a large area.
Large minutes of this method - a long period of setting. Up to a month( however, it may be less depending on the air temperature and humidity).
Leveling the floor for a laminate
In modern apartments, a laminate is often laid on the parquet floor, which does not tolerate unevenness. Therefore, the question arises as to level the floor under the laminate.
Generally tearing under the laminate is made in the event that the gap under the rake may exceed 1mm. If you want to level the wooden floor, you need to check its strength. Decayed boards will need to be replaced;and also walk on the boards with a grinder, so that there are no unevennesses on it.
The DSP should also be used to level the wooden floor.
In the case of leveling the wooden floor under the plywood can be applied putty. You can also attach plywood sheets directly to the boards.
For very large differences in heights, there is a method with a tape support device. For him, lags and crossbars are arranged. Directly from them already there is an alignment of a parquet.
If you are interested in the question of how to level the floor for linoleum, and not laminate, then worry is not ochem. The method is almost exactly the same. Perhaps the only difference is that you need a waterproofing device. Usually a waterproofing film is used, on top of which a heater is placed. The screed should be rearmulated.
Linoleum requires more evenness than laminate, so the surface is pre-primed.
If the linoleum will be spread on a tree, then set the leveling layer - DSP, OSB.Secure it with a screwdriver with self-tapping screws.
Leveling the floor for the tile
How to level the floor under the tile? The essence of the method almost completely coincide with those listed above. The only exception is that beacons can not be used, since small irregularities are allowed with it. Tiles also require laying on an absolutely( !) Flat surface. Otherwise, each guest will see all the disadvantages of your gender.
Before starting work, several necessary conditions must be provided:
- No drafts.
- The floor temperature is not more than +5.
- Fully clean surface: no debris, dust. There are traces of paint or oil? Degrease the surface.
For greater accuracy, use laser equipment. It is necessary to know exactly the height difference.
For greater evenness, use cement-sand screed. Check the cement on the stones, you need to get rid of them.
For any of the above works( whether laying a laminate, linoleum, tiles), you should achieve maximum flatness of the surface. The process itself requires endurance and patience. Do not hurry and try to finish the job as soon as possible. Remember, any unevenness will come back to you yourself. Good luck, and, I hope, we were able to answer your question: how to level the floor!
