Do-it-yourself concrete floor screed: a detailed process on how to fill floors with concrete screed. Stages of floor screed in an apartment, selection of materials How best to make a floor screed in an apartment

Leveling the floor according to beacons

The screed is used for leveling floors, strengthening weak concrete foundations, repairing minor defects, and filling heated floors. It is also necessary as a base for most floor coverings. The main types of screed are cement-sand mixture (can be poured and semi-dry), self-leveling mixture, combined and examples - GVL technology.

Before making a floor screed, you should decide what operational strength of the screed is required. For residential premises, it is sufficient if the strength is equivalent to M-150 concrete and, therefore, simple cement-sand mixtures can be used; for commercial or industrial premises, polymer-cement mixtures are required, equal in strength to M-400 concrete.

Cement to sand ratio table

First you need to find the highest point on the floor. If the height difference is 1-1.5 cm, then it is recommended to use a self-leveling leveling compound; if more, use a cement-sand mixture.

It is necessary to apply a special primer mixture to the floor to increase the adhesion of the screed to the concrete. The degree of dilution of the primer also depends on the degree of unevenness of the floor. It is believed that if the height difference is up to 2.5 cm, it must be diluted to the state of “jelly”, more than 2.5 cm - to the state of “sour cream”.

Screeding the floor with your own hands using a self-leveling mixture is the easiest way. Simply dilute the mixture according to the instructions and apply it to the floor. Next, you need to carry out preliminary leveling with a large roller. The mixture will level itself to a horizontal level due to its high fluidity. The mixture will gain full strength in two weeks. The most common method is screed with a cement-sand mixture.

Currently, this fast and inexpensive method is gaining particular popularity.

After detecting the highest point of the floor, you need to install beacons. It should be noted that the height of the screed should be 3 cm above this point. The beacons are attached with alabaster, or they can be installed in specially drilled holes in the floor. Now we dilute the mixture and apply it to the floor. When using a self-leveling mixture, it is enough to apply the required amount to the floor and level it with a rule of 2 meters in length, periodically checking with a level. If you take a semi-dry mixture, then first apply a base layer, lay a metal mesh on it and apply a second layer of the mixture, which we then level with a wide spatula. If necessary, the mixture can be added.

When the screed can support the weight of the body, remove the beacons and cover everything with film or a damp rag for 10 days. This will create optimal conditions for drying and acquiring strength properties. The screed will dry completely in four weeks.

July 18, 2018 No comments

The floor surface must be perfectly flat before laying the flooring. You can achieve this result by performing a screed.

The slabs that are used to build multi-story buildings have a smooth surface on one side, and the other side may have defects. Accordingly, the flat surface will be the ceiling, and the uneven surface will be the floor, which will need to be leveled. You can screed the floor yourself without any special skills. The most important thing is to adhere to a certain technology while working.

You can do the floor screeding in your apartment yourself. This procedure will help level out differences in surface height and hide existing defects. Even linoleum cannot be laid on an uneven floor, as it will gradually begin to crack in places where there are differences in height. After completing the screed, you can safely begin installing the floor covering. The functions of the screed that it has:

• capable of strengthening the concrete base;
• makes the surface perfectly smooth, which allows you to extend the service life of the floor covering;
• provides reliable noise and heat insulation;
• the screed distributes all future loads on the floor along the entire perimeter;
• in kitchens and bathrooms, the screed allows you to create a slope that can drain water in case of flooding.

What types of floor screeds exist

You can make your own floor screed in your apartment using various materials and using different technologies. In this regard, there are several types of screeds:

• concrete - such screeds are considered traditional. This method is very good if you need to level a floor with large differences in height;
• dry - this screed is used if the floor differences range from 3 to 12 cm. It is performed using two technologies: leveling with joists and leveling with gypsum fiber sheets;
• self-leveling screeds - this technology allows you to level the floor with unevenness up to 3 cm. It is made with a ready-made mixture and is suitable for any floor covering.

What parameters should a floor screed have?

As said earlier, you can screed the floor yourself, it is only important to adhere to technology. The finished screed must perform its functions fully and have the following qualities:

• the screed must be very strong and withstand certain loads;
• The density of the screed substance should be the same over the entire floor area;
• if the screed is laid on a concrete floor, then its thickness should be at least 2 cm. If it needs to be placed on a heat and sound insulating coating, then its thickness should be at least 4 cm;
• if it is necessary to hide pipes in a screed, then its thickness should be 1.5 - 2 times the diameter of the pipes themselves;
• when laying the screed on the soundproofing layer, it will be necessary to retreat from the wall from 2 to 5 cm. It will also be necessary to put sound insulation in this indentation;
• Chips and various other defects on the screed are unacceptable.

Basic preparatory work

In order to make a floor screed yourself, you need to carry out some preparatory work, namely:

• first you should inspect the old coating and decide whether to completely dismantle it or partially;
• after dismantling, it is necessary to get rid of all collected debris;
• then you need to clean the surface from dust using a vacuum cleaner or a damp sponge;
• oily stains should also be removed;
• Using a level, you should measure the maximum permissible height of raising the floor in the room;
• install beacons.

Correct screeding can only be done if you adhere to certain rules, which will vary depending on the technology and materials chosen.

How to lay a concrete screed correctly

The most common option for leveling the floor is a concrete screed. The whole process will be labor-intensive and quite long, however, and very effective.

To begin with, naturally, all pieces of furniture, carpets and other things are removed from the room in which it is planned to screed. You will need to remove the old flooring and look at the base. At the next stage, preparatory work takes place. The following components are required for a concrete mixture: sand, cement and plasticizers, as well as other fillers.

Tools required for work:

• putty knife;
• container for mixing the solution;
• a drill that will knead the composition;
• level;
• beacons;
• assembly knife.

Now ready-made mixtures are sold, in which the composition is selected correctly. At specialized outlets you can purchase ready-made mixtures that contain the necessary components in the required quantities. Cement-sand mixtures may also additionally contain useful fillers. You don’t have to worry about how to fill the screed yourself if you study the basic rules.

You can also prepare a solution for concrete screed yourself. To do this, cement is combined with sand in a ratio of 1:3. By adding plasticizers, you can make the solution more elastic and prevent cracks in the future screed. If the difference in floor height is more than 7 cm, then it is recommended to add fiber to the leveling solution or use a metal mesh.

Stages of laying concrete screed

1. Using a level, you need to measure all the unevenness of the floor;
2. Next, you should clear all chips and cracks on the surface;
3. At the third stage, the surface should be thoroughly cleaned of debris and dust;
4. If necessary, you can put a waterproofing layer;
5. Using a level, you should place the beacons;
6. Next, you need to prime the surface;
7. At the next stage, the mixture is prepared, which must immediately be laid on the surface;
8. The surface must be leveled according to the rule, focusing on the placed beacons.

In one room, the solution must be laid out throughout the day. After all the work done, the finished screed is covered with polyethylene or a wet rag to avoid cracks. The room should not be exposed to drafts or direct sunlight. You will be able to walk on the floor in 3–4 days. Complete drying of the mixture occurs in less than a month.

It is important! The final floor covering cannot be laid if the screed is not completely dry.

Self-leveling screed laying technology

Using a self-leveling screed, you can make the floor surface ideal for further laying laminate, linoleum and other floor coverings on it. Stages of laying self-leveling screed:

1. At the initial stage, all debris and especially dust, which should not float to the surface of the mixture, should be carefully removed from the surface;
2. Next, the surface is primed.
3. The filling solution is prepared according to the manufacturer's recommendations. To ensure that the mixture does not have lumps, it must be added to the liquid and in no case vice versa. The consistency of the solution should be like thick sour cream;
4. Next, you can start pouring the mixture from the corner farthest from the door along the wall;
5. The thickness of the mixture can be leveled using a needle roller;

Such a screed will dry much faster than a concrete screed. You can walk on it after 10 hours of drying.

Dry screed laying technology

Dry screed is a modern technology and consists of two layers:

1. The first layer consists of expanded clay sand or a special mixture;
2. Sheets of a certain material.

The sheet material can be fiberboard or plywood, as well as gypsum fiber. The sheets are fastened together with self-tapping screws or glue. The joints must be sealed with putty. With the help of such a screed you can level the floor very well and create reliable noise and heat insulation.

From all of the above, we can conclude that screeding in an apartment can be done very easily and without outside help. All you need is to have good materials and tools, and also adhere to the stages of work. It is advisable to purchase ready-made mixtures in stores that have appropriate documents confirming the quality of the product.

Following the manufacturers' recommendations, you can prepare a good solution for the future screed. You should not save on materials; this will determine how long your screed and, accordingly, the floor covering can last.

Video: How to make a floor screed with your own hands

Reading time ≈ 10 minutes

If you decide to renovate your old floor, you will have to deal with preparation and... These processes necessarily include concrete screeding of the floor surface. After all, linoleum, laminate, carpet or parquet must be laid only on a prepared, flat surface. We will take a detailed look at how to make a floor screed yourself, and also get acquainted with the advice of professionals.

What is a floor screed? This is a rough concrete floor covering, professional floor pouring, and also the most versatile method of leveling the surface. In other words, this is an intermediate layer between the finished floor and the base for laying the subsequent decorative layer. After the concrete screed, any floor covering can be laid. You also have the opportunity to install underfloor heating, as well as sound and waterproofing. The technology of floor screeding is quite complex, and the process is labor-intensive. However, if you follow clear instructions and have patience, even a beginner can handle the job.

Why do you need a concrete screed:

• Perfect surface leveling.
• Strength and rigidity of the future floor covering.
• Giving the floor the required slope.
• Correction of uneven floors.
• Possibility to hide utility lines.
• It is used as a finishing coating for technical premises.

Types of floor screeds

Depending on the method of adhesion, their composition and method of laying, floor screeds exist in different types. Each of them is suitable for a specific floor covering and differs in functionality. How to properly make a screed with your own hands, we will look at the video below.

According to the coupling method

By installation method

According to the composition of the material

According to its purpose

• Leveling type screed. It is used to solve problems such as: eliminating unevenness and hills, correcting the slope of the floor, giving the surface the desired height.
• Leveling and thermal insulation type. In addition to leveling tasks, it is capable of solving problems of installing thermal insulation in a room. Do-it-yourself floor screed with thermal insulation is shown in this video.

It is impossible to say which type of screed is better. When choosing, you should always calculate the load on the floor during operation, the humidity level and temperature in the room, as well as indications for the environmental friendliness of the materials used.

Experts also advise taking into account the following nuances:

• If the house does not have a ceiling on the floor of the first floor, you will have to lay a dense and massive screed. For this, an embankment of crushed stone or expanded clay up to 10 centimeters thick is used, after which the floor is filled with cement-sand mortar.
• If the ceiling in the house on the ground floor is in good condition, then it is not recommended to load the floor surface. It is better to use a sand-cement screed with a layer of 2.5 to 3 centimeters. In all other cases, both in private and multi-storey buildings, it is recommended to make a thin screed to avoid unnecessary load on the floor.
• If there is an old level screed on the floor and only small unevenness is noticeable, then in this case it is recommended to use a self-leveling mixture. The mixture is applied in a thin layer, after which the finishing floor covering can be laid.

Preparatory work

All activities for preparing the floor for screed and further laying the floor covering can be divided into several stages: basic preparation, installation of thermal insulation, installation of waterproofing, laying of reinforcing mesh, installation of additional structures. Let's consider each stage separately.

Floor screed technology

The process of screeding a floor with your own hands in an apartment is as follows:

Remember not to speed up the drying of the applied cement or concrete mortar. This can damage the floor and the work will need to be done again.

Floor screed technology has its own nuances and difficulties. However, if you follow the instructions and recommendations, even a beginner can handle the work.

Floor screeding in an apartment is necessary when you want to make the flooring even, without drops or slopes. This approach will increase the surface strength. The ability to finish doorways and install windows depends on the quality of work - all components must be on the same level.

What else is a floor screed used for? With the help of such measures it is easy to insulate the room, reduce the influence of noise, and provide waterproofing. The correct design allows you to disguise utility lines: cables, pipes or other elements.

The difference in the height of the interior space may turn out to be insignificant - up to 1 cm, or it may be a very unpleasant surprise: some new residents on the forums say that the difference in values ​​across the entire area of ​​​​the premises reaches 10 cm.

In order for the floor coverings to last for a long time, and the furniture to be installed without distortions, you need to create the most even bottom possible. Experts say: before starting finishing work, it is wise to watch videos, get profile information from articles or communicate online with like-minded people who will tell you how to properly screed the floor in different rooms of the apartment, which is better under specific circumstances, and what determines the final choice.

For large spaces, it is wise to invite professionals or, using the advice of experienced people, do the finishing yourself. The screed for the floor of the apartment is carried out according to the general algorithm. There may be nuances when choosing different materials.

Masters suggest combining several techniques, which is justified if the base has significant curvature. Any composition needs to be completely dry before laying the final coating.

Types of floor screed

The following types of floor screeds are relevant today:

• Wet. The solution is mixed with a large amount of water and takes a long time to dry. Reinforcement is often used, so this type of screed is suitable if increased load is expected.
• Semi-dry. This variety remains the most popular. A small amount of moisture and the presence of a hardener speed up the drying process. The composition is quite suitable for moderate loads in the residential sector.
• Dry. A universal method for an apartment. Initial leveling is carried out by different types of bulk environmentally friendly mixtures. The floor is formed from plasterboard and plywood.
• Self-leveling or self-leveling, which is distributed evenly over the surface.

Each of the modifications has pros and cons: the wet method remains the most durable, but labor-intensive. The semi-dry look is easier to perform and will allow you to complete finishing activities faster.

Plywood or gypsum fiber board are quickly installed, but are suitable for ordinary housing, and with heavy traffic they will be unstable. Self-leveling mixtures are ideal for rooms with minor coating defects.

Any of the named varieties for flooring in an apartment is suitable for installation with different initial data. For example, for a common corridor, if the family is large, you can use a semi-dry option, and in the bedroom limit yourself to a practical liquid one.

Cement strainer

Cement-based mixtures can have different properties, since the proportions of the components can be varied. The concrete floor screed in the apartment can be prepared independently. Experts recommend adhering to the following compound recipe:

• The design mortar is 100, and the cement is “300”? Then you will need part cement and three sand.
• “Two hundred” - respectively 2 to 1.

Calculating the total quantity is simple. With a height of 5 cm and a room area of ​​20 m2, you will need: 0.5 * 20 = 10 m3 of ready-mixed concrete. A plasticizer (you can use liquid soap) will give the pouring ductility.

A nuance: during the kneading process the volume decreases. From 1 m 3 of dry raw materials, no more than 0.75 m 3 of solution will be obtained.

For apartment renovations, only fine aggregate is used: sifted sand. A smart step is to screed the floor with expanded clay. Concrete is mixed with lightweight practical material. This method is rational when it is worth raising the surface to a considerable height. This type of finish is useful when it is necessary to reduce the weight of traditional cement or concrete.

Dry floor screed

Semi-dry floor screed in an apartment is used as a simple main surface or for arranging warm communications. The use of such a solution allows you to begin further work 2-4 days after its installation. Adding fiber fiber will enhance the insulating properties of the coating and make it more stable.

Are you unsure what kind of screed you need, dry or wet? If an average load is expected and the repair time is tight, then the option of using an almost dry mortar will be more attractive.

Dry screed can be completed in one day, and the topcoat is easy to install without any time loss. The base plate is covered with a dry mixture and leveled along the beacons. Then the profile guides are set, onto which the cut sheets of plasterboard (plywood) are attached. The gap between the wall and the floor is filled with polyurethane foam.

Stages of work

The process of leveling the floor and forming the screed is divided into standard stages. They vary depending on the method used, but the schematic sketch remains general:

• First, the initial preparation of the rough surface is done.
• Heat, hydro and sound insulation is carried out.
• If planned, reinforcement is carried out or additional equipment is installed.
• Filling in progress.

The source material for floor screed in an apartment determines the required set of tools. Indispensable helpers are traditional lighthouses. To level the dry backfill you will need slats, a profile, fasteners, a screwdriver, and a jigsaw for cutting.

Self-leveling mixture will require a roller to disperse air bubbles. Wet and semi-dry options are the most voluminous, here you select: a level, a trowel, a spatula, a drill, a mixer for kneading, containers of different sizes, the rule.

Preparing the base

If repairs are being made on the secondary housing market, then it is necessary to remove the old floor screed. Otherwise, the new base may expose hidden defects in the existing coating.

Then you should carefully remove dust, dirt, fine particles, seal cracks between the ceilings and depressions on the plane. After the solution has dried, the slab is sanded using a brush or machine, and all excess is removed. The surface must be thoroughly vacuumed.

Fill

First, make a solution. Cement, sand, water are mixed in proportion (for example, 3: 1: 0.5). Dry sand and cement are stirred, thoroughly rubbing the particles. Then the liquid is gradually poured in. For greater plasticity, you can add liquid soap or dishwashing detergent. If you purchased a ready-made version, then dilute it according to the instructions.

The masters know how to properly pour the mixture throughout the entire room and recommend distributing the resulting mixture evenly over the floor. It is better to use beacons as guides. If somewhere there is not enough solution and depressions have formed, then the material is tossed and leveled again.

Make sure that there are no air pockets left and that the composition fills all the space.

Criterion: if the solution lies tightly and efficiently on the slab, then “cement laitance” will appear on the surface.

After partial hardening, the canvas can be additionally sanded with a grater. With the semi-dry method, the surface is treated when setting becomes apparent.

DIY screed

Professionals give advice to craftsmen who decide to make a floor screed with their own hands:

• When using the wet and semi-dry method, the usual liquid household solutions (soap, degreaser) can be replaced with PVA glue.
• Installation using wet methods should be performed in one session. The batch storage time is up to 2 hours.
• The calculation of the drying period depends on the thickness of the layer: 1 week is suggested for 1 cm of height.
• Semi-dry application takes up to 2 weeks to dry (4-5 days is enough for a thin layer), but after 10-12 hours after installation it can be walked on in shoes with flat soles.

When installing a dry floor in an apartment with your own hands, you should remember that the structure is less durable, but can withstand household loads. As a primary backfill, it is wise to purchase expanded clay, perlite, and environmentally friendly compounds with a fine fraction. A practical top covering is gypsum fiber sheets, under which layers of insulation can be laid. You can easily perform such manipulations yourself in 2-3 days.

Do-it-yourself semi-dry floor screed is kneaded hard-boiled: the lump clenched in a fist should not crack or crumble. There is no need to remove the laid beacons from the thickness. With this method, you can save on a self-leveling finishing layer: the floor without it will come out smooth and flawless. This type is considered the most popular among professionals when decorating apartments, since it reduces the hardening time, remains practical, and stable.

In this article on the website, we will look at how to properly make a floor screed with your own hands in an apartment, you can watch a step-by-step video of pouring the screed, so if you follow all the instructions yourself, you can reduce the cost of the work performed in general.

Let's find out what a screed is - it is nothing more than a floor layer (base) on which the finishing floor covering is laid: laminate, linoleum, tiles, etc. The type and further operation of your floor covering will depend on the quality of the screed.

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Types of screeds

Floor screed in an apartment can be of two types:

1. Monolithic is cement-sand, gypsum (anhydride), self-leveling, etc.
2. Dry or prefabricated from building boards.

The screed must be selected depending on the room. In rooms with high humidity (bathrooms and kitchens), gypsum and prefabricated screeds should not be used.

Preparatory work

After you have decided what kind of floor screed you will make, you need to prepare the base for pouring. To do this, you need to remove the old floor covering and all loose parts of the base and preferably vacuum it to remove dust from the surface.

Then we cover the base with a primer for better adhesion (Betokontakt is ideal, but a cheaper one is also possible).

For further work you need to find the zero level. To do this you will need a water level or a laser level.

We find the zero level for all rooms of the apartment at once. To do this, place a mark in an arbitrary place at a height of about 1-1.5 m from the floor and then transfer the marks to all the walls in the apartment using a water level.

You should have marks on all walls in all rooms. These marks must be connected with straight lines.

Now we measure the distance from the drawn level to the floor. This measurement must be taken in several places on each wall. The smallest value will indicate that in this place the floor height is maximum.

From the smallest value we subtract the thickness of the screed and measure the resulting length down from the previously drawn level. After connecting all the newly marked marks, a zero level will be obtained for all rooms. This is the level to which the future screed will be poured.

Please note that the thickness of the floor screed cannot be less than 30 mm (exception is leveling with self-leveling mixtures or levelers).

Cement screed is made from one part cement and three parts sand. But now there are many ready-made dry mixtures that just need to be diluted with water and can be used.

Video: do-it-yourself floor screed step-by-step instructions:

Do-it-yourself floor screed technology

The technology for screeding floors in an apartment includes several stages. Ruberoid tape is glued to the walls below so that its upper edge is 15 cm higher than your future screed.

Also, if through holes and cracks are found in the floor, they must be sealed with non-shrink cement (BCC) so that later, when pouring the solution, it will not leak to the neighbors below.

The next stage of pouring is the installation of beacons. All further work depends on the quality and correct installation of the beacons. We use metal T-shaped guides as beacons.

We attach them to the same solution from which we will make the screed. Laying it out in piles. The first beacon should be at a distance of 20cm from the wall. Subsequent beacons are installed parallel to each other, at a distance of 30-40 cm less than the length of the rule.

The longer the rule, the smoother the screed will be.

After laying the beacons on piles of mortar, they must be leveled using a level. Alignment should be along the length of the beacon, as well as between all beacons. As a result, the level in all positions should be at zero.

After leveling, wait for the solution to completely harden.

After installing the beacons and the solution has hardened, you can proceed directly to pouring the solution. To do this, mix the solution and pour it between the two beacons, starting from the far edge.

Then, using the rule, we tighten (level) it along the beacons towards ourselves. And so on until the entire floor screed is filled. It is better to do the filling together, since while one is leveling, the other is mixing the next portion of the solution.

And now you have finished pouring the floor screed, but it’s still too early to relax. Now you need to create conditions under which it will harden properly.

It takes 24-28 days for the cement to completely harden and gain strength. To prevent the screed from drying out too early, it must be moistened 2-3 times a day. This should last about two weeks.

You can also cover it with film, then you can moisturize it as needed.

After 5-8 days you will be able to walk on the screed, but it will be completely ready in a month. Speeding up in such matters will not lead to anything good, but on the contrary, you can only ruin all the work done.

Quality checking

After the required time has passed, you can check the quality of the floor screed.

1. Let's look visually - it should be a uniform gray color.
2. Next we look at the evenness of the surface. Using the two-meter rule placed on the floor, we check the size of the gap. According to our standards, the gap should not exceed 4 mm.
3. The third point will be checking for hardness. If the screed has not been withstood much, then, as already mentioned, it may simply crack. We check for hardness by hitting the hammer tangentially.

That's all the main points when pouring a floor screed with your own hands. By following these rules, you will be able to avoid many mistakes, waste of time, and as a result, save your nerves and reduce the cost of apartment renovation.

By the way, information to think about the scale of the work - for a screed with an area of ​​80 m2 you will need about 100 bags of dry mix.

Video instructions on how to make a floor screed:

If you have any questions, complaints or want to leave your positive feedback, you can do so below! Leave your feedback and suggestions in the comments!