Implementation Of A Waterproofing Layer Before Filling The Floor Screed With Mortar

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

Purpose
Kinds
Roll materials
Use of mastic
Plaster mixes
Penetrating (capillary) waterproofing

Everyone strives to live in a cozy and comfortable room. But for this you need to make a quality repair. Each of its stages requires attention and diligence. One of the main ones is leveling the sub-floor for subsequent flooring. But before pouring the screed, high-quality waterproofing should be done. It is carried out before the floor screed and does not allow installation errors.

Purpose

The first and main function of the floor waterproofing device is protective. It does not allow moisture to penetrate the floor slabs, and also does not allow moisture to enter the poured solution, which can lead to uneven drying, cracks and delamination at the initial stages.

In addition, high-quality waterproofing of the floor in front of the screed improves the strength of the screed itself. Waterproofing leads to the fact that the solution dries more slowly, the process slows down somewhat. This allows it to gain the best strength and does not allow various defects to appear on the surface. If you do without this layer, you will have to independently monitor the solution after pouring: cover it with polyethylene film, moisten it periodically.

Waterproofing is arranged in each case if there is a possibility of moisture. This applies to such premises as a bathroom, kitchen, bathroom. The floor must be fully insulated as there is a high chance of accidental flooding.

Specialists constantly receive recommendations to install a waterproofing layer even in living rooms. This is due to the fact that the ready-made pouring solution contains a certain amount of water. During the drying process, it can seep into the floor slabs, then get to the neighbors from the lower floors. Instead of full waterproofing, materials are used at the joints of the plates. Most often, this is sufficient for the layer to function fully.

Waterproofing in a screed apartment on the ground floor is important. If the screed is adjacent to the moist and cold air from the basement, then it will not benefit it. The process of destruction of the concrete base will go much faster.

This stage is mandatory for private construction. Without a layer of waterproofing, moisture will penetrate the walls and floor, lowering their temperature and also gradually destroying them. Over the course of the service life, additional cracks may appear, which will only expand. It will not even be superfluous to arrange two layers of waterproofing: before and after pouring the floor screed solution.

Kinds

In the construction market, you can find a huge amount of materials for making a high-quality waterproofing layer. This leads to a difficult choice of a specific option. Over time, more and more of them appear, which have both their pros and cons. The main types of materials for waterproofing:

Rolled. But interest in them is declining due to the fact that they have a short service life. Therefore, if a person decides to live in one place for a long time, then one should think about another material. It is possible to distinguish two main subspecies of it - glued and welded. In the first case, it is enough to fix the roll on the base and proceed to further work on pouring the screed, and in the second, use additional means to warm up the bitumen contained in it. These can be gas-fired construction burners.

Floor waterproofing
Hydrophobic mastics. They have a liquid appearance and are based on bitumen. The mastic is easily applied with a regular brush, like paint. Despite the fact that the cost of such materials is insignificant, their service life and reliability during operation are low. It is easier to pay attention to the alternative - bitumen-polymer mixtures, which are able to withstand low temperatures.
Plaster mixes. Their appearance can be noted recently. They are presented dry. For use, the mixture is diluted with the required amount of water to obtain the consistency of condensed milk. A spatula is usually used for application. Mixtures have a specific composition: sand, cement, polymer components. As soon as the plaster mixture dries, we get a coating that can withstand mechanical stress, as well as deformation.
Penetrating waterproofing. It belongs to the number of not only new, but also more effective means for arranging a waterproofing layer under the floor screed in an apartment.

Floor waterproofing

After application, the existing components in the mixture react with the concrete surface. As a result, crystalline formations appear that do not dissolve. Any pores at the base are closed by them, creating a reliable barrier. Even if moisture tries to penetrate under pressure, then it will not have a chance, since such waterproofing of the floor screed has a high level of resistance. In addition to dry mixes, they are available on the market in liquid form.

It should be noted that each separate type of material for the device of a waterproofing layer has its own specifics of application and the process of performing work. It is with this that you should understand in more detail.

Roll materials

As for the procedure for performing work on the installation of roll waterproofing, first of all, the preparation of the base for subsequent installation is carried out. Even minor cracks on the surface, as well as potholes, must be repaired with a prepared mortar of cement and sand. After drying, dust and dirt are removed. For better adhesion, a bitumen emulsion is used. The base is primed with it. If you want to get a better quality waterproofing layer, additional processing is done with insulating penetrating compounds.

We must not forget about the damper tape, which is fixed around the perimeter of the room, where work will be carried out to fill the screed to level the base. The tape helps to compensate for the expansion of future pouring, depending on temperature differences.

When all of the above is done, you can start laying rolls for waterproofing. In this case, each subsequent sheet of the roll should be laid with an overlap on the previous one by about 10-15 cm. The same applies to the walls. Subsequently, all this is easily cut off or closed with a screed. For better quality, the number of layers is increased. But then the rolls of waterproofing should be laid with the offset of the new joints.

For welding sheets and joints between each other, a building hair dryer is used. Its efficiency is high and sufficient for quality work. Do not worry if bubbles or waves appear on the surface. In these areas, the upper part of the sheet is pierced with a knife and the air is expelled. The edges are subsequently coated with mastic and carefully pressed against the base.

This waterproofing option has a low cost, has the required level of reliability and availability. But in the process of installation it requires a lot of labor. Very susceptible to mechanical damage.

Use of mastic

All debris and dust should also be removed at the initial stage. This can lead to uneven adhesion of the mastic to the substrate. The same applies to oil stains that can destroy the waterproofing layer. Sharp protrusions, delaminations must be knocked down, after which, in the required amount, they are sealed with cement-sand mortar.

This is followed by a primer treatment to improve the adhesion level. It is best to purchase all the material and equipment for the job from one manufacturer. After applying the product to the surface, allow time to dry completely (approximately two hours). It will not be superfluous to pay attention to the information displayed on the packaging from under the primer, which indicates the exact time.

The purchased product is applied in several layers to the surface for pouring the solution. It should be noted that the next layer of mastic should be applied 3 hours after the previous one, but no later than 6 hours. After 6 hours, most of these materials begin the polymerization process.

If this time passes, the new layer will begin to flake off. The direction should not change for one layer, but is redirected for the next. This improves the level of reliability of the waterproofing of the floor in the apartment in front of the screed.

Drying of the mastic occurs after two days. It is during this time that no other types of work should be performed so as not to damage the waterproofing layer.

Mastic as a material is environmentally friendly, fire safety, does not require a large number of tools for work. But, in turn, it also has a significant drawback - a weak resistance to mechanical damage.

Plaster mixes

The process of installing a waterproofing layer when using such a material does not take much time. It is enough to prepare a solution from a dry mixture by adding the required amount of water, and then apply the first layer. After 15 minutes after that (as the layer dries up), a second layer is applied. In this case, the direction for application is opposite to the previous layer. In total, 3-4 layers are usually made. Everything will depend on the desired result and the room in which the waterproofing is arranged for the floor screed in the apartment.

Once the mixture is applied, it should be moistened during the day to dry evenly. In total, the drying process takes about two weeks. It all depends on the type of mixture used. She should not experience any mechanical influences.

The low cost and ease of applying the prepared mixture for waterproofing constantly struggles with the main disadvantage - a long drying time, which is not always beneficial for repairs in an apartment.

Penetrating (capillary) waterproofing

Floor waterproofing under the screed can be carried out using penetrating compounds. Among the features of work with such material, the preparatory stage can be distinguished. Simple cleaning and grouting of existing cracks will not be sufficient here. The entire surface must be thoroughly moistened with water. At the same time, a measure must be observed - water must not get to neighbors.

If a dry composition is used in the work, then the amount of water required according to the instructions is added to it. Wetting of the surface is also carried out before the direct application of the finished mixture.

When the first layer of waterproofing is applied in the apartment under the screed, the time prescribed in the instructions is expected. After that, the surface is wetted again and a second layer is applied.

Before final drying, the surface is constantly moistened. A plastic film that covers the waterproofing layer can act as an assistant. For additional insulation, the screed itself can be processed.

All this can be called the main methods of waterproofing before pouring the floor. In total, there are a huge number of them on the market, among which one can note liquid rubber, bulk mixtures and others. Everything will depend on the amount of finances, customer preferences.

For the best quality of this insulation layer, it is recommended to apply several methods at once. Each of them will provide the surface with its own properties and qualities. But you should not save on materials, since the durability and quality of the floor will depend on them.