If you want to cover the floor with a laminate, tile, carpet or any other finish coat, you first need to make sure it is even. Flat floor - a pledge of "longevity" of any cover. If you neglect this moment, soon your laminate will begin to creak, the linoleum will crack and erase, and the tiles will depart from the surface. In this case, self-leveling floor mixtures will help to solve the problem.
Contents
Characteristics of mixes
Today, building material manufacturers offer a wide variety of self-leveling floor mixtures. The mixture itself is a special solution, the composition of which allows it to spread independently on the surface of the rough floor, thereby forming an even and smooth surface.
Self-leveling mixtures have several advantages:
- is easy to operate;
- fast working time;
- ensuring maximum strength of the coating;
- high level of plasticity;
- long life of the screed;
- frost resistance and, as a result, excellent thermal insulation of the floor;
- efficiency;
- are not dangerous to human and animal health.
Self-leveling mixtures are used only in cases of slight curvature of the floor, when you need to raise the level no more than 2 centimeters. If you use them to correct serious differences in altitude, then this pleasure will be quite expensive, so large differences first level with cheaper materials.
There are also general rules for use for all mixtures that are extremely important to comply with. So, one and a half kilograms of the solution "close" the square meter of the surface with a layer of 1 mm. The bag of the mixture usually takes up to 6.5 liters of water. Some professionals prefer "do not waste time" and pour the maximum amount of water - 6.5 liters. With a more liquid solution it is sometimes easier to work. The consumption of the self-leveling floor is determined based on the square of the surface and the desired thickness of the layer.
Composition
All self-leveling floor mixes can be divided into two main groups by composition:
- cement;
- gypsum.
In addition to these basic components, there is dust limestone or quartz sand in the mix. Depending on the purpose of the mixture, the size of the fractions may differ. Also, various plasticizers, moisture-proof substances, components for optimal adhesion to the surface, strength enhancers and substances that cause the mixture to spread and quickly solidify are used to create the mixtures.
Cement mixes
Cement self-leveling mortars for flooring are used for leveling surfaces in all areas. They are convenient in that they allow you to work at any temperature or humidity level. The screed layer from such a mixture can vary from 2 to 50 mm. Drying speed is quite high and is from 3 to 5 hours depending on the thickness of the layer.
Naturally, the price of self-leveling bulk floor of cement mix will be higher than that of gypsum.
Gypsum mixtures
As it became clear, the cost of gypsum mixtures is slightly lower than cement mortars, but this is due to some limitations in the work. So, it is recommended to use gypsum compounds only in dry rooms. For this reason, they are not suitable for leveling the floor in the bathroom or in the kitchen, because when the liquid hits the gypsum base becomes soft, swells and loses its strength. The maximum thickness of the layer should not exceed 1 centimeter, otherwise such a screed may simply crack.
Floor Pouring
Preparatory work for
Before proceeding to pour the floor, take up preparatory work - dilute the solution according to the instructions on the package and clean the surface of the floor. To ensure that the mixture is laid flat and kept as tightly as possible, it is recommended to remove not only debris and dust, but also the remnants of glue, varnish or paint from the floor.
Dilute the powder from the package with the required amount of water and mix thoroughly. This can be done manually or with the help of a construction mixer. Remember that you can only fill floors with a freshly prepared mixture, so it's best to prepare the floor first, and then prepare the casting compound. If the mixture still thickens before starting the work, then it will not be possible to dilute it with water again, and we will have to do everything again.
Preparatory steps:
- After you have removed the trash, carefully inspect the floor for cracks and holes. If any, spread them with a diluted mixture with a spatula and wait until it dries completely.
- Prime the surface of the floor to ensure the best possible adhesion to the self-leveling compound. To save on the primer, you can use the same mixture for leveling the floor, diluted less often than necessary for the main pouring.
- If there are any significant unevenness or height differences, level them with any suitable solution. For this purpose, Vetonit 4000 or 5000 is perfect.
- When all the cracks are closed and the primer is completely dry, you can proceed to pour the floors with a mixture.
Pouring mixture
Necessary tools for work:
- bucket 20 liters;
- construction mixer;
- wide spatula;
- narrow spatula;
- needle roller;
- long handle for cushion;
- gloves.
As the self-leveling filler floor is fast-hardening, it is necessary to fill the fill as quickly as possible. Ideally, it should take no more than 20 minutes, so if you are not confident in your abilities, or the squaring of the floor is too big, then it makes sense to break the process into several stages, making the solution as you go along.
Procedure:
- , pour the solution onto the floor;
- with a wide spatula spread the mixture over the floor surface. To work with hard-to-reach areas in the corners and against the walls, use a narrow spatula;
- put a needle roller on a long handle and roll them the surface of the filler floor. This is done in order to maximize the leveling of the layer and release air bubbles from it. If after the mixture has frozen, there is air inside, then such a floor will not withstand strong loads.
If everything is done according to the instructions, then after a few days you can admire the beautiful solid surface. Often one bag is meant for one batch, which, together with water, will take just a 20-liter bucket. Do not mix a few buckets of solution at once, because you may not have time to distribute it on the surface.
In the thinnest place, the thickness of the layer should not be less than 5 mm.
Depending on the layer thickness, room temperature and humidity level, the drying time can vary from a couple of days to a week and a half or two weeks. Again, a significant role is played by the type of mixture( cement / gypsum).It is recommended to wait a little longer to be completely sure that the mixture has solidified, and then proceed to laying the finish coat.
Errors in floor pouring
Excellent reviews of self-leveling self-leveling floors, moderate cost of mixtures and ease of operation cause many inexperienced "home" craftsmen to run to the store and buy them for leveling floors in their home. But often beginners in this case make a number of mistakes that affect the quality and durability of sex.
Common errors in pouring the floor:
- after you have poured the mixture on the floor, immediately help it to spread over the surface. Yes, the name has the word "self-leveling", but if everything was so simple, it would not be construction, but magic;
- make sure that the mixture reaches all the corners and joints of the walls by stretching it there with a narrow spatula;
- correctly select a needle roller, its teeth must be quite long so that during the rolling through the floor, not less than 1 mm of each spike remains immersed in the mixture. For this, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the layer and, after this, to buy the roller;
- provide dampers and consider the height of the threshold so that the mixture does not overflow to the other room. Install additional fences will not be superfluous, especially since the degree of slope of the floor can affect the level of the mixture in the "dangerous" places near the threshold;
- , before the work starts, make a height measurement in the entire room. If in the center of the room suddenly there is a bump, which is not visible now, then after pouring the floor it will become an unpleasant surprise.
It's quite easy to make a self-leveling self-leveling floor with your own hands, if you follow the instructions clearly. With a successful outcome, such a surface will last for many years, provide excellent sound insulation and protect against the cold in the winter.
And finally, we will answer a question that could not but arise in the reader's head in the process of acquaintance with the article: "How to level the entire surface, and even get to the corners of the room? From the doorstep?"In order to easily navigate on the surface that has not yet hardened, we suggest using special construction boots on spikes or constructing them yourself.
