Surface Leveling Technology Using Self-leveling Mixtures

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

Advantages and disadvantages
Application area
Types of mixtures
Work tool
Foundation preparation
Wood surface
Mix preparation
Material consumption
Leveling process

It often happens when the base of the floor has a large number of potholes, cracks, chips, which have to be repaired for a long time. In this case, it is necessary to wait a certain time until the solution dries up in order to start pouring the main layer. An alternative to this would be the use of new generation mixes, and fill the floor with a self-leveling mix. Such floors have many advantages, which are superior in strength and concrete screeds.

Advantages and disadvantages

Leveling the floor with self-leveling compound is very easy and simple. It is enough to mix with the addition of water, then pour the prepared solution onto the base. The end result is a really smooth surface, in addition to many other key positives:

Instant drying of the finished solution after pouring.
After a few hours, you can safely move on the surface.
Even an inexperienced person is able to perform a fill without having any experience.

Leveling the floor with a self-leveling mixture
All types of flooring can be started after 24 hours.
No mortar shrinkage occurs. At the same time, it becomes very hard and capable of withstanding wear and mechanical stress.
They are perfect for low rooms, with a small distance between the floor and the ceiling. The minimum screed layer can be 5 mm.

It is impossible to get around at this moment and the disadvantages that can be encountered while pouring the floor with a self-leveling mixture. The base itself must be carefully prepared before starting work. There should be no dirt or dust. Otherwise, you can forget about the quality of the dried base. In this case, it is necessary to have at least an idea of / u200b / u200bthe procedure for installing the screed, so as not to collide with dismantling.

The costs go not only to the filling work, but also to purchase the mixture itself. It is worth noting that the price is not entirely small. It is necessary to take personal safety measures when filling, since even small drops, when in contact with human skin, cause burns. In addition, a huge amount of harmful substances is released until complete drying, and the mixture itself has a high level of flammability.

Having looked at the existing disadvantages, we can conclude that with the right approach and equipment, they can be easily avoided. The main thing is to do everything wisely and you will get an excellent result.

Application area

It is possible to fill the leveling floor not only in order to fit the base to the level, but also for other directions that have narrow specifics. This is the priming of the base, getting rid of possible dust, improving the structure of the surface to be processed.

Leveling the floor with a self-leveling mixture

And besides, due to the rapid drying of the finished solution, cracks and shrinkage do not have time to appear. Water is completely spent on hardening the mixture and does not get into the base.

You can come across such a concept as rough peers. With their help, subfloors are made, even in the case when the screed is carried out on the "warm floor" or simply according to this system.

Types of mixtures

The composition of the mixture will depend on certain conditions, as well as on the room being arranged. There are some points that you should pay attention to at the moment when you visit a store in order to purchase self-leveling compounds:

Dryness in the room (humidity level).
Use of decorative trim as an additional element.
Subsequent contact with water (bathroom, kitchen, toilet).
Possession of the mixture with additional advantages: noise absorption, anti-slip, increased level of thermal insulation.
Application of chemicals, household chemicals after installation for cleaning the floor.
The subfloor and its ability to absorb moisture.
Smooth the floor with a self-leveling compound under the floor covering or as a finishing layer.

leveling the floor with a self-leveling mixture

When you have decided on this, you can proceed to the further selection of the mixture for work. Depending on the composition, it will have certain qualities and characteristics that are necessary in one case or another during installation.

Cement-based mixtures are suitable as a primer or for dedusting surfaces. They are of low cost. Due to the thin layer, the maximum lifespan of the floor is three years. Among the advantages, one can single out an excellent level of adhesion with subsequent layers of self-leveling floor, as a base there can even be a damp surface, capable of withstanding frost and low temperatures without cracking after drying. But still, the full strength of the solution is achieved only 3-4 weeks after pouring, and the appearance is not attractive. Some colorants are best used.

For a "warm" floor, a plaster-based mixture would be an excellent option. There are no great requirements for the surface, but the finished solution will ultimately provide excellent thermal conductivity qualities. The advantages include environmental friendliness and quick drying of the surface after pouring. The main thing is that the base is dry and in an appropriate room. In this case, a plaster screed can be made even at a level of 10 cm from the base. There are no restrictions here. Domestic production of mixtures "Prospectors" is very popular, which are applicable not only for machine pouring devices, but also for manual ones.

It is possible to fill the floor with a self-leveling mixture based on epoxy resins with obtaining great positive qualities. But at the same time, they also have their disadvantages, which include a low degree of resistance to wear, cracks can form from external influences, and when liquid hits the surface, it becomes very slippery. Application area - chemical laboratories. But they are unlikely to be able to please the owner in the kitchen or bathroom.

Leveling floors with polymer-based pouring has a sufficient number of advantages:

The ability to remain unchanged during temperature fluctuations.
Duration of operation. At the same time, all qualities remain at their original level.
Easily withstands stress, vibration, shock. This allows them to be poured in warehouses as well as in industry.
High degree of noise insulation and waterproofing.

It is worth noting that such mixtures have a high cost, and are very demanding on the process of preparing the base for pouring, which must also be dry.

So before you properly level the floor with the mixture, you should stop at its specific version in order to get the desired result.

Work tool

The purchase of the required amount of the mixture will depend on the substrate, its condition and the number of defects.

If there is a final leveling of the surface with a self-leveling mixture, then a drill and a mixer nozzle, special containers of a certain volume for mixing the solution for work, a spatula with which the mixture will be distributed over the entire surface evenly, an aeration roller that can remove formed at the time of mixing air bubbles.

Depending on the situation in which the floor is leveling with a self-leveling mixture, the work may include attaching a damper tape around the perimeter of the room.

Until the moment you choose the appropriate roller, you need to know what the approximate thickness of the pouring layer of the self-leveling floor will be.

Foundation preparation

Pouring floors with a self-leveling mixture has one important requirement - high-quality preparation of the base. It is worth making every effort here, until the moment you distribute the solution over the area of the room. The sequence of works, their volume, will depend on the basis. If we have a concrete floor in front of us, then you should inspect the surface. When it crumbles and collapses, it is better to remove the screed altogether and fill it all over again. If there are large cracks in area, they need to be embroidered, the surface should be primed and then the installation work should be started. It will not be superfluous to produce a waterproofing layer. In addition to this, a damper tape is glued around the perimeter to avoid possible cracking of the drying solution.

You should know how to properly fill the leveling floor. It is optimal to use such mixtures when the height differences do not exceed 20-30 mm. In addition, there should be no critical damage to the surface.

The ideal option is to fill in the rough screed, and only then stir the mixture for work. The sequence of work will not be disturbed, and the finished result is a reliable and durable floor.

Particular attention is paid to priming the substrate, which contributes to better adhesion. The finishing quality of the floor filled with a self-leveling mixture will also depend on it. There are times when the primer is very well absorbed into the subfloor. In this case, the priming should be repeated at least one more address in order to have a result.

Wood surface

It is possible to save the situation even if it is necessary to level the floor with a self-leveling mixture with a wooden base. The boards are covered with a ready-made solution and allow you to subsequently perform a high-quality finishing layer. The main thing is to prepare the base with high quality.

The boards should be fixed to the beams and the existing joints should be sealed with acrylic paste.

The floor is covered with a moisture-proof primer on top. After that, it will not be superfluous to lay a reinforcement mesh fixed to the wood with a stapler. There is no difficulty here, but in the end you will get not only an even, but also a high-quality floor base.

At the same time, it is not superfluous to remove several floor elements on your own and make sure that there is no mold, fungus under them. It is possible to putty the damaged areas with sawdust together with liquid nails.

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Mix preparation

The process of preparing a solution from any kind of mixture looks identical. Dry components are added to a previously prepared container with water. Mixing is carried out using a drill with a special attachment. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, let it wait for 2-3 minutes, and then stir again. It remains only to have time to apply the ready-made solution to the floor surface, until the polymerization process has begun (usually does not exceed 60 minutes). The hardening process is prescribed in the manufacturer's recommendations.

Negligent sellers try to put forward those bags with ready-mixed mixture, which expire. You need to be careful with this when buying, especially if the filling process itself occurs after a certain time.

At the same time, the conditions must be met for the leveling floor to be of high quality:

Mix the solution at room temperature within 10-25 degrees.

leveling the floor with a self-leveling mixture

It must be maintained at the same level for a certain time.
The water used has a temperature above 10 degrees.
The maximum humidity level in the room is 80%. In this case, window openings and doors must be closed so that there is no extraneous wind and drafts.
Until the filled solution is completely dry, the batteries and the "warm floor" system are not switched on.

It is allowed to fill the solution in large rooms in strips parallel to each other. But it is important to observe the maximum interval between adjacent areas - no more than 10 minutes. To avoid premature drying of the floor, it will be better to involve an assistant in the work.

Material consumption

Before leveling a self-leveling floor, you need to decide on the amount of material used in the work. Each manufacturer indicates the consumption of the mortar, taking into account that the thickness of the screed will be 1 mm. Already from this should be a start in preparation. But in practice, everyone is faced with the fact that a perfectly flat surface cannot be obtained even after putty. Therefore, the calculation is best done by yourself.

The curvature of the surface (largest and smallest) is determined. From these parameters, an average value is taken, after which it is multiplied by the approximate ratio of the area of the recesses to the entire area in the room.

Thus, the zero layer and the cover layer are determined. For the cover layer, you should set the parameters of the mesh of reinforcement, insulation materials and others. The sum of the thicknesses forms a cover layer (roughly).

The material consumption will be influenced by the type of surface, the composition of the mixture, calculations for the thicknesses of the layers used in the work, as well as the total area of the room. In any case, only an approximate indicator of the required amount of dry mixture for mixing the solution is obtained. More accurate amounts are obtained during installation. This is the only way to get an answer on how to level the floors with a self-leveling mixture.

Leveling process

Not everyone knows how to properly level the floor with a self-leveling compound. There are no particular difficulties here, the main thing is to adhere to the technology and sequence of performing each of the stages. It will not be superfluous to put up beacons, the choice of a specific version of which will depend on the circumstances.

Pouring the finished solution should be carried out to the level of the beacons. After that, it is leveled over the entire area of the room using a rule or a spatula. After that, air bubbles that could have formed from mixing the mixture with water are immediately removed. For this, a needle roller is used. The length of the needles will depend on the thickness of the self-leveling floor.

After pouring for several days, you should maintain the temperature in the room, which is prescribed by the manufacturer. Drafts and sudden changes in humidity levels should not be allowed. The solution should dry and set.

When there is no idea how to properly level the floor with self-leveling mixtures, it is better to seek help from specialists. It will be much more profitable than remodeling, and it will take a little less time.

Leveling the floor with a self-leveling mixture is performed instantly and without the use of special equipment. It is enough to have a certain set of tools and the result will delight everyone.