Shaking, crookedly standing furniture, a bouncing washing machine - all this is a consequence of an unevenly laid floor. Its alignment should be the very first procedure when carrying out repairs.

Leveling the wooden base

The procedure for replacing a wooden floor is as follows:
1. Using a crowbar and an ax, baseboards and old flooring are removed. All construction debris under the floor is removed. Before laying new floors, be sure to seal with cement mortar all cracks and crevices in concrete screed.

Old rotten floors are removed

2. Rotten old ones lags(wood beams with a cross section of 110 mm or more, used as a base for flooring) and destroyed from time to time floorboards are thrown away.

3. To replace the lag is selected square bar. In this case, the height of the lag should be 1.5 times greater than their width. The size of the section of the bars depends on the width of the room in which they will be installed.

Calculation of the lag section

4. Before laying, the logs should be treated with an antiseptic and waterproofing: drying oil or bitumen. Impregnation would be a cheaper option. used engine oil.

5. Wood absorbs moisture very quickly, so you should not install logs directly on concrete. They are placed on waterproofing layer(roofing material, film or bituminous mastic).

6. To ensure ventilation, the logs must be laid at a distance of 5 cm to the concrete floor or floor beams. Bricks or wooden blocks are used as linings for logs.

Laying lag on bricks

Laying lag on wooden bars

Important! To prevent the logs from absorbing moisture from the walls, a gap of 2-3 cm must be left between them and the wall.

7. If necessary, a layer is laid between the lags heat or sound insulation. Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene are excellent heat insulators, but they will not protect against the penetration of extraneous sounds into the apartment. As a soundproofing material, it is better to use mineral wool.

Laying between the lags of mineral wool

8. To lay the logs perfectly evenly, apply along the walls along the water or laser level horizontal markings.

Drawing markings on the walls

9. When laying out the lag, you should also control their location building level. If necessary, the logs are trimmed to the required height. Distortions can also be corrected lining made of wood or fiberboard. To protect against their displacement during the operation of the floor, they must be attached to the base.

10. Floorboards are used as a subfloor. Their thickness depends on the distance between the lags.

Choice of floorboards

11. When laying the floor slats, the horizontal position of their location is also verified by the level.

Important! You should not buy uncured material. Board moisture prepared for flooring should be 12%. An overdried rail can crack, and a wet one will gradually dry out, and cracks will appear in the floor.

Leveling with concrete screed

Bulk mixes are quite an expensive material, so they are used only to even out small differences. With a significant difference in floor height, a concrete screed is used.

1. If available in the old screed large influxes they are removed with a jackhammer or sledgehammer. If they are left, the floor will have to be raised to a height equal to the height of the influx.

2. Before starting the pouring of a new layer, the old floors are cleaned of dust and debris. To prevent moisture from the solution from being absorbed into the floor, a layer of screed is laid before a layer of screed: a plastic film or roofing felt, which are placed with a slight overlap on the walls. If waterproofing is not provided, you can moisten the old concrete with a little water.

Waterproofing concrete screed

3. To obtain a flat horizontal surface, the floors are leveled along lighthouses: metal profiles laid out on the floor strictly horizontally. They are placed on stamps"(slapping a thick solution). The height of the imposition of "brands" is regulated by the level.

Arrangement of lighthouses

4. Since the mortar is leveled with a special tool - a construction rule, - the distance between two beacons (guides) should be equal to its length. (The rule is a strong 1-3-meter strip of metal, narrowed along its entire length).

Alignment by beacons by rule

5. To strengthen the screed when applying too much mortar, it is reinforced metal mesh.

Screed reinforcement

Leveling with bulk mixtures

For rough leveling of the floor, you will need a bulk mixture made on the basis of cement. A gypsum mixture that can absorb moisture is mainly used for laying parquet. Expensive translucent or colored polymer solutions ("liquid linoleum") are used as a fine finish and are poured only on a previously leveled surface.

Subfloor leveling compound

1. The technology for applying a bulk mixture of any composition is approximately the same. "Liquid" floors are poured only on a carefully prepared surface, cleaned of debris and processed primer deep penetration. They can be laid on concrete slabs or cement screed. It is allowed to pour the mixture on wooden floors or ceramic tiles.

Primer floor treatment

2. With an excess or lack of water, the distribution of the mixture over the surface will be uneven, so you should strictly observe breeding proportions indicated by the manufacturer on the package. Stir the solution as thoroughly as possible, until the lumps are completely dissolved. For these purposes, it is more convenient to use a drill with a nozzle or a construction mixer.

The solution should be thoroughly mixed

3. Acceptable temperature in the room where the mixture will be used is indicated by the manufacturer.

4. The mixture begins to be poured from the farthest wall, located opposite the entrance. In order to avoid height differences, its laying should be continuous.

Filling the mixture

5. For uniform distribution of self-leveling floors, use a wide spatula or rule attached to the handle. In order to remove air bubbles, the solution is additionally treated needle roller.

Leveling of self-leveling floors

Needle roller processing

Important! Rolling and leveling the floors must be done before the mortar sets. Otherwise, the drying mixture will warp.

6. Drying time for bulk mixtures - 2-3 days. In order for the floors to dry evenly, there should not be too large temperature differences and drafts in the room.

If you are making major repairs, both in the room and in the entire apartment, then you certainly cannot do without the floor leveling procedure. Floor leveling is an integral part of a major overhaul, because it is unlikely that the floor in your apartment will be even, especially if the house was built a very long time ago. Also, without leveling the floor, laying a new floor covering is illogical. That is why we want to dwell in more detail on the issue of leveling the floor.

The content of the article:

Floor leveling methods

Floor leveling is the very first repair procedure, of course, after all the preparatory steps. Thus, it is necessary to level the floor before leveling the ceiling and walls. There are several ways to level the floor, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages, and we will describe them so that you can choose the leveling option that is most suitable for your room.

So, today there are three ways to level the floor:

• Leveling with self-leveling floor;


• Floor leveling.

Let's briefly describe all these options for leveling the floor, analyzing their "pros" and "cons", as well as telling which of the options to use in a given situation.

Floor leveling on beacons

This leveling option received such a name in view of the fact that for leveling on the floor, beacons are initially laid and fixed - metal slats, according to the level of which the screed is leveled. Leveling the floor with lighthouses is the most common leveling method, it is most often used to level the floor of large rooms: a hall, a bedroom and a kitchen. The advantage of this leveling method is a high-quality, durable and even surface, which can be achieved even with large uneven floor surfaces. The disadvantage is that the screed can dry from 10 to 30 days, everything will depend on the temperature and humidity in the room, as well as on the screed layer. If you want to make repairs as quickly as possible, then this method is not particularly suitable for you.

Leveling the floor with beacons is the best leveling method for laying laminate and linoleum, since it is for laying these floor coverings that a perfectly flat surface is needed.

Leveling the floor surface with a leveling mortar is the easiest and fastest way to level the floor. The essence of this alignment lies in the fact that with the help of a rare special cement-based mortar you fill the floor, thanks to the specific feature of such a mixture, it will evenly spread over the floor, which will eventually create a flat surface. Unlike the previous method, leveling with a self-leveling floor occurs faster in time: both in the process of leveling and in the drying time of the screed, since its layer is several times smaller than the screed layer when leveling the floor along the beacons.

It is worth noting that the layer of the self-leveling floor must be at least 3 millimeters. The maximum height of the self-leveling floor layer should not exceed 35 millimeters. Therefore, if the level of irregularities is very large, that is, the plane of the floor slab goes to one of the sides, and from the top level of the floor to the bottom is more than 35 mm, then in this case this method is not suitable.

The undeniable advantage of leveling the floor with a self-flowing mixture is speed, since this does not take much time. This is a great way to level out minor unevenness in the floor surface, as well as for pouring underfloor heating. In addition, this method is the cheapest, which makes it, in fact, the most optimal. The disadvantage of the self-leveling floor is one - it cannot be used with large floor irregularities.

The last way to level the floor is to build it up. The essence of this method lies in the fact that wooden logs are mounted on the floor, with the help of which a flat plane is created, after which boards or plywood sheets are fixed on the logs.

This method of leveling the floor is best suited for the first floors of buildings, as well as for summer cottages and cottages. The advantage of this method is that when building up the floor, the empty space can be filled with heat-insulating material, which will make it possible to insulate the floor. It is also a great option if you need to carry out any communications along the floor, for example, autonomous heating pipes. A method that is more painstaking even compared to leveling with beacons, but it will allow you to raise the floor level to the required height.

Floor leveling when laying tiles

In addition to the above methods of leveling, one should also mention the leveling of the floor when laying tiles. This method, in fact, is not a full-fledged method, which is why we did not mention it above, but it is impossible not to mention it. It is used for uneven floor surfaces, but not planes.

The essence of floor leveling when laying tiles is that with a slight slope or unevenness of the floor surface, it can be leveled when laying tiles, adding more mortar to its base. To do this, you just need to find the lowest area of ​​the floor and the top one, then you need to calculate how high it will be necessary to raise the level of the tile in one or another area of ​​the floor in relation to the highest point.

Floor level measurement and preparation for leveling

In order to choose a floor leveling method and calculate the required amount of material, you need to measure the floor level. In order to make a measurement, you need to dismantle the old floor covering, otherwise there will be no sense from the measurements. When the floor is ready, we check it for irregularities.

It is worth noting that the floor can be uneven for two reasons: due to the unevenness of the floor slab or when it is incorrectly (curved) laid during the construction of the house. Most often, both types of irregularities occur. That is, in most houses the surface of the floor slab itself is uneven, and it is laid crookedly.

To measure the level of the floor, you will need a long level, with which you need to check the level of all sections of the floor. First, check for irregularities on the plate itself, then its plane. Mark the highest point of the floor level and the lowest.

If the slope of the slab or its surface has minor irregularities, the maximum amplitude of the differences or slope of which does not exceed 35 mm, then we recommend leveling the floor using a self-leveling floor. If the irregularities are significant or the slab strongly “leaves” to one of the sides, then the only way that will help solve the problem is alignment with the beacons. When you have determined to what height the floor level will be raised, check if this is possible, since in the end the balcony or door to the room may not open, or it will be necessary to raise the radiator of the battery. Therefore, before performing any actions to level the floor, think over and decide all the nuances.

In some cases, if the floor plane itself is even, and there are, for example, irregularities in the joints of the floor slabs due to the fact that the seam is not sealed up neatly, then the irregularities can be knocked down with a perforator and then this part can be leveled with cement.

As a mixture for leveling the floor, you can use both ordinary cement, mixing it in the right proportions with sand, and special mixtures that are specifically designed for leveling floors.

How to level a concrete floor

How to level the floor according to the beacons

Before leveling the floor, it must be carefully swept, and then treated with a primer layer. In order to level the floor along the beacons, we need metal perforated corners. Beacons are laid along the room. The first beacon is laid at a distance of 30 cm from the wall, the next - at a distance of 100 cm from each other. The last beacon should also be laid at a distance of 30cm from the wall. To fix the beacons, we need a cement or gypsum mortar.

So, lay the beacons along the room, if necessary, adjust them in size. Then, hardly with “slap” movements, we apply the solution in parts, with a step of 20-25 cm. Beacons are placed on the solution and leveled. As soon as the beacons have seized a little, the voids between the floor and the beacons are also filled with mortar. When the beacons are aligned, let them fix firmly and then proceed to level the floor.

To level the concrete floor, you need to prepare a cement-based mortar, dilute the mixture to the so-called sour cream density, keep in mind that the mixture should not be too rare, as it will be difficult to level it, and it will also dry even longer. It is also unnecessary to make an overly thick mixture, since it will be very difficult for you to smooth the surface of the screed - it will be loose.

We start leveling the floor from the far corner, moving towards the exit. We fill from the first and second rows at the same time, since the first row is only 30 cm, and at the end we do the same with the last and penultimate sectors. The finished part of the mixture is distributed over the sector, and evenly distributed with a trowel in order to prevent the formation of voids inside the screed. After that, by the rule, placing it with an edge, leading along the beacons, we align the part of the sector filled with mortar. First, we move the rule towards ourselves, from side to side, and when you have achieved a flat surface, then for the last time we draw the rule along the beacons exactly. In the same way, make further leveling of the concrete floor. It is important to note that each subsequent pouring should be done very carefully, because due to the different consistency of the cement mortar, irregularities may form in the places of influxes, this must be monitored.

When the floor is leveled, let the screed dry, and we can proceed with further repair work. To make the floor dry faster in winter, you can turn on the heater. In general, this procedure is best done in the summer, the screed will dry completely in a couple of days.

Leveling with a self-leveling floor

Leveling the floor with a self-leveling mixture begins with cleaning its surface. When the concrete base is cleaned, you need to carefully prime the floor surface, using a special primer used for self-leveling floors.

Then we dilute the self-leveling mixture in such proportions as indicated on the package. Although the consistency of the mixture allows it to spread on the floor on its own, it must be rolled with a spiked roller to remove possible air bubbles inside the mixture. The height of the needles of this roller must be greater than the height of the layer of leveling compound. The filled space must be carefully rolled with a roller in different directions. After that, let the floor dry, as a rule, this takes several hours.

Floor leveling

If you want to insulate the floor, or raise its level, then the best option is to build up the floor using wooden logs, it is also called floor leveling with plywood. The advantage of this method is obvious, since this is the only easy way to raise the level of the floor, in which you can insulate its base, as well as conduct communications inside it.

In order to level the floor using this method, you must first inspect its surface. If there are any gaps or holes, for example in the corners, then they must be repaired. Then you need to prime the floor surface. After the primer dries, proceed to laying the vapor barrier film, which must be laid with an allowance to the wall with a height equal to the height of the extended floor. Between themselves, the sheets of the film must be glued with adhesive tape. After that, proceed to laying the lag.

To lay the log, you need to know the level of floor deflection, as well as determine to what height the floor will be raised. Logs can be attached both to anchors and to special metal plates - you choose the method of attachment. To fix the level of the lag and so that they do not bend, it is necessary to place wooden or plastic wedges under them, to which the lags are fixed with self-tapping screws. Lay the log along the room, at a distance of 5 cm from the wall, in increments of 50 cm. When the logs are laid, they must be fixed to the floor.

The next stage of work is the laying of insulation in sectors between the lags. Use glass wool sheets as insulation. Sheets of glass wool must be cut to the size of the sectors, leaving a few extra centimeters of allowance so that they fit snugly into the sector. After that, either wooden boards or plywood are laid on top, fixing them on self-tapping screws.

In the first video, you can visually get acquainted with the procedure for leveling the floor using leveling by beacons.

If you want to level the floor with a self-leveling compound, then this method is disclosed in this video.

And finally, the third way to level the floor, with the help of its extension. This method is somewhat different from that proposed by us and is more suitable for leveling the balcony floor, but you can borrow some of the main points for yourself.

The floor in the apartment is playing important role. Even the most ordinary and modest room can be transformed thanks to a beautiful floor. But even a high-quality and expensive coating will look bad if it is laid on an uneven floor. Therefore, having started repairs, sooner or later the question arises: how to level the floor in the apartment? Having studied the technology of leveling the floor, this can be done with your own hands and in the shortest possible time. But for a good result, you will have to make a lot of effort and show patience.

Preparing for alignment

As with many repairs, preparation for floor leveling begins with a thorough cleaning of the surface. The old coating is removed, cracks are rubbed, the protrusions are knocked down with a perforator. If necessary, the surface is degreased, as stains and dust can weaken the adhesion between the mortar and the substrate surface.

Dedusting and priming can be started after the elimination of visible defects in the base - cracks, crevices, protrusions

If we are talking about a room with a high degree of humidity, such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, then waterproofing is required, which will create a waterproof bowl. It is in it that the screed is poured. And in ordinary rooms, the joints of the base plates, the joints of the floor and the wall, and the places under the pipes are treated with waterproofing.

For a monolithic screed, a damper tape is used around the entire perimeter of the room. It acts as a shock absorber when the screed expands due to temperature changes. For a dry screed, the damper tape serves as a sound insulator in case the plate comes into contact with the walls.

During the preparation of the floor surface, you need to determine the height of the future fill, find the zero level. To do this, they look for the highest point of the surface, add the minimum thickness of the screed to it. The resulting height is projected onto the walls, outlining the control line, the horizontalness of which is checked by the level.

It is necessary to think over all the details before pouring the floor. Check whether balcony and room doors will open, whether batteries need to be lifted, etc.

In addition to knowledge, for high-quality floor leveling, you will need tools and materials:

• Construction beacons;
• Mixer for mixing the solution;
• spatulas;
• Container for solution;
• Water or laser level;
• Shovel;
• Cement;
• Sand.

Sand-cement screed

There are three ways to level the floor:

1. Cement-sand screed;
2. Dry screed;
3. Self leveling compounds.

Often the basis of the floor are concrete slabs, which for the most part have an uneven surface. In this case, the tuberosity of the floor does not apply to marriage, but is a feature in production. When pouring a concrete slab, there can only be one even and smooth side, and it is this side that becomes part of the ceiling, because it is much more difficult to level the ceiling than the floor.

Concrete screed is used for uneven surfaces up to 70 mm. The alignment process in this way is time-consuming and complicated, so it is better to do it together. Here you should strictly follow all the conditions and recommendations.

1 - Preparation of the base; 2 - Installation of beacons and damper tape; 3 - Preparation of the solution; 4, 5, 6 - Filling and distribution of the mixture; 7 - Removal of beacons from the screed layer; 8 - Filling voids with mortar; 9 - Finished floor screed

After preparing the surface and installing the beacons, the solution must harden, otherwise the beacons will move during subsequent work, and everything will have to be redone.

The solution is prepared using a construction mixer. It spills onto the floor between the beacons, starting from the far corner of the room. In the bathroom, the solution should be poured starting from the bowl. To evenly distribute the solution, a long rule is used. They make the distribution of the mixture along the beacons, thereby filling all the voids.

Drying the cement-sand screed is a crucial moment in leveling the floor. On the second day after pouring, the surface is treated with a wet roller, and on the third day, the moisturizing procedure is repeated.

After drying, the screed is checked for strength. The beacons are removed, and the voids are filled with fresh mortar. The surface of the screed is covered with plastic wrap and moistened every two days for a month. And only after this process and complete drying, you can proceed to the final finish.

Dry screed

Dry screed is used very often, since its process is much simpler than concrete.

Dry floor screed device

After cleaning and priming the surface, the floor is covered with an overlapping plastic film. On the walls it is better to leave an overlap of 20 cm and glue it with a damper tape. Metal profiles for drywall constructions can serve as beacons.

A granular mixture about 60 mm thick is poured onto the film, which not only levels the surface, but also helps to retain heat. And on this layer sheets of plywood, fiberboard, GVL or chipboard are laid with self-tapping screws and glue. The result is a warm, even and stable surface.

This method of leveling the floor has many advantages:

• Doesn't take long;
• Has good thermal insulation;
• Does not require professional skills;
• Allows you to quite simply dismantle communications;
• Does not stain hands and clothes;
• Can be used for any reason.

Self-leveling compounds

The fastest way to level the base can be safely considered a self-leveling floor. Mixes are now sold that dry out after 12 hours after pouring. But the final readiness for operation is possible in two weeks.

Self-levelling mixtures can be used with small height differences, not more than 30 mm.

The strength of the coating depends on the fillers. Natural fillers are used for living quarters. For the kitchen, compositions with polymers or quartz sand are used. Such mixtures are able to withstand heavy loads.

1 - Preparation of the base; 2 - Priming; 3 - Complete drying primers; 4 - Distribution of the mixture with a doctor blade to create the desired layer thickness; 5, 6 - Rolling the surface with a spiked roller to remove air bubbles; 7, 8 - Security floor drying conditions; 9 - Laying floor coverings

After cleaning the surface and repairing deep cracks with a mortar, the base is primed. When the primer is completely dry, prepare the mixture, according to the instructions. It is poured over the surface and spread with a spatula with a long handle. After that, a roller with needles is passed over the floor to remove excess air. After the solution has completely dried, you can deal with the finish coat.

There are certain conditions for this process:

• You need to pick up the right pace, as the mixture dries quickly;
• The room temperature must be at least 10 °C;
• The mixture is spread with a steel spatula.

Detailed video instruction:

conclusions

In conclusion, we can say that it is better to level the floor with a dry screed if there is an urgent need for sound insulation and heat preservation. Cement-sand screed gives the most durable and reliable surface. And self-leveling mixtures will be indispensable for apartments with low ceilings. Each method has its pros and cons. For example, the self-leveling floor does not withstand low temperatures, so when choosing a floor leveling method, you should study the features of the room, materials and pouring technique well. Having considered all the options, you can make the right choice. The main thing is to strictly follow all the instructions on the technique of the process and choose only high-quality materials. On a good and even surface, it will be easier to lay the flooring. And such a floor will delight its owner for many years.

Add your opinion about the article in the comments or share your experience of leveling the base in your apartment or house!

The floor in the apartment plays an important role. Even the most ordinary and modest room can be transformed thanks to a beautiful floor. But even a high-quality and expensive coating will look bad if it is laid on an uneven floor. Therefore, having started repairs, sooner or later the question arises: how to level the floor in the apartment? Having studied the technology of leveling the floor, this can be done with your own hands and in the shortest possible time. But for a good result, you will have to make a lot of effort and show patience.

As with many repairs, preparation for floor leveling begins with a thorough cleaning of the surface. The old coating is removed, cracks are rubbed, the protrusions are knocked down with a perforator. If necessary, the surface is degreased, as stains and dust can weaken the adhesion between the mortar and the substrate surface.

Dust removal and priming can be started after the elimination of visible base defects - cracks, crevices, protrusions

If we are talking about a room with a high degree of humidity, for example, a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, then it is mandatory that it will create a waterproof bowl. It is poured into it. And in ordinary rooms, the joints of the base plates, the joints of the floor and the wall, and the places under the pipes are treated with waterproofing.

For a monolithic screed, a damper tape is used around the entire perimeter of the room. It acts as a shock absorber when the screed expands due to temperature changes. For a dry screed, the damper tape serves as a sound insulator in case the plate comes into contact with the walls.

During the preparation of the floor surface, you need to determine the height of the future fill, find the zero level. To do this, they look for the highest point of the surface, add the minimum thickness of the screed to it. The resulting height is projected onto the walls, outlining the control line, the horizontalness of which is checked by the level.

It is necessary to think over all the details before pouring the floor. Check whether balcony and room doors will open, whether batteries need to be lifted, etc.

In addition to knowledge, for high-quality floor leveling, you will need tools and materials:

• Construction ;
• Mixer for mixing the solution;
• spatulas;
• Container for solution;
• Water or laser level;
• Shovel;
• Cement;
• Sand.

Sand-cement screed

There are three ways to level the floor:

Often the basis of the floor are concrete slabs, which for the most part have an uneven surface. In this case, the tuberosity of the floor does not apply to marriage, but is a feature in production. When pouring a concrete slab, there can only be one even and smooth side, and it is this side that becomes part of the ceiling, because it is much more difficult to level the ceiling than the floor.

Concrete screed is used for uneven surfaces up to 70 mm. The alignment process in this way is time-consuming and complicated, so it is better to do it together. Here you should strictly follow all the conditions and recommendations.

1 - Preparation of the base; 2 - Installation of beacons and damper tape; 3 - Preparation of the solution; 4, 5, 6 - Filling and distribution of the mixture; 7 - Removal of beacons from the screed layer; 8 - Filling voids with mortar; 9 - Finished floor screed

After preparing the surface and installing the beacons, the solution must harden, otherwise the beacons will move during subsequent work, and everything will have to be redone.

The solution is prepared using a construction mixer. It spills onto the floor between the beacons, starting from the far corner of the room. In the bathroom, the solution should be poured starting from the bowl. To evenly distribute the solution, a long rule is used. They make the distribution of the mixture along the beacons, thereby filling all the voids.

Drying the cement-sand screed is a crucial moment in leveling the floor. On the second day after pouring, the surface is treated with a wet roller, and on the third day, the moisturizing procedure is repeated.

After drying, the screed is checked for strength. The beacons are removed, and the voids are filled with fresh mortar. The surface of the screed is covered with plastic wrap and moistened every two days for a month. And only after this process and complete drying, you can proceed to the final finish.

Dry screed

Dry screed is used very often, since its process is much simpler than concrete.

Dry floor screed device

After cleaning and priming the surface, the floor is covered with an overlapping plastic film. On the walls it is better to leave an overlap of 20 cm and glue it with a damper tape. Metal profiles for drywall constructions can serve as beacons.

A granular mixture about 60 mm thick is poured onto the film, which not only levels the surface, but also helps to retain heat. And on this layer are laid, fiberboard, GVL or self-tapping screws and glue. The result is a warm, even and stable surface.

This method of leveling the floor has many advantages:

• Doesn't take long;
• Has good thermal insulation;
• Does not require professional skills;
• Allows you to quite simply dismantle communications;
• Does not stain hands and clothes;
• Can be used for any reason.

Self-leveling compounds

The fastest way to level the base can be safely considered. Mixes are now sold that dry out after 12 hours after pouring. But the final readiness for operation is possible in two weeks.

It can be used with small height differences, not more than 30 mm.

The strength of the coating depends on the fillers. Natural fillers are used for living quarters. For the kitchen, compositions with polymers or quartz sand are used. Such mixtures are able to withstand heavy loads.

1 - Preparation of the base; 2 - Priming; 3 - Complete drying of the primer; 4 - Distribution of the mixture with a doctor blade to create the desired layer thickness; 5, 6 - Rolling the surface with a spiked roller to remove air bubbles; 7, 8 - Providing conditions for floor drying; 9 - Laying floor coverings

After cleaning the surface and repairing deep cracks with a mortar, the base is primed. When the primer is completely dry, prepare the mixture, according to the instructions. It is poured over the surface and spread with a spatula with a long handle. After that, a roller with needles is passed over the floor to remove excess air. After the solution has completely dried, you can deal with the finish coat.

There are certain conditions for this process:

• You need to pick up the right pace, as the mixture dries quickly;
• The room temperature must be at least 10 °C;
• The mixture is spread with a steel spatula.

Detailed video instruction:

conclusions

In conclusion, we can say that it is better to level the floor with a dry screed if there is an urgent need for sound insulation and heat preservation. Cement-sand screed gives the most durable and reliable surface. And self-leveling mixtures will be indispensable for apartments with low ceilings. Each method has its pros and cons. For example, the self-leveling floor does not withstand low temperatures, so when choosing a floor leveling method, you should study the features of the room, materials and pouring technique well. Having considered all the options, you can make the right choice. The main thing is to strictly follow all the instructions on the technique of the process and choose only high-quality materials. On a good and even surface, it will be easier to lay the flooring. And such a floor will delight its owner for many years.

Add your opinion about the article in the comments or share your experience of leveling the base in your apartment or house!

One of the top priorities when carrying out a major overhaul in an apartment is leveling the floors. This is especially true of housing in houses of old construction, which was purchased on the secondary real estate market. A typical situation is when floor slabs not only have differences within the same room, but are also located at different levels in neighboring rooms. To level the floors throughout the apartment in one horizontal plane under the flooring of linoleum, laminate and other modern floor materials, there are several technologies, most of which, after studying the nuances, are quite doable with your own hands. Which floor leveling method to choose in a particular case, focusing on the complexity of the process, and how much it costs, you will understand after reading the article.

How to measure the floor level?

The method of leveling the floor surface directly depends on the degree of its unevenness. It is impossible to notice irregularities with the naked eye, and even more clearly to note the level of future coverage, for this you need to use special measuring tools:

• Water line level. This is an ordinary bubble level of not great length in the form of a ruler. In order to measure irregularities over large areas, a building rule or an even rail of the required length is used, on which the level is laid. This measurement method has large errors for large areas; it is used to measure irregularities in an area of ​​up to 2 square meters.
• Hydraulic level. This device is in the form of a transparent hose filled with water and having two flasks with stoppers at the ends. Such a device allows you to accurately mark the horizon around the perimeter of the room and make notes on the walls. It cannot measure unevenness on a plane.
• Laser level. This is a modern and accurate tool, as easy to use as possible. The device emits laser beams in several planes. It is enough to install it in the center of the room, and it will indicate the level around the perimeter with a maximum error of 1 mm.
• Level. This is a high-precision optical device that allows you to calculate the difference between two given points on a conditional plane. Such levels are used in large-scale construction to work with huge areas.

To work within the same room, it is enough to use a laser level. If it is necessary to bring a single floor level in several rooms, then a hydraulic level with the required hose length is used.