Using self-leveling floor technology, you can create the perfect flat surface, which will then serve finishing coat for laying parquet, tiles, laminate, carpet, etc. At the same time, the self-leveling floor itself can be easily applied to almost any hard surface: wood, concrete, stone base.

Next, we’ll take a closer look at how to pour a self-leveling floor onto a cement-sand screed that’s painted. oil paint. Initially, we have a fairly flat surface with permissible height differences of no more than 1 centimeter.

Main works:

1. Preparing the base
2. Prepare the filling mixture
3. Lay the self-leveling floor

Let's look at the main processes in more detail.

1. Preparatory work.

Clean the surface.

This stage must be approached with special responsibility, since the result obtained can affect all work in the future. It is worth noting that if there are obvious irregularities on the surface, then there is a high probability that the bulk mixture itself will not cover all the shortcomings. Therefore, in order to avoid such circumstances, all irregularities should be smoothed out as much as possible. Also, the pouring of the floor can be negatively affected by the presence of chemicals and greasy stains. If they are not eliminated, then in the future the composition of the self-leveling floor may be damaged: various cracks and chips will appear.

To remove various debris and all kinds of stains, it is acceptable to use a regular vacuum cleaner followed by wet cleaning of the room. Particular attention should be paid to exfoliated weak points. If they are detected, restore the damaged areas by sealing the defects with cement mortar.

The result should be a smooth, clean surface.

Apply a primer layer.

To create deep adhesion, you need to prime. Special requirement there is no soil mixture here, so you can choose any one you like from those on sale today. As an example, it is recommended to choose a soil-concrete contact that allows you to give the floor the desired roughness. The primer should be applied with a brush or roller.

2. Prepare the working mixture.

Before starting work, be sure to read the instructions and how to use the mixture.

Prepare a large container and pour water into it. On average, you need to pour 5-6 liters of water per 20 kg of mixture. Then pour in the dry mixture. To thoroughly mix and create a homogeneous mass, use a construction mixer or a special attachment on an electric drill. Be sure to follow the proportions, as too much water will make the resulting mass too liquid. This can reduce the mechanical strength of the future floor.

Important: the prepared mixture is used within the first 20 minutes. Therefore, do not stir the mixture in large portions. It’s better to dilute a little during the first batch and practice styling.

When preparing the mixture, remember that you need to dilute it with water at room temperature, since hot water the mixture will set faster.

3. Pouring the self-leveling floor.

To complete the work you will need an ordinary spatula and a needle roller. Using a spatula, the finished mixture is applied to the surface base and rolled out with a roller. At the same time, the roller needles will remove the formed air bubbles.

Spread the mixture from the far corner of the room. At the same time, make sure that it is distributed evenly (in narrow stripes). Then use a spatula to fill in any uneven areas. Finally, smooth the self-leveling floor with a needle roller to ensure a perfectly smooth surface. After applying and treating the first strip, proceed to the next until the entire floor surface is covered. The self-leveling floor dries within 10 hours. But it can be used only after 3 days from the moment of applying the mixture.

Self-leveling screed is famous for being very easy to fill. You don't need to have extensive experience in construction to do this. In addition, this type of screed allows you to achieve a perfectly flat surface, which is ideal for any type of coating. But few people know how to properly prepare and apply self-leveling mixtures to the floor.

Most mixtures for self-leveling screeds are cement-based. Gypsum is also used. Such mixtures contain sand or limestone. In addition, modern mixtures contain plasticizers, components that retain water, improve strength and other characteristics.

As for the choice of composition, you should be guided by the following criteria:

1. Humidity. If the room was and will be damp (nothing can be done about it), it is necessary to use exclusively cement-based mixtures. If the room is dry, you can buy both gypsum and cement compositions;
2. Base. If you have to deal with concrete, sand (using cement) or anhydrite base, it is better to buy special mixtures. These are produced, for example, by the Ceresit brand;
3. Deadlines. If deadlines are running out, you can purchase so-called mixtures for urgent repairs. Their main feature is that they can dry in literally 6 hours (some in 10, which is still very fast);
4. Required layer. Standard height layer of self-leveling mixture is 1 cm. But there are special mixtures that allow you to make a layer of 8 cm or more. An example is Ceresit Moment Flat floor;

Most experts do not recommend using self-leveling mixtures if the layer height is expected to be more than 2 cm. In this case, it is better to make a rough screed from ordinary mixtures that do not level on their own.

1. Proposed screed coverage. If you plan to paint the screed in the future, it is best to take Horizont brand self-leveling mixtures. Judging by the reviews, they are the best for paint and varnish coatings;
2. Required insulation. In cases where it is necessary to achieve high sound insulation and heat retention, it is better to use Bolars brand mixtures. If fire resistance is important, buy mixtures from KNAUF.

There are a huge number of manufacturers of such mixtures, but when you are in the store, be sure to pay attention to the characteristics of each of them. Usually, all the features of each mixture are described on the bag.

Let's assume that in our case the humidity in the room is normal and the height difference in the room is 0.5 cm. Then the required layer of screed will be equal to 1 cm. The base is concrete, the deadlines are not pressing. Linoleum will be laid on the screed; increased insulation is not required. In this case, we only need to pay attention to the thickness of the layer (indicated on the bag). Let's take one of the most popular mixtures, Thomsit DD from trademark Ceresit.

As you can see, the layer thickness and characteristics are indicated directly on the bag (in the lower right corner). It says that the composition is environmentally friendly, suitable for interior work, and more. In the same way, the bags indicate that the mixture has increased noise insulation, high speed drying or other characteristics.

How much mixture should I take?

To answer this question, you need to take the estimated height of the screed layer in millimeters, multiply it by the area (number of square meters in the room) and multiply it all by 1.5. Then you get the number of kilograms of screed. The fact is that with a layer height of 1 mm per one square meter you will need 1.5 kg of mixture.

This can be expressed in the following formula:

M – mass (quantity) of the screed, kg;

H – height of the screed layer, mm;

S – room area, sq. m.

As we said above, in our case the height will be 1 cm, that is, 10 mm. Let's assume that the area of ​​the room is 15 square meters. m. Multiply 10 by 15 and 1.5, we get 225 kg of screed. Considering that almost all such mixtures are sold in 25 kg bags, we need to divide 225 by 25. This also applies to the Thomsit DD we chose as an example. We will receive 9 bags.

Some mixtures require different flow rates. Therefore, before purchasing, be sure to pay attention to everything written on the bag.

Required Tools

So, we have already purchased the mixture. In addition, we will need the following tools:

• a bucket of at least 20 liters;
• It is advisable to take a drill with a mixer to stir the mixture (otherwise it will turn out with lumps);
• spatulas of different lengths;
• roller - you need to take a needle roller.

It is also advisable to take a special extension handle for the roller, so as not to step on the poured mixture, but to level it from a distance.

This is what a needle roller looks like.

And here is the pen for him.

As for water, in most cases a minimum of 7 liters is required per bag. In some cases, the bag will indicate a different dosage.

DIY self-leveling screed step by step

This process begins with preparing the base. As part of your preparation, you need to do the following:

Be sure to look at the bag to see how long the cement should dry. Under no circumstances should a screed be applied to wet or even slightly damp cement, otherwise both mixtures will mix, and then a depression will form in place of the crack.

After priming the floor, you need to let the base dry again. Otherwise, the self-leveling mixture will mix with the primer and will not be able to bond firmly to the floor. That is, the primer will not fulfill its main purpose.

Interestingly, the technology allows adding a small amount of primer to the screed mixture. But the floor still needs to be primed.

The self-leveling floor is poured to level the surface. When the subfloor is poured, it reveals flaws in the form of an uneven surface relative to the level and small depressions in the form of pits. This material will tell and show how to correct such defects.

So, I practiced two ways to level the surface using a self-leveling floor and a leveling screed. Let's look at their pros and cons.

Tools:

• brush 15cm wide
• capacity 40 liters
• drill mixer
• needle roller for self-leveling floor
• spatula wide, narrow
• toothed spatula, tooth height 8-10 mm
• level
• rule
• grout float

Work progress

First way. Self-leveling floor

Before you start working with the self-leveling floor, the surface must be cleaned of dust. It is advisable to do this with a vacuum cleaner. After this, prime the surface with liquid glass (LC).

Its absorption into the base of the floor depends on the consistency of the LC. It is necessary to dilute it in a ratio of 1 to 2 (one part water to two parts liquid mixture) and treat the surface, preferably in 2-3 layers. The period of time before the next application should be about 1 hour. Work is carried out at a temperature not lower than + 10 C.

After the LC has dried, the surface should take on a characteristic shade, like after applying varnish.

We do this so that when applying the self-leveling floor, all the moisture contained in the mixture is not absorbed into the floor, and the mixture itself does not dry out, but gradually hardens. This procedure will also serve as a kind of waterproofing of the floor.

Before mixing the self-leveling floor mixture, we make a wooden sole to fit the shoe size with self-tapping screws screwed into it. This is done so that after applying the self-leveling floor you can walk on it without stepping on your entire foot.

Mix with a mixer ready mixture self-leveling floor.

We carry out this work strictly according to the instructions indicated on the bag.

After this, pour the stirred mixture onto the floor and level it with a spatula.

This also helps to smooth the mixture evenly over the plane.

In my case, after the floor has dried.

Cracks appeared on the floor in the form of cobwebs, which means temperature conditions instructions indicated on the bag were not followed.

To eliminate them, you can stick a mesh for puttying facades.

First, apply the glue with a notched trowel.

In this way we will fix the problem.

After the tile adhesive had dried, the linoleum was laid.

Second way. Floor leveling screed

To begin with, we carry out the same work with LC, that is, we prime the surface. Then we prepare a cement-sand mixture (CSM), which includes sifted sand (coarse-grained), cement, tile adhesive in the proportion 3x1x1 (three parts sand, one part cement, one part tile adhesive).

The process begins with installing beacons by level. Next, apply the CSP using a notched trowel. The mixture must be rubbed into the floor surface.

After this, we level the DSP applied to the floor using the rule. Until it has completely hardened, we rub the surface with a grout float.

You should get a homogeneous, flat surface.

After the leveling screed has dried, for strength we additionally impregnate it with liquid glass diluted with water in a ratio of 2 to 1.

After drying liquid glass lay linoleum or any other covering.

Conclusions about working with self-leveling floors and leveling screeds

Self-leveling floor. It is easy and simple to work with him. Its thickness can be from 3 to 10 mm, but the price for the finished mixture is high. The need to follow the instructions for working with the mixture is also a disadvantage.

Leveling screed. If you have enough time and budget, this is a suitable option.
Memo: the main disadvantage of a leveling screed is that it reduces the height of the room by 10-15 mm, while the thickness of the self-leveling floor can be only 3 mm.

To ensure that when laying the floor the material lays tightly and without gaps, it is used self-leveling screed. It fills all the cracks and imperfections, providing a perfectly smooth surface. However, to obtain such a result, you should take into account some nuances when laying the bulk base. When laying parquet, tiles or laminate, a high-quality, even base is of paramount importance. One of the most popular self-leveling fillings today is self-leveling floor. It has proven itself to be inexpensive universal way get a perfectly smooth base for further work with expensive material.

General characteristics of self-leveling screed.

IN composition of the self-leveling screed includes modernized dry mixtures with the addition of special chemical admixtures. This gives the solution the necessary elasticity and ensures easy filling of the floor surface with the mixture. At the same time, to work with a self-leveling screed, standard tools that can be purchased at every hardware store. No screed required for pouring special skills, this task can be easily completed by a novice amateur who has minimal skills and knows how to work with construction tools.

Can be used in any room where level differences are up to 30 mm. It is intended for final leveling floor surfaces, as in residential buildings, and public institutions.

Provides perfect high-quality styling various floor coverings. And this, in turn, increases the service life of the flooring material several times. Parquet, laminate or other material laid on a perfectly flat base has no gaps, which prevents it from moving away from the base. Self-leveling screed technology is quite simple and does not require the participation of highly qualified specialists. All the work can be done with your own hands. It is enough to follow a few rules and adhere to the established recommendations of professionals.

Self-leveling flooring has a number of advantages:

• the operational period of the floor covering increases several times;
• self-leveling screed is easy to apply;
• perfectly ugly surface;
• low cost of bulk mixtures.

It is these qualities that make it possible to widely use poured floors for arranging private properties and public buildings.

Procedure for working with self-leveling floor.

Preparation of materials and necessary tools

Any construction process begins with the preparation of working equipment, materials and aids. For a self-leveling screed you will need:

• primer;
• dry mixture;
• container for mixing components;
• drill;
• roller for applying primer;
• needle roller for removal air bubbles from the mixture.

In the case when the self-leveling screed is poured onto epoxy base, highly specialized polymer materials are used. The modern market offers huge selection various polymer fillers, the cost of which is determined by a wide price range.

Compositions of epoxy self-leveling floors.

Preparing the base for pouring.

Quality of self-leveling floor largely depends on careful surface preparation. The main preparation criteria are that the surface must be perfectly clean, dry and durable. It is necessary to eliminate deep flaws, chips and other construction defects using putty, and thoroughly clean the floor of debris and dust. To ensure reliable adhesion between the floor and the base of the filling mixture, the surface is treated with a special primer.

Self-leveling floor tends to change in volume upon drying. Therefore, you should avoid sticking the filling mixture to the walls. To do this, a special edge tape is glued along the perimeter of the room to the bottom of the wall. This prevents the screed base from cracking when drying.

To prepare the bulk mixture All components are poured into a clean container and filled with the specified amount of water. Using a special mixer, which can be used as a drill with a special attachment, mixing is carried out until a homogeneous solution of the required creamy consistency is obtained.

Waterproofing of self-leveling screed.

With the help of waterproofing, the screed provides additional resistance to the destructive effects of precipitation, protects it from cracking and provides additional stability during operation. Waterproofing is carried out on the surface before pouring the self-leveling floor.

Self-leveling floor application technology.

In order for the self-leveling floor to have the most even surface possible, the time between new portions of the solution should be minimized. To do this, it is better to fill the floor, working with a partner, who will mix a new portion of the solution as needed. This will avoid joints between sections of the self-leveling surface, making it smooth from beginning to end of the room.

Self-leveling floor technology.

Subsequent work can be carried out following the recommendations of the mixture manufacturer. Approximate period hardening of self-leveling floor lasts about a day, after which you can start painting or priming. However, if the manufacturer specified a period a little longer, it should be maintained to avoid coating defects.

The subsequent laying of the finishing floor covering can be carried out no earlier than two weeks later, when the screed has completely dried and shrinks. As a covering, you can use not only traditional laminate, tiles or parquet. The modern construction industry offers new polymer flooring products, and even three-dimensional floors. Special coloring compounds are also widely used, which modern market offers a wide range.

When entering a room, the floor is the first thing we see after the doors. Therefore, there are always increased requirements for it, and for finishing they are used best materials. But no matter how high quality it is, uneven surface or insufficient floor stability will destroy the expected effect. Therefore, before carrying out decorative works, laying linoleum or carpet, ceramic tiles or even painting, the floor surface must be perfectly level and stable.

An old concrete or wooden floor can “come to life”, and potholes and chips can disappear thanks to modern fast-hardening plastic compounds. You no longer need to use old technologies and carry out special preparations; forget about complex leveling and long hardening times. Now you can make a floor screed much faster without any special knowledge using a self-leveling mixture. All you need to do is strictly follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

The composition for a self-leveling floor screed is a set of specially selected components. When diluting the mixture to liquid state, it acquires the ability to spread, creating a completely flat surface. This composition of the mixture components has the property of rapid hardening, creating the opportunity to resume construction work in a short time.

You will not need heavy construction equipment to carry out the work.

The advantages include high levels of hardness, wear resistance, as well as a complete absence of shrinkage. Since the layer thickness is small, use in buildings with low ceiling will not affect the overall feeling of height of the room.

Name. Brief description	Packaging kg	Consumption kg/mm/m2	Price	Strength MPa	Layer thickness in mm
ALFAPOL VP - finishing self-leveling self-leveling floor M200 F200 Pk5 W12 on a cement base	25	1,75	375-471	20	2-40
REAL Floor leveler, High-quality dry cement-based mortar	25	1,7	360	20	2-80
Bergauf BODEN ZEMENT MEDIUM, self-leveling floor for the final leveling of horizontal surfaces, ideal for further installation of any floor coverings (ceramic tiles, parquet, carpet, linoleum)	25	2	289-324	20	6-60
Forbo Eurobond 915, fast-hardening self-leveling floor, low shrinkage, self-leveling, quick-drying. Suitable for heated floors. For indoor use, incl. in damp areas. Withstands the load from furniture on casters.	25	1,7	405	20	3-50
Petromix PS, for leveling floors on concrete and other hard substrates in dry, wet and damp areas. Serves as a base for floor facing coatings(parquet, ceramic tiles, textile carpets, plastic coverings, linoleum, etc.)	25	1,5	441-471	25	2-30
The foundation will be T-42 Nipline, a self-leveling, high-strength, moisture-resistant, non-shrinking leveler on a cement-sand base using special chemical additives.	25	1,7	342-433	25	3-30
Ceresit CN 178, for the manufacture of screeds operating under conditions of low and moderate mechanical loads, incl. with constant exposure to moisture (in residential and public spaces, on exploited roofs, balconies, terraces, open areas etc.), with external and internal works, in civil and industrial construction.	25	2	370	35	5-80
Vetonit 4100 cement-based mixture for leveling concrete floors indoors	25	1,6	520-537	20	2-30
vetonit 4150, suitable for quick leveling concrete floors and screeds in residential buildings, offices and public buildings. Suitable for renovation and new construction various types floor coverings. Used in “Warm Floor” designs	25	1,6	520-550	20	2-30
Berghauf BODEN ZEMENT FINAL, a self-leveling cement-based floor for perfect smooth surfaces. For rooms with normal and high humidity(bathroom).	25	1,8	435-490	20	0,5-5

Scope of application of self-leveling screed

1. Preparation for finishing floor. It is used to remove rough coating defects by applying a thin layer of self-leveling screed from 2 to 25 mm in height.
2. When installing floor waterproofing. Used when the base is saturated with oils or other aggressive environments, and when the basis is wood covering. The thickness of this screed ranges from 25 to 60 mm.
3. When installing thermal insulation.
4. When creating warm floors. A self-leveling screed hides cables and water pipes of heated floors well, at the same time leveling the surface. The thickness of the layer directly depends on the height of the laid heating element, but overall height The screed layer should not exceed 60 mm.

Types of mixtures for floor screed

Self-leveling mixtures can be roughly divided according to the main binding component or intended purpose.

Mainly when construction work The main component of the mixture for leveling floors is cement or gypsum. There are also polymer mixtures, but they have a special scope and purpose.

Cement

Cement-based mixtures, in addition to cement and construction sand, contain polymer additives.

Plasticizers give the liquid mixture increased spreadability and increase the rate of hardening. The finished floor is characterized by a high strength index. The product can be used in any room, regardless of the level of air humidity. Thin layer coverage of several millimeters is achieved precisely with a cement-based screed.

Plaster

Gypsum mixtures also contain cement, but the main binding component is gypsum. Used for screeding in rooms with controlled air humidity. It is often used when leveling large differences in heights, when it is necessary to make a thick screed, sometimes the filling layer is up to 100 mm.

In terms of strength, gypsum screed is not inferior to cement screed, and, taking into account the thickness of the layer, sometimes exceeds it.

Gypsum has high thermal conductivity, which is why it is actively used in the construction of heated floors.

Mixtures can be divided according to their intended purpose:

• for rough leveling. It is used for screeds with a very uneven base or large defects, and the thickness of the created layer can reach up to 10 mm. Can be used as a base for laying ceramic tiles or laminate;
• for fine leveling. Scope of application: finishing, perfect leveling. Usually done by pouring cement mixture onto the already leveled screed. The thickness of this coating is up to 5 mm. The quality of the finished floor is suitable for installation of all kinds of finishing and decorative coatings;
• for difficult bases. The composition of such mixtures includes reinforcing fibers and plasticizers with special properties, which give the screed additional properties: increased compressive strength, hydrophobicity, etc. Such compositions are used to install screeds on complex wood coverings, on a base with a separating layer.

Calculation of the amount of material

We calculate the amount of material

Calculation of the quantity of purchased material - the most important stage for a person who makes his own screed. Since the material is quite expensive, buying even an extra bag will be burdensome, and vice versa - insufficient quantity the prepared material will not allow the work to be completed, which means that the screed layer will not be monolithic and will lose the necessary quality characteristics.

Before purchasing, carefully analyze the market for the proposed mixtures; do not neglect to carefully read the instructions printed on the packaging or on the manufacturer’s website.

Although externally similar, the compositions have different purposes, characteristics, thickness, strength, and consumption. Be sure to pay attention to the units of measurement in which the flow rate is indicated.

Mathematical calculation required quantity self-leveling screed can be carried out according to the formula:

Material = Area * Average Thickness * Consumption * 100

Dividing the calculation result by the weight of one bag, we obtain the required amount of mixture in the bags. To correct the result, taking into account the “just in case” reserve, we multiply the resulting number by 5%. You don’t have to adjust the “margin” at all if you feel that your calculations for the required height of the applied layer are accurate.

For clarity, let's give an example. Let the room be 17 square meters. meters, and the average floor level should rise by 6 mm. Let us assume that the instructions on the packaging of the mixture indicate the material consumption - 14 kg per 1 sq. m. meter of area, and the package weight is 20 kg.

M = 17 * 0.006 * 14 * 100 = 142.8 kg

5% reserve = 7.14 kg

142.8 + 7.14 = 149.94 kg

149.94 / 20 = 7.497 ≈ 8 bags

In this way you can calculate the amount of dry construction mixture in bags. Even with such a small area and thickness of the future coating, a lot of material will be needed, which is why special attention must be paid to careful measurement and calculation of the layer thickness.

Tools and materials

The specificity of the work on creating a screed is the continuity of the pouring process. The availability of all the required devices and tools will help ensure the speed and accuracy of actions.

A squeegee will be more convenient when distributing the solution, especially taking into account the possibility of adjusting the gap between the floor and the fill itself.

In addition to the dry mixture, you will also need some materials for the work. When the base for the screed is concrete, you will need a primer; if it is wooden, you will need an antiseptic. The damper tape laid around the perimeter of the room should be slightly wider than the height of the future floor.

Putty for eliminating defects during coating preparation; it must match the base coating. When screeding the base with a separating layer, waterproofing will be needed.

Preparing the base

Due to the small thickness of the screed, any foreign inclusions (shards of old concrete covering, wood chips, etc.) can ruin the whole job. The floor must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and washed from dirt. This will make it possible to see potholes, chips and cracks in the base. Loose surface particles should be removed.

If the basis is wooden surface(For example, parquet board), need to check individual elements to rot, wobble, fall out. All imperfections in the base surface must be corrected and sealed with putty or a solution of cement and sand.

Check the evenness of the base with a level; if there are significant deviations in height, level it as much as possible using the same materials. The smoother the floor is after preparation, the lower the cost of the base material.
When all defects have been eliminated, the floor needs to be cleaned and washed again. After drying, prime the surface taking into account the consumption indicated on the packaging.

If the primer is absorbed quickly, it means that the base has high porosity, so after the first primer layer has completely dried, apply a second one.

Process of applying the mixture

There is nothing complicated in this process; organization is important, since you need to work at a pace and without delays. It will be difficult for an untrained worker to cope with this task alone.

The whole process consists of repetitive actions: kneading, pouring, leveling. These steps are repeated several times until the entire surface is covered with a self-leveling solution. You only have 6-8 minutes between kneading and finishing leveling.

In detail it looks something like this:

Please note that the poured solution hardens quickly. If you work without an assistant, the constant lack of time will lead to the fact that your solution will not have time to mature or you will not have enough time to properly level the poured mixture over the surface. If there is a delay, when part of the surface has already hardened and fresh solution is poured nearby, sagging will form. Which will negatively affect the evenness and quality of the finished coating.

Video - Mixing and applying the solution

Video - Secrets of leveling floors with a self-leveling mixture