Is it possible to self-leveling floors wooden floor. Self-leveling floors and wooden base. Preparation of bulk solution
Currently, in repair work, mixtures prepared at the factory are increasingly being used, which allow you to quickly and efficiently level floor coverings of any type. A self-leveling floor on a wooden base is one of the most popular ways of arranging the floor.
The main advantages are durability, wear resistance, strength and ease of installation. In addition, materials are produced in a wide range, there are even options with a 3D image.
What to look for when choosing a material
First of all, you need to carefully study the packaging. All manufacturers indicate what exactly this or that composition is suitable for. To make a self-leveling floor in a wooden house, you need to choose materials with appropriate marks, universal compositions are also suitable. But if the package indicates that the solution is suitable for concrete or anhydride screeds, then it cannot be used for wood.
When choosing a composition, you should pay attention to the purpose - only universal or special mixtures are suitable for a wooden base It is important to remember that self-leveling floors on wood are poured with a layer of 3 to 7 centimeters, so it is not advisable to buy expensive gypsum mixtures that are designed for a layer of about 0.2–2.5 cm. The use of cement or gypsum-cement mortars is recommended. To determine the type, you need to read the composition. The first substance is the one that contains the most.
In addition to the material, it is necessary to purchase a plastic film that will serve as waterproofing. In rare cases, coating waterproofing can be used instead of polyethylene. You will also need damper tape.
Foundation Requirements
It should be noted that self-leveling floors can not be applied to every surface. The foundation must meet the following requirements:
- Floors should not creak.
- The boards are securely fastened and do not bend while walking.
- The floor covering has a small blockage.
- There are no serious defects on the surface: large cracks, holes, and so on.
- Each board must be intact, without traces of fungus and mold.
It is not necessary that the base be even, the main thing is the good quality of the board, the absence of creaking and solidity If any of the listed defects is found, part of the floor or the entire surface will have to be replaced.
Preparatory work
Self-leveling floors can be laid on a wooden floor only on condition of high-quality preparation of the basis. It is from this stage that the duration of use of the coating, its appearance and performance indicators depend.
Immediately before starting work, you need to check the air temperature and humidity level. The required parameters are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Compliance with these requirements is the key to successful completion of work.
Preparation of bulk solution
You need to take a clean, dry container and pour water into it with a temperature of +5 to +25 ° C. Then add the mixture and mix with a construction mixer or a drill with an appropriate nozzle for 7 minutes. After that, it is necessary to let the solution brew for about 15 minutes and repeat the procedure. It is better not to prepare the composition in large portions, since it begins to set on average after half an hour.
Attention! It is necessary to strictly follow the proportions specified by the manufacturer. If not enough water is added, the mixture will dry too quickly, possibly even during pouring. Otherwise, the finished coating will be less durable.
The preparation of bulk mixtures is carried out exclusively with a construction mixer or mixing nozzle Pouring technology
The method of pouring floors in a private house or apartment using leveling compounds practically does not differ from working with a cement-sand mixture, only self-leveling floors dry out faster.
You need to start from the place that is located the lowest in level. The material is poured from the container into the space between the beacons and aligned with the rule, passing it along the beacons. After that, you need to roll the area with a spiked roller. Treat all stripes in this way.
When the material begins to set, you need to get the beacons out of it. The resulting strobes should be filled with the same solution and leveled, taking into account the finished surface, which will serve as a level. It is recommended to start further finishing no earlier than a week later.
To ensure that the results of the repair are not disappointing, you must follow the recommendations:
To equip self-leveling floors on wooden bases, you must follow the above rules and recommendations that manufacturers give on the packages. In addition, it is important to remember that the material dries quite quickly, so it is better to work with a partner.
In modern renovations, self-leveling floors are often used to level the base and for the top coat. The main advantages of such floors are their durability, wear resistance, strength and ease of installation. In addition, it is impossible not to note their environmental friendliness and safety. Today, self-leveling floors have changed a lot in quality compared to those that were presented on the market a few years ago. An example of this is 3d floors, which can be called real masterpieces due to their unique design with a three-dimensional image of any object.
Laying a self-leveling mixture on a concrete base is not difficult for anyone, but how to make a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor? After all, not everyone likes the prospect of dismantling the old plank floor. And if this is a private house, where the floor was originally completely wooden? It's not a problem. There is a possibility of laying a self-leveling floor on a wooden surface under certain conditions. It is important here that the old base is still solid, and the floor mixture is thin-filled, so as not to reduce the height of the ceilings.
Preparation of the base for pouring the self-leveling floor
Since the self-levelling compound must be poured onto a sufficiently prepared substrate, this process should be given increased attention. Any foundation requires careful preparation. This is especially true for old wooden floors. We will immediately make a reservation that this old floor should not be rotten, there should not be any squeaks coming from it, not to mention the presence of dangling boards.
First of all, all skirting boards in the room are dismantled. After that, with the help of a scraping machine, the top painted layer is carefully peeled off from the boards. Next, the bases are rubbed with a grinder, revealing cracks that are sure to exist on any old wooden flooring. These cracks, bumps and gaps between the boards are covered with putty. For further work, wait until it dries well. Then, using coarse sandpaper, overwrite the entire surface. This technique will ensure better adhesion of the self-leveling mixture to the base.
The worn and even base is cleaned of dust and degreased with a vacuum cleaner. Then the surface must be primed. This guarantees excellent adhesion of the polyurethane mixture to the wood. This must be done in at least two layers. Sifted quartz sand should be added to the primer composition. Grains of this substance create a roughness of the surface of the base, which increases the adhesion area and creates its multidirectionality. In sum, this gives greater adhesion of the polymer and wood.
Tool required for work
To carry out work on the preparation of a wooden base and pouring the mixture, you will need:
- An ordinary nail puller, wooden wedges and a chisel for dismantling skirting boards.
- Cycling machine or manual scraper.
- Sander.
- Coarse-grained sandpaper or emery.
- Industrial or household vacuum cleaner.
- Roller or medium-sized brush for applying primer.
- Flat brush or short-haired paint roller for even distribution of the resin coating.
- Needle roller for removing air from the polymer coating.
- Squeegee and metal spatula.
- Construction mixer or drill with a nozzle for mixing the polymer floor solution.
Do not forget about such mandatory items as safety glasses, work clothes, gloves and respirators. In order to be able to move, if necessary, on a freshly applied layer of self-leveling floor without fear, you need to get shoes equipped with spiked soles.
Self-leveling polymer floor device technology
By itself, the technology of pouring a self-leveling mixture onto an ordinary plank floor does not fundamentally differ from a similar procedure, where concrete acts as the basis. The differences are only in the initial preparatory stage, which we have examined in sufficient detail above.
Before pouring the polymer floor, you need to carefully read the instructions for preparing the solution, which is available on the package. The solution must be prepared in strict accordance with it.
Take the dry mixture from the bag and pour it into a container convenient for kneading. A plastic bucket of water-based paint can work very well. The amount of water required according to the instructions is poured into the powder and mixed with a construction mixer or a drill with a special nozzle. Stir the mixture until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then, the finished solution is laid out on a prepared wooden base. They begin to do this from the farthest corner of the room, gradually moving towards the door.
The poured mass is leveled as it progresses with a spatula to obtain a layer no more than 5 mm thick. This is the optimal size in the case of a wooden base. The final leveling and removal of air bubbles is carried out using a rubber spiked roller. At the same time, you can move around the room using spiked shoes.
Self-Leveling Resin Floor Compound hardens very quickly, so mortar batches must be prepared quickly. The intervals between their fillings should be no more than 10 minutes. It is advisable to pour such a floor together, using two containers. While one person prepares the mixture, the second fills and levels the previous batch. The joints between batches of pouring should be more carefully rolled if you are doing the floor alone and cannot ensure a continuous process.
15 minutes after the room is completely filled, the entire surface must be covered with a film. This is required so that dust does not settle on the floor, spoiling the quality of the glossy surface. When the self-leveling floor is completely dry and it will be possible to walk on it, it becomes possible to apply a top coat. It can be a polymer for three-dimensional floors, varnish or traditional flooring options.
Installation cost
The cost of installing self-leveling floors in the house is strictly individual. They depend on the type of self-levelling compound chosen, its manufacturer, and the cost of decorative design. Floors in 3d format with an exclusive pattern cost an order of magnitude higher than ordinary ones. The technology for installing self-leveling floors on a wooden base is not particularly complicated, so you can do the work yourself. This will provide a significant reduction in the cost of the entire repair.
Here are approximate prices for the performance of work by professionals in stages:
- Preparation of a wooden base for pouring a polymer self-leveling floor (average price 5 USD per 1 sq.m).
- Priming of the prepared base (average price 3 USD per 1 sq.m).
- Filling a wooden surface with a polymer self-leveling mixture (average price 6 USD per 1 sq.m).
Thus, for the entire range of work on pouring a self-leveling floor, for example, in a room of 20 m2, you will have to pay 280 USD. Agree that this amount is quite impressive. This is much more than the cost of the mixture itself. All these prices refer to the usual floor, which you can do yourself.
The cost of pouring decorative floors is usually calculated individually. If you decide to make a self-leveling floor in 3d format at home, then here you will definitely need to use the services of a specialist. This will guarantee:
- High quality decorative coating.
- A guarantee for all work performed.
- Production of the entire installation cycle according to accepted technologies.
- The use of too expensive, but necessary construction tools in the process.
In the case of independent work, do not neglect the practical advice of professionals. This experience will help to avoid costly re-coating later.
In any residential area, it is recommended to use self-leveling compounds only based on polymer resins. In rooms where high humidity is constantly present, it is necessary to use an epoxy type of self-leveling flooring, while in other parts of the house a polyurethane flooring.
It is provided for pouring by technology on a concrete base, but installation on a wooden surface is also allowed. At the same time, the complexity of the work increases, since it is imperative to produce a high-quality preparation of the base with a two-layer primer. The adhesion strength of the coating to the wood of the base depends on this.
Self-levelling compounds are gaining popularity as they form strong, wear-resistant coatings, allowing the creation of surfaces with artistic effects. Therefore, many are wondering how to quickly and efficiently make a self-leveling floor on a wooden base and according to what instructions to do it. At the same time, we are talking about very different housing - from frankly old houses with interfloor ceilings on beams, to apartments with wooden flooring on a concrete slab, as well as housing where parquet is laid.
General requirements
Before considering such an option as a self-leveling floor on a wooden base, it is worth carefully assessing the existing conditions. The most important of them are:
- flooring quality. The tree should not be rotten, dry, moldy;
- level of existing coverage. The filler floor has a recommended thickness of 20-30 mm, so if you have to compensate for a significant difference in height, you will need to invest significantly more money in the purchase of the mixture and additionally use fiberglass reinforcing meshes.
The process of preparing the surface for a self-leveling floor on a wooden base depends on which class of coating will be applied. The most difficult situation is if you want to get an artistic or so-called 3D floor. In this case, water-based mastics and any compositions that can be mixed with the specific building mixture used for pouring cannot be used.
Elevation differences are assessed using a laser level. The highest point is determined in several directions and the difference in floor level is calculated. Based on the data obtained, a decision is made whether it is possible to get by with a quick surface preparation or whether it will be necessary to resort to a leveling operation so that the self-leveling floor for wooden bases does not require a significant investment of money and time.
Inspection and repair
Before making a new coating, especially a self-leveling floor in a wooden house, you should carefully inspect and, if necessary, repair the existing flooring. For this, the following steps are taken:
- the surface is inspected for clearly visible drying out, cracks;
- one board comes off and is assessed for the presence of fungal and mold lesions;
- boards are inspected to identify large areas of damage;
- the surface is checked, boards are found in which the attachment to the supporting lags is broken.
In small areas with signs of drying out, cracking and destruction, you can carry out a partial repair with your own hands. To do this, boards with poor condition are torn off and replaced with new ones. You can partially repair the floor on your own: for this, damaged segments are cut out with an electric jigsaw and covered with a new tree.
An important note: a parquet that is in extremely poor condition does not make sense to repair or restore. It's easier to rip it off entirely. The same operation should be performed if the inspection of the boards showed that they were affected by mold, rot from below, dried up or decayed. Repairing the floor on your own, which is in extremely poor condition, is inefficient, it will not be able to serve as a reliable basis for pouring.
Surface preparation: option one
If you decide to make a self-leveling floor on a wooden base and the evaluation of the boards showed their good condition, you can prepare the surface quickly and efficiently enough. This will require the use of a special tool. The following operations are carried out:
- skirting boards are torn off around the perimeter of the room;
- the entire surface where the self-leveling floor on wood will be located is cleaned of linoleum, glue residues, paint and varnish coatings;
- the surface is scraped, a sufficient layer of chips is removed to obtain an even base with a minimum of cavities and cracks;
- all through cracks and gaps are covered with wood putty. Do the same with the depressions formed as a result of the destruction of the board.
The base prepared rough for the self-leveling floor on wood is processed with sandpaper, thoroughly cleaned of sawdust and dust with a vacuum cleaner. The board is degreased and covered with anti-mold and antifungal agents.
After that, bituminous coating is done, and if desired, self-leveling floors are made on a wooden floor with 3D technology - with a one-component polymer or epoxy mixture for waterproofing.
This method of preparing the base is the fastest, the resulting flooring characteristics are acceptable, the technique is used with a height difference of up to 40 mm (during scraping, 10 mm differences can be compensated by removing a larger layer of wood in the right places of the pour area).
Surface preparation: option two
If self-leveling floors on a wooden floor are made with the condition of effective protection against leaks, it makes sense to create a waterproofing layer using roll materials. This option has an attractive cost-benefit ratio compared to the option of coating with polymer or epoxy mixtures.
In order to prepare the base, you will need:
- free the wooden flooring from the remnants of paint, glue, linoleum;
- carry out degreasing, treatment with anti-mold and anti-fungal impregnations;
- apply bituminous mastic;
- lay a rolled waterproofer. The strips of material are overlapped by 10-15 cm, when using a polymer film, the joint is glued with adhesive tape, for bituminous materials - the overlay zone is heated with a building hair dryer and rolled with a roller.
This method of operation is applicable with a small height difference of up to 30 mm. The main target result is to obtain a base that is reliably isolated from leaks.
Surface preparation: option three
With a large difference in heights, it is not economically efficient to make a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor using one building mixture. The base is to be leveled, reducing the level difference. To do this, it is convenient to use a simple composition, which is a mixture of PVA glue and sawdust. The stages of work look like this:
- wooden flooring is cleaned of linoleum, glue, paintwork;
- the surface is degreased, treated with protective impregnations;
- with the help of thin strings stretched from corner to corner of the room, a leveling reference is made relative to the highest point of the existing base. It serves to estimate the amount of leveling compound that will be applied to individual sections of the base;
- a mixture of PVA glue and sawdust is laid and leveled, so as to form a surface along stretched lines.
After the laid composition hardens (time will be less if ventilation is provided), the surface is suitable for any further work according to a simplified scheme. For example, you can apply a thin layer of special waterproofing compounds, lay a polymer film, and carry out any work to protect against leaks.
General requirements for the waterproofing and pouring procedure
Before any work, both with the use of coating waterproofing agents and rolled materials, the perimeter of the room is pasted over with a special construction tape. When protecting the device, it is worth remembering: film, roofing material, glassine and other insulators - should be located on the wall by about 10 cm.
Before pouring the floor, the perimeter is again pasted over, this time with a damping tape 20 mm thick along the waterproofing. This is necessary to compensate for thermal expansions that occur in the thickness of the self-leveling floor to prevent its cracking.
The filling process itself is not difficult. The mixture is diluted according to the manufacturer's instructions, poured onto the prepared base, processing should be carried out in small areas of 2 sq.m. Although the composition is quite liquid, it is recommended to level it with a long rule.
In order to avoid the formation of cavities, bubbles, and other violations of the structure during the drying of the self-leveling floor, all air must be removed from the mixture layer. This operation is carried out with a special roller with needles, it can be used immediately to level the layer of the mixture.
Video how to make a self-leveling floor on plywood:
Since it is convenient to fill the floor in relatively small areas, it may be necessary to move around the partially or completely worked area. For this, special pads for shoes with a needle surface are designed.
After it is filled in, all that remains is to wait for it to dry, maintaining the microclimate in the room recommended by the manufacturer of the composition. Applied on a carefully prepared and protected wooden base, the poured layer will delight with its strength, durability, aesthetics and a perfectly smooth surface.
Most often, a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor is found in wooden-type houses. Perhaps these are village houses built a long time ago or large cottages built according to modern projects from a log house. In any such house, you can install a self-leveling floor. Perhaps someone will make a small discovery for themselves, but making a self-leveling floor in a wooden house is not considered a particular problem today. Modern polyurethane mixtures allow you to create any coating. The only and important condition is the complete readiness of the wooden floor.
Scheme of the floor screed device.
A modern, flexible, fast-acting self-leveling floor is considered an excellent replacement for expensive particle boards. Together with a special reinforcing mesh, a special universal primer, a system is created that helps to overcome the stress experienced by a wooden floor that does not have cracks. The result is an absolutely even surface on which a variety of operations can be carried out. You can lay carpet, stick ceramic tiles or just paint. The wooden floor must have a layer of self-leveling floor with a maximum thickness of 20 mm. After 5 hours have elapsed after coating, walking on the new wooden floor is allowed after 12 hours, it becomes possible to carry out the next work.
And, of course, in order for the installation to take place efficiently, prepare in advance:
- empty containers;
- screwdriver;
- perforator;
- a hammer;
- rule;
- level;
- roulette.
What floors have wooden houses
Houses made of wood, like residential premises, require special attention to the arrangement of the floor, since the rooms in such a house are usually located on the lower floor. That is why the coating must be absolutely even, look attractive and be sure to be insulated.
Varieties of designs of floating plank floors.
In most cases, a wooden house has two types of floors. They are concrete, or wood is used for this. And most of all the advantages of the concrete floor. Such a floor requires small financial investments, there is much less fuss with it, it does not need special professional skills to carry out the installation of such a coating. However, the concrete pavement is the weight that exerts increased pressure on the foundation of the building. Any vibrations of the walls can cause cracking of the base, as a result of which the heat-insulating ability of the material will be lost.
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The wooden floor is more resistant to any vibrations of the walls, it meets all environmental requirements. Such a wooden floor can be easily processed, rotten boards can be replaced, and all work can be carried out even after the complete installation of the wooden floor. The negative side of such a floor is the high cost, only professional workers can perform the installation of a wooden floor, it is almost impossible to get an absolutely smooth surface.
Substrate preparation for grouting
Variants and schemes of self-leveling floors.
How high the quality of the coating will be depends largely on the main stage in which the preparation of the base is carried out. Failure to follow a step-by-step, competent technology for obtaining self-leveling floors will lead to cracking of the coating, it may begin to collapse, peeling will be observed that occurs earlier than the operational period. Only a reliable base, made with high quality, can become a quality guarantee of long-term operation of the floor covering.
Sometimes the self-leveling floor is mounted directly on the old wooden floor. In this regard, the tree must be sanded using sandpaper to achieve a rough structure. Treated boards need to be painted with a special primer. In the case when the first layer is not very strong and monolithic, it is necessary to apply several additional layers. The wood surface must be free of grease, varnish and oil stains.
At the next stage, it is necessary to remove the installed skirting boards, hammer the existing cracks in the floor with bars. The wooden floor must be very carefully cleaned using a scraper. When performing such an operation, it is necessary to pay much attention to the existing interboard connections, to expose all existing cracks. Using a vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the surface of the self-leveling floor, degrease it using a cleaning powder.
After that, well-treated cracks must be sealed, using mortar for this, to level the surface. Then lines are drawn around the entire perimeter of the room, the length of which is less than the length of the room. Screws are placed along each line, maintaining a step equal to 30 cm. Using a laser level, the highest point on the surface of the self-leveling floor is found.
Screws must be screwed in, adhering to the same level.
Moreover, they need to be screwed into the ends at an angle of 90 degrees along pre-drawn lines. Near each screw you need to put a few pieces of alabaster.
