Houses built in violation of building codes are destroyed quite quickly. That is why we recommend contacting only professional companies. However, craftsmen can maintain even fragile buildings for a long time. For example, a concrete screed will help extend the life of the floor in them. After such repairs, the floors will last a long time and will be so smooth that you can put any covering on them, be it laminate or parquet, or even tiles. Of course, the technology for pouring concrete here will differ significantly from similar work when building a brick house. Many even doubt the reality of carrying out such work in a wooden building. But anything is possible. In this article we will tell you how to pour concrete yourself.
Concrete screed in a wooden and brick house - differences
Differences in the technology for creating screeds appear due to the fact that a wooden base can be deformed, unlike a stone one. And the whole house shrinks over time. A concrete floor has completely different characteristics, and if it sits too firmly and interferes with the natural changes of the wood, then over time, cracks will appear here and there. In addition, they are chosen for their environmental friendliness and health benefits. Concrete is not a useful material. However, if you follow the technology and put some kind of wooden covering on the concrete, even parquet, you will be able to increase the service life of the building and maintain warmth and comfort in the house. Also, during any work in a wooden house, special attention should be paid to waterproofing. Otherwise, you will have to live in dampness, among mold and fungi.
Standard concrete screed technology, which is suitable for stone floors, is not appropriate for wooden floors. Typically, when constructing an original concrete floor, a pit is dug, filled with gravel, then sand, and a concrete mixture is poured on top. Before working with concrete, all existing communications are isolated and removed into gutters. The basis for such a floor is soil. But a wooden house already has a foundation, and removing it means disrupting the entire structure. In addition, such a floor is at the same time too connected with the walls of the house and with the ground. When the building shrinks, this also leads to the bad consequences described above. How, then, to make a floor screed?
Creating a concrete screed in a wooden house
First, the existing wooden floor needs to be prepared. To do this, all damaged boards are removed and new ones are installed in their place. If you don’t have the funds, you should at least turn the damaged boards over and put them with the clean side up. Then the surface must be thoroughly cleaned and any loose paint removed. Any cracks should be sealed with epoxy putty, using mounting foam if necessary. It would be good to use sealant at the joints. Preparatory work ends with covering the floor with waterproof paint.
A polyethylene film is stretched over the prepared surface. It is important that it does not form any folds. Its purpose is to protect wood from contact with concrete. Therefore, you need to carefully check that there are no holes in the film and seal all suspicious places, like the joints of sheets, with tape. The film is attached to the walls with a construction stapler.
Next, limiters are installed, otherwise called beacons. These are slats, focusing on which the solution will be poured. The whole meaning and quality of the work will depend on how smoothly they are laid. Subsequently, relying on them, you can level the floor with a special device - a rule. Another option - more expensive but simpler and more reliable - instead of slats, you can stretch threads and use self-leveling mixtures. In any case, you need to take into account that the screed should be at least five centimeters thick.
When the solution is poured, it must be leveled with a spatula, or better yet, with a rule. After all, the possibility of laying the floor covering will depend on how smooth the surface is. At the first stage of drying, the beacon slats should be left. The first couple of days the surface must be moistened four to six times. Then the slats can be removed, and if voids are found underneath them, they can be sealed. A spatula will also come in handy here. At the same time as this work, you need to wet the concrete with water for the last time and cover it with another layer of polyethylene. Final drying of the concrete floor will take about three weeks. Drying can be determined by a change in the color of the concrete to light gray and an increase in surface hardness.
Wood floors are rarely leveled with concrete. According to the firmly established opinion of builders, there is no point in installing an overly heavy monolithic slab on a wooden floor. The wooden base and the concrete layer do not coexist very well with each other, both during the hardening period and during operation, which is why the majority of specialists recommend preferring dry leveling schemes. However, those who want to lay tiles in the washing area or install underfloor heating are still looking for ways in which a concrete floor screed can be poured over a wood base. There are methods, and they have specific features.
The nuances of working with wooden floors
Wood is a special material, which, in addition to a lot of technological advantages, has one significant drawback. It is not static; even after construction, lumber continues to “live” according to the laws peculiar only to them. Fluctuations in humidity levels and changes in temperature cause scaffolding to increase and decrease in volume, shrink in height, stretch and contract in a linear dimension. For this reason, after the construction of the log house, finishing work is not carried out for two years.
Attention. Pouring concrete over a new wooden floor is strictly prohibited. Leveling with concrete is possible only after 3-4 years of operation.
Wooden structures continue to move even after the completion of two years of post-construction shrinkage, although without the same agility. Equipped with underfloor heating systems, wooden floors are driven by each switch on and subsequent shutdown.
Unlike lumber, an artificially created stone slab slightly changes its geometric parameters in the linear direction during the hydration period. After complete hardening, the concrete layer shows no tendency to move at all. If they were in a tight bond, the instability of the “fast” wood would cause crumbling cracks to appear in the concrete. So, in order to allow each of the structural elements to act according to their characteristic principles, without causing harm to each other, the technology of leveling, unrelated to the base and the walls, was invented.
Technological principle of leveling with concrete
The essence of the technology, according to which a concrete screed is poured onto a wooden floor, is to create a boundary between the moving components of wood and a monolithic slab. To do this, the leveling layer is cut off from the walls of the room being equipped with a damper tape, and from the base with a plastic film. The result is a floating deck that is not connected to either the timber or log walls or the foundation. Thanks to this, the wooden elements of the structure can continue to move in any direction, and the screed lying like a tray will not crack and crumble from the continuous change in the position of the rough substructure.
Why use polyethylene film?
After all, contact with it negatively affects the wood, providing conditions for rot and fungus to flourish. Usually, in wooden structures, instead of this budget waterproofing, glassine, bitumen mastic, roofing felt, or new roll materials with bitumen impregnation are used. The fact is that concrete does not stick to polyethylene at all, due to which:
- Both the base and the screed will be able to “ride” along the insulating boundary;
- the concrete leveling layer will not pull the polyethylene along with it, tear it and stretch it;
- the inviolable limit will remain inviolable, will not allow the wood to suck up moisture from the hardening concrete, which is why shells are formed;
- concrete will not absorb moisture from the wooden base, causing cracks to appear in it.
Note! Those who have decided that they will lay a concrete floor screed with their own hands must take care of the base itself and minimize the negative effects of contact with polyethylene. Before laying the waterproofing layer, wooden structural elements will need to be treated with an antiseptic and Aquastop primer with water-repellent properties.
Floating screed technology
The principle is understood, all that remains is to implement it. Traditionally, you need to start with preparation:
- we remove the boardwalk and carry out a thorough inspection;
- We identify unreliable lags and irrevocably change everything that is unreliable;
- if the load-bearing capacity of the log system is insufficient, we increase their number, that is, we install an additional beam so that the step between the logs becomes approximately 30-40 cm;
- we fix the floorboards back, if they are in good condition, it is better to turn over slightly damaged boards;
- We fill the gaps between the boards with sealant.
Having finished with the preparation, we adhere to the period indicated on the packaging of the sealed “putty” and generously cover the wooden floor with waterproof primer, after which we let it hydrolyze.
On the walls we mark a zero level at an arbitrary height, found with a conventional level gauge or laser device. This landmark can be located at an arbitrary height, approximately 30-70 cm from the plane of the dismantled coating. From the obtained points of the zero horizontal we set down equal distances, taking into account the thickness of the future concrete screed. It will be more convenient to immediately postpone the thickness of the floor covering, so that if the height is exceeded, the thickness of the leveling layer can be slightly reduced.
Note. The standard thickness of a concrete floating slab is considered to be 5 cm. Please note that a layer of 1 cm will “fall” onto 1 m² of wooden floor with a mass of 100-120 kg. Without strengthening the lag system, a wooden structure is not able to withstand such pressure. If possible, builders recommend replacing wooden beams with a metal channel.
Insulation device for leveling with concrete
Further steps to install a leveling concrete screed involve the construction of cut-off insulating barriers between the wooden floor parts and the future leveling layer. The result should be a kind of pallet made of water-resistant material:
- First, we will create a fence along the walls from foam polystyrene tape, attaching it around the perimeter of the room with a stapler, but better with tape. The width of the strip should be greater than the thickness of the screed being constructed, the thickness is 1-2 cm. In addition to creating a barrier, this element will dampen sound vibrations and also provide the floating slab with the opportunity to slightly expand and lengthen. After laying the final coating, the excess protruding above the surface is cut off, and this technological gap is closed with a plinth or its venerable substitute - a 10-centimeter board with a galvanized ventilation grill.
- Then we lay polyethylene with a 15-20 centimeter overlap on the walls and with a 10 centimeter overlap on the previous strips.
Note. There should be no folds, tears, punctures, especially holes in the waterproofing. All further actions on the installation of a concrete screed should also be carried out, being careful not to pierce, tear, or pierce the insulating layer. Any holes that appear by chance should be covered with plastic patches.
It is desirable that the waterproofing layer has no joints at all, but if this cannot be avoided, all joints with obligatory overlaps are firmly taped. Perfect sealing of the insulation is the key to excellent performance of the leveling layer.
Construction of alignment beacons
These actions must be carried out with special care, in no case using screws or nails. The best way is to form beds from a solution with the same composition and consistency as the future screed throughout the entire area being developed. A continuous strip of mortar will tightly press the polyethylene to the base and prevent it from warping and lifting up when the craftsman walks on the floor.
Note. The distance between the wall and the outer bed should be 20-30 cm. There should be a meter or 1.2 m between the parallel beds so that, based on the rule on the beacons, it is convenient to level the screed.
We lay a metal profile on the top of the constructed ridges and drown it in the mixture, reaching the pre-marked height, that is, the level of the leveling layer. It is advisable to complete all steps for installing beacons an hour after mixing the solution, until it begins to set.
Using microfiber instead of reinforcement
A fairly thick layer of concrete requires reinforcement. Usually it was a metal mesh, simply laid on the floor. I hope those who want to learn how to properly and reliably make a concrete screed on a wooden base have not forgotten that it is important to maintain the integrity of the separating layer of insulation. Agree, it would be difficult to move along a metal mesh, and even to work without catching or perforating the polyethylene.
Let us remember that the reinforcement generally should not strengthen only the “bottom” of the leveling layer. Its place is in the concrete body, and in order to achieve the correct location, it would be necessary to pour the screed in at least two stages:
- first layer first;
- then laying the mesh with the installation of beacons and final filling.
Those who are in the know and know perfectly well how long each layer of concrete screed will take to dry will probably be puzzled by this option. Between the first stages and the second you need to wait almost a month (28 days), and the same amount upon completion of all work.
In order not to turn floor leveling into a long-term epic, it is better to use fiberglass for strengthening. They are introduced into the concrete mixture during the preparation period. The random arrangement of polymer fibers will provide strong connections in all possible directions. In addition, the weight of the heavy screed will be significantly reduced due to the abandonment of traditional heavy reinforcement.
Directly pouring concrete
It is carried out according to the traditional technological scheme. Depending on the area of the upcoming leveling, the mixture is filled with:
- or each room in turn, separated from the adjacent room by a kind of formwork - a partition made of boards;
- or the entire area with work starting from the wall opposite the front door.
A day after leveling the beacons, these rails must be removed. Treat the grooves remaining from the profiles with soil, fill with mortar and level with a trowel.
The rules for caring for concrete screed and cement-sand leveling are similar. A day after pouring, the screed is moistened generously, then sprinkled with water daily for another week. The fresh concrete floor must be covered with polyethylene for four days so that the screed evenly releases moisture throughout its entire capacity. It is necessary to ensure stability and uniformity of the temperature background and the percentage of moisture in the air.
Video about leveling with PCI Periplan ready-mix
It is worth getting acquainted with technological intricacies both for those who independently take on the difficult task of installing screeds with concrete mortar, and for those who decide to turn to builders. The result of non-compliance with the rules is the inevitable costly rework.
Most professional builders agree that the greatest reliability and durability are typical for floors made of concrete. The material has a perfectly flat surface and the necessary strength for laying any type of finishing coating. In this material we will look at how to make a concrete floor in a wooden house, and also touch on other structures.
In the photo - making a concrete floor in a wooden house
Advice: if you fill the floor with concrete in wooden houses, this will increase its mechanical stability.
Such work is not particularly complicated, so almost anyone who does not have special skills can do it with their own hands. However, a concrete floor also has a significant drawback - it is cold. But this problem can be solved quite simply - with thermal insulation materials, the use of which allows one to correct this drawback.
Advice: if you forgot to make a technological channel in the foundation or concrete floor, a service will help you - diamond drilling of holes in concrete using special equipment.
What is required for work
Pouring the floor with concrete in a wooden house will require you to have certain materials, which you need to acquire in advance.
These tools include:
- level– in order to achieve a perfectly flat surface, then you don’t need to think much about how to cover the concrete floor in the house, since all materials will fit perfectly;
- rule– with its help, the solution is distributed evenly over the entire surface;
- Master OK;
- wooden slats;
- poluter– also used to obtain a flat surface;
- concrete mixture, which includes water, cement, crushed stone and sand.
Preparatory stage
To obtain truly high-quality products, the entire process must be carried out using a certain technology. Most often, logs made of wide beams can be seen as a rough layer.
They can be laid directly on the ground, on compacted sand, or on specially prepared brick pillars. Then there is a layer of skull boards, on top of which the flooring is laid.
As you know, boards are not the most durable material. Therefore, after a certain period of operation, they begin to deform slightly, which leads to the appearance of characteristic creaks. In addition, the wood rots, reducing the service life of the floorboards.
Advice: when the floors begin to seriously creak or rot, they definitely need to be replaced.
For wooden houses, there are many different ways in which new flooring can be installed. By far, concrete is the most efficient of all.
You can replace a wooden covering with a concrete one without any special skills. The preparation process consists of the following stages:
| Dismantling the old floor | You can remove absolutely everything, however, if the joists have not received serious damage, you can leave them. Then: · in the first case, it is assumed that the concrete foundation is poured directly onto the ground; · in the second - evenly distribute a layer of clay over the surface, the level of which should be at the same level as the joists. |
| It will become an additional vapor barrier along the insulation layer. | |
| Creating a thermal insulation layer | Typically, this role is assigned to expanded clay, but since its price is rather high, in budget construction the material can be replaced with fine gravel or sand. Typically the thickness of such a layer is 10-40 mm. An alternative to such a concrete floor arrangement would be a screed with fillers. This option is practiced much less frequently, but it was still worth mentioning. |
| Laying additional insulation | It will help improve the future thermal performance of the building. |
Tip: when laying thermal insulation film, it is necessary to make overlaps along the edges of the walls with a length of 100-150 mm.
Do not forget also that it is necessary to ensure that the base of the existing floors in the house coincides with the new one.
Tip: thanks to this thermal insulation, you have the opportunity to vary the overall thickness of the floor.
Reinforcement process
In cases where, after all the above actions, parts of the beams remain on the surface, you should bend the figures of the required shape from the metal rods. The beams will be hidden under them. For the remaining surface, a reinforcing mesh is used.
All reinforcement elements that will subsequently be installed on the floor surface must be raised by 30-50 mm. For this, supports made of wood or metal are used. It is very important that all reinforcing elements are located inside the layer and do not touch anywhere with the underlying floor.
Tip: after reinforcement, the floor will receive additional strength, which not every tool can cope with. If you ever have to dismantle it, cutting reinforced concrete with diamond wheels will help.
Pouring concrete floors
- The work should take no more than a day, so you should acquire all the necessary tools and materials in advance.
- All communications that will be located under the concrete floor must be carefully insulated. To do this, prepare special gutters that will protect them from mechanical stress.
Advice: large buildings can be filled in parts, rather than as a solid monolith.
For separation, wooden thresholds are used, which can be used even after pouring, or simply removed (after a day). Seal the resulting seams with mortar.
Below is a short but succinct instruction:
- . It should have a homogeneous composition and be thick, without lumps.
- Start pouring from the wall located opposite the door. This is done in order to avoid walking on the floor that has not yet dried.
- After filling the entire area, level the surface using a rule or spatula. This process is very important, since almost any modern finishing floor covering requires a perfectly level base.
- In the first few days after pouring, the floor needs periodic wetting. Be sure to cover it with plastic wrap to speed up the drying process, which depends on the final thickness of the coating and can take up to 3 weeks. The indicator will be a change in the color of the coating to light gray, in addition, it will become much harder.
- The last stage of installation is the screed.
This process also requires a step-by-step implementation, and its essence is:
- giving the surface ideal evenness;
- increasing the strength characteristics of the floor;
- formation of slopes on floors;
- improving thermal properties.
Remember that using a concrete floor will significantly increase the weight of the house. Therefore, before installing it, it is necessary to make sure that the installed foundation is able to withstand such loads.
Advice: you should not pour concrete on the floor in a new wooden house, because... Shrinkage will occur over time, which can lead to cracks.
Main advantages
Concrete flooring is well suited for use in wooden houses, and also has several significant advantages:
- environmental friendliness, which allows you to pour it in any room;
- absence of dust during the operational process;
- fire safety;
- resistance to aggressive environments and water;
- thanks to the monolithic design, various microorganisms will not be able to get inside;
- long operational period (at least 20-30 years).
Conclusion
This article described in detail how to pour a concrete floor in a wooden house and what nuances should be taken into account. This surface has enough advantages over others, due to which it is recommended to be used in various buildings, of course, in compliance with the technologies for different objects.
The video in this article will help you find additional information on this topic.
All photos from the article
This article is about how to make a concrete floor in a wooden house. In it we will analyze two fundamentally different schemes - pouring the floor on the ground base in the first or basement floor and organizing the screed on wooden beams. So let's get started.
Ground screed
The first or basement floor of a private house usually houses a bathroom, boiler room, kitchen and some other rooms in which wooden flooring is undesirable. The owner’s desire to replace it with stronger, more durable and non-combustible concrete is understandable. How to do it?
Soil preparation
After dismantling the flooring and joists (if, of course, they are present initially), the following operations are performed:
- The soil of the former underground floor is leveled.
Please note: the total thickness of the insulated screed with bedding will be at least 30 centimeters.
It is quite possible that the subfloor will have to be deepened a little so as not to reduce the final height of the room.
- The ground is backfilled with sand or sand gravel to a depth of approximately 10 centimeters.
- and is carefully compacted.
- A layer of waterproofing film is laid on it. Usually dense polyethylene plays this role. The canvases are laid with an overlap on the walls and an overlap of 10 centimeters; The joints are sealed with tape. Waterproofing will not only prevent capillary suction of water, but will also prevent cement laitance from going into the ground, weakening the concrete.
- A damper tape is placed around the perimeter of the room, which compensates for changes in the size of the concrete slab due to temperature fluctuations.
Concrete pad, insulation, screed
Further instructions are also quite traditional:
- A concrete pad about 5 centimeters thick is laid out on polyethylene. As a rule, concrete grades M100 - M150 are used for this purpose. If you prepare it yourself, you should adhere to the following proportions:
- After the pillow has set, insulation is laid out on it. This role is usually played by extruded polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam with a density of at least C-35.
During the construction or renovation of a private house, the owner is forced to look for answers to many questions - what materials to use in the construction of walls and decoration, what methods to use for construction work, how to protect the building inside and outside from negative influences, etc. Among them is the problem flooring - how and what to make it from. One of the most popular options at the moment is concrete flooring in a private home. And you will learn how to arrange it in two main options - on the ground and on the floors - in this article.
Let's start by considering the advantages and disadvantages of using concrete when creating flooring in private construction. The advantages of flooring made from this material are as follows.
Also, every owner of a private home should be aware of some of the disadvantages associated with the use of concrete floors.
Tools needed to create your own concrete floor
Before we begin to consider step-by-step instructions for arranging a concrete mortar coating, we will present a list of tools that a master will need to complete this work.
Table. Concrete floor in a country house - tools for work.
| Tool name | What is it used for? |
|---|---|
| Mixing concrete from the main components. |
| Leveling soil, sand and gravel, mixing concrete, excavating soil for the floor pit on the first floor. |
| Storage and transportation of cement and other concrete components. |
| Compacting the soil, as well as cushions of sand and gravel, to create reliable support for the concrete slab. |
| Monitoring the position of beacons, applying markings before starting work on arranging a concrete floor. |
| Making the newly formed concrete screed smooth and even. |
| Working with small volumes of mortar, initial leveling of concrete for floor screed. |
| Elimination of small cavities with air in the thickness of uncured concrete screed. |
| Transportation of sand, cement and other bulk construction materials. |
| Removing “cement laitance” from hardened concrete. |
Important! When working with large area floors, it is more advisable not to mix all the concrete yourself, but to order it along with a truck with a mixer - the time savings will cover the increased costs.
Do-it-yourself concrete floor on the ground - step-by-step instructions
When arranging the floor on the first floors of private houses, one of the most popular options today is to create a concrete covering directly on the ground, without laying any floors. First, let's look at the conditions under which such work should be carried out. Next, let's move on to describing the main stages of creating a concrete floor on the ground.
Installation of a concrete floor on the ground
A concrete pavement laid over the ground consists of several layers of different materials, each of which performs a specific task. The first layer is the soil itself. It must be dry and thoroughly compacted. Pillows of sand and gravel are poured on top of it - they are necessary to further level the surface and distribute point loads over the area. These layers also help to reduce the influence of soil heaving, which occurs when temperature changes. In some cases, when creating a simplified concrete floor, only sand is poured over the ground, without a gravel cushion.
Important! It should be understood that a concrete floor on the ground is allowed only if certain conditions are met - the groundwater level should be located at a depth of 4-5 m or more, and the ground should not be waterlogged. Also, various movements and heaving of the soil at the construction site should be minimal, otherwise such a coating will quickly become unusable.
Next, if a large load on the floor is expected, a rough concrete coating is placed. A film for vapor and waterproofing and insulation is placed on top of it. The latter, as a rule, is high-density extruded polystyrene foam. On top of them, a clean concrete screed with a thickness of 30-50 mm or more is created, reinforced with reinforcing mesh.
Preparation and carrying out measurements
After purchasing the materials and missing tools, you need to prepare the construction site. First, clear it of debris that will interfere with work - stones, vegetation, pieces of brick and other unnecessary things. Next, if the walls have already been erected, mark the lowest point of the doorway in the room - this is the level of your future floor. If necessary, make an adjustment for the thickness of the finishing coating in the form of parquet, tiles or linoleum.
Now you need to make a solid line around the perimeter of the room, indicating the level of the concrete screed. For convenience, first make it at a height of 1 m from the bottom edge of the doorway, and then repeat this pattern at the bottom - where the floor is on the ground and will end. After this, use a shovel to remove the soil to the depth of all layers of the coating you are creating.
Compacting the soil, adding a layer of sand and insulation
Now let’s move on from preparation to a step-by-step description of the arrangement of all layers of a concrete floor on the ground.
Step 1. Level the soil with a shovel and rake so that it lies more or less evenly over the area. Remove stones from it if you see it.
Step 2. Compact the soil in the area where the concrete floor will be installed. Most often, a manual rammer is used for this - with this tool they go around the surface with a “snake”, evenly tapping the ground with force. If necessary, repeat this step two or three times.
Important! If you don’t have a factory-made manual rammer, you can make it yourself from scrap materials found on the site. For this, either a piece of hand-cut log or a metal profile with a fairly heavy and thick steel sheet will do.
Step 3. Prepare the sand for backfilling. To create a cushion under a concrete screed, use high-quality material with a minimum amount of foreign inclusions. Pour sand onto the area where the floor will be built and distribute it evenly over the area. The minimum permissible layer thickness is 10 cm.
Step 4. Distribute the sand more evenly over the area using a rake.
Step 5. As in the case of soil compaction, take a manual or mechanical rammer and “snake” it across the entire area of the future floor.
Step 6. Pour water over the sand - this will make it denser and it will be possible to compact it even better.
Step 7 Go again with the rammer over the entire area of the sand cushion. If necessary, repeat this operation until there are no deep shoe marks left on the sand - only in this state will it be sufficiently compacted for a concrete screed.
Advice! To achieve the best condition of the sand cushion after compaction, level it horizontally using a rule or simply a fairly level wooden board.
Step 8 Place polyethylene or any other suitable film on the sand cushion to create a layer of vapor and waterproofing. “Adjacent” sections of the film are connected to each other with an overlap, which should be at least 5-10 cm - thus reducing the likelihood of moisture or water vapor penetrating through this layer from the soil to the concrete screed.
Advice! If the construction of a concrete floor on the ground is carried out when the walls have not yet been erected and there is strong wind on the site, then temporarily protect the film from blowing away with the help of boards or other objects.
Step 9 Lay a layer of insulation on top of the vapor and waterproofing, using high-density polystyrene foam. As a rule, working with it is not very difficult - individual panels can be easily adjusted to each other. If necessary, they can be cut with a regular construction knife with a retractable blade. When laying insulation, remember that the rows of slabs are joined according to the same principle as bricks with laminate - the transverse seams should not be on the same line.
Pouring concrete cover
After creating the auxiliary floor layers, we will proceed to a step-by-step description of the arrangement of the most important part of the structure - the concrete screed.
Step 1. Prepare and install a reinforcing mesh over the insulation. Using plastic supports, slightly lift it so that it remains in the lower half of the concrete layer - the reinforcement will take on the tensile loads of the concrete slab on an elastic base made of insulation and sand cushion.
Step 2. Mix a sufficiently dense cement mortar to secure the beacons. They can be made from ordinary steel or aluminum profiles, cut to fit the width of the room. Each beacon is fixed at several points, each of which is a small amount of dense solution. The interval between beacons must be less than the length of the rule. The optimal figure is 70 cm.
Step 3. Wait until the cement mortar holding the beacons dries.
Step 4. Mix the concrete, its grade should be at least M150. At the same time, try to minimize the amount of water used - this way you will achieve high quality material and a small number of cracks and microcracks formed during hardening. When mixing concrete, it’s a good idea to add special plasticizers to the mixer, which can be purchased at any large hardware store.
Important! Some craftsmen, when mixing concrete, use liquid detergent as a budget replacement for specialized plasticizers.
Step 5. Place the mixed concrete between the beacons and do the initial leveling with a trowel. Then take the rule and form as smooth a surface as possible, corresponding in level to the beacons. Work in small areas of concrete. Having finished with one of them, repeat the same steps - lay out the material, level it with a trowel and finally bring the surface to a smooth state using the rule.
Step 6. Cover the concrete with plastic film to protect it from drying out too quickly - otherwise the risk of a large number of microcracks or cracks, but quite large ones, increases. In some cases, it is possible to moisten the concrete screed with a small amount of water. Wait until the mixture gains strength and hardens, and then apply a layer of self-leveling self-leveling floor - this will give you a perfectly flat surface suitable for any type of finishing.
Important! If there is an excessively large amount of water in the concrete, it comes out and washes away a certain amount of cement. As it dries, it remains on the surface in the form of a light-colored crust, also known as “cement laitance.” It must be cleaned off, otherwise the coating underneath will have less strength and durability than it should.
Video - Do-it-yourself floors on the ground
Video - Floating floor screed. Types of solutions, filling methods, nuances and subtleties
Floating screed on the interfloor floor in a private house - differences from the ground floor
In terms of the process of its creation, concrete screed on interfloor floors does not differ significantly from what was described in the previous section of the article. But there are several nuances that you need to be aware of.
When creating a concrete floor in your cottage yourself, remember that only strict adherence to technologies and standards will provide you with a reliable and durable coating that will be able to last for decades.