You can figure out how to make a self-leveling floor with your own hands without the help of professionals. But before you start pouring, you should familiarize yourself with the main steps preparatory work. Before installing the topcoat, be sure to prepare a black base. To do this, make a self-leveling floor with your own hands.
We fill the floor ourselves
Before pouring a self-leveling floor, it is worth understanding the specifics of preparing the black base.
To perform quality work, you should follow these steps:
- Prepare a rough foundation;
- Prime the coating;
- Dilute the self-leveling solution;
- Pour self-leveling mixture;
- Prepare a self-leveling composition for laying the finishing coating;
- Install the self-leveling coating.
Preparing the base
Careful surface preparation guarantees long term operation of the coating. Therefore on at this stage the following steps should be followed:
- All construction debris, oil stains, glue and dust are removed from the base;
- Cleaning should only be done in a well-ventilated room;
- All chips, cracks and dents should be repaired. For this you can use adhesives;
- Further rough coating primed for better adhesion of the surface to the leveler;
- After this, you need to determine the most high level surfaces in the room. Special beacons are installed on it;
- Then the beacons should be installed around the entire perimeter of the room;
- To properly fill a self-leveling self-leveling floor with your own hands, be sure to monitor the level of the applied mixture;
- After applying the first part of the solution, level the mixture using an aeration roller. This way you will be able to get rid of air bubbles in the composition;
- Since the self-leveling floor leveler hardens quickly, subsequent portions must be applied at intervals of 8-10 minutes;
- It is advisable to process no more than 1 square meter per fill. m. surface;
- You can walk on the floor after 3-4 hours, but pour finishing layer preferably no earlier than 3 days.
How to prime the base?
If you want the floor to be filled with a self-leveling mixture to really be of high quality, be sure to prime the coating. This is done in order to ensure good adhesion of the solution to the floor.
For cement-sand bases, ordinary primers are quite suitable. In this case, the composition is applied using a roller. To reach hard-to-reach areas such as corners, you can use brushes.
If you see that the coating is porous, do not be lazy to apply the primer in several layers. But remember that each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has dried.
Important! Before making a self-leveling floor, be sure to complete this step of the work. Otherwise, the service life of the coating may be halved.
Production of self-leveling composition
A self-leveling poured floor is a mixture that spreads almost independently over the entire surface of the floor. It forms an even coating without any defects. The coating is then subjected to finishing, as a result of which the mixture for self-leveling floor is applied.
Typically, self-leveling floor mixtures are produced in bags of 25-30 kg. Approximately 7 liters of water should be added to this amount of building material. To properly prepare the solution, follow the directions on the package, since the proportions for mixtures from different manufacturers may vary. You can stir the mixture using a drill or a construction mixer.
Tip: Since the self-leveling mixture hardens very quickly, you need to use it within half an hour. If the area of the room is very large, it would be advisable to divide it into several sections. It is also very important that the temperature of the solution is not below 10 degrees. To apply the composition, you can use a notched trowel, which will make it easier to evenly distribute the composition over the surface.
Preparation of bulk composition
After the self-leveling self-leveling floor has dried, you can proceed to the next stages of work, namely, preparing the self-leveling emulsion. Before you fill the self-leveling floor with your own hands, make sure that the solution was prepared correctly in compliance with all proportions.
The material for filling is prepared in accordance with the instructions indicated on the packaging. In order not to contaminate the floor, it is advisable to install self-leveling floors at home in some other room.
How to make a self-leveling floor yourself? To do this, use a deep container: a bucket or can. Please note that the dry composition is poured into water, and not water is added to the mixture. To achieve uniformity of the composition, you can use a construction mixer.
When you have a fairly liquid solution without lumps or air bubbles, start pouring. To ensure that the liquid floor is distributed evenly over the surface, lay it at a temperature of at least 5 degrees.
Application technology
Now let's figure out how to make a self-leveling floor with your own hands. To quickly but efficiently lay the solution, you should follow these steps:
- The liquid composition is applied in sections in the form of stripes. These stripes should be straightened immediately using a squeegee;
- To get a layer thickness of 1 cm, per 1 square. m room, fill in at least 10 liters of solution. From here it is easy to find out how many liters of mixture you will need to fill the floor in the entire room;
- If you do not have the opportunity to fill the entire rough base immediately, fill each subsequent section only 40 minutes after laying the previous one;
- To eliminate bubbles in the solution, use a needle roller. It is used to eliminate all air bubbles that are in the solution;
- We make self-leveling floors with our own hands only using flat feet. These are special shoes that allow you to calmly move on a liquid surface without deforming the coating.
It seems that the technology for pouring a self-leveling floor is simple, but in practice you will see that this is a rather labor-intensive process that will take a lot of your effort. Before making self-leveling floors with your own hands, be sure to weigh the pros and cons. After all, it will be very difficult to dismantle the coating after it has been installed.
The video clearly demonstrates the progress of work on installing the coating, taking into account the temperature conditions and type of floor covering.
Expansion joints
For the manufacture of bulk compositions, non-shrink mixtures are usually used. Still, there should be seams in the floor in any case. They are made at the joints of coverings, at the doorway and around the perimeter of the room.
After you have poured the self-leveling floor with your own hands, you should also take care of expansion joints which are made using damper tape. The photo shows such a tape. It is cut out with a regular knife after the coating has hardened. Then the seams are treated with a special silicone sealant.
Important nuances
Before you start working, you should pay attention to the most typical mistakes which are carried out when laying bulk compositions, and also take into account important nuances:
- Self-leveling compounds should spread themselves over the surface. But in hard to reach places They will still have to be evenly distributed using a spatula. This need arises if the solution is poured far from the corners of the room;
- The choice of a needle roller also needs to be taken seriously. Depending on the thickness of the layer, the needles of the roller should be located above the mixture at a height of approximately 2 mm. If you make a layer thickness of 3 mm, then the length of the needles should be approximately 5 mm;
- To prevent the mixture from spilling over the edge of the threshold, think in advance about additional dampers;
- Before pouring, be sure to determine the highest place in the room, and you will need to start pouring from there;
- To ensure a surface without slopes, use beacons to control the thickness of the layer;
- Before pouring the floor, make sure that you have time to use all the solution before it begins to harden.
How to fill liquid floor yourself? Having familiarized yourself with all stages of work, be sure to strictly follow their sequence. Otherwise, the coating will be short-lived:
- Take your time to move from one stage of work to another. If you start applying the finishing coat to a wet base, bubbles will certainly appear on the coating due to poor adhesion of the base to the mixture;
- The temperature in the room should be constant (from 5 to 30 degrees);
- If the room area is large, use a large container to dilute the solution so that you do not have to dilute an additional portion of the dry mixture during pouring;
- Depending on the type of emulsion, it should be used for 20 minutes to an hour;
- When diluting the composition, strictly follow the proportions indicated on the packaging;
- After laying the solution, make sure that the temperature in the room is constant for at least two days;
- Do not apply the topcoat to the base coat less than 2-3 days later.
Self-leveling floors are a technology that allows you to make the flooring in your home not only beautiful, but also durable. But before you make a liquid floor, make sure that you can handle the whole process. Often people who want to quickly get even with the process of laying the coating make mistakes that lead to disastrous results.
I remember how a few years ago, having opened the door to my friends’ apartment, I froze in some fear on the threshold: right in front of me, a bottomless crack suddenly opened up, along the edges of which, in scraps of grass, stones were lying…. Only after a couple of minutes did I realize that there was a skillfully executed drawing underfoot: at that time we had still heard little about 3D technologies applied to such a familiar part of our home as the floor. Today, few people can be surprised by self-leveling floors with incredible beauty and amazingly natural three-dimensional patterns. But the most interesting thing is that you can make such extraordinary floors yourself, with your own hands.
What are self-leveling floors?
Very often self-leveling floors are confused with screed. And this is absolutely different types floor treatment. A screed is a cement base; it is the leveling of the base, bringing it to a perfectly even state, used for final interior finishing. But such a coating is not finishing, it is preparatory stage before, laminate or linoleum. The basis of such floor screeds is a cement mixture. On top of such a screed, a thin self-leveling layer of fluid mortar is usually also applied. The fluidity of the mixture allows it to be most successfully distributed over the surface. It is this fluidity of the mixture that makes it possible to call such a coating a liquid floor. Another thing is self-leveling floors, which are based on a mixture of polymers. These can be epoxies, polyurethane and so on.
Thanks to these mixtures, you can no longer lay floors, suffering with seams and joints, but pour them.
Sometimes such floors are called “ liquid linoleum", but I think this name does not fully reflect all the advantages, all excellent qualities self-leveling floors. Why is this floor better than, say, linoleum? There are no seams, absolutely smooth coating. And one of the main advantages is wear resistance. In addition, the widest range of colors of this coating is pleasing.
From a chemical point of view, polymer floors can be divided into several categories:
- Methyl methacrylate - made from methyl methacrylic resins
- Epoxy - with the addition of epoxy resins
- Cement-acrylic - the composition of this coating includes the so-called liquid component and dry building mixtures
- Polyurethane - contains polyurethane
According to experts, methyl methacrylate, epoxy and cement-acrylic self-leveling floors are suitable for production premises, and polyurethane self-leveling floors are used for finishing residential premises.
Self-leveling floors: do it yourself
Surprisingly attractive, bright, varied in design and resistant to abrasion and damage - the coating has a lifespan of as much as 40 years! Not only is the coating beautiful, it is also warm! Such beauty as in the photographs, you want to immediately take it and make it yourself at home. And, as it turns out, this is a completely doable task. Shall we get started?
Preparatory work
The base for self-leveling floors can be cement screed, ceramic tiles, and even wooden floorboards. The main and basic condition: any of the surfaces must be absolutely clean, smooth and even. We check the horizontal lines of the base using a regular level in all directions. We remove any possible traces of glue, paint, oils - all this can interfere with good adhesion of the base to the self-leveling floor in the future. We remove all irregularities and rub in depressions.
If the base is wooden, you will have to tinker a little longer:
- Using a spatula, scraper or grinder delete all old paint and varnish.
- Checking the humidity wooden covering: it should not be higher than 10%
- We find all the existing cracks, open them, and go over them with coarse sandpaper.
- We carefully remove the garbage, it is best to do this with a vacuum cleaner
- Fill the cracks with construction mixture
To prepare the concrete surface, we will do the following:
- If concrete covering was done recently, then work on laying the self-leveling floor can begin no earlier than in a month
- The existing coating must be removed from the old concrete base
- Check for moisture
- Remove stains of oil, glue, mastic and other substances
- Repair cracks and chips using a special mortar with resin content
- Level the surface using a sander
Advice: it is best to make a solid screed under self-leveling floors using a viscous putty mixture.
You can prime the surface using a brush or roller, depending on your preference. The primer must be applied until we see that the solution stops being absorbed. Before applying each new layer, you must wait until the previous one has completely dried. After applying the last layer, you must wait at least a day until the primer dries completely.
And now a day has passed, the prepared surface pleases the eye with a slight gloss and does not absorb moisture. You can move on to the next stage: pouring the self-leveling floor.
Preparing the fill and tools
So, the base is ready, you can start preparing the main material. To do this we must have at hand:
- Low speed drill with special stirrer
- Clean buckets (20 l)
- Spatula for spreading material in corners, under radiators and in other hard-to-reach places
- Adjustable notched spatula
- Squeegee with pins on retractable handle
- Needle aeration rollers to remove surface bubbles
Let's prepare the mixture itself. In general, there is nothing complicated in this procedure. If the mixture is dry, then, observing required proportions, you need to dilute the components in water. To do this, pour into a clean bucket required amount water, then gradually add the dry mixture, stirring constantly and thoroughly with a mixer-drill until the mass becomes smooth and homogeneous. Then we pause for 3-5 minutes so that the solution “ripens” and mix again. Use ready solution need within 30 minutes.
In order for the mixture for self-leveling floor to turn out to be of high quality, the dry component must be poured into water, and not vice versa. There should be exactly as much water as written in the instructions; excess liquid will not allow the coating to dry well and the floor will not be of good quality.
If the work uses ready-made liquid mixtures, then the sequence of actions is slightly different. We open the large and small buckets. In a large bucket - semi-finished paste (component A), in a small bucket - hardener (component B). Within 2-3 minutes, you need to thoroughly mix the mixture in each bucket separately, checking whether the sediment is mixed at the bottom. Now pour the stirred mixture from a large bucket into a clean container, making sure that there is no sediment left in the bucket itself. Then, without turning off the drill, we begin to pour in the equally thoroughly mixed component B and stir the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
Filling the floor
Filling the floor with your own hands is not an easy task, but it is quite doable. It is important to follow several important conditions. First of all - temperature regime. Usually the packages indicate exactly what temperature should be in the room where the work takes place. On average - from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius. Drafts and direct Sun rays. It’s better to work with an assistant - the two of you can make the pouring process continuous: one spreads, the other pours.
Having installed the guide beacons, we begin to pour the solution from the far wall opposite front door. The work must be continuous; the evenness of the coating in height depends on this. We begin to pour the solution in strips parallel to the wall. You need to cover no more than 2 square meters at a time. We stretch the layer with a wide spatula, making movements from the wall towards ourselves, level it with a squeegee with a movable bar - use the bar to determine the thickness of the coating. The recommended thickness ranges from 1.5 mm to 5 mm. After this, we go over the surface with a needle roller to get rid of possible bubbles. Immediately pour the next strip and continue until we fill the entire area.
It is advisable to cover the resulting surface with foil or polyethylene for better hardening, and at the same time to prevent dust or dirt from getting on it. It usually takes 6 to 10 hours for the floor to harden. During this time, drafts or temperature changes should not be allowed.
If we consider the work completed at this point, we will simply cover the resulting floor with a special decorative layer of varnish, which will add greater shine and increase the durability of the coating. But this must be done no later than after 2 days, and better – after 24 hours. Otherwise, the adhesion of the layers will not be of high quality. If we are not aiming for 3D self-leveling floors, then we can simply apply special chips to the base layer for beauty. Very interesting option: coins are laid beautifully on the base layer and filled with transparent protective varnish on top
The thickness of the decorative layer should be approximately 5 mm; it is applied using the same technology as the base layer. For the not yet strong basic basis, in order not to damage it, it is better to move around in special slippers with spikes. In a day, the floor is ready. Complete hardening occurs after 3-5 days. After this it will be possible if you have “warm floors”
The pinnacle of craftsmanship: we make 3D self-leveling floors ourselves
We now already know how to make a self-leveling floor. But for some, this may not seem enough and they will want to create the illusion of a three-dimensional image or just a beautiful design on this excellent coating. Then let’s figure out what is the difference between a simple self-leveling floor and a self-leveling floor with a 3D image? In the picture below you can see that another additional layer is added to 3D - decorative.
You can create the desired design in a special program and apply it directly to the base surface using an airbrush, brushes and special paints. You can make such a design differently: the design is applied to banner fabric or vinyl film in special workshops.
It is necessary to take into account that the size of the ordered canvas must be several bigger size than the floor itself, onto which we will then paste the drawing.
Having prepared such an image, we return to the floor. It must be primed with a finishing transparent polymer layer (see instructions for use on the packaging). We apply it with a roller or flat brush, leveling. Leave for some time - up to a day - so that the primer sets and polymerizes. Then carefully glue the vinyl film with a self-adhesive layer onto the prepared surface. At the same time, you need to constantly smooth it, press it so that there are no voids or bubbles. If our design is applied to banner fabric, then we will have to use glue, the role of which will again be played by the finishing polymer applied thin layer. We leave our floors alone for one more day.
And now all we have to do is apply the finishing coat and varnish. The thickness of the finishing coating varies from 3 to 6 mm. Again, mix the base and hardener in a bucket, using a drill with an attachment, pour the mixture onto the drawing and repeat almost all the procedures that were carried out when pouring the base layer, evenly distributing it over the surface with a squeegee rubber insert, scraper or roller, then rolling with a needle roller. We will continue rolling until we feel that the layer begins to thicken. Do not forget that you can only move on the applied coating in flip-flops with high spikes. Covering the floor again plastic film or foil so that it “grabs” more firmly and we leave our work for a day, or even two.
It is advisable to apply a protective varnish 2-3 mm thick after the finishing layer has dried. This will allow the coating to retain its beauty longer.
OK it's all over Now. Two days later the floors are ready. You can please yourself, your family and surprise your guests.
We will send the material to you by e-mail
Self-leveling floors have recently become very popular in construction due to their relatively affordable price and a simple installation process. In addition to high performance qualities, this material is different aesthetically pleasing and style. It can transform the interior of a room beyond recognition in a short period of time. A significant advantage of this system is that it can be used almost anywhere: in garages, office premises, apartments and even on sports grounds. Also big advantage is that it is quite possible to install a self-leveling floor with your own hands, step-by-step instruction will be described below.
Self-leveling flooring is a seamless polymer material that is applied directly to cement screed, wood or concrete, as well as on ceramics. As a rule, in premises intended for housing, a polyurethane type of coating is used. This is due to the fact that this type is the warmest, lightest and most beautiful (it has different colors, so it will suit any). There are 4 groups of self-leveling coatings:
- Polyurethane. Most often used on industrial facilities and production. It is highly resistant to chemicals and temperature changes and is easy to clean.
- Epoxy. It is impact resistant and resistant to high humidity.
- Epoxy-urethane. It has all the properties of the previous two, as well as abrasion resistance. Used in parking lots and metro platforms.
- Methyl methacrylate. Does not have high performance characteristics, but this coating can be used within 2 hours after pouring.
To properly install a self-leveling floor with your own hands, the step-by-step instructions must be clear, so this article will describe all the steps of installing a self-leveling floor in stages.
What tools will you need?
To carry out a quality installation, you will need not only construction skills, but also special tools. To get started you need to prepare:
- building level;
- needle roller;
- roulette;
- trowels;
- putty knife;
- drill with attachment;
- container for mixing concrete.
Self-leveling floors are seamless floor coverings on a mineral or polymer basis. The characteristics of such coatings are determined by component composition mixtures and technology for their application.
Basic self-leveling mixtures are used to level bases with differences of up to 8 cm. The middle layer, leveling a concrete or cement-sand base, is up to 3 cm thick, and the finishing layer, the most durable, up to 1 cm thick, finally levels the floor surface (see: in particular home).
What are they?
There are two groups of self-leveling floor mixtures.
Mineral self-leveling floors
Coatings based on cement or gypsum with mineral modifiers and fillers. By varying the ratio of components, you can change the spreadability and hardening time. The purpose of the mixture depends on the fraction and type of fillers: coarse-grained fractions are used for leveling layers (starting floor), fine-grained fractions are used for a thin finishing coating under linoleum, cork, and carpet materials.
The basis of the mixture is Portland cement (gypsum) and fractionated quartz sand. The dry mixture is packaged at the factory and diluted with water before starting work. The main advantage of mineral floors is high technology, they are used in various industries. In housing construction, they are used as leveling mixtures for bases under tiles, linoleum, and rolls. carpets, parquet, etc.
Polymer liquid floors
Such coatings have a synthetic polymer base. See the most common ones below.
Methyl methacrylate
Their surface can be smooth or rough (anti-slip), the colors are varied, and they have excellent decorative qualities.
Performance properties vary depending on the use of various additives: if necessary, hardness, ductility, temperature stability, etc. can be adjusted.
They are resistant to ultraviolet radiation and can be used at different temperatures.
The disadvantages include need for ventilation when pouring due to strong odor. Polymerization and development of operational strength in just a few hours can also be considered as a disadvantage: pouring such coatings requires highly qualified specialists, whose work is not cheap.
Used at industrial facilities in various industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics, aircraft manufacturing, trade, etc.
Suitable for use indoors and outdoors. They are more expensive than polyurethane and epoxy coatings.
Epoxy
The working mixture of epoxy floors includes two components: base of the required color and hardener. Floors are applied to a previously prepared base. Layer thickness - from 1.5 mm to 5 mm. In residential premises, transparent epoxy floors are installed using photos, 3D compositions or lighting.
Such coatings look interesting; designers love to use them. Quartz-filled epoxy coatings for industrial premises have increased mechanical strength and a non-slip surface.
Disadvantages: low elasticity, insufficient stability against impacts and a moving base.
Epoxy floors can be installed on any substrate and are hard and seamless. The floors are resistant to acids, alkalis, petroleum products, etc. They are used in chemical and pharmaceutical production, in the food industry, in laboratories, car service centers, etc. Convenient and easy to maintain in residential areas.
Cement-acrylic
A combination of cement, polyacrylate copolymer and aggregate. Developed specifically for food industry enterprises with high mechanical loads, large volumes of liquids, treatment with chemicals, steam, disinfection, etc.
The coatings are highly durable - they do not collapse even when cracks appear. Matte coating, anti-slip effect, long service life, chemical resistance, the ability to install on a substrate with unevenness and defects, use indoors and outdoors are the main advantages of cement-acrylic-based floors.
The disadvantages include the complexity of the device.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is wear-resistant, strong and durable. It is lightweight, holds water well, and is shock and abrasion resistant.
The disadvantages include the need for careful preparation and minimal humidity, as well as increased consumption of materials.
Polyurethane self-leveling floors are often used in individual housing construction, as well as in production, warehouse and other premises.
3D floors
This is the most modern method, which is widely used in different countries. The method consists of using a special material with a pattern and a transparent self-leveling coating. Such coatings are exclusive.
What does self-leveling floor consist of?
The type of self-leveling floor is determined by the type of binder component. The composition of any self-leveling floor includes:
- Mineral and polymer binders
The bases depend on the type of floor and its purpose; it can be cement, gypsum, methyl methacrylic, epoxy, polyurethane resins, etc.
- Fillers
Fillers are needed to give self-leveling floors mechanical strength, hardness, wear resistance. Fractional quartz sand, crushed stone, and various polymers can be used as fillers. In basic leveling mixtures, the particle size is up to 1.2 mm, in finishing coatings - up to 0.5 mm.
- Special Additives
They are used to impart various properties to the mixture (hardening accelerators and retarders, to increase frost resistance, strength, ductility, etc.).
- Dyes (colors)
Organic and inorganic dyes are used to give the self-leveling floor the desired color.
What do you need for work?
To carry out work on installing self-leveling floors, you need funds personal protection and a special working tool. For safe work you will need:
- respirator;
- latex gloves;
- shoes with hard soles.
Required working tools:
- Roller aeration needle to remove air bubbles in the spilled mixture.
- Electric drill at low speed with a mixer to prepare the working mixture.
- Paintshoes– sandals with metal spikes, in which you can walk on a flooded floor. Allows you to perfectly level the spilled mixture in different places.
- Synthetic rollers for priming the base surface.
- Raklya for applying epoxy composition.
- Spatulas for leveling the mixture in corners, near walls and other hard-to-reach places.
- Vacuum cleaner for cleaning the surface.
Self-leveling floor calculator
Companies that sell self-leveling floors usually offer a convenient material calculation form on their websites. Using a self-leveling floor calculator, you can quickly determine how many bags of dry mix you will need to level the base. Consumption per 1 sq. meter is calculated for all types of flooring available for sale.
To calculate the material, you need to fill out the proposed calculator form. It indicates the type of self-leveling floor, the minimum and maximum thickness of the layer, the dimensions of the room, and the density of the mixture, which can be specified on the packaging. After a few seconds, the calculator will display the required amount of material and its cost.
How to pour it with your own hands?
The flooring technology includes several stages that must be strictly followed.
Selection of self-leveling composition
Before pouring the self-leveling coating, the base should be prepared with a special repair compound.
For concrete foundations There are two types of mixtures - cement and gypsum. The former are more expensive, but they are universal and are used everywhere, the latter - only in dry conditions.
Leveling layer thickness 2–50 mm for cement mixtures allows to reduce filling time. Gypsum compositions make it possible to install self-leveling floors with a thickness of 2–100 mm, while their setting time is much longer.
In residential premises there are two options for choosing a mixture: use cement composition everywhere or, dividing the premises into “dry” and “wet”, apply different types mixtures. For wooden bases, there are special compositions for self-leveling floors.
How to prepare the base?
Very important stage, on which the quality of work as a whole depends. The nature of the preparatory work depends on the base material:
- Wooden base
The surface must be clean and dry. Remove dirt, oil stains, grease. Sand the clean surface to make it rough. Prime wooden surface no need.
- Concrete or mortar screed
The top layer of old concrete should be removed, the surface should be cleaned, potholes, cracks should be filled, oil stains should be removed, etc. Before applying primer, remove dust with a vacuum cleaner.
Applying primer
Primer of concrete and mortar is required, because... the absorbency of these materials is high. The primer is absorbed into the base, increases its adhesive ability.
Preparing the mixture
The container should be large enough to knead a whole bag of mixture. Cooking sequence:
- pour the required amount of water at room temperature into the container according to the instructions;
- pour out the entire contents of the bag and mix thoroughly for at least 3 minutes with a mixer (low-speed drill);
- Let the homogeneous mixture sit for 2 minutes and stir again - the mixture is ready.
Fill
The floor should be poured immediately after preparing the mixture. The solution at room temperature should be used within half an hour.
Filling can be done at a temperature not lower than 10 degrees. Sequence of work:
- Pour the mixture from the container in several places and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Spread the remaining mixture into the unfilled joints.
- Pass over the surface with a needle roller to remove air.
- The self-leveling layer can be coated with a finishing layer only after 12 hours. You can walk on the self-leveling layer after 5-6 hours.
How to cut the seams of a self-leveling floor?
To prevent linear deformation of the floor, you need to cut into the surface expansion joints, repeating the seams in the concrete base.
To do this, a recess is made in the set coating to a third of the thickness of the polymer layer. It needs to be filled with caulk and sealed with joint compound or caulking cord.
Coating care
Self-leveling floors do not require special care - regular wet or dry cleaning is sufficient. It is better to finish wet cleaning by wiping the floors with a dry cloth. For cleaning, you can use washing vacuum cleaners and steam mops. Disinfection of the floor is done according to the instructions.
Self-leveling flooring is known for its advantages. It is absolutely smooth, without seams or transitions, not susceptible to leaks, durable. It is easy to install a high-quality heat supply system under such a coating. But we must admit that we cannot do without it, since the floor is usually cold. In addition, you can install a self-leveling floor in your apartment with your own hands if the step-by-step instructions are followed without deviations.
Step 1: choosing a floor mixture
Counterfeiting of well-known brands is common in the self-leveling floor market, so the choice of products should be taken seriously. Necessary choose a product that best suits your requirements. Classify products according to your needs:
- Coating thickness. For rooms that are rarely visited, you should choose a marking - thin layer, for frequently visited rooms - on the contrary - thick layer.
- Fullness. If you need your floors to be sufficiently thermally insulating and soundproof, choose mixtures labeled “highly filled.”
- Hardening speed. If you need quick hardening, choose a product from the quick-drying category, but be prepared for the fact that its inertness will be great, and harmful vapors will evaporate into the air even after hardening, especially when heating floors.
- Easy to care for. For convenient operation It is recommended to choose smooth self-leveling coatings. But you should be careful with glossy floors, as they are very dangerous.
Having dealt with the mixtures and choosing the right one for ourselves, we’ll try to figure out how to make a self-leveling floor with our own hands step by step.
Step 2: preparing the base for installing the self-leveling floor with your own hands
Having selected the required mixture, trace ready to start preparing the work area. To do this, you need to clean the coating from dust and dirt using a vacuum cleaner. Subsequent actions depend on the type of coating in the room. If the floors are concrete, then we check the floor for humidity (up to 4%), compressive strength (>20MPa) and tearing capacity (>1.5MPa). The age of the screed must be more than 28 days. If the coating is old, remove all mastics and varnishes, repair all defects, and sand.
At wooden floors They should first be completely waterproofed. To do this, you need to strengthen the wood, open the cracks and lay it with sandpaper, degrease the surface and putty all the joints. Glue is applied on top, and then a layer of waterproofing fiber is laid. Ceramic tiles no need to delete. It is enough to remove all defective fragments, clean them and putty them flush with the entire floor, after which we must not forget about degreasing the surface and priming it.
Step 3: Prime the Base
It is necessary to prime the base of the self-leveling floor in order to improve the mechanical adhesion of the mixture and base. Let's try to figure out how to do the job ourselves efficiently. Before priming, it is necessary to close the windows tightly and set the room temperature to a constant temperature to avoid air bubbles. The floors are covered with a roller until all the pores of the coating are closed. For deep pores, highly viscous primer mixtures are used. As soon as the first layer has dried, you can begin applying the next one. If the floor is properly primed, it is necessary to start pouring as soon as possible, since settled dust can interfere with adhesion.
Step 4: calculation of consumption and preparation before mixing
Self-leveling compound requires pouring in one day to ensure even drying without air bubbles or cracks.. So that you don’t have to add the mixture later and not waste money, you need to correctly set the required number of bags.
To ensure correct consumption of material, you need to adhere to certain rules:
- Evaluated general state floor. If there are cracks in the coating with a depth of more than 5 cm, then the surface requires filling with a base layer.
- The highest point on the surface is located. Its height is projected onto the walls using a level and a level, the results are marked with beacons. The biggest difference is taken to be the thickness of the floor screed. If this is not done, the floor will have a large slope.
- The consumption of the mixture on the packaging is multiplied by the thickness of the layer and the area of the room, after which the number of required bags is found by dividing by the mass in one bag.
As a rule, the consumption of dry mixture to a depth of 1 millimeter and an area of 1 square meter is 1.5-1.8 kg. Thanks to these data, it is possible to calculate the consumption for any layer thickness.
The next step is to prime the floor. The self-leveling floor is a thick-layer coating, so it may not always adhere well to the base coating. In order to increase mechanical adhesion, the entire area of the room is sprinkled with quartz sand. To avoid cracks already in the process of using the floor, it is necessary to avoid damage around the perimeter. To do this, the room is papered damper tape, thereby isolating access to cracks and crevices between the walls and floor.
On video: criteria for selecting mixtures for self-leveling floors.
Step 5: Knead
Having calculated the required amount of material, you can begin mixing the solution. How to do this correctly? To do this, pour water into a container with a volume of at least 50 liters in the volume indicated on the packaging. After this, the required amount of the selected mixture is poured into the liquid. The entire contents of the container are mixed with a construction mixer until a homogeneous consistency is achieved for at least 10-15 minutes.. If this rule is not followed, lumps will form in the mixture, reducing the strength of the floor at the final stage. After mixing, the “dough” is left for several minutes.
To find out if the mixture is ready for use, you can do a small test. In the ring from plastic bottle 5 cm in diameter, installed on the rough surface, pour the self-leveling floor solution. After removing the restrictor, the mixture should spread over an area approximately three times the area of the ring. This means that if the diameter of the ring was 5 cm, then the diameter of the resulting puddle should be 16-18 cm.
When mixing the dry mixture, it is necessary to take into account that almost all brands have a limited service life. If the room is too large and it is not possible to fill it in one day, then it is necessary to divide it into zones with special slats and mix the solution in accordance with installed by rail parameters. The mixture takes about an hour to set, but may thicken during the hardening process.
When thickening, do not add water! To restore elasticity and fluidity to the mixture, simply stir it clockwise.
Step 6: setting the indoor climate
When pouring, it is important to observe technical rules. These include the microclimate in the room. Favorable conditions for a self-leveling surface it is considered constant room temperature, varying from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The master chooses a value that is convenient for himself in this gap and maintains it all the time. Condensation is the main enemy of self-leveling floors, so you should carefully monitor the humidity in the room. This is not to say that the floor is very capricious in in this regard, but try to maintain the importance taken for normal conditions for humans – from 50 to 70%.
