What To Follow When Leveling The Surface Under The Laminate

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

• Base requirements
• Preparatory work
• Solution preparation
• Leveling the concrete surface
• Creating a flat wooden base
• Dry leveling
• Application of leveling solutions

Any high-quality floor covering creates beauty and comfort indoors. But at the same time, not everyone knows how to level the floor under the laminate with their own hands, so that the subsequent stages of installation are carried out without errors and quickly. When buying laminate flooring as a base finish, it should be understood that it requires truly horizontal surfaces. Otherwise, you will have to repair it very quickly.

Base requirements

Even minor irregularities should not be in the event that there is a desire to lay the laminate. For each linear meter in the room, only a slight height difference of up to 1-2 mm is allowed. The check is very simple - a long strip is laid on the floor, on which the building level is placed.

It already determines whether the surface is ready for installation of the floor covering. In this case, the measurement should be made in different directions.

Minor height differences and the complete absence of other floor defects can be hidden with a substrate that can hide differences up to 1-1.5 mm.

More efforts will have to be made if there are potholes, cracks, bulges on the base. We must get rid of all this. Otherwise, the laminate floor will quickly fail, begin to creak and create other troubles. The best option is to pour a cement-sand screed from a mortar prepared in advance in proportion. Each point allows you to get an answer on how to level the floor under the laminate in an apartment or house.

Preparatory work

Before pouring the solution or performing leveling in other ways, a number of preparatory measures should be taken.

Initially, all greasy and paint stains are removed, debris and dust are removed using a construction vacuum cleaner, putty is removed if available.

Next, the horizon line is established, where the water level will help. The most modern option for determining the horizontal is the laser level. True, it is not in great demand due to its high cost. On the walls in the room, marks are made every two meters, which are subsequently connected to each other.

The resulting horizon line should not touch the floor protrusions. If there are slight protrusions on the surface, they can be removed with a punch. This, in turn, will reduce the cost of preparing the solution, since a smaller amount is needed.

We must not forget about waterproofing, which is carried out using primers. A bituminous (waterproofing) tape is laid along the perimeter of the walls from the base of the floor, which should rise to a height of about 15 cm.

Further, the distribution over the surface of the lighthouses is carried out, choosing a specific version of their execution.

It can even be mortar slides, which are not subsequently removed, but remain in the screed filling layer for leveling. The installation step of the beacon is usually 150-200 cm. If desired, it can be shortened to obtain more accurate results.

But this preparation is not always carried out, since pouring the screed is not the only option for creating a flat surface. The main thing is to decide exactly on a specific method, which will already give an answer to the question of whether it is necessary to level the floor under the laminate.

Solution preparation

The proportions according to the solution preparation technology must be observed without deviations. Particular attention is paid to the amount of water that should create a thick mass. If there is more water than the required amount, then after pouring the solution will begin to crack during the drying process and create surface defects.

Most often, for the rough finishing of the base, the proportions of sand and cement are chosen, as 4 to 1. Additionally, a plasticizer can be added to the composition along with fiberglass. They give the mortar the best qualities, elasticity, strength and durability once fully set.

Leveling the concrete surface

Pouring the prepared solution in proportions is poured between the exposed beacons. It should be noted that the work is best done within one day, so as not to create transitions on the surface, which may differ in quality and reliability.

The distribution of the solution starts from the far corner of the room. In the future, it remains only to stretch the layer over the entire area in the room using the rule.

It all comes down to the front door, after which the excess amount of solution is removed. If it is necessary to remove the beacons, you should wait at least a day until setting occurs. The resulting "craters" are sealed with a solution and moistened with water.

The complete drying cycle of the cement grout is 28 days. During this entire period, the surface should be moistened with water or covered with a polyethylene film. Also, the optimal temperature and humidity level in the room must be maintained. Before the laminate is laid on the surface, the moisture level of the floor can be measured. As soon as the indicator goes down to 5 percent, you can lay a special substrate, on top of which the laminate is installed.

If the elevation differences are not so significant on the concrete floor surface, then you can try sanding. This often removes protrusions and other minor defects. So it is worthwhile to first assess the condition of the surface, and then choose a specific option. This option has no wet stages. After that, you can lay the laminate on the concrete floor without leveling by pouring the screed.

Creating a flat wooden base

Not always in apartments and especially in private houses there is a concrete surface. There are cases of a wooden base. Sometimes there is even more work here than on concrete.

Obvious holes in the wooden surface should be removed immediately and repaired from the very beginning. Some boards or logs on which they are attached can be replaced with new ones. If the surface is sufficiently flat, you can choose one of the following methods:

1. Cycling.

   

   The work can be done manually or use a special scraping machine. The process takes a lot of time and effort, but it will save money on leveling the base under the laminate flooring. Before starting the process, you should drive to the end all the heads of nails or screws with which the boards are attached to the logs. For this, a doboinik is used. An even layer of wood with errors and defects is removed using a special scraping machine. The result is a flat surface that can be used for laying laminate flooring.

2. Puttying with a prepared mixture of PVA glue and sawdust. The main disadvantage of this method of leveling a wooden base under a laminate is a reduction in the distance from the ceiling to the floor.

   

   If the height of the ceiling allows this, then the option is very effective, and less costly. A solution of glue and sawdust should resemble thick sour cream, which is applied to a wooden surface. In this case, it is worthwhile to cycle at least 2-3 times, since the mixture has a high degree of shrinkage. Once the glue is completely dry, you can lay the plywood sheet, fixing it with self-tapping screws.

3. Creation of a flat surface with sheets of chipboard (plywood). It can also be used on concrete surfaces. The main feature is that the logs are fixed precisely on the wooden floor, after which they are fastened with self-tapping screws. It is best to fill the space between the joists with a layer of heat, sound and waterproofing, choosing the right material for the job.

Dry leveling

You can skip the preparatory stage here, since it is the same way for everyone to create a flat surface for a laminate. After the exposed beacons, a damper tape is attached along the perimeter along the walls.

A layer of expanded clay or other similar material is poured between the lighthouses. It should be evenly distributed over the entire area of the room.

Gypsum sheets are laid out on top of expanded clay. They should fit tightly together. So that they fit snugly together and securely, the sheets are glued together. It is best to arrange two layers, which really speaks of getting a horizontal surface.

Additionally, the upper and lower sheets of gypsum fiber are connected with self-tapping screws. When the dry leveling of the floor under the laminate is made, a substrate is laid, intended for this type of flooring, and a finish is arranged on the surface according to all the rules and requirements from the manufacturer. Previously, it is only necessary to determine which direction of laying will be in the selected room.

Application of leveling solutions

In case of minor defects in the subfloor, it is not necessary to make a cement-sand screed. The work uses a self-leveling mixture that can bring it to a horizontal position. Lighthouses are not useful at work. Consequently, the process itself takes less time.

Before pouring the mixture, the floor must be primed and covered with a layer of waterproofing. According to the instructions, prepare a leveling solution, which is evenly distributed over the entire area. When preparing the mixture, you should pay attention to the fact that it is the powder that must be added to the water, and not do the opposite. Leveling the mortar is done with a spatula.

It should be noted that only 15-20 minutes are allocated for pouring, since after this time the solution will begin to set. It will no longer be possible to use it as a mixture for leveling the floor under the laminate.

If the work is carried out alone, then it is best to fill in parts, preparing the right amount of mixture. Complete drying of the leveling layer occurs within three days. During this period, there should be no drafts in the room.

Once the leveling solution has reached the drying limit, you can think of laminate flooring as a floor covering on the laid substrate. It will not be superfluous to check the moisture level of the subfloor, which should not exceed 5 percent.

The options considered allow you to get an answer to the question of how to fill the floors in the apartment under the laminate. Various installation methods are used here. Before properly leveling the floor under the laminate, it is very important to qualitatively assess the condition of the floor. If it is problematic to decide on your own what is the best way to level the floor under the laminate, then it is better to seek help from professionals. They will certainly tell you the best option that does not require serious financial investments. The main thing is that in the end, after installing the laminate, the room will take on a completely different look that will attract the eye of everyone. The article was written specifically for

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