about me and my team

Stroganov Kirill

I have been in the renovation business for over 15 years. The most pleasant thing for me is a solid list of satisfied customers.

My main task is to organize the repair process in such a way that it would be easy and pleasant when interacting with me and my team. I am as open as possible to you.

I will help you choose modern material, both expensive and not expensive.
I'm optimizing the budget. Many years of experience allow me to offer you the best way to reduce the cost of repairs without loss of quality even in the premium class.

I managed to put together a great team that works well together. This allows you to clearly meet the deadlines for work, not go beyond the agreed estimate and save your time and effort.

We approach our work with pleasure, starting from the creation of a design project and ending with advice on arranging furniture and decorating a room.

how to fill the floor in the apartment with your own hands

In this article, we will consider the main methods for creating a perfectly flat floor in an apartment. The preparatory and key stages are presented. I will explain which materials are the most effective.

If you need to renovate an apartment with high quality and in a modern way, then you can not do without replacing the flooring. For the price, it's better. Yes, and the appearance of the new coating is quite attractive.

Perfectly flat floor - why is it needed?

Even in a new building, there are differences between the floors. They can reach 10 cm. Today, panel slabs are laid in such a way that the overlap between floors with its smooth surface is directed towards the ceiling, and its bumpy surface is directed towards the floor. And on this side without screeds, only linoleum can be laid. The parquet will be constantly deformed.

Thus, we fill the floor for two main reasons:

1. Floor covering.
2. Floor construction with water or electric heating.
3. Other floor insulation.

Note

To get a perfectly even coating, we use a pouring cement composition. This operation is also called a screed. It is necessary before laying the finish coat. In this regard, many owners have a question about how to properly fill the floors in the apartment. This technology is not anything super complicated. The main thing is to perform all operations correctly and step by step.

Mortars for perfect pouring - building mixes or concrete? Choice

In modern conditions, pouring a floor screed with your own hands is quite feasible. And on sale there is a large assortment of various Russian and foreign equalizers. These are innovative tools.

Their main specificity lies in the fact that they are poured without much work with beacons and guides.

We breed them competently, according to strict technology. They are affected by gravity and tension. And they are evenly distributed over the entire work surface. Close all uneven areas and bumps. This is the easiest way to pour the floors to get an even, seamless and shiny finish.

There is also a classic - the use of cement compositions. They cost less. But the filling technology is more complicated. What to choose and how to fill the floors in the premises, each owner decides for himself, based on his budget, goals and scope of work.

Stages of preparation before making a filler floor

For preparatory and basic work, we use the following arsenal:

1. Reiki. They are needed for beacons.
2. Metal brush.
3. Capacity for the working composition.
4. Priming roller.
5. Sidewalk scraper.
6. Small brush to prime hard to reach or small areas.
7. Putty knife.
8. Needle roller.
9. Drill with a nozzle for mixing the solution.
10. Primer.

You can correctly fill the floors in the apartment if you act strictly step by step. And the stages of work are as follows:

• Surface preparation. Removing the old coating, cleaning from dust and dirt.
• Padding.
• Waterproofing.
• Thermal insulation.
• Horizontal check.

Preparing the base - leveling and waterproofing

It is necessary to fill the floors in the apartment step by step. This is the most important condition for obtaining the proper result.

The first step is preparing the foundation. We remove the old coating. We do a thorough cleaning. Eliminate dust and dirt. We use a vacuum cleaner. Degrease the surface with a simple soapy composition.

If you want to fill the floor in a room that does not have a threshold, we create it. To do this, we use rails. So we exclude the leakage of the leveling agent into the neighboring rooms.

Important

Before the pouring process, it is important to remove obsolete skirting boards. And the butt sections of the wall-floor must be glued. There is a good tool for this - damper tape.

Then the floor in the room is covered with a primer. Thanks to her, the floor grasps better with the base. We prime in two layers at least. The second layer is applied only after the absolute drying of the first layer. Priming continues while still being absorbed by the substrate.

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The primer enhances the strength of the surface, its adhesion to future materials.

When working with the classics (concrete-sand composition), we use a universal primer. In rooms that are modest in area, we apply it with a brush. In large rooms - a roller.

Before the start of other work, the primer dries for about two hours.

The main work will start a day after this operation.

At this stage, the level We walk around the room with him. And on the walls we make horizontal marks. We will rely on them in the filling process.

concrete floor reinforcement

How to fill the floor in an apartment with a reinforced screed? This issue is especially relevant when working on the ground. His solution is the use of reinforcement. We use one of these options:

1. Special mesh made of steel.
2. Fibrin. It is either fiber plastic or metal. We add it to the working solution.

At the reinforcement stage, we install wiring and install heating technologies.

The nuances of reinforcing the floor structure

We reinforce the concrete floor in the house so that the structure receives a powerful defense against mechanical stress and strong vibrations. It also significantly increases the service life of the floor.

Motives for reinforcing the floor:

1. Laying a floating screed according to the project.
2. Ground floor installation.
3. Compliance with some building codes in underfloor heating technologies.
4. The floor is used for industrial purposes, it has enormous loads.
5. The height of the concrete layer exceeds 5 cm.

If serious loads follow on the floor structures, we give preference to metal reinforcement.

Bar diameter is affected by operating conditions and loads. Usually it is 0.6 - 1.2 cm. Cell parameters: 1 x 1 x 2 x 2 cm.

We use welding or knitting wire to fasten the mesh. Often we use ready-made grids in our work. They are based on VR-1 wire and d 2-6 mm. Cell parameters are in the range 5 x 5 - 2 x 2 cm.

When reinforcing by this method, we fill the floor in the apartment in stages and follow this order:

1. The position of the grid is in the thickest concrete. So the steel is protected from corrosion.
2. Thorough cleaning of the base from debris and dirt.
3. Jointing cracks (if any). Their dusting. Padding.
4. Priming of the base in 2-3 cycles.
5. Laying waterproofing and soundproofing.
6. Markup is done - a level is applied.
7. The grid is placed on stands. So the material is in the thick of concrete. In one cell, we save the overlap.
8. Connection of butt sections with a knitting wire.
9. Beacons are attached to the reinforcing layer. It does not do without metal U-like profiles.
10. A train is placed between the beacons. It is aligned with the rule.
11. After the concrete has hardened, the guides are removed. The existing voids are filled with a mixture.
12. A protective film is applied to the screed. Keeps 5-7 days.

Note

The fiber material is used for surfaces in alkaline environments, where the temperature parameters do not exceed 200 degrees.

Formwork creation. Working with guides

We lay the concrete floor in parts - cards. These are rectangular areas. Their parameters are determined by two factors:

1. total surface area.
2. The possibility of filling the composition in one working cycle.

Along the perimeter of these sections, we put formwork to indicate the finishing floor. It is created from a board 5 x 10 cm. In the boards, we pre-drill holes for reinforcing pins with a distance of 50 cm. We put the formwork lines on the seam pattern.

We fill the floor in the new house along the guides. We can use them as:

• metal profiles,
• steel corners 5 x 5 x 0.3 cm,
• profile pipe 4 x 2 x 0.2 cm.

We mount the guides by welding to reinforcing bars with a diameter of 1.2 cm. To control the evenness, we use an optical level.

All areas where the surface adjoins the bearing components are covered with Izolon with a density of 4 mm. This is a damper tape based on polyethylene foam.

So we fill the floor in parts. Only before filling, we process all profiles with engine oil. And moisten the rough base with water.

Laying waterproofing

How to fill the floor in the apartment yourself if there are significant gaps on the base? Particularly vulnerable are the areas where the walls adjoin the ceilings. Communication zones are also considered weak. Here we lay the waterproofing.

To do this, we use the following types of hydroprotection:

1. Films and rolls. These are the most common types. These are polymeric membranes consisting of many layers. They also have thermal insulating properties.
2. Liquid. These are great for filling pores. It turns out a thin water-repellent film
3. Mastics. These are adhesive platinum mixtures. Their bases are polymers, resins, liquid rubber. Mastic forms a powerful waterproof layer.
4. Powders. They use plasticizers and binders. They need to be diluted with water according to the instructions.

Surface level and setting beacons

Many owners are interested in how to fill the floor in the apartment with high quality and evenly? To do this, we must determine the level of the screed and put beacons (special rails).

Using the level, check the evenness of the base. The level of the planned coverage is indicated on the walls.

From the plastered areas, we remove the plaster 0.25 cm above this line. Using these notations, we identify the highest point of the surface. This is a guarantee of competent filling.

Here the working algorithm is:

1. We measure 1 m up along the wall, counting from the door threshold. We draw a line.
2. We draw a line around the perimeter of the room. We observe its parallelism with the help of a level.
3. The second parallel is drawn at a distance of 1 m under the control symbol.
4. In the corners of the room on the bottom line we drive in nails and pull the wire.

Thanks to the marks on the bearing components in the new apartment, it is easier to set up beacons. Distances between beacons correspond to the length of the rule. The rule is used to equalize the mixture.

The final result depends on the placement of the rails. After all the work, the rails are removed. Notches remain from them, which are easy to fill with the same solution that was used for the screed.

With guidelines, the screed is much easier to fill. And so we get the necessary flat surface. We install beacons even for work on a small area.

The issue of bedding

Before you make a working composition and pour it on the desired area, you need to make a backfill. This is the so-called pillow. It consists of three layers.

1. Initial - gravel. Density: 5 -10 cm. We pour it with water and ram. To control the thickness of the layer, be sure to drive pegs directly into the ground. We level them. After falling asleep and tamping this layer, we pull them out.
2. The second is sandy. Density -10 cm. We also adjust the thickness with pegs. Sand is poured with water and rammed using a vibrating plate.
3. Rubble. Thickness - 10 cm. We carefully level it and make it denser. The surface must be free of sharp edges. Suitable crushed stone has a fraction of 4-5 cm. After compaction, we sprinkle it a little with sand and ram it again.

Horizontal level adjustable

Video guide for installing beacons

Creation of the working staff

This composition is easy to create. We dilute it in water strictly according to the instructions. Mix using a drill with a special nozzle. So we get a homogeneous composition.

A simple recipe for preparing a sand-cement mixture is as follows:

1. 4 shares of perlite are used. Pour 2 parts of water on them.
2. Add water and cement to the solution one by one. We mix.
3. Add two parts of sand and 10 parts of water.
4. We mix the composition to a state of plastic consistency.

This option is good for use in a new private home. It is also often used on the lower floors of buildings with many floors. In an apartment, it is also justified if a small layer of fill is created.

Pouring process

How to fill the surface of an existing base more efficiently? If all measures for equalization are already provided, then the process should be carried out in one day. This is a guarantee of uniformity of the composition.

Filling starts from the far corner of the room. To align the layer, apply the rule. We evenly distribute the material within the boundaries of the fixed beacons.

Using a spiked roller, remove air from the mixture. So we exclude the occurrence of internal voids in it. Then we level the screed completely. We repeat the operations until the base is completely filled.

If you have some misunderstandings, you can watch a video on how to fill the floor screed with your own hands.

Floor work

How to pour a concrete floor to ceilings and when should it be done? It is important to know one specific here - backfilling is not required.

First, we study the floor slab. If there are cracks and chips on it, we fill them with a repair compound.

When working with wooden floors, we also carry out repairs if necessary.

We provide any overlap with waterproofing - dense (200-300 microns) polyethylene film.

We put the beacons, we fill the composition with a density of 10 cm. Further actions are identical, as in working with the floor on the ground. If there are any incomprehensible moments, you can watch a video of how the floors in the apartment are poured over the floors.

The choice of composition for pouring

The choice of screed is a very important issue. And when deciding how and with what to fill the floor in a new apartment, consider the following factors:

1. The cement-sand composition sets within an hour. After that, it is problematic to align it. Here you need to work as a duet. One creates a mixture. The second - it fills and levels.
2. Ready-made formulations have a more liquid consistency. They spread out horizontally. This results in a more even surface.
3. Concrete finally hardens in 4 weeks. And the composition in a couple of days.

After pouring and leveling, we protect the surface from such influences:

• temperature fluctuations,
• ultraviolet,
• air streams.

We cover it with foil. This eliminates the appearance of cracks in it.

To find out if the screed is ready, you can use a special support component. If the screed has hardened thoroughly, remove the slats - landmarks. We fill the voids with the composition.

We grind the concrete floor. After this operation, the floor covering can be mounted on the base.

Floors filled with leveling compounds can be loaded after 6-12 hours.

The type of the intended floor covering dictates certain conditions. After the screed device, some flaws and sagging can be ignored if ceramic tiles are laid.

Advice

If a laminate, parquet or linoleum is planned, we use mixtures with a self-leveling effect. So the surface will be perfectly smooth with a mirror reflection.

We prepare the mixture strictly according to the instructions, pour them on the floor. For leveling, we use a special brush.

Then we process the surface with a spiked roller. This is a measure to eliminate air bubbles.

But although the base is considered ready, I do not recommend placing furniture on it. This can be done in 5-7 days.

Working with wooden floors

When the house needs to remove wooden floors and arrange concrete surfaces, you need to follow this algorithm:

• Dismantling of old floors.
• Site leveling.
• Creating a pillow
• Heater device.
• Creation of composition and filling.

How to remove wooden floors, then fill in a screed, we consider in detail the indicated stages.

• We dismantle old floors using a crowbar. We comply with safety regulations.

• We clean the surface of debris. We level the soil with a shovel.

• Creating a pillow We use crushed stone with a fraction of 2-4 cm. We form a layer of 5 cm. We tamp.

To compensate for the thermal expansion of the entire screed, we equip the perimeter of the room with foam sheets. Styrofoam here is also a permanent formwork. The thickness of one sheet is 20-50 cm.

We cover the crushed stone layer with a sand layer with a density of 10 cm.

• We organize insulation using extruded polystyrene foam with a minimum thickness of 5 cm. Sheet parameters: 120 x 60 cm.

When laying their locks are fastened, a monolithic surface is obtained. This material is moisture resistant, so we do not do waterproofing.

Sheets are laid using a level. Sprinkle sand where needed. Again, check the evenness of the positions of the sheets.

• We work in two cycles. We put the formwork from the board. The elements of the composition and their proportions are as follows:

Cement: 1 share,

Sand: 2 shares,

Granite screening: 3 shares.

If all the elements are dry, granite screenings are sent to the concrete mixer first, followed by sand, and cement last. Mix everything thoroughly. Then we add water.

If the sand is wet, pour water into the bucket to half its volume. Then comes the cement. Mix it thoroughly. Add sand, after - screening. In conclusion - water to get a mixture of the desired consistency.

The mixture is not liquid and not very thick.

The resulting composition is applied and leveled using the rule. The density of the screed is 4-5 cm.

After pouring, the composition needs two days to harden.

Then we prepare the second half of the room. Operations are identical

We make the alignment of the fresh screed in density with the previous screed

After full pouring, the concrete hardens for 2 days. Then this is the result:

Note

The screed will be fully strengthened in a month. During this period, we water it twice a day from a watering can. On the created base, you can arrange underfloor heating or floor coverings.

The nuances of the self-leveling floor

Self-leveling floor - it is also a liquid floor is a special composition. It is created on the basis of polymer elements. Until it solidifies, it is a very liquid agent. It is very easy to pour directly onto the prepared base. The liquid quickly and without our intervention is evenly distributed over the entire base, covering the flaws.

There are such types of self-leveling floors:

1. Cement-acrylic.
2. Polyurethane.
3. Epoxy.

The cement-acrylic look is usually used in industrial facilities.

The advantages of this type:

1. Powerful resistance to moisture and wear.
2. Acceptable price.
3. There is no need for preparatory operations before pouring.
4. Service life - 30 years.
5. The presence of cracks does not affect the integrity of the surface.

1. Huge labor costs.
2. The coating has no elasticity.

Polyurethane types

We use them more in residential areas. Their advantages:

1. Powerful moisture resistance.
2. Good elasticity.
3. Solid resistance to powerful loads and wear.
4. Fast freezing.
5. Service life - 40 years.
6. Antimicrobial action.

1. Dangerous odor before complete solidification - the risk of poisoning.
2. A solid expense is a huge financial outlay.

Epoxy look

It allows you to achieve masterpiece design results. Its advantages:

1. Resistance to mechanical damage.
2. Easy to clean.
3. Transparency. Under such a floor, you can arrange a composition, then fill everything with a composition. Details on how to fill in such a liquid floor in this video:

Conclusion

How to fill the floor in the apartment? How to do it at home? How to achieve a perfectly even coverage? These and related issues can be solved by strictly observing the necessary stages and work technologies.

A private home is a place where the owners seek to create their own personal nest. Here everything will be done by hand, with love. Therefore, the choice of materials for the floor should be approached responsibly.

Filling the floor with concrete is an ideal option for a rough coating. But in order for the concrete coating to last for a long time, you need to know the technology for pouring. That is what this article will be about.

Design features

Concrete pavement has a long service life. Recently, owners of private houses are increasingly installing just such a floor. It can also be poured into the bath, sauna. This is due to the large number of its advantages. Below is a list of all the advantages of concrete pouring:

1. Withstands high loads;
2. Subject to all the rules of concreting, the floor will last for several decades;
3. Good thermal insulation performance - the heat output from the room is reduced to zero with the maximum thickness of the screed and the optimal layer of insulation;
4. Any coating can be laid on the concrete floor (tile, parquet board, laminate, etc.);
5. Can be combined with underfloor heating;
6. There is no risk of mold and mildew.

With a sufficiently large number of advantages, concrete coating also has disadvantages:

1. Great weight - if the concrete floor is laid on the floors, then they must have increased strength in order to cope with the load;
2. The work requires a certain skill, so it would be better for a specialist to deal with the screed.
3. The high cost of the material;
4. It takes several weeks for the concrete floor to dry completely.

Still, it is worth considering that the concrete floor is the best option for the floor in a private house.

Tools and materials

Before you start pouring a concrete floor, you need to know What tools will be needed in the process of work:

• Concrete mixer. Necessary in order to prepare a high-quality and homogeneous solution. Of course, if the amount of work is small, then you can cope without it. But the presence of this device guarantees a homogeneous, well-mixed solution. Accordingly, the coating after pouring will delight with its appearance and quality.
• Shovel. Nowhere without her. This tool will come in handy at the preparation stage - leveling sand and soil, excavating a pit under the floor on the first floor. It is needed to move all bulk materials, as well as loading concrete.
• Various containers(buckets, containers). Necessary for the transfer of concrete, as well as for its storage. The ideal option would be metal molds. They will not be used in the future and they can simply be disposed of, because the concrete solution cannot always be washed off.

• rammer- soil compactor to create a solid cushion under the concrete pavement. Well-compacted layers of soil, sand, gravel, expanded clay will serve as a quality support for the concrete floor.
• Level. Simply indispensable for the preparation and arrangement of a flat floor in a private house. Useful at the initial stage in order to make a perfectly even mark on the height of the floor. Also needed when installing formwork.
• rule. Necessary for leveling a freshly poured screed. Eliminates the possibility of grooves and irregularities.

• Trowel. Used to work in small areas.
• Needle roller necessary to eliminate air bubbles in uncured concrete pouring. When leveling the concrete mortar, air can enter and remain in the coating. Because of this, microcracks may soon appear, this will shorten the life of the concrete pavement. By rolling on fresh concrete, you will get rid of the problem of air bubbles.
• Metal brush to clean up hardened concrete. It will help to avoid the formation of roughness on the finished coating.

Concreting process

Installation of the floor begins only after the installation of load-bearing and additional walls is completed in the house, and the roof is also made. This applies to both residential and non-residential premises. In order to pour the concrete floor with your own hands, the work should be done in several stages.

Taking measurements

Measurements are necessary in order to determine the zero level of the floor. Usually this parameter coincides with the level of the foundation. Everything below is considered to be the subfloor. If the house is being built according to the project, then all measurements will be reflected in the drawings.

Next, the thickness of each layer of the “pie” is calculated. The layer of sand should be 10-15 cm. In private houses, an additional layer of gravel can be omitted, since the load on the concrete pavement is low. The next layer is a draft layer, about 10 cm thick. Reinforced mesh can be used. The thickness of the insulation should be 10 cm. And the last layer is a concrete screed. Layer thickness - at least 7 cm for residential premises. All the above layers are summed up and a value equal to the thickness of the "pie" from the ground to the zero level of the floor is obtained.

Cleaning and compacting the soil

The soil is cleared of excess debris. Depending on the calculations, excess land must be removed. If there is not enough soil, then fill it up. The work is done manually, as large equipment can damage the foundation. The next step is to compact the soil.

It is better to do the job with the help of special tools, so you will save time and the work will be done better.

Filling with gravel or rubble

Before the beginning of sand backfilling, marks are made on the inner side according to the height of the layers and lines are drawn. Deviations of no more than 2 cm are allowed. The sand is laid in layers and carefully compacted. The better the sand compaction, the more stable the floor will be. To do this, it is better to use professional equipment.

Rough concrete floor

A rough concrete floor is necessary in order to improve the performance properties of the main concrete pavement. For strength, reinforcement must be installed. It is worth pouring the solution in portions, focusing on previously defined levels of layers and marks. Concrete must be leveled with a long rule.

To avoid unevenness, use a level.

Hydro and thermal insulation

For laying waterproofing on concrete, it is enough to wait 48 hours. During this time, the concrete pour will set. But it is worth remembering that waterproofing in private homes is not a prerequisite. It all depends on the thickness of the sand layer. If it prevents the penetration of drops of moisture, then additional protection is not needed.

Expanded polystyrene should be used as a heater. This material meets all technical requirements, but has a high cost. As a substitute for it, as well as for reasons of economy, slag or expanded clay can be used. Styrofoam must be laid tightly, without gaps. The joints of the plates should not coincide - they should be laid in a checkerboard pattern.

A layer of dense polyethylene is needed on top for waterproofing. This will increase the performance of expanded polystyrene.

Pouring solution

Before you start pouring the final layer, you need to install beacons. This will help create an even finish. The distance between the beacons is 50-60 cm. When installing, be sure to use a level. Now you can start pouring concrete. Do it in batches. Leveling is done first with a shovel and trowel, and then with a rule. It is important to prevent the formation of depressions and tubercles.

This completes the creation of the concrete pavement. After complete drying, you can proceed to the main coating. You can use any materials - wood, laminate, linoleum, ceramic tiles.

The concrete floor can also be made warm. For this, pipes are additionally laid during the laying process.

The composition of the "pie"

All work is carried out in stages. Compliance with technology guarantees high-quality coverage upon completion. The most important thing when laying a concrete floor on the ground is to observe the composition of the "pie".

A "pie" is a sequence of layers to cover. The floor device on the ground will contain the following layers:

1. The soil is compacted. It is very important to compact the soil well, otherwise your floor will sag and crack over time.
2. A layer of sand or small gravel.
3. Draft layer of concrete screed;
4. Waterproofing;
5. insulation;
6. Concrete floor.

To ensure that the concrete coating pleases you throughout the entire period of operation, it is worth considering the advice of experienced professionals:

• Layers of sand, gravel or expanded clay must be laid alternately. By carefully compacting each layer, you create a solid cushion for concrete.
• It is desirable to pour concrete in one go. But if this does not work out, then you can change the technology and fill it in two approaches.
• If you want to get a high-quality and even coating after the work is done, then you should use a vibrator to compact the concrete floor, as well as for additional leveling.
• Do not immediately fill the entire floor with mortar. It is better to do everything gradually. Divide the area into several parts. Level the solution with a shovel, and only then use a rule and a spiked roller.

The device of a concrete floor involves a number of preparatory work. To ensure that the screed does not burst during operation, it is necessary to fulfill all the requirements for concrete work. They depend on the location of the room in which the concrete floor will be installed.

There are technologies for creating concrete floors in a garage, basements, a private house and an apartment located in a multi-storey building. The presence of similarity allows you to use these recommendations to create concrete floors in any room.

When working in apartment buildings, work with soil, the creation of a rough screed, and the installation of thermal insulation are excluded. The task is simplified because these types of work have already been done or are not needed. In the private sector, when building a new building, you will have to do all the stages of concrete flooring.

Features of the concrete screed device in the private sector depend on the type of foundation, the presence of groundwater, and the installation of heating systems laid in the floor. A concrete screed requires calculations of the expected loads on its surface. Any concrete floor has layers on which moisture resistance, thermal conductivity, and an increased level of home comfort depend.

In order for the mass of concrete to lie down with a dense carpet that is resistant to mechanical damage, they add soil, carry out reinforcement work, screed, waterproofing work is carried out on it, insulation is laid and a finishing screed is being installed.

Before starting to create a multi-layer cake of concrete floors laid on the ground, the level of groundwater flow is determined. You can do this by choosing one of two methods.

1. The first is costly, associated with the study of the geological features of the site by specialists.
2. The second way is simpler. You need to find out from local residents what the level of groundwater is in this area, dig control holes below the foundation point by 2 meters, and see how they will be filled with water.

Having decided on groundwater, they make drainage and waterproofing, which will protect the room from moisture penetration. Be sure to need external waterproofing of the basement, the creation of a clay castle around it, the installation of drainage pipes and the installation of wells. Gutters also need to be installed.

After the waterproofing work is fully completed, they proceed to ground work inside the foundation.

The layer of soil on which the concrete screed cake will be laid must be well leveled and compacted. Soil compaction is necessary to increase its bearing capacity. In the place that is supposed to be poured with concrete, the soil is removed to a depth of 15-20 cm and the platform for work is leveled.

The leveling of the soil is done roughly, because the second layer of the cake will be a pillow of sand and gravel, expanded clay, which will help to better level the surface.

After the excess soil is removed and leveled, tamping of the surface begins. It can be carried out with a metal roller. It has a long handle allowing the device to rotate freely on it. Such rollers are used by road builders when laying asphalt.

In modern construction, a pneumatic or electric device is used to compact the soil, which is offered for rent. It facilitates the work if the areas to be filled are large.

The second stage - we create a pillow of sand and gravel

A pillow of sand and gravel is necessary for any premises where there was no screed before. This layer is designed to level the area to be poured and to prevent moisture from penetrating upwards. For its device, a plastic film is overlapped on a rammed platform, and then a layer of sand 10 cm thick is poured on it, it is rammed, and filled up to the desired size. Then a layer of crushed stone is poured and leveled with a large fraction. The layer thickness will be 10 cm. Everything is compacted with a roller.

It is not recommended to use construction debris instead of crushed stone. The layer created in this way has a weak bearing property, and during the operation of the house, this can cause the rapid destruction of the floor filled with violation of the technology.

The third stage - rough screed, waterproofing and insulation

Having laid and rammed the pillow, another layer of polyethylene film is laid on top, on top of which reinforcement is carried out. A layer of concrete mixture will then be poured onto the reinforcement along the previously set beacons. The thickness of the first screed will be 10 cm.

When preparing for pouring, it should be noted that if a concrete screed is created over a large area, then its working surface is divided into rectangles using boards. The construction area directly depends on the productivity of workers in one working day. Each sector during pouring will need to be poured with concrete mass as soon as possible so that the setting process occurs simultaneously. To create these working areas, boards or waterproof plywood are used, from which formwork is made.

Guides are another important step for creating a perfectly flat floor. Often metal pipes, boards are used for this. They are treated with formwork oil or used machine oil. You can use a concentrated water mixture made from any foaming agent: soap, laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent.

The guides are attached to the pins, placing the strips at a distance of no more than 2.5 m. Sometimes a thick cement mass is used for fastening. The guides must lie strictly horizontally. Their position is verified using a level or level for this.

When preparing a concrete mixture, crushed stone of a fine fraction and sifted clean river sand, without impurities of silt and dirt, are used. Performing a rough screed, the floors are leveled to an ideal surface. Concrete is poured above the rails. After the mass is compacted and leveled, the slats are removed, and the voids are filled with mortar. The draft floor should settle for a month. It is covered with a film so that the surface dries out more evenly and cracks do not appear. If necessary, perform additional thermal insulation of the floor, which is laid on the subfloor.

If the groundwater level lies above two meters from the foundation laying point, waterproofing is needed. To create it, roofing material is used, which is traditionally used for these purposes. But there are also more modern materials. Ruberoid tapes overlap, at least two layers. The length of the tapes should be 10-15 centimeters longer, so that it is enough to overlap 10 cm on the walls.

roll waterproofing

If there are water pipes in the room, a roofing tape should also be applied to them, smearing it with sealant. Waterproofing is not always necessary, and the creation of this layer occurs only in wet marshy areas with shallow groundwater.

For waterproofing, polyethylene is often used, 100-200 microns thick. Its use is justified if the area is dry. The film on sale is often in the form of a sleeve. For use in concrete work, it is cut on one side and the surface is overlapped, making several layers. When working, make sure that the edges of the film go onto the walls to the height of the concrete cake. They are attached to the walls with adhesive tape.

Insulation is always placed on roofing material or a rough screed. This layer is optional only in those areas where there are no winters. On the territory of the Russian Federation, this phenomenon is not observed. As a heater, sheets of expanded polystyrene are used, having a density of at least 28 kg / m3. You can use mineral wool slabs or rolls, which are ideal as thermal insulation material. It does not burn, does not get wet, and does not change its characteristics for a long time. The insulation must be at least 7 cm thick.

The fourth stage - we expose beacons

The work on placing beacons begins with the definition of the horizontal. An assistant in this process is a laser or water level. Having chosen the desired height, beat off the zero level around the entire perimeter.

Determining the difference in height fluctuations when creating a concrete screed is necessary for making calculations related to the consumption of building materials. The data obtained helps to calculate the thickness of the required floor, the cost of purchasing cement, sand, gravel. In order for the beacons to be placed correctly, in several places of the working area, the height from the floor to the zero level is measured. Different values ​​obtained from several points, with simple mathematical calculations, will show the required screed thickness.

The fifth stage is the installation of a finishing screed with reinforcement

They approach the finishing screed device only when the subfloor has fully gained its strength. The peculiarity of the final version of the screed is that it should not be tightly connected to the wall. The required clearance must be at least 2 cm.

Finishing screed requires careful selection of the wire used for reinforcement. If a heavy wall made of brick, cinder block is installed on the flooded floor, then for reinforcement it is required to use a wire with a thickness of 4 mm or more. If the floor will not bear such loads, then a 3 mm mesh is sufficient.

For reinforced work, a mesh is suitable, with dimensions of 5x100x100 mm. Mesh materials with smaller mesh sizes can also be used. If possible, you can purchase special plastic meshes designed for reinforced work.

The mesh is raised by 1/3 of the thickness of the future screed, placing special stands under it or pulling it on the pins.

The pouring of the concrete floor is carried out quickly. You can not fill one area at intervals. For speed, it is best to use a concrete mixer. Cement for screed choose M400 - M500. The sand must be clean and sifted. To create a concrete mix, the following components are taken:

• cement - 1 part;
• sand - 2 parts;
• crushed stone - 4 parts;
• water - 0.4 parts.

cement m400

A well-mixed homogeneous mass is laid out on a work surface, leveled. Ramming and piercing the mass, compact it. This is necessary to remove air chambers that degrade the quality of the finished screed. The use of a deep vibrator in the work helps to solve this problem. The result of compaction is considered satisfactory if cement laitance appears, which hardens on the surface with a smooth film. This film, while solidifying, interferes with the high-quality adhesion of finishing materials to the floor, so grinding is required.

Small areas can be deburred using a hand sander equipped with corundum screens.

The leveling of the concrete mass occurs with a special wooden board called the rule. The recommended length of the rule is 3 m. To be able to work with it, guides are installed at a distance of no more than 2.5 m. They complete the leveling of the surface with a semi-terre.

The finished screed is moistened with water for the next three days and covered with polyethylene. Then the concrete mass will dry uniformly. The process of maturation of the concrete mass will be better if there are no drafts and direct sunlight on its surface.

After the floor has completely hardened and dried, proceed to the finishing. To do this, you can use various materials, which are presented in a huge assortment. Each of them has installation instructions. Part of the flooring is placed on the screed, and some require additional substrates. On perfectly flat concrete floors, you can put any material you like that will look beautiful in the interior.

Video - How to pour a concrete floor

The concrete floor in a private house is often done on the ground. A mortar screed is not only suitable as a base for topcoats. It is easy to install a traditional wooden floor on logs on it.

Pros and cons

A monolithic slab has characteristics that give it advantages over other types of subfloors:

1. Strength. Concrete is able to withstand high loads and the total weight of furniture, household appliances.
2. Durability. With proper filling, the service life of the screed is several decades.
3. Resistant to decay, corrosion. Concrete is not a breeding ground for microorganisms, does not react with alkalis, acids, moisture.
4. Fire resistance. Concrete does not burn, does not melt, does not emit caustic and harmful substances.
5. Environmental friendliness. In the manufacture of the solution, only natural materials are used: crushed stone, sand, cement and water.
6. Moisture resistant. Concrete floors are made in the wettest rooms: bathrooms, bathrooms.
7. Versatility of use. The screed can be given a different shape (for example, form a drain in a bath or bathroom, make a podium or steps in the hallway, etc.). On a flat base, it is convenient to mount a coating of linoleum, laminate, parquet or tile.

Among the main disadvantages is the low thermal insulation capacity. The concrete floor in a private house must be insulated.

In addition, concrete work is physically demanding and costly. On interfloor floors, one has to take into account the considerable weight of the screed itself.

Tools

For self-manufacturing of the screed, it is best to rent a concrete mixer: with a large amount of work, the unit will be of great help. If the screed is made in a small room (for example, in the bathroom), then the mortar can be kneaded manually.

You will need the following tools:

• trough;
• shovel;
• a tool for mixing the solution (chopper, cat-hoe);
• a bucket for transferring finished products and measuring components;
• building level;
• the rule is a wooden board (1-1.2 m) with a handle, for stretching the piled mortar.

The materials to be prepared are cement, sand and gravel. Concrete is closed with plain cold water, but if desired, plasticizers (PVA, etc.) can be added to it. To make a flat surface, you will need special beacon profiles or even wooden planks.

Preparatory work

The soil inside the house must be leveled and compacted. If the height of the room is greatly reduced after pouring and installing all layers, under the concrete floors in a private house, you will need to dig a foundation pit over the entire surface of the room. Its bottom is compacted and leveled.

Prepare the base for the screed:

1. Pour 10-30 cm of sand on the bottom, compact.
2. Fill up about 15 cm of rubble, and for thermal insulation you can make an additional expanded clay pillow (10-15 cm).
3. A rough screed that strengthens the bottom layer is prepared from lean concrete by mixing 1 part of cement with 6-7 parts of crushed stone.

Waterproofing works

Before making a concrete floor in a private house, it must be protected from the penetration of moisture from below (condensate from wet soil, etc.). Roll materials (roofing material, thick polyethylene film) are spread over the prepared base with an overlap on the walls (10-15 cm). Adjacent panels should overlap each other by 5-7 cm. At the joints, the seams are poured with bitumen or glued with adhesive tape.

A damper tape made of elastic materials is mounted on top of the waterproofing layer that goes onto the walls. It will serve to compensate for the expansion of the screed in a warm room or during heating, if a floor heating system is being installed.

Waterproofing can also be carried out using liquid compositions resembling paint (mastics, rubber masses), or using molten bitumen. The compositions are poured over the entire surface of the base, and they are applied to the walls with a brush.

Reinforcement and placement of beacons

For reinforcement, a small layer of concrete (3-5 cm) is poured. A flat welded mesh with a mesh of 10-15 cm is laid out on it. The thickness of the rod is at least 3 mm.

In order for the floor in the house to have a flat surface, beacons (slats on which the rule will slide) must be installed on the prepared base. The main requirements for installing beacons are a small step between them and the installation of all guides in a single plane. You can check the horizontality of the beacons with a building level, placing it both along and across the planks.

You can change the height of the beacon if necessary and fix it in the desired position using cement or gypsum mortars. A pile of composition is formed under the bar, raising or lowering the beacon to the desired level. You can continue to work only after the composition has solidified.

Solution composition

Concrete for pouring is prepared according to the following recipe:

• 1 part cement;
• 3 parts of sand or ASG;
• 4 parts of crushed stone fraction 2-3 cm;
• 0.5 parts of water.

Components are most often measured with a bucket, gradually pouring them into a rotating drum of a concrete mixer. With manual kneading, the dry ingredients are poured in layers and mixed dry. When the components are mixed, add water and begin to knead the solution until the consistency of a thick creamy dough is obtained. If there is not enough water, you can add it little by little, constantly controlling the density of the solution. Too much water must not be poured.

In a properly mixed solution, there are no dry or otherwise colored areas, and all components are evenly distributed. The solution is piled with a shovel into a bucket or wheelbarrow and delivered to the place of work.

Screed device

Depending on the location of the room, the methods for making the floor from are slightly different.

In a private house on the ground

On a soil base, it is enough to lay out the solution in the corner farthest from the door. After that, they take the rule, press it against the lighthouses, capturing 1-2 lanes at once. With shaking movements, the solution is stretched without tearing the ends of the rule from the beacons.

When the layer begins to fall below the set level, add more mortar, gradually filling the room over the entire floor area. Finish work near the exit.

Strengthening concrete screed with topping

The surface of the concrete can be additionally strengthened by backfilling with topping. This is a fine fraction of quartz, corundum or metal chips. The material is poured in a thin layer on a wet layer of concrete, and after 15-20 minutes (when it soaks dry crumbs), the layer is treated with a special grinder - a “helicopter”. During the process, the material is rubbed into a pliable surface, and after setting, it makes it more resistant to stress during movement.

When using special toppings, you can get a beautiful surface that resembles a granite conglomerate. To do this, the process is repeated several times, and after setting, the coating is polished with a grinder.

Self leveling floor

If the screed is arranged on a ready-made base (for example, in an apartment, on floors or rough), then the fill layer will be small (3-5 cm). In construction organizations there is a large selection of self-leveling compounds.

These solutions can be bought ready-made or diluted with water according to the instructions. The composition of self-leveling mixtures can include both polymers and cement components with plasticizers. There are transparent varieties in which decor can be placed in a layer.

Working with such material is easy:

• the finished solution is poured onto the floor;
• stretched to the desired thickness with needle rollers.

It is not required to level the surface along the beacons: the liquid composition itself forms a horizontal surface, like water poured into a flat tank. After hardening, the surface is ready for use.

Floating screed on the floor in a private house

Unlike the floor, on the ground, a floating screed does not need to install a thick cushion, hydro and thermal insulation.

The device of the pie is simpler:

• leveling layer of sand (no more than 5 cm);
• sound-absorbing material (EPPS, Izover, etc.), and on the ceiling above the basement - a heat insulator;
• reinforced screed about 5 cm thick;
• finish coating.

It is possible to mount underfloor heating systems in interfloor screeds, given that when installing a water system, the thickness and weight of the concrete layer will increase.

The need to create a concrete floor arises before finishing in residential and sanitary facilities, as well as in garages, sheds, places where an increased load on the surface is expected. Until recently, its only drawback was low temperature, but with the advent of the "warm floor" system, this problem was successfully solved.

Concrete flooring technology - the main stages

• Waterproofing and thermal insulation of the base;
• Reinforcement;
• Arrangement of beacons;
• Subfloor device;
• Screed filling.

The cost of the entire complex of works depends on the thickness of the layer and the composition of the applied solution, as well as the complexity of the work. The most affordable option is a cement-sand screed. Using a reinforcing mesh will cost a little more. The most expensive option is the one in which the upper hardened layer is applied; in comparison with a conventional floor, it is 30-40% more expensive.

If it is necessary to pour a concrete floor on the ground, at the preparatory stage, a “zero” marking of the finishing floor is made (the level to which the mortar will be poured is noted). To do this, from the lowest point on the doorway, set aside 1 meter upwards and draw a horizontal line on the walls using a level and a ruler. Down from this line, set aside 1 meter and draw another horizontal line on all the walls of the room. This will be the level of the finishing floor. We hammer nails in the corners and pull the cord.

We remove the top layer of soil to a depth of 35 cm below the mark. We carry out compaction of the soil using improvised means or a vibrator.

If the building stands on a strip foundation, and the distance from the finishing level to the ground exceeds 35 cm, we pour a layer of sand, after which we carry out tamping.

We make bedding

• We fall asleep gravel (5-10 cm) and pour it with water, after which we compact it.
• We arrange a layer of sand 10 cm thick, spill it with water and ram.
• We create a layer of crushed stone of a fraction of 40-50 mm (10 cm), which we carefully level and compact, sprinkle with sand or crushed stone on top.

Laying waterproofing on the floor

These can be rolled materials, roofing felt, membranes or polyethylene film with a density index of 200 microns or more. After the material is spread over the entire surface of the base, the edges along the perimeter are brought out to the “zero” mark and attached to the walls with adhesive tape. The joints are also glued with tape.

To ensure the proper level of thermal insulation, expanded clay, extruded polystyrene foam, perlite, foam plastic, basalt wool of the desired density or polyurethane are used.

In some cases, hydro- and thermal insulation can be made on a layer of "lean" concrete (liquid consistency solution) in order to eliminate the risk of damage to insulating materials.

Reinforcement of concrete for the floor

Reinforcement is necessary in order to increase the strength of the floor. The reinforced base is able to withstand increased loads, as they are distributed evenly over the surface.

The reinforcing material can be plastic or metal meshes or a frame made of reinforcement (a more expensive option). Most often, a reinforcing mesh of 10x10 cm is used, which is laid on "high chairs" 2-3 cm high. This will allow it to fully demonstrate its functions.

Installation of beacons on the floor

Profiles, metal pipes or wooden bars can act as guides. The guides are laid on "buns" made of concrete. The location of the "beacons" must correspond to the "zero" markup, be strictly horizontal. We knock down the formwork-frame made of wood. The height of the formwork is displayed "to zero".

Pouring concrete mortar

To ensure high strength characteristics, the solution is created on the basis of M400-M500 cement. Before you start pouring along the walls and along the perimeter of the protruding structures of the building, we lay a damper tape. This will eliminate the tight fit of the solution to the wall surfaces.

We fill the floor with concrete, after it we level the mixture and compact it with a deep vibrator until cement "milk" appears. Using the rule, we align the solution.

Over the next week, constantly moisten the surface. You can cover the base with a film to prevent it from drying out and cracking the concrete. The floor will reach its maximum strength in 4-5 weeks.

Creating a leveling screed

Often, when pouring a concrete floor, it is not possible to obtain a perfectly flat surface, so you have to apply a screed. The best option would be to use self-leveling compounds. It is enough to pour them on the base and level them with a special brush. Removal of air bubbles from the solution is carried out using a spiked roller. Such a screed dries on average 1 week, after which you can start laying the finishing material.

If you are faced with the question of arranging a concrete floor on floors, in contrast to pouring a solution on the ground, there is no need to backfill here. The rest of the work is carried out by analogy.

Seam cutting

In places where the concrete floor comes into contact with walls, columns and other structural elements of the building, it is necessary to create insulating expansion joints. The depth of such seams is 1.3 of the base thickness.

After cutting, the seams are filled with a special sealant. This event is carried out before cracks appear on the floor, but after the concrete has gained the necessary strength.