Stages of rough screed
The main difference between a rough floor screed and a finishing screed is that its filling allows small flaws. You can not try to make it perfectly smooth, because its main goal is to equalize the large differences in heights. This is a kind of foundation for the finish coat.
To make a floor screed by yourself, you must follow the following steps:
- prepare the floor;
- to fix beacons, having previously calculated the level of the floor. Prepare the foundation for pouring;
- stir the solution;
- pour the mixture;
- monitor the condition of the screed until it dries.
Preparing the floor for the rough screed
The initial stage involves removing the skirting boards, the old floor covering, getting rid of the old screed. For dismantling, it is best to use a jackhammer, preferably an electric hammer.
Due to its power this device will help in the shortest possible time to prepare for further work.
As a basis for a rough construction use a pillow of sand in height of 10 centimeters then gravel or crushed stone are covered with gravel. After that, the membranes should be laid to provide waterproofing so that they come to the wall. The surface is covered with expanded clay. Next is the laying of heat and sound insulation boards.
A mandatory measure before pouring is reinforcement of the substrate. This makes it possible to increase the strength of the screed. Reinforcement is performed using a metal mesh or steel rod.
After all this, it's worthwhile to align. In each room, floors are recommended to be done on one level. Not at all pleased when the differences in the rooms are sometimes 8 cm, because to correct all the irregularities will have to spend a large amount of material. In addition, this will increase in many ways the load on the floor. That is why it is most advantageous to perform leveling separately for each of the rooms, and in order to eliminate visually unevenness it is possible to design the thresholds.
Securing beacons for a rough screed
The result of the screed depends on how correctly the beacons are exposed. Start fixing beacons should be, starting from the highest point of the floor. At this point, the screed layer will be thin enough, but not less than 0.6 centimeters. As a beacon, a guide profile with dimensions of 27x28 is often used. The T-profiles are best suited for this purpose, which are made for leveling the floor. To fix beacons use a solution used to fill the screed, or mix the solution with alabaster.
Spread the solution in small portions. Beacons spread out on the floor create several maps, that is, there are several distances between the labels, depending on the length of the profile used.
The beacons are arranged in parallel rows. After all the beacons have been put on the solution, they make an equalization, applying for this purpose a level that should indicate zero in any of the positions. The height adjustment is done with the help of pads. When the surface is leveled, you need to be patient and wait for the solution to harden, used to fix the lighthouses.
Stripping the rough floor
When the beacons are installed, it's time to start the screed. First you need to mix the mixture bought in advance, according to the attached instructions. It is also possible to separate the mortar from sand and cement independently.10 kilograms of the mixture provides for the use of 2 liters of water. For a good mix, you need to add the mixture to the water, but not vice versa. The solution is prevented in the bucket using a mixer, that is, a drill with a nozzle or a perforator. This allows for consistency.
For the speed of the process it is advisable to carry out the screed together: someone is engaged in pouring the screed, and someone for this interferes with the solution. Alignment is carried out first by the trowel, after which it is tightened by the rule on fixed beacons towards oneself. Continuous performance of the screed is encouraged, that is, when the solution is completely filled, the second portion of it must be prepared.
Lighthouses during the screed do not need to be removed, they must remain in solution. However, it is necessary to remove the guide profile when the screed is a little dry. To seal the holes left by the profile, it will be possible to completely dry the screed.
Control of the condition of the screed
Before the solution is completely cured, wait 3 or even 4 weeks. All this time it is necessary to control the condition of the finished screed. Daily for 2 weeks you need to wet the surface with water roller. This is done in order to prevent the appearance of cracks when the cement dries. Avoid the occurrence of cracks possible by adding a plasticizer to the solution.