How To Level The Floor And Make A Concrete Screed For Laying Laminate

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Choosing the right coating
• Purchasing tools
• Foundation assessment
• Preparation and distribution of the solution
• Don't forget about the backing
• Laying laminate

In the apartment, you can choose a completely different version of the floor covering, which will perfectly fit into the interior. Especially popular is the laminate, which is distinguished by an acceptable cost and excellent quality. At the same time, this material makes special requirements for the base, which must be perfectly horizontal. This also provides for the technology of laying the laminate on the concrete floor.

Numerous methods are used to level the floor. Among their variety, concrete pouring from the prepared solution is most often performed. The main thing here is to know exactly how to do everything according to the technology, so as not to redo it later.

Choosing the right coating

The choice of laminate is best done before starting all work. He must lie down in the room for several days, where he will later fit, so that he can get used to the level of humidity and temperature conditions.

The thickness of the floor covering can be in the range from 7 to 12 mm, and the width from 17 to 30 cm. The length of the panel plays an important role in calculating the exact amount of laminate. It often ranges from one meter to one and a half meters.

The duration of the operational period of the floor covering will directly depend on the quality and condition of the upper protective case. But this applies to moments when a stream or other force majeure happens. So you should closely monitor his condition.

In addition, laminate panels differ from each other in the presence or version of the lock connection. Less demand is for products that require the use of glue during installation. This adds work and hassle. If there are locks, they can be of two types: "Click" and "Lock". In one case or another, only the process of connecting the elements to each other will differ. The “Click” lock stands out with the greatest simplicity, where it is required to assemble a whole row at once and then “insert” it into the previous lock at an angle of 45 degrees. Lowering to the lower position, the laminate should emit a characteristic click, indicating that everything is done correctly and all the panels are securely fastened together.

Purchasing tools

The technology of laying laminate on a concrete floor, as well as pouring a solution to level the base, requires the preparation of a container for mixing the mixture, as a rule, a spatula, materials for setting up beacons, if necessary. You should also have a pencil or similar tool available to mark the laminate panels. Measurements can be made using a tape measure, ruler, square. You can adjust the laminate elements to each other using a mallet or a metal hammer along with a wooden block.

There will be another set of tools that will come in handy for the installation process for laying the laminate and leveling the base under it. Everything will depend on the specific circumstances and the condition of the concrete surface.

Foundation assessment

Before carrying out work on laying the laminate, attention is paid to inspecting the base in the room. It can even be called a crucial moment. Not only high-quality laminate flooring, but also the duration of its operational period depends on how well everything will be done.

Irregularities can be detected independently and very easily. It is enough to put a wooden lath on the base, on top of which to put a building level. You can also use special levels that have a significant length of the main part. The discrepancy in the level of heights is allowed for every two meters in the room of 1 mm. If this figure is higher, then it will be necessary to take measures to align. In this case, it is impossible to proceed to the flooring of the laminate. But with minor defects in the subfloor, it will be enough to fill the self-leveling mixture.

There may be times when you have to remove the old coating, remove the entire screed, since it is very damaged and not suitable for subsequent use. In the future, concrete pouring will have to be performed here in order to hide potholes, significant protrusions, as well as cracks and chips in the surface.

Preparation and distribution of the solution

If necessary, beacons can be arranged on the basis of the floor in the room. For this, there are several popular options, among which the most popular and rational installation are beacons on mortar slides. After the completion of the work, they do not even have to be dismantled.

The solution can be prepared independently, observing the exact proportions of all the main components. In order not to waste time and effort, it is better to purchase ready-made dry mixes, which are available in an assortment in any hardware store. It is worth noting that their cost is not so high, but they contain all the ingredients of a high-quality solution for leveling the floor under the laminate.

For ready-made mixtures for 5 kg, 1 liter of water will be enough. But even in this case, you should observe the resulting consistency. The solution can be prepared independently. Then, together with cement and sand, a certain amount of crushed stone is kneaded in one container. All proportions should be in the following ratio:

1 to 2 to 4 to 0.5 (cement, sand, gravel, water)

The amount of water in the finished solution may fluctuate depending on the consistency obtained. In addition, plasticizers and fiberglass (instead of a reinforcing metal mesh) are added to the pouring layer, which in the optimal ratio will be 30-50 mm. As a result, a plastic solution will be obtained, which will be very easy to distribute over the surface using a rule, which has all the qualities of reliability and durability. With a large amount of water, the mixture will dry out slowly, which will lead to the appearance of numerous cracks on the surface.

When a rough finish is made to level the floor under the laminate, you need to think about bringing the base to the ideal. For this purpose, a finishing screed is arranged, made of self-leveling compounds. The fill layer is very small here - from 2 to 20 mm. Everything will depend on the quality of the first layer arranged. But first, it is important to prime the surface to increase adhesion.

When choosing levels, they are poured into the water, and not in the reverse order, as when preparing a concrete solution. After mixing, the resulting mass should settle for several minutes, and you can start pouring. But the process itself should be carried out as quickly as possible, since self-leveling mixtures are characterized by fast setting. Some experts even recommend, when self-leveling the subfloor under the laminate, to knead the mixture in parts that will be enough for distribution over the surface within the established time frame. Next, the second part of the solution is mixed and so on until the very end.

After 24 hours, self-leveling mixtures gain the required strength. But the subsequent stages of installing the laminate should begin only after another 3-4 days. For a concrete screed, the time frame is slightly increased. Work can be started only after almost a month. During the entire period, the base should be monitored and, if necessary, periodically moistened in various ways. This means that once the floor screed is completed, the laminate cannot be laid.

All these activities will lead to the creation of a perfectly flat horizontal floor surface on which laminate flooring can be made without fear of the consequences.

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Don't forget about the backing

The quality of laying the laminate will also be influenced by the choice of substrate. It performs several functions at once, including heat and sound insulation. It can be fiberboard, cork, as well as polyethylene foam.

The most popular is polyethylene, presented in the form of a thin white film. It attracts buyers with its low cost, as well as excellent performance. But the base must be well leveled so that there are no errors.

The disadvantages of such a substrate usually include a weak concealment of elevation differences. Polyethylene is able to eliminate only errors up to 2-3 mm. It is for this reason that the leveling of the floor under the laminate should be carried out as carefully as possible.

Another option for a material for a laminate is extruded polystyrene foam, which appeared not so long ago. Laying the substrate on the concrete floor should be done with a flat surface to the floor covering, and the other to the concrete base. Here you can already hide surface defects up to 6 mm. At the same time, the installation takes little time and can be performed without the participation of a specialist.

One of the expensive backing options is cork. Its additional qualities include micro-ventilation, the duration of the operating period, and air sanitation. The rules for laying laminate flooring on a concrete floor do not regulate the specific choice of substrate for flooring. Everything will depend on the preferences of the performer and financial situation. But hardly anyone wants to buy cork material when a budget laminate on a concrete floor is chosen as a floor covering.

Laying laminate

At the end of all the actions, it remains only to make the flooring of the floor covering according to all the rules for laying the laminate on concrete and the requirements. For this, there are certain installation instructions, which are often found on packaging from under the flooring. Manufacturers themselves talk about how best and what to do to make the floor surface in the room durable and bring only positive emotions. When doing it yourself, the main thing is to know how to properly lay the laminate on the concrete floor. The installation process itself does not take much time.

There are several options for laying the laminate on the screed, which differ depending on the location of the panels relative to the entrance door (parallel, perpendicular or diagonally). It is the diagonal arrangement of the laminate that causes the greatest difficulty. The beginning of work here is necessary from the center of the room and towards the walls. In addition, in the latter case, there will be more material residues. About 20 percent will have to be added to the required amount of floor quantity to be enough for the entire installation. It is imperative to lay the laminate on a concrete floor with a substrate, which gives more qualities and properties to the material.

This is how laminate floors are installed on a concrete floor. Basic requirements should be followed in order to get a durable base in the room. The article was written specifically for