home steps

The simplest DIY floor screed. How to make a floor screed in an apartment yourself. General surface preparation

No one major renovation cannot do without installing floor coverings. In this regard, a reasonable question arises: “What is the best way to make a floor screed?”, because the choice building materials big enough. We decided to consider the most practical and popular options for mixtures and materials for the construction of screeds.

Floor screed

Functions

Before you make a floor screed, you need to understand why it is actually needed.

To do this, let's list the main functions, using an example of which it will become clear how important and even necessary it is:

A monolithic reinforced concrete slab, which is obtained by pouring a cement-sand mortar onto a reinforcing mesh, is an excellent solid basis for subsequent layers of the floor pie;
Thanks to the reinforcement, the slab acts as one solid monolithic structure, which takes the entire load and distributes it evenly over the entire area of the room, and then transfers the force to the load-bearing building structures;
Often, without a full-fledged concrete floor screed, it is not possible to level the floor surface, and this necessary condition for installation of most modern floor structures and covering laying technologies;
The screed allows the installation of structures such as heated floors;
Only with the help of a screed is it possible to create a sufficiently durable and even coating for production and storage facilities with increased floor loads, wheeled vehicles and powerful heavy equipment.

Important! The functions of cement floor screed are so diverse and fundamental that such an important and functional element cannot be neglected. Therefore, concrete and polymer-cement bases are found in almost all modern building structures regardless of their purpose and intended operating mode.

Peculiarities

In order for the building you built to comply with building codes and regulations, as well as to serve correctly and for a long time, you need to understand what features are characteristic of this structural element. These features are dictated physical processes, occurring in the materials of which the structure is composed.

For convenience, we have compiled a list of the most important and defining characteristics and processes:

Like any material, concrete stone is subject to thermal expansion. Due to the unique geometry of the part (a flat plate of a large area), changes in volume can occur unevenly, as a result of which cracks and other damage to the product are often observed. For this reason, it is sometimes necessary to make expansion joints and damping gaps during screed construction;

The slab has very high compressive strength, but does not tolerate strong bending loads, which can easily break an inelastic product. Therefore, the base under the slab must be well compacted and compacted to avoid shrinkage and other movements that could disrupt uniform support;

The stone structure that appears after concrete has matured is quite fragile, especially when exposed to inevitable vibrations and uneven forces. Therefore, it must include steel reinforcement, which binds the entire structure and prevents it from falling apart;

Concrete does not like excess moisture. Moreover, the reinforcement, which is located in the thickness of the concrete slab, will corrode and within a fairly short period of time will become completely unusable, which will lead to a decrease in the load-bearing capacity of the entire structure, a decrease in its quality and service life. Therefore, it is necessary to remember about waterproofing measures.

Important! For successful construction, it is necessary to remember all of the listed features of reinforced concrete floor structures, since neglecting any of them inevitably leads to serious problems and destruction.

Types of screed materials

Cement-sand mixture

The most popular method of constructing screeds is to form a slab from a mixture of sand and cement with the addition of crushed stone or gravel. Cause– the most reasonable price of materials and repeatedly tested and proven installation technology.

The most commonly used recipe is: to one part of M400 cement, three parts of sifted river sand of medium fraction are added. If the screed is made on a concrete base, then adding gravel is not necessary.

If a critical base is needed (when working on soil or other moving bases), then gravel is added to the solution in an amount equal to the amount of sand.

Advice! A mixture of sand and cement can be bought ready-made, but there is little point in this. Therefore, it is better to cook it yourself, it is not too difficult.

When preparing the solution manually, a sheet of metal or other lining is laid on the floor, onto which a bag of sand and a third of a bag of cement are poured. Then add a bag of sand and cement again, and finally a third bag of sand and the rest of the bag of cement. The resulting pile is mixed with a shovel until the composition is homogeneous.

Then a “crater” is made in the pile of material, into which water is poured. After waiting 10 - 15 minutes, the mixture is stirred, adding water to the consistency of thick sour cream. Now the solution can be used for its intended purpose.

Advice! Better for similar works use a small concrete mixer, it will reduce the labor intensity of the work and increase its speed and productivity. There is no need to buy this tool, as it can now be rented from a large supermarket.

Ready-mixed concrete

If you do not want to prepare the solution yourself, then you should consider using a ready-made mixture. To do this, it is enough to order delivery of the required amount of ready-mixed concrete. This method is relevant for working with large volumes and areas, as well as when working on soil and unstable foundations where a high-strength slab is required.

Important! The advantage of ready-mixed concrete is that this material is prepared at a factory, where it is possible to maintain the recipe as accurately as possible in accordance with SNiP, and it is also possible to add all kinds of additives and plasticizers that improve the quality of the solution and its plasticity, and this makes working with the material easier.

In addition, you can order a concrete pump that is capable of delivering the solution to a fairly large height and pouring it from a hose directly onto the floor surface, which is very, very convenient. This approach greatly simplifies the work and speeds up the screed installation process.

Naturally, this will cost additional money, but often the result justifies such an expense due to shorter deadlines and less labor costs.

Self-leveling mixtures

This technology has many names: self-leveling floor, self-leveling screed, etc. Many people do not understand the difference between a self-leveling floor and a screed based on ordinary cement and sand.

In fact, everything is very simple: the composition of self-leveling floors includes very fine powders and special plasticizers, due to which the solution turns out to be almost liquid and is able to smooth out on its own under the influence of gravity.

These compounds can only be used on a concrete base, and this base must be carefully prepared. Their main advantage is a perfectly flat surface. In addition, the use of self-leveling floors makes it possible to significantly reduce the thickness of the screed, which is very important in apartments and houses with low ceilings, of which there are not so few in our country.

Important! It should be remembered that load-bearing capacity There are limited quantities of such screeds, so they are used as a finishing floor covering. If it is necessary to equalize serious level differences or organize solid foundation, then it is not worth using self-leveling mixtures.

The composition of materials for self-leveling floors varies greatly. Some consist of sand and cement, some include various additives and additives, some - polymer materials. There are mixtures based on epoxy resins, polyurethane and other polymers, and cement and sand are not included in their composition.

Advice! The instructions for installing polymer self-leveling floors with artistic effects are quite complex for untrained installers to do independently, so it is better to invite professionals for such work.

When working on the ground, drainage bedding is used: gravel, crushed stone, sand or broken brick.

Conclusion

Today, for the installation of screeds, you can use various flooring mixtures, which differ in characteristics, cost and scope. We have looked at the main options, the study of which will help you choose the right material and construction technology.

Floor screed in an apartment is used to solve several problems - leveling slab floors, masking communications, providing a reliable base for flooring, sound insulation, thermal insulation load-bearing structure. For “wet” screeds, ready-mixed concrete, a mixture of CPPS and a self-leveling self-leveling floor are used.

Before you screed the floor in your apartment on our own, it is necessary to determine exactly what problems this design will solve:

Important! The presence of additional layers and communications inside the screed automatically increases its thickness. Reinforcement with fiber, wire mesh or polymer mesh may be required. For example, if you lay the wiring under a corrugated screed, the layer of concrete above it should be at least 5 cm, the entire screed will be about 8 cm, which may not be acceptable for an apartment and is unnecessarily expensive. Therefore, it is better to lay the wiring along the ceiling (under a suspended ceiling).

Technologies and materials

A classic do-it-yourself floor screed is made to level floor slabs, the top side of which is always uneven. Because during installation, builders level the lower plane, which serves as the ceiling of the previous floor. When choosing a material, you should consider the following nuances:

when using DSP, the minimum thickness of the structure is 3 cm at the top point, otherwise the floating screed will collapse from operational loads;
it is possible to bring the screed “to zero”, but in this case it is impossible to lay a warm floor and sound insulation under it, since the surface insulating materials must be continuous throughout the entire room.

Combined screeds are created using the following technology:

Cement mortar is used to level significant defects and horizontal level differences of more than 3 cm;
then the entire surface is filled with self-leveling mixtures, some of which are suitable as a finishing layer, since they have a decorative surface.

Important! There are self-leveling floors for thick screeds, but they are very expensive compared to cement-sand mixtures.

Self-leveling floor screed

A special feature of making screeds from self-leveling floors in an apartment with your own hands is the absence of beacons:

the balanced mixture, after adding water and dumping the finished solution onto the base, spreads under the influence of gravitational forces in a single horizontal level;
the home craftsman can only expel the air with a needle roller;
when the layer thickness is more than 2 cm, plastic or metal markers can be used, which are removed after hardening or when leveling the self-leveling floor with a roller, respectively.

Self-leveling screed to zero.

Concrete screed

Since the structure has zero repairability, before you properly make a floor screed from DSP, you should make sure that there is no need to improve the acoustic properties of the floors in the room, insulate the slabs or lay a heated floor. Otherwise, the thickness of the screed will increase from 3 cm to 6.5 - 15 cm, which may cause the formation of a step near front door, very uncomfortable when using the apartment.

Modern materials and the classic mixture of sand concrete allow the property owner to make screeds himself without the involvement of specialists. After the required thickness of the floor screed and its layer-by-layer construction have been selected, all that remains is to lay all the materials in a certain sequence and fill them with the mixture. The composition of the most complete concrete screed pie is:

primed base (floor slabs);
sound-absorbing material;
waterproofing film;
insulation;
reinforcing layer;
contours of water heated floor;
damper tape around the perimeter of the walls to the height of the screed;
cement screed 3 cm minimum.

Full pie screed option. IN in this case Sound insulation also serves as insulation.

Any layer, except the last two, may not be used in a specific room of the apartment, while the order of the remaining materials is completely preserved.

Important! Some soundproofing materials are waterproof, making waterproofing over them unnecessary. Other sound-absorbing boards, on the contrary, are insulation by default; they are protected on top with a waterproofing film, and polystyrene foam is no longer needed.

Preparing the Slab

Strong adhesion of the concrete screed to the floor slab is possible only if there are no insulating layers in the pie. However, even in this case, the surface of the ceiling should be dust-free and primed, and cracks and cracks should be sealed before pouring the structure.

Preparatory work.

Horizontal layout in the apartment

Then you need to find the top point of the existing foundation using an instrumental method:

at an arbitrary height on all walls of the apartment, a single horizontal mark is created independently; for this you can use your own or a rented plane builder, laser or hydraulic level;
then the distances from the ceiling to the line made at the previous stage are measured in different areas, the smaller of them will be the top point of the existing foundation.

The next steps are:

damper layer - a flight layer is pasted over the perimeter of the walls in each room;
moving the level - the upper horizontal line is transferred to the damper tape.

After which it is necessary to lay the remaining layers, if they are needed in a particular room.

Additional layers

Soundproofing and sound-absorbing acoustic materials are always laid on the slab to dampen sound vibrations directly at their source. Waterproofing is necessary to protect the screed from getting wet, and wet air can penetrate into the structure exclusively from the lower floor through the ceiling. Therefore, this layer is the next one after the acoustic material and the first without it.

Important! The thickness of the cement-sand screed should ensure the strength of this structure from loading with furniture and walking by family members. Therefore, the minimum is taken to be 3 cm.

Installation of beacons and laying concrete

To ensure high strength of the concrete screed made, a minimum water-cement mixture ratio should be used. The concrete turns out to be rigid, a plasticizer is added to it, but workability remains low. Therefore, it is easier to fill and level the structure horizontally using pre-assembled beacons as a rule.

There are several types of beacons:

Linear beacons are attached to the surface with dowels or embedded in quick-hardening mixtures. In any case, the distance between point beacons or rows of linear beacons should not be greater than the length of the rule that will remove excess concrete after it is laid. Point beacons are mainly used for self-leveling floors; for cement mortar it is much more convenient to use linear beacons.

In order to evenly place the concrete between the beacons and level the mirror of the structural material, the master needs to move inside the structure. Which is difficult to do when there is insulation, sound insulation and, most importantly, on the surface of the reinforcing mesh without displacing it with shoes.

Therefore, two methods are used to ensure walking inside an unfilled structure:

in the first case, the master pours concrete in front of him, starting from the doorway, to the far corner of the room, the mixture is evenly distributed around the mesh, the structure receives sufficient rigidity for walking;
in the second option, stands (spacers) are placed inside the mesh cells, on which board or plywood panels rest, which are moved to the exit as work progresses.

Important! Unlike foundations and other massive structures, screeds are not compacted with the tips of deep vibrators and vibrating laths, which can destroy beacons. Therefore, concrete with a minimum water-cement ratio is used.

Thus, House master is able to make a screed from cement mortar or self-leveling floor on our own with the required number of insulating layers and embed the contours of the heated floor inside the structure.

Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for selecting them. Just submit in the form below detailed description work that needs to be done and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and companies by email. You can see reviews about each of them and photographs with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.

An uneven floor is not only not the best appearance, but also a huge number of disadvantages associated with its operation. If the floor screed in the apartment is uneven, then this promises you the following in the future: difficult installation of almost any floor covering, reduced service life of the covering, problems with installing large-sized furniture. That is why, while repairs are underway, it must be done high-quality screed floor. Today we will talk about different ways and we will try to identify the best one for premises in an apartment building.

The fact that the screed is designed to level the surface of the floor is already clear to everyone. But it also has other purposes:

This rough layer significantly strengthens the concrete base (slab).
The screed is made in a continuous layer, which allows you to improve the heat and sound insulation characteristics of the room (not much, but still). There is an option to organize the screed on a layer of dense thermal insulation - such a system will be very effective.
Hidden communication lines can be laid inside the screed - wiring, water and sewer pipes.
IN Lately Heated floors (water or electric) have become extremely popular. This allows the entire surface of the concrete and the coating on it to be heated. In a room with such floors, there is often no need to even install heating radiators; heating savings become significant. Such systems are installed precisely in the screed.
The screed helps to distribute the load evenly on the concrete base.
With its help you can raise the floor to the desired height.

Materials for screeds and technologies for their use

Let's move on to the most interesting part - how and with what can you make a screed in an apartment? Let's consider all the solutions, describing along the way the properties of the materials and the technology for their installation.

Self-leveling mixtures

One of modern solutions is the use of self-leveling mixtures. They are sold in bags of 20-30 kg. They can have a cement or gypsum base - each option has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

This type of screed is mainly used in small spaces or when you need to quickly make a small layer.

The main advantage of such a floor is the speed of its installation. Depending on the type of material and layer thickness, the floor can be walked on after 2-10 hours. The coating is very durable, does not generate dust, and has high adhesion to various adhesives. The layer thickness varies from 5 mm to 5 cm.

Self-leveling solutions create a smooth plane under the influence of gravitational forces

Such a floor spreads when poured on its own, under the influence of gravity. Ideally, he takes the horizontal level himself, and the floor turns out perfectly flat, but this does not always happen, and it depends on a number of factors:

Firstly, the base must be well-primed so that the water from the mixture does not drain away too quickly.
Secondly, when the layer is not thick enough to provide the desired spreadability, and gravity resists the viscosity of the mixture.
The third reason is the most common - there is simply not enough mixture for the area to be treated. To the eye, it seems that it has already filled everything, but in fact you just poured over the old floor.

To prevent this from happening, installation must be done according to beacons.

Don't know how beacons are installed? Read about this in the article. We tell you how to determine the floor level, prepare it for installing beacons, what types of beacon mounting exist and what is their difference, and how to install it.

It is also worth noting the high material consumption and higher material costs when compared by coating thickness. However, the advantages listed above cover this fact.

Now let's look at how such a screed is made. To work we will need the following set of tools and materials:

The mixture itself.
Electric kneading tool and attachment (perforator, mixer, drill).
Several containers, the volume of each of which will be enough to dilute a whole bag.
Tripod beacons.
Fiberglass for reinforcement (not used by all craftsmen).
Needle roller and spatula.
Damper tape.
Soil is a better concrete contact and a tool for applying it.
Shoes with spikes for walking on already poured floors.

Table 1. Filling instructions

Steps, photo	Description
	We start with cleaning the room. First of all, use a hammer and spatula to knock off pieces of frozen putty and other debris from the surface of the concrete. We clean everything with a broom. Next, we take a construction vacuum cleaner and do some general cleaning. Advice! The better you clean the base, the stronger the self-leveling floor will be.
	We need to reduce the absorbency of the base as much as possible so that the bulk mixture does not quickly lose moisture and dry out. It is better to make two layers of soil.
	A damper tape around the perimeter of the room is needed in order to create a technological gap for the screed to accommodate thermal expansion. If the walls and you are plastered, then the easiest way to nail this element is with a stapler.
	If you decide to make your floor strong, spread this fiberglass over its entire surface - it will reinforce the screed.
	Next we install beacons. Their number is not regulated, but there are recommendations. First, we place them at the lowest points of the floor, and one at the highest. To do this, you should first measure the perimeter of the room with a laser or bubble level. Secondly, we place intermediate tripods so that the desired level can be transferred from a high point to a low one. Then the beacons are adjusted - the central rod is leveled so that its lower end shows us where we will pour the floor. Advice! If you haven’t found a tripod, then use regular dowel screws instead - screw them in according to the same principle, immediately determining the height, that is, the top point of the dowel should correspond to the floor level.
	At the next stage, we begin to stir the mixture and pour it onto the floor. This must be done continuously so that the already poured concrete does not have time to set.
	The poured floor must be stretched using a needle roller and a spatula. This also helps to get rid of air bubbles that form in the mixture during kneading. We pour the floor and roll it out in this manner until it reaches the level of each beacon.

Pouring should begin from the lowest point, gradually moving to the highest. This way the floor is guaranteed not to set until the work is completed. At the same time, do not try to fill more than 20-30 square meters at once. If the room is larger, then divide it into sections using a metal profile PN 50*40 for drywall.

Wet screed

The classic version of the screed is wet. Among other competitors, it is the most inexpensive, therefore it is widespread in mass construction. It's not the best for an apartment the best option, since it is required to give at least 2 cm of thickness, which is not feasible in some situations.

Advice! When we talk about the minimum layer, we mean starting from the highest point in the room. In other places this value will be even higher.

The main advantage of this solution is the leveling of significant differences in the floor when minimum costs. The main disadvantages are the length of time, high labor intensity, and difficulties with mixing.

There are several types of liquid screeds:

1. Concrete- a common classic. Made from cement, water and fillers. The latter are usually sand, crushed stone, and gravel. Such a screed is best suited for creating a floor base, since, despite all the advantages that were mentioned earlier and its strength, it is unlikely to make the coating even. Plus, the surface of such a floor is usually very dusty. Due to the presence of coarse filler, an appropriate layer thickness is required.

2. Cement-sand mortar. It reminds many of the first option, but there is no large filler in it. It turns out that this floor is cheaper, it is less durable, but it is better leveled and can be made in a thinner layer.

3. Lightweight concrete screed. The filler changes again - instead of crushed stone and gravel, it can be expanded clay, polystyrene, etc. Such a screed will also not be very strong, but it will be very warm.

Attention! Lightweight concrete is not made together with, as it will prevent heat from penetrating into the room.

– it is done on top of the subfloor in order to level it (the finishing layer is no more than 15 mm thick). It consists of Portland cement, quartz sand and polymer additives. This composition gives the screed high strength and low shrinkage.

Table 2. Installation of wet screed

Steps, photo	Description
	The first step is to prepare the floor surface - cleaning, priming, etc. We have already described these steps in detail earlier, so we will not repeat them again. If you plan to make a fairly thick layer of screed, then instead of all this, the floor can be covered with thick plastic film. You will receive excellent protection from water, plus during pouring the concrete will not lose cement laitance, which will have a positive effect on its strength. A damper tape is also attached around the perimeter of the room. Advice! You can dispense with this element for thin layers, but it’s still better not to do this - the material costs mere pennies, and it’s not difficult to attach.
	If the screed is thick, then be sure to lay a steel mesh on the floor. This stage can be swapped with the next one if you want to raise the fittings above the floor.
	Next we install metal or plastic beacons. You can purchase a profile like the one in the photo above, or use rectangular pipes for this - they are easier to align and do not bend when pulling the mixture. More attention needs to be devoted to this stage, since the beacons should form a single, flat plane. They are the ones who determine the evenness of the entire floor. Beacons are displayed in different ways. The most common method is to lay them on gypsum or mortar bosses and then wall them.
	We determine the brand of concrete (usually M200) and mix it strictly according to the recipe. If your volumes are large, then use a concrete mixer, as doing this manually is very difficult.
	At the next stage, the concrete mixture is dumped onto the floor and distributed evenly. For this they use a rule that moves along the beacons as if on rails. At the same time, movements are made vibration type, that is, from side to side, while simultaneously pulling forward. The rule does not tilt so that there is no deflection.

After completing the work, the floor is left to dry. You can start finishing it no earlier than 20 days from now. Walking is allowed the next day.

We have described only general order actions. In some situations, the screed can be laid on a heat insulator or combined with a finishing self-leveling coating.

We talked about all the advantages and disadvantages, types, composition and process of pouring self-leveling floors in the article. Detailed step by step instructions process, useful videos and expert advice included.

Semi-dry screed

Also a fairly common type of screed. The technology of its construction involves the use of the same cement with sand, but in a different ratio. The material contains a small amount of moisture, so the floor dries much faster.

The operating speed is also very high. There is only one drawback - the coating is not very durable.

The workflow will be practically no different from what was described before, so let's note only the main points so as not to repeat ourselves.

The beacons used are removable - they are immediately removed, and the furrows are sealed.
The material is initially very dense, so you can move on it using special shoes with a wide support area.
The surface of the screed can be immediately rubbed using a special machine.

Dry screed

This technology was developed by the well-known company Knauf. It is called a screed conventionally, since the process of constructing such a coating is somewhat reminiscent of working with concrete.

The structure of such a floor is as follows:

Dry backfill - with its help, leveling occurs.
Gypsum panels are a finishing coating that provides rigidity. The panels have locks along the edges, which allows them to be connected into one.

Dry screed can be classified depending on its purpose. The following types are distinguished:

Alpha – settles on flat surfaces.
Beta - also done on a flat floor, but on top of a heat-insulating porous fiber material.
Vega – floor on dry backfill.
Gamma - installation of the floor on a combined substrate.

Table 3. Installation of dry screed

Photos, steps	Description
	Rectangular beacons are used here as beacons. metal pipes. They are placed like this: 1. A strip is made of dry backfill along the entire length of the room. 2. The ridge of the strip is trimmed with a spatula. 3. The pipe is laid. 4. A rule is placed on top of the edge, which must be aligned with the beam of the laser level. The beacon is sunk by striking the hammer according to the rule. If there is no laser level, use a bubble level.
	Next, filler is poured into the voids between the beacons, which is usually stretched along the beacons. This is easy to do, since the backfill is mobile and has a small mass.
	Then gypsum sheets are placed on top. Their seams are coated with “liquid nails” glue. After installation, the seams are additionally reinforced with self-tapping screws. The material is cut with a jigsaw to fit walls and various obstacles.
	The joints should be primed and then sealed gypsum mixture so that there are no uneven spots on the floor. This step is not required for every type of slab.

Floor screed is, as you know, the basis of everything. Leveling and concreting the floor is necessary primarily to create a base on which the finishing coating will be laid. In this article, you will receive all the necessary information about making a screed with your own hands.

Which is better? How to do it correctly? How to use beacons? You will receive comprehensive answers to all these questions, supplemented with photo and video materials.

The key to a perfectly even screed is the use of special beacon slats. They serve to ensure that the level of cement mortar over the entire surface of the room is the same.

That is why, installation of beacons for floor screed is the most important stage of the entire process. Treat it with the utmost care.

So, as you can see in the photo, metal beacons are fixed to the floor using the usual solution that you will use. But before that, make sure you have everything in stock necessary materials and tools:

metal beacons, on the basis that the distance between them should be 100-150 centimeters;
special solution for screed;
masters for convenience;
large basin and access to water (for stirring the solution) as in the video;
bubble levels of different sizes;
damper tape around the entire perimeter of the room;
The rule is to level the screed with your own hands.

First of all, you need to mark the floor in order to understand where and at what distance to attach the beacons and how to make a screed in general. Near the walls, the distance to the beacons should be 20-30 centimeters, the distance between the beacons can be different, depending on the length of your rule; for small spaces, small distances of 100-150 centimeters are most convenient. Beacons are laid only in one plane.

In advance, it is worth attaching a damper tape to the wall, which will become a “layer” between the screed and the walls.

We put beacons on the floor

In order to secure the beacon to the floor along the entire length of the intended installation, we make small tubercles from the ready-made screed solution. After this, before the solution hardens, we recess the beacons in the solution and begin to level them using bubble levels.

Important! If the solution remains above the level after leveling the beacon, it must be leveled to the level of the beacon.

You need to very carefully measure the level of not only a single lighthouse, but all of them at once and in different planes. To do this, you can use either a thread stretched across it or any available means.

When all the beacon strips are installed and aligned, you need to wait until the solution attaching them to the walls hardens.

Preparing the screed solution

To date, construction stores and markets offer a large variety of ready-made dry mixtures for do-it-yourself floor screed. Which one to choose is up to you. The main thing is to carefully read the information on the bags and their areas of application before purchasing a batch of the mixture.

Ideally, choose well-known brands that have been proven over the years, but in some cases you can use less famous brands, nose good recommendations from familiar builders.

To prepare the solution you will need a large container, water and a mixing tool. Usually, you just need to add water to the prepared mixture in the proportions indicated on the bag and mix thoroughly.

You can watch the video below the article to see how to make a screed.

Note that it is better to measure the amount of water carefully, because... A lack or excess of moisture in the screed can significantly affect its quality.

Some masters cook the old fashioned way mortar for floor screed from cement-sand mortar. This is also appropriate, but more labor-intensive, because... in this case, you have to take into account the brand of concrete and the amount of sand to maintain the required proportions. Such a solution will ultimately cost a little less than the finished mixture, so here are the proportions for the mixture:

In ordinary rooms, the concrete grade M150 is suitable, in rooms with increased load - M200. Which screed is better? It all depends on your preferences and operating conditions. If you want to do everything yourself, quickly and easily, use ready-made dry mixes.

Important point! The floor screed solution must be prepared gradually, because... its hardening time is usually only a few hours. Therefore, it is better to knead the mixture in small volumes.

DIY floor screed

When the beacons are installed and the first portion of the solution is mixed, it’s time to start pouring the screed. There are no special rules or tricks to this; anyone can do it.

So, the whole point is to fill the space between the beacons with screed solution for the floor with your own hands. Leveling is done using a rule, or, in extreme cases, a flat board or block. You can simply pour the solution onto the floor using a bucket, as shown in the video below.

By the way, if there is a need to strengthen the floor, it is recommended to lay reinforced mesh in the screed.

So, guided by the beacons and gradually mixing new portions of the solution, all the voids are filled and leveled. The result is a perfectly flat and durable surface.

How should the screed dry?

Depending on what dry mixture you use, the drying conditions for the screed may vary. In some cases, a few days will be enough for complete hardening. Sometimes (in the case of using cement-sand mixtures), you will have to “look after” the screed with your own hands, watering it daily big amount water.

In order for the laminate or linoleum to lay perfectly flat, the base for them should be made as smooth as possible, for which you need to learn how to do a professional finishing floor pour, the construction instructions for which are described in detail below. Why it is preferable to do it yourself is quite obvious. After all, this will mean considerable savings of money (which would otherwise be spent on paying for the work of craftsmen) and the acquisition of considerable experience.

Of course, the process of filling the floor can be entrusted to specialists. But many people strive to do and control everything on their own. The first thing you need to do before you start is to prepare everything necessary tools, as well as equipment, the availability of which is required by the technology for installing floor screed in an apartment.

Required Tools

By priority of application you will need: hydraulic level, pencil, tapping thread, tape measure. Also make sure that you have a cord, knitting wire, a stationery knife, wire cutters, a hammer drill and a screwdriver, usually a trowel and a grater, as well as a shovel on hand. Some of the work will be easier to do if you put on rubber boots, which you should think about in advance.

It is logical that, without building materials, the screed can only be made dry, poured using the old-fashioned method from clay, which can be dug behind the house, and then covered with shields. However, this is not the best solution, so we stock up on the required amount of cement and sand. We calculate the mixture consumption by multiplying square meter(in centimeters) to the height of the fill, according to the standard volume formula. One part of the resulting figure is cement, 50 kilograms of which will require 15 liters of water, and another 4 parts are sand. For elasticity, 100-150 grams of liquid soap are added as a plasticizer for heated floor screed.

Add liquid soap for elasticity

And finally, the process itself. The role of the screed is not only to level the floor, it is necessary both to hide underfloor heating pipes and to create an additional layer of insulation or sound insulation in combination with a water barrier. There are different ones, and if you want to get a heat source by hiding pipes in the thickness of cement, in this case a floating one will be used. Simply put, it will not lie on a rigid base of the ceiling, but on a rather soft layer of thermal insulation (we take polystyrene foam boards with sufficient hardness), on top of which the pipes will be located.

The site’s site masters have prepared a special calculator for you. You can easily calculate the required amount of cement.

How to make a floor screed - sequence of actions

First and main process– measuring the premises, and not purchasing building materials, because while you don’t know the scope of work, you don’t know how much cement or sand you will need. There are many stages of work ahead, and only after taking the first step will you know what numbers to use for screed components.

Master class floor screed - step by step diagram

Step 1: Defining the Horizon and Fill Level

When preparation for floor screed is completed, use a hydraulic level to find the horizon at a height of 1.5 meters, and use a chalk-covered tapping thread to make marking lines.

Then we use a tape measure to measure the distance to the base and find the point farthest from it and the closest to it, thereby determining the difference in levels in the room

Based on the measurements, you can calculate how to properly fill the floor screed, as well as the amount of materials that will be required for it. is 40 millimeters. We complete the marking work by moving the markers down in the corners to the filling level and tapping new lines with a thread along which the new base surface will pass.

Step 2: Preparing the Base

The next stage, preparing the floor for the screed, will not require much labor if you plan to install a heating system in the room under the finishing coating.

The role of the substrate in this case will be assigned to the insulation, separated from the floor slab by film waterproofing. A reinforcing mesh is laid on top, and on it are metal-plastic or propylene pipes bent according to a certain pattern (snake or spiral), fixed with special fasteners. If you plan to pour a heated floor screed for a film electric heater directly onto the ceiling, it must be thoroughly cleaned and even washed.

Step 3: Installing beacons by level

Having achieved an acceptable condition of the base or substrate made of insulation with heating elements, it is time to move on to installing beacons, without which it is impossible to install a screed under a heated floor. To do this, we drive dowels 1-1.5 meters apart into two opposing walls along the line of the future screed, to which we tie a cord (possibly nylon).

Exactly along the strings stretched in one plane, lifting and lowering with the help of wooden wedges, we place parallel beacons made of a metal profile 20x40 millimeters at equal intervals (two at a distance of half a meter from the walls).

They are necessary so that the screed under the heated floor will subsequently be leveled against them.

Step 4: Fastening the beacons and installing a thermal seam

Since during the process of laying the solution the beacons can move and change their position in space, they should be carefully secured. Holes are drilled in the ceiling, into which a pair of screws are screwed on both sides of the profile, at a short distance from each end of the pipe and in the middle.

Then a binding wire is wound around the screws so that the beacon is firmly fixed in place.

All that remains is to make a thermal seam around the perimeter of the room, securing a belt of leftover insulation along the lower edge of the walls with liquid nails.

Step 5: Mixing the solution

So, beacons are placed around the room, the thermal joint is securely fixed, it’s time to start making the floor screed. For the solution, we take 50-kilogram bags of cement grade 400, no less, sand is sold by weight or by cubic meters, for work you will need 4 times more of it. Accordingly, in a large container, which can serve as old bath(it is better to use a compact mobile concrete mixer), mix cement and sand in proportions 1:4; When the composition becomes homogeneous, add water. The consistency should be like thick sour cream.

When adding a plasticizer, care should be taken; an overdose will slow down the hardening process of the composition.

Step 6: Filling and leveling with the rule

If you have prepared a water heating system in the form of pipes laid on insulation, laying a heated floor in a screed will not require any special technology.

We make sure that a small portion of the solution placed on level place, slightly floats, but does not spread like liquid, that is, it corresponds to the proper degree of thickness. Then we simply fill the area between the wall opposite the door and the second beacon from it with the mixture (the first one should hide under the solution).

Level the solution using a shovel.

Leveling the solution

Using the rule, we finally bring the mixture to the level of the beacons.

Step 7: The nuances of leveling and removing voids

For those who are not confident in their abilities, it is advisable to watch in advance a training video on how to properly make a rough floor screed with your own hands; the video will tell you a simple way to achieve the desired result without flaws.

For example, few beginners know that when working with the rule, it is advisable to level the solution so that it is slightly higher than the beacons, then after shrinkage it will be level with them. If you have a heating system, it is extremely possible to screed a floor without voids. simple method– it is enough to slightly support the reinforcing mesh so that the mixture covers it and the pipes from all sides.

Step 8: Leveling with a rule after hardening

When cement mortar will cover the entire area of the room, you usually have to work by walking directly on the liquid mixture, for which, in fact, you need to prepare rubber boots before laying the screed on the floor.

Then all that remains is to wait for the filling to harden enough to move around on it. As a rule, the drying time of the floor screed takes at least two weeks, during which you need to regularly moisten the surface with water every other day. After the cement has hardened, you should take the rule and scrape off the top layer to the beacons, collecting the excess in a bucket.

Step 9: Removing beacons from hardened cement

The video will best tell you how to complete the floor screed, but there is nothing complicated about it, and often only instructions are enough. After the surface has become smoother and the beacons have appeared from under the layer of mortar, take a spatula and carefully cut through the thickness of the fill on both sides of the profiles.

Then we cut the binding wire with wire cutters and remove the pipes, tapping them with a hammer in the process to avoid lifting the stuck layers.

Pipe extraction surface

To do this, add a little fresh cement and water to the scraped solution, which is placed in a bucket, mix thoroughly and fill the grooves from the profile pipes with the mixture.

When the remnants of the cement-sand mixture are removed, all we have left is to grout the floor screed.

It is made using a grater and water. We start from the far corner of the room, lightly moistening the fill with water and carefully smoothing the surface with a grater.

After finishing the “polishing”, when the base takes the proper form that you wanted, use a utility knife to cut off the excess thermal seam flush with the surface, the rest will subsequently be hidden under the baseboards. Now the work has been successfully completed and you can move on to the next room.