What Option Of Lighthouses To Choose For Filling The Floor Screed In The Apartment

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

Materials used
Finding the highest point
Beacon fixation rules
Correct calculation
Installation on self-tapping screws
Mortar beacons
Screed distribution
Self-leveling floor beacons

It is very difficult to achieve a perfectly flat floor surface. Depressions, pits, cracks and other flaws that arise most often due to non-compliance with the technology of filling the screed can be revealed over time. In order for the laying to be carried out as accurately as possible, the floor should be poured along the beacons. With its help, the required thickness of the future screed is set, and other issues are resolved. But initially you will have to perform preparatory measures.

Materials used

Various types of materials can be used as beacons on the base of the floor under the screed. They can be ready-made options, which are presented in the assortment in hardware stores or made independently. The ready-made versions are specially designed for screed filling.

When a gypsum plasterboard profile Mon 27 * 28 is used, it is best to insert one into the other so that it does not bend under the pressure of the solution. And the rule in this case will be better to move on the surface.

An alternative to such beacons is wooden bars. Usually take the same height and width of 30 mm. They must first be soaked in water for a certain time. This is necessary so that they do not absorb moisture from the cement-sand mortar used to fill the floor screed.

Another option for lighthouses is a solution that is prepared in a proportion of 1 part of cement and 1 part of lime. They spread lighthouses throughout the area in the room.

The list of tools and material will depend on the type of fill and the beacons used. There is a standard set, but there are also specific points that you should pay attention to in advance, before starting work. Best of all, when everything is already at hand, so as not to be distracted in the process of leveling the base of the floor under the beacons.

Finding the highest point

Before placing beacons around the perimeter in the room, you should decide on the markings and identify the highest point. Everything should be done consistently and not deviate from the technology in order to achieve the most effective result.

The horizontal is initially broken through. A laser level or other alternative materials will help with this. Everything will depend on the capabilities and financial situation. Some equipment is expensive and it doesn't make sense to purchase it for one-time use. Marks are made on the same level on the wall, approximately 100-120 cm from the base of the floor. The marked points along the entire perimeter are connected to each other. You should get a flat horizontal line along the level. For an insignificant price, you can purchase a dyeing thread that will facilitate the work.

After that, a calculation is carried out to establish the highest and lowest points in the room relative to the floor level. The distance to the floor level is measured downwards from the horizontal line on the wall and the above points are determined. The minimum thickness of the future screed must be observed at the highest point. It is best to make all measurements on the wall with a pencil in order to navigate in space in the process of setting up beacons. When the highest and lowest points of the sub-floor are determined, the difference between these readings will be considered the minimum thickness of the future floor.

Beacon fixation rules

The maximum efficiency and accuracy of all readings will be achieved if the floor is leveled with a screed along the beacons. The surface will be as flat as possible and will be suitable for any kind of flooring.

They are intended to guide the rule when distributing the mortar, act as a guide when pouring a concrete floor screed. If the beacons are set correctly according to the technology, then you can not worry about the final result.

The rule in work should be used in such a way that it is more than the distance between the beacons by about 20-25 cm. But the tools themselves should not be too long, approximately 1.5 meters.

Lighthouses are fixed on the base at a distance of 50-100 mm from the location of the walls and other structural elements. Getting started indoors - far corners of the room. It all comes down to the front door.

Correct calculation

It will not be superfluous to pre-calculate the number of beacons that are necessary for work. Only in this case, filling the floor along the beacons will be quick and effective. You do not have to be distracted from their installation and subsequent pouring of the solution to create a flat floor surface.

All lighthouses usually lead from the front door towards the opposite wall. But initially the first lighthouse is determined and from it all the others are already fixed on the area in the room.

When placing the first beacon, you can navigate further. With a room width of 5.32 meters from the entrance, with a maximum distance between the beacons of 1.18 meters (taking into account the use of a rule of 1.4 meters), you will have to arrange 5 rows of beacons. The first and last row will be directly at the walls at a distance of 30 cm. Between them, each subsequent row will be at the set distance. Thus, you get 4 gaps between the beacons, which must be filled with mortar and other components of the cake.

Installation on self-tapping screws

Let's start to consider the installation of beacons using self-tapping screws. The first hole up to 10 mm in diameter is drilled at the highest point in the sub-floor. A wooden chopik is driven into it, and a self-tapping screw is already into it. The next beacon is fixed at the opposite end. On top of the first exposed self-tapping screws, a rule is set, on top of which is the level. If everything corresponds to the horizontal, then you can safely proceed to the following actions. The level should adjust to the first beacon displayed.

A fishing line or cord is pulled from the first lighthouse to the second. There are other alternative materials that can be found at a hardware store. At the interval between the fishing line between the screws, holes are made in the base of the concrete floor at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other, into which chopiks are also inserted and beacons are screwed in. The level for each of them must be the same. This will ultimately make it possible to perform high-quality filling of the screed along the beacons. All subsequent rows of beacons must be parallel to the original. All actions are identical and should not differ in any way. Alignment can also be performed across beacons # 1.

Mortar beacons

There are a lot of ways of laying out, as mentioned earlier. Among them, it is worth highlighting the location of the lighthouses for solution. Cement or gypsum is suitable as the main material. From the resulting composition of the solution, you can lay out slides on the basis of a concrete floor. Beacons in the form of metal or plasterboard profiles are fixed in the mortar. If you add alabaster to the solution, then all the work will be done somewhat faster. The setting process is approximately 15-20 minutes.

The lining material cannot be one that absorbs moisture very well. In this case, the shape of the beacons will be imputed during the drying process. Cracks, depressions and falls will form in the screed.

In some cases, it is enough just to spread mortar beacons around the perimeter of the room. Their height will depend on the base of the floor, its evenness and the presence of depressions and protrusions. In the future, they do not even have to be removed, but simply filled with a floor screed.

Screed distribution

If you need to level the floor along the beacons with your own hands, you should install them. This task can be done. You just need to decide on a specific option and complete the installation. After that, you can start pouring the solution. There are some subtleties here that are worth familiarizing yourself with.

When using mortar beacons, you should not wait for them to dry completely. This will allow the subsequent solution to set better. But you can moisten the surface with water or prime it with high quality. In the first case, there will be minor savings in money and time.

All cracks and joints should be viewed between the wall and floor so that water does not leak into them. Without this, surprises will begin for the neighbors during the pouring of the solution. All existing gaps must be foamed. The solution is prepared as follows:

A container is being prepared, into which sand is poured together with cement and mixed thoroughly.
Water is poured into the second container, after which the dry mixture for the future solution is poured from the first. For 2 liters of water, there are about 10 kg of the mixture.
It is best to knead everything in a concrete mixer for a certain amount of time to get a homogeneous mass.

All work begins from the far corner of the room. The solution is poured between the beacons, after which it is distributed over the entire surface. In this case, there should not be any sudden movements. The rule should not come off the rails, so that in the end you get a really flat base. When the "excess" mass of the solution is formed, it is driven out to the entrance, after which it is removed or transferred to the place of a new filling.

After pouring the base of the floor with a solution, questions may arise as to whether it is necessary to remove the beacons after pouring the floor. All profiles, especially wooden beacons, must be removed without fail. The resulting voids are sealed with a solution, the same as the entire filling was performed. It is worth paying attention to the fact that there are no puddles. Subsequently, this can lead to the appearance of depressions. Even if minor irregularities were received after removing the lighthouses, they must all be sealed with mortar.

Should the beacons be removed after pouring the floor if they are specifically designed for this type of work? You should not get rid of them, but they remain at the base of the flooded floor screed. There will be no harm or damage to the structure from such beacons.

When leveling the floor in a bathroom or toilet, that is, in rooms that are not large in area, it is best to take a needle roller for leveling.

After spreading the solution over the floor surface, the screed should be maintained so that it dries evenly and matures. Each of the stages has its own meaning and one cannot deviate from the technology, under any circumstances.

Self-leveling floor beacons

Pouring the floor over the beacons when installing a self-leveling floor is not always used for the reason that the finished solution has the properties of self-distribution over the surface. But if the work is performed by beginners and by a person who performs such actions for the first time, their installation will be mandatory. In addition to standard options, reference beacons are used in work.

They are presented in the form of tripods with a special rod inside. This rod can easily move up and down to the required limit. They set the level of the screed in the room.

Before starting work on the installation of beacons, the surface should be primed. All pouring work should be done 4-5 hours after the beacons were installed and a layer of primer was applied. The distance between the beacons is taken at the rate of 1 m from each other.

The options considered indicate that you can do the leveling of the floor along the beacons with your own hands. This does not require extensive knowledge of the construction industry. It is enough just to adhere to the technology and recommendations from the manufacturer. The end result is a flat base that is suitable for any kind of flooring.