Many experts argue that it makes no sense to make a screed on a wooden floor - it is too cumbersome, and there are a lot of materials available for dry leveling of the base. But in some cases it is necessary to give the floor a certain rigidity and level it in height using concrete mortar. This technology exists and determines how to make a screed on a wooden floor. It has its own characteristics that must be taken into account during the work process.

What you need to know about wooden structures

Despite all their undeniable advantages, wooden structures have a significant drawback, which is their shrinkage. When changes humidity conditions wood changes its size, increasing or decreasing in volume, shrinking in height, stretching or contracting in length. For this reason, screeding on new boards is strictly prohibited. Alignment wooden base can be done only after three years of operation of the flooring.

The design of a wooden floor involves laying joists on which floorboards are mounted. It is worth noting that it is advisable to make screeds on them only if the logs lie on brick pillars, the height of which is at least 30 cm. If the logs are located directly on the floor slabs, then it would be wiser to dismantle the floor boards and make the screed in the traditional way.

What you need to know about screed

The design features of laying the screed on a wooden floor mean that it is completely isolated from the lower layer of the base and is in no way connected to it. From this follows its name - untied screed.

After the concrete solution has completely hardened, the screed turns into stone slab, not subject to any linear changes, which cannot be said about the wooden base on which it is poured. If the wood and the concrete layer are “connected,” then the instability of wooden structures under conditions of changing humidity conditions will cause cracks to appear on the surface of the concrete, followed by its destruction. In this regard, it was developed special technology, which determines how to make a screed on a wooden floor so that it is not connected to either the base or the walls.

Basic principles of leveling a wooden floor

The technological process of installing a screed on a wooden base consists of creating a waterproof layer between the moving wood and the monolithic concrete layer. To create such a border use:

• plastic film separating the screed from the wooden floor;
• damper tape that cuts off the concrete layer from the surface of the walls.

This method allows you to get a floating leveling slab that is not connected to wooden structures - neither to log or cobblestone walls, nor to the floor board. The screed, in this case, will not be exposed to “moving” wood, as a result of which it will not crack or crumble.

To avoid the appearance of fungus on the surface of the wood, it is treated with an antiseptic and a primer with a water-repellent effect. Only after this is it possible to lay plastic film on the wooden base.

Contact with polyethylene has negative influence on wood, therefore, bitumen mastic or materials impregnated with bitumen are widely used as waterproofing of wooden structures. But not in the case of a screed poured onto a wooden floor. Here, polyethylene film is most appropriate for certain reasons:

• it does not stick to concrete;
• the wooden base underneath can swell and shrink without consequences;
• the boundary between the screed and the floor prevents the wood from drawing moisture out of the concrete mortar during the setting process, as a result of which depressions are not formed;
• concrete does not absorb moisture from wood, and therefore there is no need to worry about cracks appearing.

How to make a screed correctly

The work on installing the screed begins with preparing the base:

• remove boards;
• check lags - replace those that do not inspire much confidence;
• additional logs are installed if the step between them is less than 40 cm;
• floor boards are returned to their place and secured to the joists with self-tapping screws, damaged floorboards are turned over or replaced with others;
• check the floor for squeaks - if necessary, identify the cause and eliminate it;
• the gaps formed between the boards are sealed with sealant and wait for its final setting;
• treat the wood with an antiseptic if it does not have paint coating, as well as a water-repellent primer.

Next, determine the level to which the screed will be poured. Using a laser device, mark the “horizon” on the wall at a height of approximately 50 cm from the floor, set equal distances down and draw a line defining the level of the top of the screed.

The distance from the drawn line to the surface of the wooden floor should correspond to the average thickness of the future screed (usually 5-7 cm).

The next stage is the installation of insulation, resulting in a waterproof pallet. To do this:

• A damper tape is laid along the walls along the entire perimeter, a couple of centimeters wider than the thickness of the screed. It is attached with glue or double-sided tape;
• a polyethylene film is laid with an overlap of at least 10 cm on adjacent canvases and with an overlap of at least 15 cm on the walls. The laid layer should not have folds or punctures, much less holes. Patches are applied to accidentally torn film, and all joints are taped.

A metal profile is placed on top of each concrete strip and pressed into the mortar until it is flush with the line previously marked on the wall.

If it is necessary to lay reinforcement mesh, the work is carried out in several stages. First, the first layer is poured, after it hardens (about a month) the reinforcement is laid, and only after that the beacons are placed. To speed up the process in concrete mortar fiber is added, which provides strength to screeds whose thickness is more than 5 cm.

On final stage When installing the screed, the mortar is poured and leveled along the beacons, which are removed after a day, and the furrows are filled with concrete. As it hardens, the screed is sprayed with water for a week and covered with polyethylene so that it can evenly part with moisture.

After the screed has completely dried, the process of installing it can be considered complete.

collapse

Typically, tiles are used to decorate walls in the bathroom and kitchen, but it turns out that tiles can also be laid on wooden floors. First of all, you need to understand whether it is possible to lay tiles on a specific wood flooring. Not every wood covering allows this. For example, on dilapidated and wobbly floorboards, ceramic will begin to crack and deteriorate over time. Before laying tiles on such a floor, you should think about completely replacing it. If flooring strong and in good condition, then before laying the tiles on it it is enough to do cement screed.

There is an opinion that it is impossible to install a cement screed on a wooden floor. Therefore, many craftsmen advise removing the floorboards, and completely filling the space between the joists with expanded clay and laying cement-bonded particle boards on top, and only then pouring the screed. However, pouring screed onto wooden floors is quite possible. Design features of wooden floors and natural characteristics the wood itself determines the specificity of the installation of the cement screed.

Waterproofing the floor before screed

It is important to know that you can pour screed on a wooden floor and lay tiles on it only after three years of its use. Since new wood It dries out due to temperature changes and can become significantly deformed. It takes 2.5–3 years for the tree to “calm down.” Although after this time the wood continues to move, but not so noticeably.

After the solution has completely hardened, the screed turns into monolithic slab, resistant to horizontal changes, which cannot be said about the wooden floor on which it is poured. If wood and concrete are “tied”, the screed layer will begin to loosen over time along with wooden structure which will cause cracks.

To avoid premature destruction of cement, a “non-bonded” screed technology for wooden floors has been developed. Her design features imply isolation from wooden covering and walls. Laying the mortar must be preceded by leveling the floor covering. The essence of the technology is to create a moisture-proof barrier between the moving elements of the wooden floor and the screed monolith. Typically used for this:

• film made of dense polyethylene;
• damper tape - material fixed at the bottom of the wall with partial transfer to the floor;
• foamed polystyrene - can be used instead of damper tape, allows the polyethylene plate to slightly lengthen and expand;

To prevent wood from being destroyed by mold, it is treated antiseptic solution and apply a layer of bitumen mastic waterproofing. Only after this can film be laid on the floor. The film is laid with a 20-centimeter overhang on the walls and an overlap of the strips of at least 10 cm. The overlaps must be taped with tape. It is desirable that the waterproofing be continuous and have no joints at all. It is important to ensure that no holes, stretch marks or wrinkles appear on the polyethylene during installation. Unexpectedly appearing defects are sealed with wide tape of suitable size.

The moisture-proofing slab created in this way will be floating, not connected to any of the structures in the room. The coating makes the screed independent of the “movement” of the wooden flooring due to temperature and humidity changes. To create such a barrier, it is customary to use glassine, materials impregnated with bitumen, or roofing felt. However, polyethylene film has several advantages over these materials:

• does not tear or stretch, as it does not stick to concrete;
• “allows” the wood to dry out and deform without destructive consequences for the screed;
• creates a barrier for concrete to absorb wood moisture and prevents wood from absorbing moisture from the hardening solution;
• costs less;
• keeps the tiles laid on top of the screed intact.

Screed on a wooden floor: procedure and rules of operation

The installation of a screed for tiles begins with the preparation of the flooring. During this process, the builder must do the following:

• if rotten or sagging boards are found, they are replaced with new ones;
• removes old nails, and additionally pushes the protruding heads with a hammer below the floor level;
• cracks and crevices between the floorboards are sealed with parquet putty and filled on top liquid glass, large cracks are filled with polyurethane foam;
• removes the baseboards and temporarily replaces them with suitable-sized wooden slats;
• if there are cracks in place of the baseboards, also seal them with parquet putty;
• thoroughly sands the floor and removes shavings;
• installs a waterproofing polyethylene coating;
• makes reinforcement, for which he attaches a metal mesh to the base with a construction stapler;
• installs beacons for future filling at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the walls; the slats for the beacons should be rigid and not bend under the action of a stretched thread.

Then follows the preparation of the solution. For this, it is recommended to use special self-leveling mixtures. But the traditional materials are considered to be sand and cement of the M400 grade.

You can make the solution manually or using a concrete mixer. In any case, the mixture is prepared on the basis that 25 kg of dry composition will require 6 liters of water. It is allowed that, if necessary, you can add another 0.5 liters of water to the solution, but no more. Otherwise, the mixture will be too liquid and will begin to peel off when it dries.

When preparing by hand, the elements are mixed with a drill with a “whisk” attachment or a special mixer. You need to mix until the mass becomes homogeneous. It is important to think through all the work in advance, since the solution quickly “sets” and there will be no more than 20 minutes left to fill the screed. When mixing the solution, it is necessary to observe temperature conditions. So, the temperature of the mixture should be at least 10–15 degrees. If the screed under the tile is poured in a cold room, then use warm water for the solution - 30–35 degrees.

Then follows the direct arrangement of the screed. The solution is poured in an even layer, all at once, with no breaks allowed. Standard layer thickness – 5 cm. Filling under tiles on a wooden floor should be done from the corners and walls towards the middle, since this makes it easier to level the finished surface. During the process, it is important to ensure that no air bubbles appear on the surface. If they appear, they are removed with a special needle roller or a suitable means at hand. Level the finished surface with a long metal spatula.

After drying, the beacons are removed from the screed, and the places where they were located are filled with solution. Then the surface is primed with a finishing, water-repellent coating. The first two days the screed should be damp, so it must be moistened with water. This must be done several times a day. Since the thickness of the screed dries slower than top layer, which leads to cracks. Moistening the surface promotes uniform drying and evaporation of moisture. At the moment when the screed is already half dry, it is removed from the area of ​​the expansion joints.

The most convenient way to do this is with a grinder. An elastic, waterproof filler is fixed in the resulting voids. After the surface has completely dried, excess filler and film are removed construction knife or a blade.

Materials and tools

In order for a screed on a wooden floor to serve for many decades, it only needs to be done quality materials and tools. So, to make a screed on a wooden floor, the builder will need:

Types of floor screeds

A screed is the top element of a wooden or concrete floor, intended for further finishing with tiles or other covering. Depending on what the final covering of the wooden floor will be, there are three types of screed:

• dry;
• cement.

Dry screed is new option leveling the wooden floor. The surface is resistant to mechanical and linear loads, has high level strength. Its main material is plasterboard, moisture-resistant plywood or PVC sheets. They are laid out on a waterproofing and soundproofing “cushion” made of fine expanded clay or quartz sand. Dry screed, unlike cement screed, is more suitable for wooden floors.

The cement screed serves as the basis for the heated floor, polymer coating and fits under ceramic tiles. This is the traditional and most common type of alignment using cement mortar, used for wooden floors. Because you can do it yourself without special skills.

Why is it done on a wooden floor? The reasons why such an issue is on the agenda are: the need to dismantle sections of the floor to replace internal structural elements; leveling for the purpose of laying over the old laminate or carpet covering; arrangement of level and solid foundation under tile cladding. Each specific case may have its own nuances related to the design of the floor. But in general, level it and prepare it for installation of a new finishing coating can be done in two main ways. We will talk about them in this publication.

This method is called dry, since it uses sheet materials attached to the frame or surface of the old floor (depending on the situation) mechanically, using nails or self-tapping screws.

Note! Alternatively, the sheets can be attached with glue, but for this the base must be perfectly flat. And this method will no longer be dry, but combined.

Dry screed installation options

Here are the materials mounted on the frame that can be used in a dry screed device.

Table. Review of materials for dry floor screed.

Materials for dry screed	Comment
	To align it with the frame, take moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 16 mm, and preferably 20. Thinner ones will sag. It is very convenient to work with sheets measuring 1250x2500 mm.
	Wood-polymer OSB boards almost as strong as plywood. For installation on joists, you need to take slabs with a minimum thickness of 18 mm. The sheet format is the same as that of plywood.
	Cement particle boards are one of the best solutions for leveling wooden floors. The sheets are non-flammable, have sufficient strength and good adhesion. Therefore, they are most often used to prepare the base for laying ceramic tiles.
	Moisture resistant chipboard sheets, having a tongue around the perimeter, are very convenient for leveling the floor. Moreover, there are options on sale with decorative coating, so with their help you can make not only a subfloor, but also a finishing one. In any case, when installing on joists, you need to take slabs with a thickness of 16 mm and higher. The size of the sheets for the subfloor is 1830 or 2440 mm in length and 600 mm in width. Decorative options– the so-called QuickDeck slabs have dimensions of 900 by 1200 or 900 by 800 mm.
	The thickness of any material that does not rest on the base over the entire area determines the loads that the coating will have to withstand. If you are making a floor on a loggia where there is no furniture, a thickness of 10 mm gypsum plasterboard is sufficient. But in general, floor elements are produced in a smaller format than for walls and in greater thickness - 1200x600x20 mm.

In most cases, sheet materials are mounted according to wooden joists, but this material tends to rot and is highly susceptible to linear expansion. Therefore, some masters prefer instead wooden beam use a galvanized steel profile for the frame, which is usually used when installing drywall.

Only here, to compensate for unevenness of the base and provide the necessary indentation, instead of direct hangers, they use steel corners 3mm thick as shown in the photo. This frame turns out to be more rigid and, importantly, does not creak like a wooden one. In this way, you can mount not only gypsum fiber boards, but also, as you can see, . You just need to use self-tapping screws with conical heads so that they are well recessed into the thickness of the sheet.

Pay attention! As for the gypsum fiber sheet itself, this material can be mounted in other, also dry ways: on expanded clay bedding, and on polystyrene foam sheets. Bedding, of course, is not so convenient for a wooden base, because it may simply be too heavy for it, but as for PPS slabs, this is an excellent option. However, if the old floor has large unevenness, it is impossible to properly level it using this method.

Calculator for calculating the required materials for dry screed

Room area, m²

Calculator for calculating expanded clay backfill for dry screed

Room area, m²

To what height is it planned to raise the base floor base, mm

For an additional layer, GVL will be used:

It is planned to use a screed to equalize the difference in the level of the slab, mm (if necessary)

Adjustable systems for dry floor leveling

Speaking about dry leveling methods, one cannot fail to mention the relatively recent technology for installing an adjustable floor base. The point is that sheet material It is installed not on the frame, but on vertical threaded elements, with the help of which you can level the floors both on slabs and on joists.

This method has many advantages, so its popularity is only increasing. This is low labor intensity, and, accordingly, high speed works; the ability to level fairly large differences; high leveling accuracy; low loads on the base, which is especially important in the case of old beam floors.

But the most important thing is that any communications can be hidden in such a structure and elements of a heated floor can be installed. There is one minus, the same as with all other options - the floor can creak. A sound insulator placed inside also does not solve the problem, so you will either have to be prepared to endure unpleasant sounds, or choose a different alignment method.

Option 2. Installation of a monolithic screed

In general, experts do not recommend leveling wooden floors with the help of. It may be too heavy for the old flooring, which will accelerate its destruction. And this order of arrangement of layers violates the immutable rule of construction: the base must be stronger than the coating in contact with it. Therefore, you need to make sure that they do not contact each other.

The most important thing is proper preparation of the base

However, in special cases, sometimes it becomes necessary to pour a screed over a wooden floor. Since these materials have completely different properties, main task The problem that will have to be solved is to make sure that the mobility of the wood does not interfere with the long-term service of static concrete.

Important! During the first 4-5 years of operation, the boards are most susceptible to shrinkage phenomena, so only old wooden flooring can be poured with concrete. In a new one, as a result of the loss of moisture from the wood, after some time cracks appear and the linearity of the boards changes.

Installing crossbars after opening the deck

The last stage of preparing a wooden base, if it is not a painted floor, will be treatment with a biocidal-hydrophobic primer, which will slow down the process of its destruction and extend its service life.

Extend the life of a wooden floor country house possible using a concrete screed. In this case, the surface will become smoother and more durable. In the future, it is possible to finish the floor with any material, for example, laminate, tiles or parquet.

The feasibility of concrete flooring on a wooden floor

Disputes continue regarding the advisability of using a concrete screed on a wooden floor. Many people say that concrete will make the structure heavier and, accordingly, the pressure on the foundation will increase. On the other hand, the fragility of the wooden base will lead to cracking of the concrete surface, deformation flooring. There is also a high chance that the floor will be uneven. However, there are many facts in favor of concrete covering on a wood floor:

1. Concrete screed It is poured onto a wooden floor using a separate technology, taking into account the characteristics of the wood base. Laying is carried out according to the principle of an unbound screed, which neutralizes the possibility of deformation.
2. It is recommended to pour cement when leveling and strengthening the base for installing hard floor coverings is required.
3. Concrete is ideal for installing heated floors.

To avoid possible negative consequences from the interaction of wood and concrete, you should strictly follow the recommendations for the work. An important stage in preparatory stage is the priming of a wooden surface in order to ensure sufficient moisture resistance. It is recommended to use durable polyethylene film without defects as waterproofing. Its individual parts must be overlapped. To receive flat surface Before pouring, you need to install beacons. The thickness of the concrete layer should not exceed 5 cm.

Since concrete itself is a massive and heavy material, which can lead to sagging of the screed on a wooden base or breakage in weak areas of the floor, it is recommended to add plasticizers to masonry mixture. These additives give the solution sufficient fluidity, ductility, strength, water resistance, and the screed does not collapse for a long time even with high loads.

Execution technology

Scheme of a concrete screed for a wooden floor.

A screed on a wooden base is created to increase the strength of the boundary between wood and concrete. To prevent cement and wood from coming into contact and affecting each other’s quality, the concrete layer is cut off from the walls of the room with a damper tape, and from the wooden base - with polyethylene. This arrangement principle allows you to save concrete from cracking and destruction due to changes in the underlying foundation. Screeds laid on wooden floors have some features:

• the pouring mass should ensure a tight fit of the concrete to the floor;
• the cement should not come into contact with the wood (a layer of film is enough to prevent interaction);
• It is forbidden to pour the cement mixture directly onto the wooden surface;
• It is imperative to equip a high-quality waterproofing layer.

Pour the concrete screed onto wooden surface only after calculations have been made and preparatory work.

Calculations

Before you start arranging the floors, you should make a calculation. When using ready-made sand- cement mixture the amount of material is determined on the basis that 1 cm of layer is obtained from 15 kg/m2 of mixture, but a margin of 10% is needed.

To prepare concrete solutions with my own hands, you should buy material taking into account the proportion 1: 2: 3 (cement, sand, crushed stone or gravel) or 1: 6 (cement, a mixture of crushed stone and sand). Required quantity material is calculated from the formula of multiplying the surface area of ​​the room and the required thickness of the screed.

Preparing the base

Preparing a wooden floor for screeding.

First of all, the board covering is carefully inspected. If there are damaged ones, they should be replaced, and partially destroyed ones can be turned over. The boards are secured back with nails. When installing logs in increments of more than 40 cm, it is recommended to additionally use support bars. To prevent the nails from tearing the plastic film in the future, their heads are sunk into the boards to a depth of 2-3 mm.

Old skirting boards need to be removed. It is recommended to seal the cracks that appear at the junction of the floor and the wall with thin wooden boards. After filling they will need to be removed. This will ensure natural ventilation of the wooden base and prevent it from rotting.

If the wooden base has small cracks, a sealant or parquet putty based on wood dust is used for sealing. To prepare your own putty, take 4 volumes of sawdust and 1 part of oil paint.

If the cracks are deeper, it is better to resort to polyurethane foam.

Primer and marking

After preparatory treatment of the base, it is cleaned from dust and debris. If necessary, the boards are sanded. A primer is applied to the cleaned surface. This processing will create protective layer, preventing the appearance of bubbles, the absorption of moisture from the cement mixture, the appearance of fungus and mold.

Marking is carried out in the usual way or laser level. The zero mark can be at any height. It is recommended to place several marks on each wall at a distance of 35 to 70 cm from the floor, taking into account the thickness of the future screed. Then the marking is carried out in the reverse order - from points on the wall to the floor. In both cases, a line is drawn using a level. The level of future leveling is determined by subtracting the thickness of the screed from the minimum measurement.

It is important to note that the standard thickness of the screed should be ±5 cm. Moreover, every 1 cm of concrete exerts a pressure of 100-110 kg/m2. Therefore, the logs need to be reinforced with beams or metal channels.

Reinforcement

The most popular two methods of reinforcement are: metal mesh and fiber fiber:

1. The arrangement technology is carried out using an unconventional method. A layer of concrete without beacons is immediately poured. A break of 1 month is taken for hardening. Then the mesh is laid, beacons are installed and the second layer is poured. This technology avoids unwanted punctures of the waterproofing film.
2. Fiber reinforcement differs from the above method. The strengthening material is added directly to the concrete solution at the stage of its preparation. The peculiarity of fiber fiber: its molecules are arranged in a chaotic order, therefore, when interacting with the molecules of the cement mixture, the material is strengthened in all directions. The use of fiber fiber significantly reduces total weight concrete covering therefore reduces the pressure on the wooden flooring.

When renovating a house or apartment, a master may encounter a problem with a wooden floor. Over time, such coatings become creaky and lose their evenness. Various types of damage may also occur. To shorten the duration repair work, it is best to install new flooring without removing the old wood floor.

To level the base, a screed on a wooden floor laid under the tiles is perfect. It is important to consider this option, since installing tiles is the most difficult task for wooden floor. The material is characterized high density and has a strong impact on underlying structures. If you understand how to make a screed for tiles, there will be no problems with other coatings.

How to make a screed

There are two options for performing the work:

• standard concrete pouring;
• using the dry method.

The second option is more suitable for wooden floors because it has the following advantages:

• small weight;
• ease of manufacture;
• convenience of laying communications;
• ability to correct errors;
• no wet processes;
• there is no need to wait for drying, which is required by a cement screed.

But there are also disadvantages for use in the home:

• making a dry screed requires a greater thickness than the concrete one is made (the height of the room is reduced);
• due to the increased thickness, the consumption of materials is higher than when creating a traditional base.

Depending on the conditions, requirements and wishes, you can choose between two options when laying material under the tiles.

Work production technology

Screed under the tiles wooden floors follows in a strictly established order. When renovating a house, you first need to inspect the ceiling and floor structures. Reveal weak points, make sure there is no serious damage. If traces of rot, mold, fungus and other microorganisms are found, it is better to selectively replace the elements of the wooden floor.

Scheme for preparing a wooden floor before laying tiles, part 1
Scheme for preparing a wooden floor before laying tiles, part 2

Using a screed, you can eliminate unevenness and strengthen the surface before attaching the floor covering, but you will not be able to get rid of serious defects. The base for the tiles must be level and strong, since it will have to withstand heavy loads. To prevent problems during operation, it is better to timely replace and remove old boards in the house.

After inspecting the old floor, you can begin the main task. It is recommended to fill the classic wet screed in the following order:

1. If there was previously a cement screed on the floor, it can be removed by grinding or milling.
2. Checking the reliability of the fastenings of the flooring boards to the joists. If they are not securely fastened, squeaking will occur during operation. To prevent this, all elements of the old floor must be securely attached to each other.
3. Next comes cleaning the surface from old contaminants. You will need to remove grease, traces of glue, old paint and varnish, various impregnations, dirt and dust.
4. If necessary, you should sand the surface of the old floor with a special machine. In this way, the top layer is removed, the base under the tile becomes smoother.
5. If there are unevennesses on the floor with a height difference of more than 1 cm, you need to do preliminary leveling for the tiles. To perform the work, you can use various leveling mixtures based on a cement binder. The surface of the boards is covered with the composition; cracks can be repaired using putty. Water-soluble putty compounds cannot be used.
6. Instead of baseboards, slats are installed around the perimeter of the walls, which will cover the distance between the old floor and the wall. Thin slats are installed followed by puttying. This strip is removed after completion of the work. With its help, a gap is provided that will allow air to enter the space under the floor. For a wooden covering, this is extremely important, because if ventilation measures are not taken, the wood will rot and cause problems during operation.
7. The leveled surface must be primed in accordance with the technology of this process. Buy for priming ready mixture. A layer of this material will not only increase adhesion, but also improve the spreadability of the mixture for pouring the subfloor over the surface when performing repair work. When processing, the floor must be dry, the work is performed in two times.
8. Having finished with the previous stage, you need to lay a reinforcing mesh under the tiles. The diameter of the elements is assumed to be 3-4 mm. Cell dimensions 50 by 50 mm. This stage can be neglected, but it ensures greater reliability of the foundation and the ability to withstand higher loads.
9. When preparing the solution, the proportions must be observed. It is better not to make it yourself, but to buy a ready-made dry mixture, the preparation of which requires only water. This will avoid mistakes when choosing the proportions of components and reduce the complexity of the process of pouring the screed.
10. The mixture must be applied in one go. If you carry out work in several stages, the layer will not work as a single whole, cracks, tears and unevenness will appear. For application, use notched spatulas. Control the thickness of the application using beacon guides or marks on the wall surface.
11. After completing the laying of the mortar, it is necessary to allow the concrete to cure. This process takes several hours under normal conditions. After this time, you can walk on the floor carefully, but it will not be ready for full use earlier than in a couple of weeks (in summer period, for the winter season the timing increases).
12. Take out the slats installed around the perimeter of the walls instead of baseboards. After this, if necessary, grinding can be done (no earlier than 6 hours after pouring).