It is equally relevant for apartment owners in old buildings and for residents of new buildings. The former are looking for an answer because the base coating in their living quarters is in a deplorable state due to the already rather long service life (yes, perhaps, it has never been good, even in the years of its "youth"), but the latter need to know this by the reason is that, despite the use of new technologies, the quality of finishing even in newly commissioned buildings is still far from ideal. While modern floor coverings sometimes require an almost flat surface. How to create acceptable conditions for them? What to do? How to level the concrete floor and how best to do it? You will find the answer to all these questions in our review.
We evaluate the existing surface and select a new floor covering
It is worth noting that the alignment procedure can sometimes be quite expensive and time-consuming. That is why, in order to reduce material and time costs, you need to be able to correctly assess the situation. That is, carefully examine the existing base and decide which floor covering will be used. As for the first. The base surface can be different. Sometimes it is in quite good condition, with the exception of some cracked places. Or there are only small projections and depressions on it. In such cases, you can get by with a little blood, leveling the floor locally, as they say, according to indications. If there are significant defects on the base coat, as well as huge differences in height, it will naturally have to be leveled from corner to corner. Now with regard to finishing materials. Some floor coverings are very demanding on the substrate. Take the same laminate. Even a slight drop in some five millimeters can nullify all the finishing work. A laminate laid on such a base can simply deform and crack at the seams in a year. While such minor defects are not terrible for linoleum. So it is precisely from the choice of the finishing floor covering and the very state of the base base itself that you need to build on, being in search of an answer to the question of how and with what to level the concrete floor.
Irregularities that require elimination
So which concrete floor should be leveled? It is imperative to put in order a foundation that has:
- Roughness, chips, various cracks.
- All kinds of protrusions or pits that are visible during visual inspection.
- Slope or differences in height.
Depending on the existing defects, the leveling method and the material required for the work are selected.
Alignment types
If the floor does not have any special differences in height, but has some defects such as cracks, then they are sealed using a self-made compound or epoxy concrete, while doing some preliminary work to prepare the base. Local protrusions and pits are sealed in the same way. Height differences are eliminated by dry screed, leveling along beacons or using a bulk compound.
Getting rid of cracks
Such defects can appear both on the old foundation and on the recently filled one, if the stages or requirements of the technological process have been violated. Therefore, every master needs to know how to get rid of cracks on a concrete floor. So, you can't just cover them up from above. Firstly, you need to carefully tap the entire surface of the crack, and in a very peculiar way - you need to drive the chisel into the defect as deep as possible with a hammer. Thanks to this procedure, you, firstly, will be able to detect chips hidden under the defect, and secondly, create the necessary gap for the mixture. After the preparatory work has been carried out, you must carefully remove all pieces of concrete, clean the cavities from dirt and dust, and fill with water. After drying, the entire surface must be primed. The composition of Grund is ideal for these purposes. After that, you need to mix cement of the M400 brand with water. The solution should have the consistency of liquid sour cream. And then you should add liquid glass or PVA glue to it. The amount of additional ingredient should be equal to the volume of the prepared mixture. Then you need to fill the cracks with the resulting solution, wait for it to dry and grind the surface. Very small cracks can not be widened, but simply repaired with tile glue of any brand, without forgetting to prime them first.
Close up the pits
If the floor surface is sufficiently flat, then it is not necessary to complete the screed completely. It is enough just to get rid of the pits. To do this, their walls and bottom must be processed with a grinder to remove chips and fragile layers. After that, the pit must be cleaned of pieces of concrete, dirt and dust, filled with water, and primed after drying. At the bottom, you need to pour dry fine-grained crushed stone in a sufficiently thin layer, and then seal the defect with epoxy concrete. The domestic composition "Kleypol" is perfect for these purposes. We fill a hole with it so that the solution does not reach the top of a centimeter by two. After drying (after about an hour), compare the surface with a special concrete putty. Experts recommend paying attention to the Elakor-ED brand.
As for the bumps, it is enough to grind them with a grinder, clean, prime, and then level the surface using the same "Elakor".
Dry screed
How and how can a concrete floor be leveled if you have little time at your disposal and you don't really want to mess around with mortars? Make a dry screed. This procedure is quite simple, so almost any home craftsman can handle it. The principle is as follows. The base base is thoroughly cleaned from dirt and dust. Then a waterproofing film is laid on it (you can use ordinary thick polyethylene). Then a dry leveling mixture is poured over the entire surface in a layer five centimeters thick. It can be made of expanded clay, granulate, quartz sand or even expanded polystyrene. And from above they are already laid on logs and fastened with self-tapping screws either plywood, or fiberboard sheets, or moisture-resistant drywall. But it is best to use a special sheet material called "Superfloor" for this purpose. After the dry screed, the finishing floor can be installed almost immediately. It is for home craftsmen that experts recommend first of all to consider this method, since you can level the concrete floor with your own hands using this method without any problems.
Beacon screed
Since it is almost impossible to level the floors using less costly methods, you will have to consider such a method as pouring a new floor using beacons. As for the financial side of the issue, it is not so terrible, but the time-consuming procedure will require significant. In addition, in this case, you need to have at least minimal skills in working with lighthouses and cement mortar. What should be done? First of all, clean and prime the base. Then carry out the markings, preferably using a laser level, and stretch between the walls in the direction from the window to the door, the guide lines for the beacons. And after that, install perforated guides on them on the floor, using cement (gypsum) mortar for fixing. The step between each beacon should not be more than one meter. After that, you need to prepare a mortar of M400 cement (the amount of water will be indicated on the package), pour it between the installed profiles and level it with the rule, moving backwards in the direction from the window to the door. Such a screed dries for a long time, in addition, it must be moistened with water for the first three days. However, it is this method that is quite budgetary and allows you to get a really even and durable coating. Therefore, if you have enough time and do not know, for example, how to level a concrete floor under a laminate, take this method into service.
As for the lighthouses, some masters leave them inside. However, experts recommend that you still get the profile, and seal the voids with tile glue. The budgetary, but therefore no less durable composition "Lux" is perfect for these purposes.
Self-leveling floor
If the difference in height is no more than five centimeters, and there are available funds, a leveling mixture for a concrete floor is perfect for arranging the base surface. It is quite expensive, but easy to work with, in addition, the alignment procedure does not take much time. As for the technology, you need to start, as always, with preparation. The base base needs to be cleaned and primed. Then you need to carry out the markup using a laser level, drawing lines on the walls along which the upper boundaries of the new floor will pass. After that, you need to mix the solution according to the instructions on the package. The best mixtures for leveling, according to experts, are self-leveling Ceresit CN 69 and Ceresit CN 68, Vetonit 3000, EK FT03 FINISH. Many masters also praise more budgetary domestic mixtures produced under the Prospector brand. So, we start leveling from the far corner, pouring the solution onto the floor and leveling the coating (according to the markings applied), first with the rule, and then with a special roller with needles.
How to level a concrete floor under a laminate
Laminate flooring is perhaps the most capricious floor covering, requiring an almost perfectly flat base. What is the best way to level the concrete floor under it? By and large, in this case, any of the three methods described above will do. However, there is another option. You can try to level the concrete floor with plywood. Unlike the same tiles, the laminate does not require the use of mortar when laying, so the presence of wooden sheets under this coating will not affect the quality of the base base in any way. And the alignment method itself is quite simple and fast. The concrete base is cleaned of dirt, primed, after which sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are laid on it without any fasteners (10 mm thick will be enough), and according to the same principle as the laminate (so that the seams of the elements do not coincide, but are staggered) ... After that, another layer is laid, but so that its joints do not coincide with those of the lower layer. This plywood is already attached to the bottom sheets with self-tapping screws. After installation, you need to walk along the seams with a sander in order to finally level the subfloor.
A few words about the loggia
On the loggia, you can also use all the methods described above. However, many experts consider it very attractive to level the concrete floor in this room using the same plywood, but on logs. How do they determine their choice? The fact that thanks to this method, you can additionally insulate the floor of the loggia by laying the appropriate material between the logs. Let's say polystyrene, mineral wool. Or professional, but more expensive insulation "TechnoNIKOL".
... about the garage
It is quite understandable that no one is laying laminate or parquet in this room. The floor here is usually made of concrete. The basic requirements for the base are that it is even. And naturally durable. How to level it It is best to do and then cover it with a special layer of hardener - the so-called topping - which will protect the surface from damage. The best formulations are the mixtures Caparol-Disbon, Neodur (Korodur), MasterTop (BASF) and domestic Herkulit and Reflor.
... and about ceramics
If you plan to lay ceramic tiles on concrete and at the same time the base itself is not particularly crooked, you can level the floor in the process by adding more or less tile adhesive under level control. True, this method is applicable only if the differences are no more than three centimeters. In addition, if you decide to resort to this method, you need to buy only high-quality, with improved characteristics, for example, designed for Ideal for these purposes "Ceresit".
Conclusion
We tried to tell you in sufficient detail how and what is the best way to level the concrete floor in this or that case. In addition, they touched upon the issues of leveling technology, named the brands of the best materials used in this type of work. We hope that now you can easily find the right option for your particular case. After all, you already know as well as any professional how and how to level a concrete floor.
