How To Arrange Beacons To Create A Flat Surface

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24

• Foundation preparation
• Definition of zero level
• Lighthouses for dry haul
• Beacons for concrete screed
• Self-adhesive beacons
• Pin beacons
• Self-execution of beacons
• Calculation of beacons

A lot of effort should be made to form a flat base in the room. At the same time, attention should be paid to a number of preparatory measures, which, among other things, include the installation of beacons. They allow pouring as close as possible to the level, which is also installed before any kind of floor screed is made. There are a huge number of options for lighthouses, the choice of which will depend on the specific fill option.

Foundation preparation

The base where beacons of any kind will be mounted must be prepared and cleaned of excess debris and dust. Among the preparatory activities are:

• Floor repair: removal of chips, potholes, cracks. Here, tile glue, cement-sand mortar, glue-based mortar, etc. are used in the work.

  

  Everything will depend on the specific situation, as well as the floor repair option.

• Cleaning the base from debris. Any dirt, build-up, putty, cement must be removed. A hammer and chisel can be used as tools.
• Surface priming. Allows to improve the degree of adhesion of the subsequent pouring with the sub floor The primer penetrates the concrete structure, which allows it to get rid of dust emission.
• Setting the zero level, as well as markings around the perimeter of the room.
• Installation of a waterproofing layer.
• Laying heat and sound insulation layer.

The last two events are usually arranged for new floors, as well as floors that are completely exposed to the very foundation. In older designs, this will only shorten the floor-to-ceiling distance. The thickness of the screed will turn out to be significant.

Definition of zero level

Before starting work with lighthouses, all calculations should be made to establish markings and a zero level in the room. Subsequently, all this allows you to fill the level and get a positive result. The work uses the building level. There are also more modern methods and methods - a laser level, which allows you to get the most accurate calculations. But at the same time, you should know how to use the laser level to level the floor.

Initially, a point is marked at a level of about 100 cm from the bottom of the floor in the room. Similar points are made along the level along all other walls, after which everything is connected into a single line. This solid line is called the baseline. A zero level is set from it.

For this purpose, a point is set down along the entire perimeter in the room, which will indicate the height of the future screed. This point is taken into account by the thickness of the screed, as well as the highest point of the base of the floor in the room. Therefore, in one of the sections there may be a distance from the base to the zero level of 30 mm, and somewhere all 50-60. From it, the thickness of the screed will also differ in certain areas. Looking at the zero level, beacons are installed indoors. In any case, they should be fastened approximately at a distance of 20-30 cm from the location of the walls. It will not be superfluous to draw the corresponding lines on the floor.

There is another way to determine the zero level. To do this, screws are screwed into the base of the floor, which are located at the same level relative to each other. A thread is pulled between them. Along this line, the installation of beacons or the filling of mortar elements will be carried out. But this method is more laborious due to the "floating" beacons.

Lighthouses for dry haul

With a dry screed, there is a main feature - the material is backfilled over the area of the room, which is leveled. Expanded clay is most often used, which has a large set of positive qualities. But not everyone knows which floor leveling beacons are best to choose.

After installing the screed, the beacons remain in the thickness of the backfill.

They are not deleted. It is for this reason that the guides for leveling the floor must be aligned with the height of the future screed. This is usually 30 mm. Often, a profile called "beacon" is used. In no case should it bend in any of the sections in order to prevent errors in the alignment process.

A thin profile can also be used. But for fastening, you will have to look for additional materials, carry out a serious preparation process. It cannot be fastened with self-tapping screws, as the waterproofing layer in the room will be damaged.

Beacons for concrete screed

How to install beacons for leveling the floor when it comes to the "wet" version of the base device. For concrete screed, as well as cement-sand, you can choose a wider range of beacons to create a flat surface.

1. Profile fixed on the solution. The most commonly used gypsum plasterboard profile. It is fixed on timber blocks, mortar mounds or bricks. Fastening should be carried out using cement-lime mortar. This is due to the shortened drying time of about 2-3 days. But you should not start all subsequent types of work until it is completely dry. An alternative to a profile is pipes.

   

   They should be subsequently removed from the solution and used where necessary.
2. Self-tapping profile. Dowels are screwed onto the base of the floor. On them, profiles are screwed onto the self-tapping screws. There will be no problems with setting the level, since the self-tapping screws can be screwed in and out if necessary. If pouring is carried out on the ground, then wooden blocks are attached to the base, into which self-tapping screws are screwed. The latter should be set according to the level in the room.
3. Bars made of wood. This option is relatively one of the oldest. But it is worth remembering that they must first be soaked in water so as not to absorb moisture from the poured screed.
4. Solution beacons. The method is very simple - it is necessary to screw self-tapping screws into the base, along which to pull the wire. A solution in the form of a wall is laid out along this wire, which, after drying, will serve as beacons. The main advantage of this option is that there is no need to dismantle.

5. Floating screed. Typically, such beacons are provided for a cement-sand screed, which is poured onto laid sheets of foam. This also contributes to the formation of an insulating layer. Dowels are attached to the base of the floor, into which self-tapping screws are screwed through the laid sheets of foam. Subsequently, it is only necessary to adjust the level of the screed according to the exposed self-tapping screws. At the end of the work, the screws are screwed in, and the voids that appear are filled with the prepared solution.

   

In any case of wet screed, the leveling devices that act as beacons must be removed so as not to adversely affect the condition of the pour. The furrows that appear are also filled with mortar.

Self-adhesive beacons

On the construction market, there are also more modern versions of lighthouses, which are called self-adhesive. With their help, you can equip a concrete screed, leveling masses, leveling devices and other surfaces. The lighthouses have a millimeter scale and an adhesive base.

The work does not take much time. The adhesive base is fixed on the floor surface, after which the level gauge is cut to the required parameters. All that remains is to fill the mixture to the marked level.

If the work is done with the use of equalizers, then the usual number of beacons per square meter is 3. Self-adhesive beacons for leveling the floor are inexpensive compared to other options, and the accuracy is better due to the presence of a scale with divisions. The work is carried out in the shortest possible time, which allows you to almost immediately prepare the solution and pour it over the surface.

Pin beacons

In addition to the concrete screed, you should know how to set up beacons for leveling the floor in bulk. In either case, pin guides can be used. But the base in this case should be exclusively concrete. Self-tapping screws are used as guides. It should be noted that their size should be about 20-30 mm greater than the screed thickness. This should be a starting point when buying material for work.

The first beacon is installed at the highest point in the room. After drilling a hole in the base with a diameter of 6-9 mm, a dowel or a wooden chopik is driven into it. A self-tapping screw is screwed into this structure. Subsequent self-tapping screws are attached throughout the room and exactly at the marked level. The spacing of the beacons is usually 50-60 cm. But in any case, it cannot be more than the rule used in the work.

Self-execution of beacons

Experts recommend making lighthouses on your own, and not spending money on buying them in stores. All types of work can be completed within an hour. Such beacons can be used in the future for work.

Using scraps of wood, a triangle with sides of 10 cm is cut out. But accuracy will not play any role here, so you should not get too hung up on this. In the corners in the triangle, as well as in the central part, holes are cut, which should be about 1-2 mm less than the diameter of the screws used. This will allow the screws to firmly screw into the workpiece.

When screwing in the initially screws at the corners of the triangle, the caps should be approximately at the same level. The central self-tapping screw, which is fixed in the last turn, will be responsible for the control of the horizontal screed. The length of the hardware is usually selected within 100 mm. Even not very flat surfaces can be used to install such blank beacons. If you take several of these options with different indicators, then you can achieve the best result.

This saves not only money, but also time. Subsequently, if it becomes necessary to repair the subfloor in other rooms of the house or apartment, then these beacons are used again and fulfill their goals. It will not be superfluous to first check the fastening of all screws and the degree of their loosening.

Calculation of beacons

Having determined the location of the first lighthouse, you can begin to calculate the required number of them. The calculations are very simple, but they still need to be done. It is enough to determine the length of the rule used, from which the permissible norm of 15-20 cm is subtracted. That is, with the rule of 1.5 meters, the distance between the beacons should be approximately 1.3 meters.

It is worth noting that everything will depend on the chosen device option, the material for the beacons, and the desired result. Specialists can do all the work without additional help. But if the pouring is carried out for the first time, then you can feel sorry for yourself by arranging a few more installations instead of the one you should.

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