Before the finish flooring is laid: linoleum, parquet or laminate, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare the base. Black floors should be aligned in such a way as to eliminate any differences in the horizontal plane, remove the existing depressions and bumps, joints between concrete slabs.
However, often the quality of concrete floors in our apartments leaves much to be desired. In this case, it will be necessary to make an alignment of the base. For this, it is usually applied either a finished dry mixture for a tie of the floor, or a screed from the sandbetone prepared with their own hands.
Types of materials for alignment of floors
All materials used today for aligning concrete surfaces can be divided into three main groups:
- The finished mixture is a dry mixture for a tie of the floor.
- Sandobeton for a floor screed is a cement solution made with their own hands.
- "Dry screed" - a mixture for a screed of a floor, limited without water use.
Each of these technologies has its own characteristics, scope and methods of work.
Ready mixes
At the modern market of building materials there is a huge selection of all kinds of finished mixtures for a tie of the floor.
This option has a number of advantages that distinguish them from independently prepared cement solutions:
- The finished proportions of the floor screed solution include all the necessary components, while the proportions of sand and cement during self-preparation you will have to determine. Therefore, when using dry mixtures, you will not have to spend time on an independent dosage of ingredients;
- No need to purchase all components for the preparation of the solution separately. If you buy the cement of the desired brand in the conditions of a big city will not be a lot of work, then order 200 - 300 kg of sand will be quite difficult. In most cases, the sand is delivered to the customer with larger batches - dump trucks from 1 ton and more;
- The minimum thickness of the cement mixture for the floor prepared independently should not be less than 3 cm. Otherwise, it can crack when drying or cooled during operation. The ready-made mixture for a tie of the floor may be poured up to 5 mm thick, due to the presence of special plasticizing additives;
- The mass of the finished composition in most cases is significantly less than weighs the sandy solution used to fill the floor. The fact is that the composition for the screed of the floor cooked in the factory conditions includes polymer additives, the density of which is much less than the density of sand or cement. Therefore, dry formulations can also be used on weak bases, for example, on wooden overlap or balcony plates;
- Easy use. If the preparation of the flooring solution from the sandbetone will require significant labor costs, or the use of concrete mixer, then make a ready-made solution from a dry mixture can be small portions using a construction mixer;
- The proportions of the floor screed solution prepared in the factory conditions are accurately adjusted and contain additives and additives that give the finished solvent with increased strength and plasticity. The fine components included in their composition make it easier to level the surface and produce concreting directly under the finish flooring;
- A large range of ready-made mixtures makes it possible to choose the option you need - for premises with high humidity, quick-drying or self-leveling composition. Also in the construction store you can choose a dry mixture from a different manufacturer in a wide price range.
Before preparing a solution for a screed of a floor, you must carefully read the instructions for use. To get a good solution, the ratio of water and the dry component should be as indicated in the technical regulation.
Varieties of finished compositions
All kinds of ready-made blends for the floor screed in the apartment can be divided into two large groups: on cement and plaster basis. Consider in more detail these two options.Article on the topic: Children's rocking chair "Horce" with his own hands (drawings)
Cement
In the finished mixture there are already all the necessary components
As a binder material in these compositions, fine grades of cement are used, and various natural and polymer components are used as a filler.
Such ties are produced in several variants that differ in technical specifications and the scope of application.
- For basic work. The filler here performs a small grainzit or a stone crumb. This option is applied if there is a need to fill a large layer of screed, for example, with a large horizontal difference of the base. On top of the base layer, which can be more than 5 cm, the finishing layer of the screed is poured.
- For finishing fill. Contains fine filler and various plasticizers. With their help, it is possible to obtain a perfectly smooth surface on which any outdoor material can already be placed: parquet, laminate, linoleum, tile, etc. The thickness of the finish layer, as a rule, does not exceed 0.5 - 1 cm.
- Self-leveling compositions. They consume only crushed components, not exceeding 0.3 mm. Moreover, it concerns both binders and fillers. When pouring a self-leveling solution, it has a property spread over the surface of the base. As a result, without much effort, it is possible to obtain the surface aligned in the horizontal plane.
- Screed for warm floors. Such solutions are used to fill electrical and water warm floors. They have a big plasticity, which makes it possible to avoid their cracking when heated. It is also characterized by an increased thermal conductivity to ensure more efficient transmission of thermal energy from heating elements heated room.
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very hygroscopic material, so such a screed can be cleaned with excessive humidity
In these mixtures as a binder component, plaster. The main minus of such compositions is the fear of high humidity. Therefore, gypsum solutions are best suited for a device of a screed in dry rooms and residential rooms.
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Among the advantages of such a material, its environmental friendliness can be called - the gypsum surface does not emit harmful chemicals and dust. Sufficient strength is ensured by the use of polymer fibers and mineral fillers as part of a gypsum mixture.
The gypsum screed has reduced thermal conductivity. In one case, this may be an advantage, since the composition acts as an excellent heat insulator. But if you are going to pour warm floors with a solution, then it will be better to make a choice in favor of the cement composition, as providing better heat transmission.
The gypsum scroll is the best choice for wooden floors, because the gypsum composition has the property to regulate the humidity of the base, without preventing the release of dampness.
Dry screed
This technology allows you to make a screed of floors without water use. Due to this, such a technology is the most suitable for alignment of wooden floors.
Like the screed of the floor with sandbetone, dry technology provides a waterproofing device. For this, rolled materials are best suitable: rubberoid and its derivatives, or a thick polyethylene film. Then, as at the device of concrete screeds, beacons are exhibited in the form of metal or wooden bars and rails.
Mandatory use of waterproofing
As a result, we obtain the compartment with a width of about 1 m, in which the dry leveling mixture falls asleep. Easy bulk materials are usually used for its manufacture: granulated polystyrene or small clay.
After the granular mass is covered, it should be aligned and tamped. From above, the material is covered with chipboard, moisture-resistant plasterboard or other material, on which the floor covering will be laid.
Among the advantages of such technology, you should specify the ability to fit the floor covering immediately after filling the screed in the compartments. The usual layer thickness in this case ranges from 1 to 3 cm, and the small density of the material does not create excessive loads on the bearing structures.
Concrete screed
Despite all the advantages, the finished mixtures for alignment of floors have one important drawback - a higher cost compared to concrete cooked with your own hands.
Today, many specialists this method of filling the foundation under the finishing decoration is recognized very rough and less durable. However, with proper preparation of cement-sandy solution, it is little inferior in technical indicators and the durability of factory mixtures. The main thing in this case is to comply with the proportions of cement and sand for couplers recommended by construction standards. About how quickly and inexpensively make a screed from concrete with your own hands. See this video:
Often, the question of the owners of private houses and apartments is a question: "What kind of sandbetone is better for a tie of the floor?". According to professional finishes, for these purposes, the so-called "skinny" concrete is not bad with the fixtures from M-75.
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The maximum recommended grade of the sandbetone brand is M300. A higher grade of the screed solution will be already overwriting a building material, first of all cement.
The table is given regulated by the slips of the proportion of concrete for a tie of the floor produced by their own hands.
According to its consistency, the mixture should not be too thick, because the rigid concrete will be much harder. The solution must remind a thick sour cream in its type, while there is a homogeneous composition. If you have little water in solution, it is necessary to increase its percentage ratio to increase the plasticity of the composition.
With an increase in the share of water, it should be revised by the calculation of the sandbetone for a floor screed to increase the share of cement to avoid reducing the solution of the solution.
Observing the "recipe" of the preparation of a concrete solution, you can get a sufficiently strong and durable to operate the screed.
Technology of screed technology
Next, we consider in the two words of the technology of the construction of a concrete screed without attracting professional builders. For these purposes, you can use a solution prepared from both the finished dry mixture and your own hands using cement and sand.Preparation of the carrier surface
Pre-primed primer improves the adhesion of the base with concrete
Before proceeding with the construction of a screed, a carrier surface should be prepared:
- Progress. This will make it possible to create additional protection for draft floors and will increase their coupling (adhesion) with the materials superimposed above.
- Build waterproofing. For wooden floors, it is recommended to apply a rolled moisture-repellent material that is fired by the joints of the venge on each other. For concrete bases, we can apply liquid masts on a bitumen or polymer basis applied by brush or roller.
- Insulation. If necessary, between the waterproofing layer and directly the screed can be arranged a layer of thermal insulation. For these purposes, it is best to use material with density indicators of more than 30 kg / 1kub.., For example, extruded polystyrene foam.
Reinforcement and fill screed
The next step should be reinforced by the surface to avoid cracking of the screed. The reinforcing grid made of fiberglass or metal wire can be purchased in a construction supermarket or tie from fine fittings.
Next, with the help of hydraulic or laser levels, we exhibit beacons. To do this, use metal or wooden rails stacked on the surface of the base in a step of about 1 m. Read more about the use of composite fittings, see this video:
If there is an underground in the room, then its hatch should be dispersed with formwork.
On the perimeter of the walls at the level of the fill, it should be mounted damping tape to compensate for the expansion cycles of the screed when the temperature changes inside the room. After that, you can proceed to the pouring of the solution in the compartments formed by the beacons. For moving the mixture, you can use a long rule.