How to remove old flooring. How to open a wooden floor. How to remove panel or modular parquet

From the author: We welcome our readers! Today we will talk about how to dismantle a wooden floor with your own hands, spending very little time and effort. It’s good if you can involve at least one assistant in the process, then the work will go faster.

Wood flooring is rightfully considered the safest, environmentally friendly and durable. At correct installation and with careful care they last for more than 50 years. But time does its job, and a moment comes when there is nothing left but to ruthlessly remove the old floor.

Sometimes partial replacement of boards is required, but most often flooring needs to be removed completely. In some cases, after removing the boards from the floor, you can find a lot of defects underneath them, left by the first builders of the entire building.

The following lead to the unsuitability of the floor:

• increased humidity in the room;
• activity of insect pests, exposure to fungi;
• significant mechanical damage;
• low quality material;
• wear due to long service life.

What needs to be considered before starting work? All points of the upcoming event need to be carefully considered, you can even write it down on paper, as this will allow you to estimate the approximate volume, cost and time spent on completing all its stages.

The results of calculations can be influenced by the most various factors(area of ​​the room, type of wooden covering, presence of a concrete base underneath, need to use special equipment), so they are individual for each case.

Planning the workflow

It is important to remember that removing old flooring is a noisy undertaking; this point should be taken into account and the time of work should be planned so as to cause a minimum of disturbance to family members and neighbors.

In advance, you need to prepare a place for collecting future construction waste, containers for it and transport for transportation. To protect yourself from large amounts of dust, which is inevitable when carrying out this type of work, we recommend that you wear work clothes, a respirator, construction gloves and a hat.

The next step will be to prepare the tools necessary for removing boards in the apartment and house:

• sledgehammer or assembly hammer;
• nail puller;
• jigsaw or saw for cutting long boards;
• screwdrivers, pliers and pliers;
• chisels;
• hatchet or crowbar.

This minimum set tools, which may vary depending on the type of wood flooring.

Important! Immediately before removing it, you can cover the doorway with a large piece of damp cloth, and place mats moistened with water near the threshold. This technique will help prevent the spread of dust to other rooms.

Stages of work execution

So that's it preparatory activities met, it’s time to take action. The procedure for removing old floorboards in an apartment or house is as follows:

1. Removing skirting boards. It is recommended to carry it out using a nail puller, starting from the corner of the room. If the old baseboard is covered with several layers of paint, you must first determine the place where it can be easily lifted with a flat screwdriver, and then use a nail puller. If its stroke is not enough to remove long nails, place it under wooden block. It is easier when screws were used to fasten the baseboard, since they are quite easy to unscrew with a screwdriver.
2. The next step is to remove the entire floor surface. Usually it is laid from a board with the tenon facing the wall, so dismantling begins in the opposite direction. If the floorboards are planned to be reused in the same room, they must first be numbered so that they can later be laid in in the right order. When the flooring is fixed with screws, the work will consist of unscrewing the fasteners and sequentially removing each board. If the floorboards are fixed with nails, the following sequence of actions is observed:
   • the side of the floor where the last floorboard is fixed is determined;
   • a nail puller is driven under the board using a hammer;
   • the floorboard is raised 1–3 centimeters from the joist;
   • then the board must be pressed firmly against the base of the floor again, with the heads of the nails protruding above the surface. If necessary, the floorboard is raised and lowered several times;
   • A block is placed under the nail puller, after which the nails are carefully removed. This way, the floorboards will remain undamaged and can be used for laying a new floor or for other construction work;
   • After this, use a chisel to widen the gap between the boards. If the previous steps are completed correctly, the tenon of the floorboard freed from nails will easily come out of the groove with an arc that is still secured;
   • If a board tenon or groove is accidentally damaged, this trouble can be eliminated using glue or small nails. The floorboard will look a little worse, but its functionality will be restored;
   • A nail puller is also used to remove lags.

Important! Even if you don't plan to reuse removed boards, the work must be carried out carefully so as not to damage the base of the floor itself and to avoid difficulties when installing a new floor covering. If it is necessary to dispose of floorboards, it is better to cut them into small pieces, which will be conveniently placed in containers, taken out of the room and transported. You should not roughly break the boards, since sharp fragments can seriously injure you, and it is much more difficult to free the room from them.

If you have carefully read this material, you now clearly understand the procedure for dismantling work and know the features of this process.

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Proper dismantling of the old floor or floor covering is, as you know, a prerequisite for the successful completion of work related to their renewal. In our article we will try to tell you how to remove the old floor without resorting to the help of third-party specialists, while significantly saving on repair work.

It is known that floors in modern apartments Most often they are arranged as follows:

• pure concrete bases with synthetic coverings made of carpet, laminate or linoleum, which we all know, laid on them;
• wooden floors made from individual boards or from stacked parquet;
• tiled floors.

Preparatory activities

Before you begin dismantling the floor, you should prepare the most necessary tool, the choice of which is determined by the type of floor covering. But in any case you will need special means body and respiratory protection required when carrying out work of this class (respirator, cotton gloves and headgear).

To avoid the spread of dust throughout the apartment, it is advisable to secure a piece of dampened cloth in the doorways, and lay mats soaked in water at the thresholds. In addition to this, you will definitely need:

• ordinary nail puller;
• assembly hammer or sledgehammer;
• screwdriver, pliers and pliers;
• electric jigsaw or saw for cutting long boards.

Note that to dismantle a floor made of tiles (porcelain tiles), you will additionally need to prepare a chisel and a hammer drill. Floor coverings laid using carpet, as well as laminate or linoleum, are much easier to dismantle, especially if they are simply laid on concrete base(without glue).

Removing skirting boards

It is customary to begin dismantling the flooring with the removal of baseboards, which can be plastic (with a cable channel built into them) or wooden. We begin disassembling plastic blanks by removing the decorative strip and removing the elements fastening the product to the wall. We remove wooden skirting boards sewn to the floor using a nail puller, and dismantling should begin from the corner of the room.

If the baseboard is thoroughly painted over with several layers of paint, you first need to find a place where it can be easily “pryed off” with a flat screwdriver, after which you can use a nail puller. To avoid damage to the wall decorative covering and for the convenience of fixing the position of the tool, a small wooden plank(bar).

Before removing old wooden floors, you should familiarize yourself with the order of their placement on joists laid on a concrete base. When carrying out this work, certain difficulties may arise with the removal of the first board, after dismantling which the process will go much faster. To facilitate this operation, you should clear the gap between the floor and the wall and use a nail puller to pry up the end board in this place.

All other floorboards are fairly easy to remove and can be removed using a hammer or large flathead screwdriver. To remove nails driven into boards, you can use previously prepared pliers.

In the presence of circular saw all dismantling operations wooden floors are noticeably simplified. With its help, it will be possible to cut individual “floorboards” into smaller pieces, which will be much easier to remove from the disassembly site.

For cases where the floorboards are fastened with self-tapping screws, you need a screwdriver that allows you to quickly remove the fastening elements.

Removing concrete screed

To remove a concrete screed, you will first need to remove the decorative coating used to cover the floor. And only after this can you proceed to its dismantling, which is usually done by impact. For these purposes you may need the following tool:

• classic jackhammer;
• hammer drill with a special attachment;
• sledgehammer, chisel or scrap metal.

Note that the use of special impact power tools significantly reduces the time for dismantling concrete foundations in premises of any category. But when carrying it out, funds must be used personal protection, protecting Airways a man and his eyes from the dust generated during work.

When preparing for dismantling, do not forget to prepare bags from durable material, in which it will be possible to remove broken pieces of cement-concrete screed and debris accompanying any dismantling.

Video

This video shows how to dismantle a wooden floor:

This video demonstrates the process of demolishing an old concrete floor with a jackhammer:

Wooden floors in residential areas have been and remain one of the most comfortable and beautiful. Even the most expensive laminate cannot replace the warm and pleasant to the touch natural solid wood. But you need to be able to preserve the beauty of wood. To do this, you need to protect the wooden surface with varnish, oil or oil-wax.

Back in the first half of the twentieth century in noble houses There was a tradition to regularly rub wax mastic into the wooden floor. And this was done very in an original way- legs, on which special brushes are put on. This process was very funny, but over time it got pretty boring. As a result, wooden floors began to be covered with parquet varnish, which required updating every 5-7 years. It was much easier to care for varnished parquet than waxed parquet. It was enough to wipe it with a damp cloth. Parquet varnish creates a durable, impermeable film on wood that is resistant to abrasion and moisture. Thanks to the advent of durable parquet varnishes, parquet itself has become very popular among the masses.

It seemed that the problem of parquet and other wooden floor coverings had been solved. The varnish allows you to preserve the texture of the wood, protects floor coverings from mechanical influences, moisture and penetrating contaminants. And indeed it is. But even the thinnest varnish film actually isolates natural wood from humans. That is, no one will notice if, for example, plastic parquet is hidden under the varnish. Moreover, not a single molecule of the substances that make up the plastic will escape from the “varnish capsule.” In general, in the struggle for naturalness, varnish began to lose ground, and they were looking for an alternative. However, don’t go back in time, dancing on the parquet floor with brushes on your feet! At the same time, it is impossible to leave a tree without protection. An exposed wooden surface will quickly become dirty and take on a sloppy appearance. There is a dilemma. Hence the beginning of the struggle between various protective compounds, one of which remains the same varnish.

Lacquered floor

Block parquet, engineered and solid boards, coated with several layers of varnish, are reliably protected from contamination for a long time. In addition, the varnish makes its texture more contrasting and expressive, and also gives the flooring a shine or matte finish. When choosing a varnish, it is important not to make a mistake and take into account many factors.

Modern varnishes are divided into two main groups. There are water-based and organic solvent-based varnishes. Water-based varnishes are rightfully considered the most environmentally friendly, since they do not emit toxins and pungent odors during their application, and also - harmful substances during operation.

The main function of varnish is education protective film on the surface of the wood. Polymer base varnishes are provided by the presence of polyurethane, acrylic, acrylates or combinations thereof. Polyurethane varnish It is considered the best because it has the highest durability, elasticity, strength and abrasion resistance.

The varnish should be applied to a primed base. The primer is matched to the varnish and wood. As a rule, varnish and primer are elements of one system. Primers are colorless or tinted. In addition to imparting color to the wood, they provide excellent varnish adhesion.

Today, wooden coverings offered by the market are represented not only local breeds, such as oak, cedar, ash, but also exotic ones. And if our wood generally accepts varnish normally, then among the “exotics” there are very capricious species. These include, for example, merbau, which contains salts. When applying water-soluble varnish to a merbau floor, the salts dissolve with water and form unsightly stains. In order not to spoil such a floor, it is recommended to open it with varnish based on organic solvents, if the quality protective coating I chose varnish.

Some exotic species, such as teak, iroko, olive, contain a large number of oils Water-based primers and varnishes do not adhere well to them, since oil is known to repel water. Typically, the use of water-based varnish for these breeds leads to the appearance of many cloudy spots. These are oil pockets that are not covered by varnish.

Experts recommend using the recommended primer + varnish combinations to protect wooden floor coverings and not experimenting with independent selection. Today, systems from such manufacturers as ALPINA, ADESIV, BONA, Lobadur WS, PALLMAN, NEOPUR, TIKKURILA, VERMEISTER have proven themselves to be quite good.

Advantages of varnish coatings:

• wear resistance;
• protection against moisture penetration into the wood structure;
• resistance to mechanical stress;
• protection against pollution;
• maintainability.

Flaws:

• sensitivity to temperature and humidity fluctuations;
• accumulation of electrostatic electricity;
• repair requires removal of the old varnish coating.

Parquet oils

Oil as a means of protecting parquet floors has fans and opponents. But it’s clear to answer which is better: varnish or oil? - it is forbidden. These coatings should be considered in the context of the specific flooring material.

Parquet boards have recently become extremely popular among domestic consumers. The affordable price of this type of flooring and natural appearance did the trick. However, the working layer natural wood parquet board small, and usually 4 mm. If you open a parquet board with varnish, then each scrape will take away at least 0.5 mm from it. Accordingly, after 20-25 years the working layer will become so thin that the floor will have to be replaced. Piece parquet can survive dozens of scrapings, and therefore this type of flooring can last up to half a century.

Based on considerations of service life, it is more profitable to coat the parquet board with oil (or oil-wax). The thing is that the oil does not form a film on the surface, but is absorbed into the structure of the wood. To renew an oiled parquet board, no scraping is required - you just need to open it with another layer of oil. But there is one thing. Oil impregnation protects well from moisture and various pollutants, but does not protect wood at all from mechanical stress, in particular abrasion. Therefore, oil should be used in rooms with low traffic, where significant loads are not placed on the floor covering. Thus, the oil is well suited for coatings in bedrooms and children's rooms. And in hallways and living rooms it is better to use varnish.

Good oils for wooden floors are produced by well-known brands: ADESIV, BONA, LOBA, OSMO, TIKKURILA, VERMEISTER.

Advantages of oil processing:

• deep penetration;
• does not peel off or crack;
• resistant to temperature and humidity fluctuations;
• antistatic properties;
• ease of application;
• efficiency of local repairs.

Flaws:

• afraid of getting liquids;
• need to update every 1-2 years.

Oil plus wax

The combination of wax with modified natural oils gives a unique effect in protecting wood. Oil-wax is a technically complex material that provides comprehensive protection. The oily component saturates the wood, fills its pores, and the wax forms a protective water-repellent film. In its properties, the wax layer is close to the varnish layer based on an organic solvent.

Modern oil-waxes are easy to apply. If pure oils need to be rubbed into wood covering, then technological oil-waxes can be applied with a roller, like varnish.

In operation, oil-waxes have proven themselves better than oils. Wooden surfaces treated with pure oil may remain stained if water spilled on the floor is not cleaned up immediately. The oil fills most pores, but some remain open. Through them, the wood absorbs water and darkens. The reverse process (evaporation of water) takes a long time, but the stains still do not completely disappear. But water does not penetrate through the wax film, thanks to this, floors treated with oil-waxes are suitable even for kitchens and bathrooms.

Oil-waxes have a very high adhesion To wooden surface. Moreover, the adhesion force exceeds the mechanical strength of the oil-wax itself. This means that under various loads, peeling of the oil-wax is prevented - its layer will rupture earlier. With varnish, the opposite happens - first of all, the varnish film peels off. The mentioned property of oil-wax can be very useful in cases where a wooden floor covering is regularly exposed to changes in temperature and humidity conditions. Such unstable conditions are most often characteristic of country houses, where the owners live only from time to time.

Another advantage of oil-waxes is that they are compatible with almost any type of wood, including exotic ones. The salts and oils contained in “exotics” do not conflict with oils and waxes, so there is no need to be afraid of surprises.

Advantages of oil-wax:

• structural and surface protection;
• saves natural look wood;
• does not allow spilled liquids to pass through;
• does not crack, does not peel off;
• antistatic;
• low consumption during processing;
• possibility of local update.

Flaws:

• requires regular updating (every 1-2 years).

How to care for wood floors

All wooden floors require special care. If you want them to always look perfect, you will have to remove debris and dust from them daily. Wet cleaning is carried out no more than once a week. In this case, the rag must be wrung out well so that there are no puddles left on the floor. Ideally, a wooden floor after wet cleaning should dry within 1-2 minutes.

Most manufacturers of protective compounds for wooden floors also offer special care products. These can be washes and polishes. The detergent helps remove dirt with minimal dampening of the cloth, and the polish provides shine, a dirt-repellent effect and an additional protective layer.

Wooden floors exposed to oil or oil-wax require periodic renewal of the protective layer. This is done quite easily, but all the furniture will have to be removed from the room. You can update the floor in parts, setting aside furniture and putting it in place after processing the area. When applied repeatedly, oil-waxes are simply rubbed with a device similar to a mop. After drying, they are absolutely safe for people and animals. The waxed floor is pleasant to walk on bare feet. Oil and wax do not actually insulate us from the wood. The frequency of layer renewal depends on the intensity of use of the coating.

Make a cut along the length of the board. Use a circular saw to cut the entire length of one board. The cut is made as close as possible to the center of the longitudinal part.

• It is best to choose a board that is located along the length of one of the external parties floor. Removing the first board in this location will make it easier to remove the remaining boards in the room.
• You can also use a pry bar to pry up the first few boards on one of the outside sides of the floor. This is the easiest option if you have a clean edged boards and there is at least one open edge.

Updating or replacing an old, worn-out floor in an apartment is one of the most labor-intensive operations in the overall renovation process. Just imagining the scale and cost of what is to come, many homeowners very often refuse to repair their floors, limiting themselves only to changing the decorative covering on them. But time takes its toll, and sooner or later a moment comes when it becomes simply impossible to delay such work.

In this case, it is not at all necessary to immediately look for a team of craftsmen - especially since in such a service sector you can very often meet outright “hack workers”. As a result, everything can result in a completely unnecessary waste of time, nerves and money with a low-quality result. Why not try it yourself? If the owner has certain skills in civil works, and if you do it in the apartment with your own hands step by step, in compliance with the recommended technological rules, then everything should work out!

The stages of repair, of course, depend on the type of floors, their original condition, the purpose of the premises in which work is being carried out, the type finishing coating. This publication will discuss several of the most common options.

The initial stage is to decide on the scope of work

Since the owner of the apartment is thinking about renovating the floor, then, most likely, there are motivating reasons for this, unless, of course, this is a cosmetic replacement of the covering at the next whim of the wife. Therefore, first you need to identify and clearly formulate problems - the entire scale of further preparatory and repair work will depend on this.

This publication is about a city apartment, and in the vast majority multi-storey buildings any floor has a base in the form reinforced concrete slab ceilings But further design may differ significantly. The floor can be built on joists fixed to the base, or laid directly on a concrete screed.

• A wooden floor on joists usually begins to show its defects with creaking, instability of the coating - the floorboards “play” underfoot, the appearance unpleasant odor rot, formation and gradual expansion of cracks. It’s even worse if suddenly one of the boards cracks or a fragment of it falls down.

• An old screed on which a coating is laid can also begin to present surprises due to “old age,” especially if it was once filled with low quality. So, it is also possible that there may be obvious creaks and rustling sounds from sand or small stones, “bumping” of the screed, the appearance of dented areas of the surface, disruption of the evenness of the finishing coating, and sometimes obvious instability of an entire large fragment.

In any case, if there are obvious defects, remove the old coating.

Removing old coating

• All furniture will need to be removed from the room, completely freeing it for further work. If the renovation is not carried out in the entire apartment at once, but from room to room, it will be necessary to provide protection against the spread of dust, for example, by covering the entrance with a thick curtain polyethylene film or a frequently moistened cloth, and cover the gap under the door with a roller made of a wet rag. Is it true, full efficiency this method is very doubtful, and the best option However, it is necessary to provide for the resettlement of family members during the renovation. However, a barrier to dust is necessary in any case.
• Next, the old baseboards are removed. Do this carefully so as not to damage bottom part walls to which they are attached. If the skirting boards are intended to be used further, they are numbered according to their location and temporarily removed.

If anyone has not encountered this issue before, we can remind you that the baseboards are attached to the wall, and not to the floor surface, that is, you need to correctly direct the lever force. It will be easier if the baseboards are secured with self-tapping screws or special brackets.

The next step is actually removing the old coating. There are several options here:

A. If the floor is covered with some kind of roll material, then they pry it off from one side and try to carefully roll it into a roll - this will make it easier to take it out. If the covering (for example, linoleum or carpet) was once laid without glue, directly on a concrete screed, this will not be difficult to do. You can first make it sharp to make things easier construction knife parallel cuts, thereby dividing the entire canvas into several narrower strips.

But there are often situations in which old material comes off along with the layers of peeled screed. Then you will have to remove it in fragments and immediately take it out of the room along with pieces of concrete so that this construction debris does not interfere further work.

It happens that once well-glued linoleum, when removed, begins to delaminate itself, leaving dried layers on the screed. In this case, you will have to work with a scraper (spatula), warming up these areas using construction hair dryer or moistening the old adhesive layer with a solution detergent for floors.

B. Old “playing” parquet can cause more trouble. If it is of no value, then its dies are sequentially removed and immediately loaded into bags, which are taken out as they are filled. If parquet was once glued to bitumen mastic or organic-based glue, then removing individual dies or even entire fragments can be difficult. The “recipe” is the same - scraper, chisel and heating with a hairdryer.

IN. To remove the old one tiles, it is most convenient to use a rotary hammer switched to chiselling mode with a spade chisel installed. If such a tool is not available, then everything is done manually, using a hammer and chisel.

G. When removing a plank floor covering, the most difficult thing is probably to pick up and separate the first floorboard. Then, when you can freely move the lever, the work will go faster. To work, you will need a nail puller with a long lever handle, a hammer, and pliers. You should try to remove the nails carefully, without destroying the boards, since, quite possibly, this material will still be used for a new flooring after repairs or for making joists.

If the old coating was attached with screws (self-tapping screws), then you can try to dismantle it using a screwdriver.

Well, if the board covering is no longer of any value, then the most convenient way would be to make cuts using a manual vertical circular saw (carefully and prudently, so as not to catch the concrete base, damage the joists, or “run into” a nail). After separating the long floorboards this way, removing them will be an easy task.

Is it worth removing the entire plank floor covering if obvious defects were observed only in certain areas, and there are no plans to replace it with a different type of surface finish? Of course, you can only limit yourself partial renovation– replacing worn or damaged parts. But experts unanimously advise - remove everything completely. There is no guarantee that if the deterioration process has manifested itself in one area of ​​the floor, then it will not show itself in another in a year, or even earlier. It will be cheaper to renew the base and re-lay the floor, even using old material, than to return to such repairs again after a short period.

Conducting a foundation audit

After the floor covering has been removed, it is necessary to carefully inspect the base.

• If there are logs left on the floor and you plan to re-lay the plank flooring, you should carefully check the condition of these load-bearing elements and the supports on which they are installed. Log beams should not have areas of decomposition, rottenness, or fungal damage - such parts must be replaced. Each joist is checked under load - it should not dangle, sag, creak, etc. If necessary, update the linings that hold the guide at the desired height.

If the condition of the joists does not cause concern, then after thorough cleaning, a new coating can be laid in the spaces between them. Most old floorboards will probably work just fine. After such a bulkhead, the floor will stop creaking and gain the necessary stability. If required, thermal insulation material can be laid between the joists, which will also act as a sound insulator.

However, on the old wooden floor very often the logs themselves are quite worn out, and their repair is impossible or does not guarantee durability. In this case, they will have to be dismantled in order to subsequently install new ones. When removing the joists, remember that they may be quite firmly attached to the base base. Care and caution must be exercised to prevent severe damage concrete base and not add unnecessary worries to its restoration.

After removing the joists, the subfloor is cleaned as thoroughly as possible so that you can proceed to further steps.

In the case when, after removing the old topcoat, underneath it opens concrete screed, she will be examined most thoroughly. You need to trust that the concrete is strong in itself, and repairing such a surface is not necessary.

The screed must be tapped - this will help to remove areas of its detachment, which must be removed to a “healthy” base. The surface is checked for the presence of loose areas, those where, due to a violation of the pouring technology, the solution has not gained strength or has been eroded due to exposure to moisture. Such areas also require cleaning.

Large cracks should not be left on the surface - this may continue the process of destructuring the base. Slots and cracks must be cut in width and depth by at least 10 - 15 mm for subsequent repairs.

Sometimes, after removing unstable sections of concrete, a completely unsightly picture is revealed, such as, for example, shown in the photograph. However, this too is completely repairable.

After removing defective areas and cutting out cracks, a thorough cleaning is carried out. It is best to use a powerful construction vacuum cleaner– using other means to qualitatively clean the surface and formed cavities from small debris and dust is extremely difficult.

Sometimes you have to resort to complete dismantling of the entire screed down to the floor slab. This may be caused by the extremely low quality of the coating, which is impractical to repair, but it is better to completely refill it. Often, mold or fungus finds refuge in screeds in damp rooms. Another option is when the floors require additional insulation and sound insulation, and ceiling heights and dimensions doorways in the apartment will not allow raising the level of coverage (taking into account the thermal insulation layer and finishing). The same measure is resorted to when it is planned to make a wooden floor on joists instead of thin coverings.

Of course, the process complete dismantling ties using a breaker tool are very tedious, noisy and dusty, but no other method has yet been invented. This requires some care to avoid damaging concrete slab ceilings The screed is cut into separate pieces, which are immediately shoveled to the side and packed into bags for removal. It is not recommended to use even small fragments as material for filling a new solution, since they will not enhance, but rather worsen the quality.

After removing the old screed, thoroughly clean the surface - as described above.

Base surface repair

Whatever the floor was, it was not planned for the flooring in the future; the concrete base under it needs to be put in order. Thus, poorly sealed seams between floor slabs, cracks around the perimeter of walls, potholes or cavities, etc. may be exposed.

Such repairs are necessary even if it is planned to fill a new one. The solution may not penetrate into these flaws; air cavities will remain there, reducing the solidity of the coating and becoming the starting point for the destruction of the screed. This is especially important and mandatory if the screed will be poured onto a separating layer or onto waterproofing film(floating screed).

All surface defects must be thoroughly cleaned, if necessary (for example, slab joints) cut, and then even the smallest chips and dust removed with a vacuum cleaner.

The next step is to thoroughly scrub the surface at least twice, which is specifically for concrete.

This treatment will significantly strengthen the surface, which is especially important when it is loose, will increase the hydrophobic qualities, reduce the absorption of concrete, and improve adhesion with repair compounds. Further work begins after the last applied layer of soil is completely absorbed and dry.

As a repair composition, you can use ordinary cement-sand mortar. However, it takes quite a long time to dry and gain the required strength, and it is better not to waste money on special repair compounds, also cement-based or epoxy-based.

Primed surface defects are filled as tightly as possible with the repair compound, comparing with the general floor level. You can use a regular spatula for this. Some repair compounds are sold in plastic tubes, and it will be more convenient to apply them using a construction syringe or a special “gun”.

If the defect is large in volume, then in some cases you can resort to filling it polyurethane foam. After it has dried, the excess is cut off, and then this area is brought to the general surface level with a repair compound.

Repair “patches” are given time to completely harden, in accordance with their instructions, after which the surface can be trimmed using sandpaper, wrapped on a block. Then it is recommended to go over the entire surface with primer again. If increased absorption of the composition is noted in areas where repairs are being carried out, then these areas are primed twice.

After the soil has dried, the surface can be considered ready for further work.

Leveling screed

If an old screed or wooden floor was removed and the floor slab was exposed, then most likely its level is very far from horizontal. The house shrank over time, and even when it was built many years ago, the builders may not have cared much about the strictly verified level of floors. So, no matter what the floor was, it was not planned to do anything further, it is recommended to strengthen the base and at the same time level it with a screed. The thickness of this poured layer must be at least 30 mm at the highest point

First of all, it is necessary to determine the magnitude of the difference, that is, to identify the peak, highest and lowest points of the surface and “break through” the line zero level. The beacon system will be set at this mark.

To fill the screed, you can use a regular cement-sand mortar, which is prepared directly at the work site. Usually they start from the proportion of three parts of sand to one of M-400 cement - this ratio gives a surface that is optimal in terms of strength and wear resistance, on which any of the existing floor coverings can then be mounted.

Those novice builders who do not want to deal with drawing up proportions on their own can be recommended to use ready-made dry construction mixtures. Their composition has already been optimized for screed, and all that remains is to properly seal it with water, in accordance with the attached instructions.

How much materials will be needed in this or that case? It all depends on the level of height difference in extreme points, planned minimum thickness screeds, area of ​​the room, characteristics of the solution.

Usually on the packaging of dry building mixtures their normalized consumption is indicated in kilograms per 1 square meter poured area with a layer thickness of 10 mm. Based on this, you can use simple calculations to determine the required amount of material.

To make the task easier for readers, here is a calculator that allows you to quickly and accurately make such calculations.