Self-leveling floor mixes: specifications

One of the most time-consuming and lengthy work during the repair in the apartment is the process of bringing the floor surfaces into proper shape. Self-leveling floor mixtures today help speed up and simplify this business. In another way they are called levelers, leveling masses or bulk floors.

Types of mixtures as intended

All mixtures for leveling the floor are divided into two large groups:

• for initial (rough) processing;
• for the finish.

They differ from each other in composition, structure and operational characteristics.

Rough levelers

For roughing, including the elimination of deep chips, cracks and potholes, the alignment of large differences in height, a rough floor leveler is used.

Application Features:

• This type of leveler is a dry mixture consisting of large particles. To prepare the working solution, you need ordinary clean water.
• The leveler for the floor can be applied to a concrete, cement or brick base, distributing with a thickness of 5 mm to 7 cm in one layer.
• The consumption of an aqueous solution of a rough leveler is from 2 to 5 kg per square meter. with a thickness of 1 mm.
• Due to the large particles in the composition, this type of self-leveling floors cannot form a perfectly smooth surface and requires further refinement.

Finishing level masses

The floor finisher is made up of finer particles. It can be applied to surfaces treated with a starting coating or directly to the substrate, provided that it has minor defects.

Application Features:

• The solution is homogeneous and plastic, it fills all the minor irregularities, and when dried forms a perfectly smooth and smooth surface on which you can lay any floor coating.
• The consumption of the finished solution will be 1.5-1.7 kg per square meter. with a thickness of 1 mm.
• Finishing compounds on the market are presented as self-leveling floor mixes.

From this comparison, we can conclude that the leveling mixes for the floor should be selected depending on what size and type of surface defects need to be eliminated.

Right choice

Which self-leveling floor mixes are best to choose? In stores and hypermarkets selling building materials, self-leveling mixtures of various brands are presented: KNAUF, Vetonit, Ceresit, Bolars, Volma, Horizont. The name of the manufacturer does not play a decisive role in choosing the necessary material. Subject to the technology of preparation of the solution, the result will be good regardless of the fame and popularity of the brand.

It is impossible to definitely and accurately say which bulk floor is better and which is worse. When choosing, you need to build on what foundation and in which room the floor will be poured. For each specific case, a certain composition is needed. Therefore, to make the right choice, it is better to first answer yourself the following questions:

• In a room with what level of humidity will floors be leveled?
• On what basis will the self-leveling mixture be applied?
• Is it possible to have prolonged contact with water during floor operation?
• What is the mixture for: for rough leveling or for topcoat?

Self-leveling mixtures are selected by composition depending on what the answers to these questions will be.

Types of self-leveling floors

The main components that are necessarily present in the mixture are cement or gypsum. In this regard, they can be divided into groups:

• cement-containing;
• gypsum-containing or anhydride.

Cement based levelers

Compositions based on cement are more universal. They can be used in any room. They have a number of undeniable advantages:

• minimal shrinkage;
• high adhesion;
• universality when choosing a basis;
• high strength and the ability to use as a screed;
• resistance to cracking.

Moving on such a bulk floor is possible in a few hours.

There are also disadvantages:

• final strength comes in about three weeks;
• quite a large consumption, the thickness of any layer is at least 5 mm.

Anhydride Mixtures

Compositions, the basis of which is gypsum, are undemanding to the evenness of the base. The advantages include:

• minimal shrinkage;
• speed of drying;
• thermal conductivity, because of this property, self-leveling anhydride mixtures are ideally suited for the installation of a “warm floor” system;
• the possibility of applying screeds up to 10 cm high;
• high strength.

A significant drawback of this type of bulk floors is that they can only be used in dry rooms. This condition is caused by the fact that gypsum perfectly absorbs moisture and because of this swells and deforms. Therefore, it is better not to use such floors in the kitchen and in the bathroom.

Other characteristics

Depending on the polymerizable binder, self-leveling mixtures can be divided into groups:

• sweep with an epoxy binder;
• compositions with a polyurethane binder.

The first type is durable, but less fluid and plastic. It is good for use in rooms where the floor has a large load. It can be an entrance hall, a bathroom, a corridor. The second type is best used for leveling the floor in residential premises.

Also, when choosing a bulk floor, you should pay attention to the time during which the finished solution is suitable for use. This time in various mixtures varies from 15 to 40 minutes. The larger the number, the more time it takes to fill the entire leveling floor, distribute the solution and achieve the formation of a single flat surface without unnecessary seams and creases.

Thus, when buying a mixture for leveling the floor, you need to pay attention to the composition and choose its variety depending on in which room and on what basis it will be apply.

Mixture flow calculation

So that the mortar is enough for the entire surface to be leveled, but there is no large excess left, it is important to correctly calculate the consumption of the mixture for the floor.

First of all, the size of the room is affected by the area of ​​the room and the condition of the surface being leveled. Also, the consumption depends on what type of self-leveling floor will be used: to obtain a rough coating or for processing under a finish. In all these cases, the flow rate of the mixture will be different.

All calculations, as a rule, begin with the calculation of the amount of composition spent per sq. meter. This value is affected by:

• thickness of the casting layer;
• the density of the composition used;
• the use of fillers that reduce the amount of mixture used.

Provided that fillers are not used, the calculation of consumption per 1 sq. M. very simple. If the thickness of the layer is taken to be 1 mm, then 1 liter of solution will be needed to level one square meter of the surface. So, when performing a screed with a thickness of 1 cm in a room area of ​​8 square meters. meters will require 80 liters of solution (1l * 10 mm * 8m2).

When carrying out calculations, the density of the mixture, which the manufacturer indicates on the container, must be taken into account. This value just needs to be multiplied by the previously obtained indicator. So, if a composition with a density of 1.30 kg / l is used, then using the previous calculations, 104 liters of the mixture will be required (1.30 * 80).