Leveling A Concrete Floor Using Plywood Sheets Without Logs

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

Plywood classification
Advantages and disadvantages
Size selection
Purchasing tools
Leveling without lag
Under floor heating system
Types of pipe laying

Every day more and more technologies appear in the world that make it possible to level a concrete floor. One of these ways can be called the use of plywood without log. It allows you to create a flat surface, and also gives the room itself an aesthetic appearance. In the future, you can make any other improvements in the room. It can even be used after installing a "warm floor" system.

Plywood classification

Before starting installation, you should decide on the choice of a specific version of plywood, which has a huge assortment on the market. Depending on how the fibers are arranged, plywood can be longitudinal or transverse. In the first case, the fibers are directed along the long side, and in the second, along the short side.

When installing plywood to level the floor, position it so that the fibers are directed across the main movement. Even if logs are used, they are usually attached across the movement.

Depending on the purpose, plywood is:

Packaging.
Furniture.
Industrial.
Construction.
Constructional.

The classification distinguishes plywood according to the level of resistance to moisture:

The best option for residential premises is FBA plywood. Despite its environmental friendliness, such plywood has a low level of moisture resistance.
If there is no direct contact with water, then FC plywood is emitted with a normal level of moisture resistance.
Increased resistance to moisture is noted in FSF plywood, and in aggressive environments, FB can be used, which is pre-impregnated with bakelite varnish. But there is a nuance - it cannot be used in living rooms, especially if there are arranged warm floors.
For yachts, BS-plywood is selected, which also cannot be used in rooms where people live.

Leveling a concrete floor without logs

In addition, plywood can be completely sanded on both sides, sanded on one side or not sanded at all. There are five degrees of elite plywood, depending on the number of knots for each square meter of the outer side:

E - belongs to the elite. Differs in high cost and complete absence of knots.
I. The knots have a maximum length of 20 mm.
II. Existing cracks cannot reach 200 mm. In this case, you can find the leakage of the used glue, but not more than 2% of the entire sheet area.
III. The presence of knots with a length of less than 6 mm. There are no more than 10 of them for each square. Disadvantages are inherent in this type of plywood, but there should be no more than 9 of them.
IV. The worst quality plywood, where knots can fall out.

Leveling a concrete floor without logs

Advantages and disadvantages

The use of plywood for laying on the floor without logs for leveling the base has its advantages and disadvantages. The first include factors of independent work performance. At the same time, work is carried out as soon as possible. After installation, the surface becomes even and durable, allowing you to finish any kind of topcoat.

Each existing drawback can be minimized. The appearance of a squeak during the operation of plywood, as well as its sagging, indicates that the quality of the material was poor. The reason for this is the wrong selection of plywood at the time of purchase. It is not superfluous to even seek help from a specialist. The same applies to the "drum" floor, when there is a rumble from any movement.

Size selection

Buying plywood also has its own nuances. Everything will depend on the very foundation. If new logs are used, then the thickness of the plywood layer is usually 12-20 mm. When renovating the floor, two layers of plywood are selected, which are thinner, approximately 8-10 mm.

The topcoat influences the choice of material grade. If this is a subfloor layer, then the presence of edge defects, knots in area, as well as wormholes is allowed. For linoleum or PVC tiles, the front side of plywood must have a grade not lower than the second. When buying, the entire room is measured where the plywood will be laid. Even standard sheets of material will differ in their footprint.

Purchasing tools

Any tool used in plywood laying to level a concrete floor without logs must meet the requirements of reliability, convenience and strength. The main ones are:

Screwdriver (puncher, hammer). Everything will depend on the base used. For a concrete surface, the best option is a screwdriver.
A jigsaw that allows you to cut plywood into the desired elements.
Roulette for measurements.
Level.

In any case, before starting the installation, the surface is carefully prepared, a flat surface is created. It will not be superfluous to cover each plywood sheet with an antiseptic. In the future, you can forget about mold and the appearance of fungus.

Leveling without lag

On your own, you can lay plywood on a concrete base. This will significantly increase the thermal properties of the floors. All available areas, even small ones, can be easily leveled. Further, it will be possible to install any type of flooring.

To start installation work, you should adhere to the sequence of work:

All existing significant mounds of the concrete base should be knocked down. Existing pits and cracks are filled with a mixture of sawdust and resin. This surface is given a maximum horizontal level.
Plywood sheets used in the work are coated with drying oil or special paint. This option will protect the material from the appearance of fungus or mold. The paint is also applied to the sub-floor after leveling work has been carried out.
Holes for dowels are drilled in the sheets, after which they are fastened with self-tapping screws to the base. The fasteners must be completely recessed into the plywood so that the flooring is not damaged in the future.
If there is a large horizontal run in the base of the concrete floor, it is best to use two layers of plywood, each of which is leveled separately. In this case, the thickness of plywood will be sufficient in 12 mm.

Leveling a concrete floor without logs

In this case, you cannot join the sheets together with a cross. Usually a T-joint is used.

All existing dowels are rarely clogged, and a gap is left between each of the sheets of material, which is subsequently sealed with plumbing tape. A similar gap is left between the wall. It will be enough for 1 cm. In addition to concrete floors, old wooden bases can also be perfectly leveled with plywood.

Under floor heating system

Before installing a warm floor, you need to think about high-quality leveling of the base. In this case, plywood can also be used on the concrete surface without installing a log. But it is worth noting that there must be a waterproofing layer on the base surface. In this case, the edges of the waterproofing film must be brought out under the skirting board. This will avoid the concentration of evaporation in one place, which leads to destruction and delamination of the plywood. After that, you can install the cable underfloor heating, observing the technology.

Types of pipe laying

The temperature of the future floor will be influenced by the correct choice of the laid underfloor heating cable or pipe. It can be a "snake" or "snail". Each option should be discussed in more detail.

"Snake" is suitable for those rooms that lose temperature to a lesser extent. At the same time, attention is paid to the fact that the hotter flow of water is directed to those areas that will be cooler. Exterior walls are an example.

There is also a double snake. In this case, the temperature is more evenly distributed throughout the room. The material of the pipe or cable used for the underfloor heating will influence the shape of the loops when cornering. With a "snake", the temperature difference at the outlet and inlet of the water flow will be only 5 degrees. This flooring scheme has the main advantage - simple installation and design. In this case, the step of laying the cable for a warm floor is usually 30 cm. If a smaller step is required, then such a scheme for laying a warm floor as a "snail" is used. The bend of the pipe or cable is 90 degrees. With this method, the uniformity of the heating elements is guaranteed, and therefore the temperature over the entire surface. The temperature difference in the return and supply is allowed up to 10 degrees.

You can put the cable underfloor heating in the screed. At the same time, the technology and all recommendations from specialists are necessarily followed. The layout of the warm floor may differ from the chosen method of placing it under the base of the floor. It is rational to use plywood for leveling, which does not waste time, and the installation process itself can be performed by one person.

The quality of leveling the floor will subsequently affect the strength of the flooring flooring, as well as the laying of the warm floor, depending on which scheme is chosen. If you are not sure that you will be able to complete the installation work on your own, then it is best to immediately seek help from specialists.