Use and laying reinforcing mesh for floor screed

The floor tie is designed to level the surface before laying the decorative floor covering. Under the screed, you can install a warm floor( both electric and water heating).In addition, the floor screed gives strength to the floor and allows even distribution of loads. In order that indispensable in construction, but sufficiently brittle concrete( especially the screed thickness of less than 8 cm) does not crack and do not crumble over time, taking on various loads, produce reinforcement screed.

Screed, types Screed is an intermediate layer between the rough floor and decorative floor coverings( tile, laminate, parquet, etc.).The screed can only serve to level the floor with the accompanying function of load distribution or additionally provide heat, hydro, and sound insulation of the room. Screed monolithic. It uses concrete of various brands and types( cement-sand, with sand and gravel, foam concrete, expanded clay, expanded polystyrene concrete, etc.).Screed floating. In this case, the base is separated from the screed by a layer of heat-, waterproofing material( for example, when cement-sand concrete is poured onto polyethylene film or mineral wool) or a combination thereof.

Screed classic. This screed is poured directly on the base, without any additional materials( polyethylene and other).In this case, after drying, the screed becomes inseparable from the bearing base.

Reinforcing mesh for floor screed, types, purpose

Reinforcing mesh produced in two types: extended armature( metal grids - welded or from wire rod, polypropylene or fiberglass, bulk skeleton) and dispersion reinforcement( fibers fromglass, steel, basalt).Each kind of grid is designed for a certain kind of screed. It is possible to combine. Metal mesh, laid in the screed, allows to avoid the appearance of subsidence and cracks, ensures the durability when operating the finished floor. Grids made of plastic can not be corroded, much cheaper and lighter than metal. Monolithic reinforcement With this reinforcement method, the pieces of reinforcement are fastened together by a plastic steel wire or welding machine in such a way that square cells with a side of 10 to 20 cm are obtained. Such a frame is laid not on the rough floor, but on special supports. It is recommended to lay the mesh in two layers. With the ability to handle a welding machine, it is possible to produce an armor of such a reinforcing mesh independently, however, defects in the form of thinning of the reinforcement at the junction points are not excluded. Ready-made reinforcing mesh They are made by welded or knitted, from polymers or metal. Grids are laid on top of the layers of hydro and thermal insulation to improve the characteristics of concrete.

Mounting of metal reinforcing mesh for floor screed

If the thickness of the screed filling does not exceed 6 cm, it must be reinforced. To exclude reinforcement it is possible only in screeds with a thickness of more than 8 cm. For reinforcement of concrete floor screed, the most suitable masonry nets with cells 10 * 10 and 15 * 15 cm, from wire 3-4 mm in diameter. In the case where a large load is planned on the floor, it is recommended to use a grid of thicker wire, and increase the thickness of the concrete fill to 15 cm. It should be remembered that the reinforcing mesh should be located in the center of the concrete pouring, so it is laid not on the rough ground floor, buton the substrate. Before work, the rough floor must be cleaned of dirt, treated with waterproofing and adhesive agents, and strengthened with heat and sound insulation materials. To ensure that the future floor is perfectly flawless, the concrete screed is made with special guides from metal profiles - beacons. On the correctness of their installation depends on the quality of the screed surface.

1. Using the level, we determine the highest point of the existing rough coat. At this point, the screed must be a minimum of 4 cm.
2. On the level( laser, mounting or hydro level) mark on the walls a verified marking line.
3. We expose parallel guide beacons( profiles).Wooden bars and pipes are best not to use, industrial guiding strips with stiffeners are much more convenient. They are produced in length of three meters and a width of 2.5 cm.
   

   Lighthouse for floor screed - photo

Before work remove the existing skirting boards, dismantle the old floor covering, lay the heat-insulating materials with a layer of about 15 cm( expanded clay, etc.).Inside the expanded clay cushion( in the middle of the layer) we lay the first layer of reinforcing mesh. We heat insulation and lay polyethylene film.

We lay reinforcing mesh with cells measuring 10x10 cm. The grid must never lie on the layer of thermal insulation. Be sure to put under it or special plastic supports, or small pieces of drywall.

The beacons will be placed parallel to the longest wall of the room. For convenience of work and observance of horizontality it is necessary to pull nylon threads between walls which will serve as reference points at installation of laths. When the threads are tight, we raise each profile to the position of the tensioned yarn and fix it with a mortar of gypsum or alabaster.

Next, you should wait about half an hour before the drying of the building gypsum. We mix not too liquid cement mortar( it should be taken into account that the solution becomes unusable two hours after kneading, therefore it is not advisable to prepare it immediately in large quantities) and pour it between the beacons.

Moving the rights on the lighthouses, leveling the cement.

Within 3-5 days, it is necessary to fill the screed with water, maintain high humidity in the room and monitor the absence of drafts. This is necessary to prevent cracking of cement during drying. Full drying takes place within four weeks. For ideal smoothness, it is advisable to pour a small layer of self-leveling mixture over the dried screed.