Using A Self-leveling Compound For Screed

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

• Floor benefits
• Mixture types
• Foundation preparation
• Lighthouses
• Stirring the mixture
• Screed installation
• Rates

In order to efficiently level the surface in any room, a self-leveling self-leveling floor is arranged. This option can be done independently, even without certain knowledge in the construction field. The installation process in comparison with a conventional cement screed is significantly reduced in terms of time. It will be enough for a day to get a perfectly flat surface suitable for flooring.

Floor benefits

There are a huge number of positive qualities of performing a self-leveling screed. It is worth dwelling on the most common of them:

1. The liquid form of the solution allows you to obtain a flat surface. All drops and irregularities are filled with a mixture. It will only remain to finish it later, as necessary. Linoleum or parquet, tiles or laminate can be installed without any problems.

2. The finished solution after drying has such qualities as fire resistance and water resistance. If you take cement-based mixtures, then the floors can be installed even in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Moisture is not terrible for them.

   

3. The installation of beacons is almost always not required, as well as reinforcement. But nevertheless, experts recommend the use of bench mark beacons in work, which make it possible to give the surface an ideal surface level.
4. Using self-leveling mixtures for leveling the surface, we get a low weight of the entire structure, which does not put pressure on the base. The supporting structures are not affected.
5. You can do the job without skills. The main thing is to adhere to the technology of self-leveling floors in order to get an excellent result.
6. After pouring, you can walk on the surface after 4-5 hours. At least one day later, the installation of certain types of flooring begins. This significantly reduces the time required for repairs.

These are just a few of the points that make the self-leveling floor screed very popular in the service market.

Mixture types

When leveling the surface for the subsequent laying of the floor covering, you should select the optimal mixture for preparing the solution. All of them have a large classification, but it is worth dwelling on the thickness of the layer and the level of finish:

• Finishing mixtures. It turns out a perfectly flat surface with a layer thickness of 4-8 mm. There is no need to make further finishing, and various components are added to the solution itself, allowing you to change the color, texture of the resulting floor. 3d floors look very nice, suitable for any interior in the room.

  

• Coarse mixes are used to seal minor drops and have a thickness of about 10-20 mm. With their help, you can hide all the potholes and depressions, defects in the old screed or any other surface. They arrange the base layer of the self-leveling floor, which is usually called "rough".
• High strength. By purchasing such mixtures for mixing the solution, the device of a self-leveling floor is carried out in thickness up to 60-70 mm. All significant defects of the base for pouring are eliminated and hidden. It should be noted that in this case, the effect on the height of the ceiling is very strong, since the distance from the floor is noticeably reduced. This option is not suitable, for example, for a bathroom.

In any case, the main thing is to correctly and efficiently prepare the base, smooth out all existing shortcomings, make the surface as even as possible, so that later on less solution is used for work.

Foundation preparation

It is the preparatory measures that have a huge impact on the final quality of the self-leveling floor. This stage should be given maximum time and attention. In addition to the height difference, the surface is carefully examined for moisture levels, as well as the presence of paint or oil stains. If this is not eliminated, then all other work will go to waste. The preparation technology is somewhat different for a concrete base and a wooden base, which should be discussed separately.

If we have a concrete floor, then all the existing flooring should be removed as much as possible. This applies to door sills, doors, skirting boards and other elements in the room. The existing cracks are initially opened, after which they are sealed with a solution of a self-leveling mixture. A mandatory item is priming the surface for better adhesion. All types of self-leveling floors should be poured onto a quality base.

Dust, dirt, small debris is collected with a construction vacuum cleaner. It will not be superfluous to walk with a cloth moistened with water. Using the level and the rule, the horizontal level is set. It should not be allowed that there are undetected significant protrusions in the room. They will come out after pouring, but it will be impossible to do anything. We'll have to dismantle the bulk floor.

Drying of the concrete surface is carried out at a moisture level of more than 4%. If it still remains above the norm, a layer of waterproofing should be performed with high quality.

If a rough floor screed made of cement or concrete has been carried out recently, then you will have to wait about a month until the surface is completely dry. In this case, it is impossible to use mixtures and arrange self-leveling screeds.

To exclude thermal expansion and subsequent damage to the floor surface, glue a damper tape around the perimeter of the room. Subsequently, after pouring, it is simply cut to the required level.

You need to know how to properly pour self-leveling floors onto a wooden base. Here the danger lies in the possible ingress of the finished solution into the cracks of the wood. There will be more problems if you install a self-leveling screed on creaky floors. All this suggests that, first, the surface is being prepared, a thorough repair is carried out, and only then the solution is poured.

Old coatings should be removed from wood, which can be paint, weasel, glue, wax and others.

For this, a grinder is used. Visible splits are revealed more and should be sanded off. The moisture content of the wooden floor should not exceed 10%.

Glue-based putty allows you to close all the flaws in the base. After that, each of the elements must dry completely before pouring the mortar from self-leveling mixtures.

When priming wooden floors, it is best to use high-viscosity primers to achieve the desired result after the first coat.

When preparing the surface for pouring, you need to think about how much the self-leveling floor costs per square meter. The smoother the base, the less mortar will have to be spent during installation.

Lighthouses

Many people think that pouring a self-leveling floor can be done without beacons. After all, the solution itself must be evenly distributed over the area. But experts still recommend using special beacons, called benchmarks. In any case, outside help is needed to get perfect evenness.

Using the 2 m rule, the distance between the displayed beacons should not be more than 1.8 meters. This will allow you to smoothly and evenly distribute the mixture over the area of the room.

The rule is put on beacons and stretches. The first lighthouse from the wall is located at least 40-50 cm from it. There is also an alternative to beacons, so that the self-leveling screed is filled with high quality:

1. Self-tapping screws.
2. Square profiles.
3. Metal pipes.
4. Guides used for plastering.
5. Cement mortar for surface repairs.

Of the methods presented, only the last one remains in place after pouring. All others are removed immediately, and the existing holes are repaired.

Stirring the mixture

The maximum period of time from mixing the solution to its solidification is 1 hour. It is within this time frame that it is worth meeting in order to fill.

This suggests that the mixing process is carried out only before the direct application of the solution to the base. We'll have to find an assistant when performing installation in a room with a large area, so that everything can be done in one bay.

Each bag of the mixture, which has different prices for self-leveling floors, has clear instructions on how to properly mix it with water, as well as the hardening period. This should be adhered to, since the manufacturer himself knows how to handle the material for work.

The peculiarity of the self-leveling mixture is that a certain amount of water is first poured into the prepared container, and only after that the required amount of the mixture is poured. If you do the opposite, then you won't be able to stir the solution qualitatively: a large number of lumps will appear.

Mixing takes place in two stages. After the first use of a drill with a nozzle, the mixture should settle for a few minutes. Then re-kneading is carried out. It should be noted that the drill should be operated at low rpms to reduce the number of bubbles in the solution. If there is a desire to add any additives and components, then they are filled in at the second stage.

When there is a lot of water in the solution, it will spread much faster. But in the future it will affect the quality of the surface: cracks will appear, drying will take a little longer. Cases of self-leveling floor delamination are not uncommon, which will require high-quality and expensive repairs.

Screed installation

When filling, the temperature inside the room should be maintained at 15-25 degrees. In this case, it should not be allowed to drop below 5 degrees. Attention is also paid to the humidity not exceeding 80 percent. If the indicator is higher, condensation will appear, which has a negative effect on the drying process of the self-leveling floor screed.

The pouring process should be started from the corner opposite the entrance. And so it continues to the door. The leveling of the solution takes place along the established beacons. It is through them that the finished mixture is poured. The most common option is in stripes parallel to each other. You can, of course, fill in certain places, but this already requires certain knowledge and work experience. So it's better to go with the traditional method.

After filling with self-leveling mixture, you should walk with an aeration roller to remove all bubbles. This can be omitted if there is a desire to obtain a rough surface. The bursting bubbles form craters, which will perform this function. If you study each of the nuances of the work, then there will be no questions about how to fill the self-leveling self-leveling floor on the screed.

When pouring the screed on the underfloor heating system, its work can begin no earlier than a week. Otherwise, the surface will dry unevenly, and strength will not be obtained.

Subsequently, the entire finish will depend on the purpose of the self-leveling screed. If just for leveling the surface - prepare for flooring flooring. When, as a finishing layer, varnish or use other possible decorative elements.

Rates

Many people are interested in how much the work on filling the self-leveling floor costs. It will depend on several factors:

1. Connecting elements.
2. Layer thickness.
3. Filling (highly filled or thin layer).
4. Dedusting.
5. Antistatic effect.
6. Current conductivity.
7. Decorative items.

The cheapest option is a polyurethane self-leveling floor. It is for this reason that it is often used in the arrangement of warehouse and industrial facilities. If there is a desire to spend on maximum parameters, then the choice should fall on the transparent option. Prices for pouring a self-leveling floor will be reduced depending on the amount of mixture in the work and the area of the room. The larger the volume of the order, the lower the cost.

Pouring the floors with a self-leveling screed is necessary to give the base a flat surface. But this is not the only way to use it. The screed can also act as a finishing layer, which is decorated with various elements. You can carry out the installation on your own or spend a certain amount on specialists. The main thing is to pay attention to whether it is possible to carry out the work with your own hands, so that in the future you do not spend money on dismantling the self-leveling floor.

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