Execution overhaul rarely goes without such work as leveling the floor. The quality of preparation of this horizontal surface affects the service life of the materials laid on top - carpet, tiles or laminate. And in order to level the floors correctly, you should use the appropriate technology. All of them are simple enough to do the work with your own hands.

Preparing for leveling

Before leveling the floor, you should carry out preparatory work, which consists of measuring the room, choosing the appropriate technique and materials. During the preparation process, the main quality problems are identified flooring, and its level is set. To determine all dimensions and markings of the floor, construction (liquid) or laser levels are used.

Maximum leveling efficiency is ensured by using a material that matches the surface unevenness. For almost flat floors it is worth using. Large differences require the laying of sheet materials, and sometimes even the use of screed made from cement-sand mixtures.

Leveling concrete floors

For alignment concrete covering with small differences, it is most effective to use self-leveling mixtures, the main component of which is cement. The advantages of such materials are:

• the ability to level the floor with your own hands - to complete the work, just fill the dry material with water and gradually lay it on the concrete. The solution fills unevenness, providing a perfectly smooth surface;
• high drying speed. After 3-4 hours you can move on the surface, and after a day -;
• no shrinkage;
• relatively small minimum thickness starting from 5 mm, which is especially convenient when leveling floors in rooms with low ceilings.

The disadvantages of self-leveling mixtures include the need for careful preparation of the base. There should be no dust or defects on the concrete. In addition, the cost of such self-leveling flooring is higher compared to other options. And the fluidity of the material requires the use of special tools.

Carrying out work with large differences in the concrete base

Cement screed is the cheapest way to level the floor and is required in the presence of large differences. And in order to further simplify the process, guide structures are used -. They are fixed to the floor at a distance of 500–800 mm, aligned in one plane using a level.

The next step is to prepare a solution of the appropriate consistency, add plasticizers to it and place the resulting material on the concrete. After the screed has set, the guides must be removed by filling the remaining grooves with solution. After 4 weeks, the surface of the screed is rubbed and strengthened by treating it with a primer. More quick way leveling a large area, this is.

Basic methods for leveling wood flooring

If the base flooring is made of wood, leveling the floor yourself can be done using sheet materials. One of them is plywood, laid on special logs. At the same time, the floor height increases by more than 100 mm, and the room becomes lower. Therefore, this option is used mainly in the presence of serious unevenness and differences.

The reason for the significant increase in floor level lies in its design:

1. The first layer of flooring is made of wooden boards;
2. Logs are fixed to the subfloor;
3. Plywood is installed on top of the frame.

This ensures a high degree of noise protection and thermal insulation. And most often this technique is used for installation on top plywood sheets laminate After all, this material has increased requirements for the quality of the base.

You should know: Compensate for shrinkage wooden house with a floor made of the same wood, self-leveling joists allow. They are installed using special structures for lowering and raising wooden blocks.

A fairly flat floor is also obtained when using oriented strand boards OSB, the installation technology of which is practically no different from leveling the flooring using plywood. The difference lies in the need to partially level the wooden base before laying sheets of material.

Large changes with OSB boards it will not be possible to close - the maximum distance should not exceed 6 cm. If there is a significant difference in floor levels, use a cement screed.

Another way to quickly and relatively reliably level the floor level is. This material can be made more durable by dry backfilling and laying in two layers. The sheets are laid on top of each other in a perpendicular direction. The technique is cleaner than screeds and ensures leveling at almost any magnitude of difference. However, the cost of laying such sheets is much higher. And the bedding can shrink over time, worsening performance characteristics floor.

Additional methods for processing wood bases

A small difference in the surface of a wooden floor, within 0.5–2 cm, allows the use of a technique such as scraping. Work is performed manually or mechanically, depending on the area of ​​the premises. The process requires attentiveness and accuracy from the performer - protruding nail heads and other defects that can lead to breakdown scraping machine, must be eliminated. Therefore, it is worth entrusting the scraping to professionals. Moreover, they may have a tool that an inexperienced specialist does not have - high-performance sanding and parquet sanding machines or hand tool, indispensable when treating floors in the corner of a room.

If the difference in levels between different sections of the floor is less than 20 mm, the surface is leveled using a self-leveling mixture. The principle of laying the material is practically no different from leveling work concrete base, although some nuances should be taken into account:

• Before carrying out work, you should ensure that all worn and broken boards are replaced, as well as cracks and defects are filled with putty;
• before pouring the solution, the floor is additionally primed and waterproofed;
• A reinforcing polyethylene mesh placed on a layer of cement mixture that is beginning to set helps to further improve the performance characteristics of the treated surface.

One of the cheapest ways to level the floor is to use PVA glue and putty made from sawdust. It involves laying guides and applying a thick mixture of adhesive and base material to the floor. When this mixture dries, plywood sheets are fixed on top of it.

Video selection on leveling technologies

If indoors uneven wooden floor, living in it becomes uncomfortable. The boards creak, sag or, conversely, bulge, diverge, forming cracks.

The aesthetics of the room are disrupted and a traumatic environment is created. On such a floor it is easy to fall and hurt yourself. To avoid serious troubles and improve the condition of your home, uneven floors are leveled. They do this in different ways.

Dry methods

An uneven wooden floor needs to be leveled if the height difference is more than 5 cm. This uneven floor is visible to the naked eye. The surface may have a slope in any direction. In another case, the boards are located unevenly, in waves: one protrudes, the other sinks, bends. There are several options for eliminating uneven floors using a dry method.

Installation of mini-lags from bars (tape support)

Tape support is one of the most reliable ways for leveling uneven wooden floors. The method is used for height differences from 3 to 10 cm. The timber serves as a lining for the boardwalk. It should be of different thicknesses so that it is located evenly in the direction of increasing slope. For ease of installation, craftsmen use pieces of plywood rather than wood.

To install minilags correctly, carry out preliminary calculation and check the readings with a meter level. The distance between them correlates with the thickness of the sheets made from wood waste.

It is not recommended to lay sheets that are too thick to level an uneven wooden floor:

• they are heavy and inconvenient to install with your own hands;
• create additional load on the floor and foundation.

Beams of different sections and sheet products are screwed with self-tapping screws to the wooden base of the floor. The fasteners must be of different lengths, since the distance to the boards varies. Mini-lags are attached across and along the boards. It is important to mark the sheets as accurately as possible at the drilling points.

Installation of leveling point supports (blocks)

If indoors uneven wooden floor, the defect can be eliminated and leveled using point supports, which are called slabs. They are installed under sheet products in the form of a mesh. This produces cells, the dimensions of which are determined by the thickness of the sheets.

Such cell sizes will not allow sagging during subsequent operation.

Since the supporting “posts” are located pointwise, careful markings are made on the sheets and screws are screwed in at the points. Additionally, the sheets are fixed to the very base of the floor, choosing longer fasteners.

Methods for leveling uneven wooden floors without screed are highly effective. After leveling work, the surface acquires an ideal shape and holds well finishing coat. 8-10 cm is a height difference at which it is better to dismantle the old floor and lay a new base with replacement joists.

Wet screed method

For minor unevenness (up to 3mm), the wooden floor can be covered with acrylic putty or sealant. Before carrying out work, the boards are primed to protect the wood and ensure better adhesion with leveling mixture. The composition is applied thin layer, distributing evenly along pre-made marks on the walls, along the beacons.

It is important to know: the thickness of the layer determines the amount of time it takes to dry. To prevent the putty from cracking over time, PVA glue is added to it. After the mixture has dried, the surface is sanded.

If uneven wooden floor has a slope of more than 3 mm, use. It's not really suitable way for a wooden base. The screed creates a significant load on the base and floors. It is most possible when the boards are laid on concrete or brick columns, reinforced concrete supports. The need for it arises, for example, when using tiles as a finishing coating.

To level an uneven wooden floor using the “wet” method, dry mixtures with components are used that provide the screed with elasticity and special strength. These include various plasticizers and synthetic fillers.

1. Before applying the leveling compound wooden floors check for ventilation. If it is not there, then holes are drilled in certain places on the surface, and decorative grilles are installed on top of the finishing coating.
2. The boards are covered plastic film, which performs the function of waterproofing. The tree is afraid of water. And when the screed is wet, the dry mixture is diluted with this liquid.
3. The leveling composition is poured onto the surface in portions and distributed evenly using a special rule. You can work gradually, filling small areas.
4. After the screed has dried, it is sanded and primed.

Wet screed on wooden base don't do it often. The main reason is the incompatibility of wood and leveling composition. Wood is mobile and cement mixture It is static, so it may crack and crumble over time.

When choosing a method for leveling an uneven wooden floor, we focus on the specific conditions of the room. It is important that during subsequent use the surface does not deform and the finishing coating does not deteriorate.

Comfortable living in a home depends on many conditions. These include the quality of finish and general condition of surfaces, including leveling uneven wood floors.

Leveling the plank floor.

In some old houses from the times of Stalin and Khrushchev, plank, uneven wooden floors remained. Over time, the floorboards rot, become loose and begin to creak. And during repairs, in order to remove the defects of the old uneven floor, a new coating in the form of laminate or linoleum is used.

But before laying a new floor, it is recommended to level the subfloor using sheet material. You can carry out this procedure yourself without the involvement of construction specialists and with minimal costs. To level the floor, it is best to use plywood, since fiberboard sheets will eventually take the shape of an uneven floor and waves will appear again. Plywood has irreplaceable qualities for a material that is used to level an old wooden floor.

It is relatively light in weight, quite durable, resistant to stress and water, well polished, and has no unpleasant odor. The material does not change its properties with changes in temperature and humidity.

In order to carry out the procedure for leveling a wooden floor, it is necessary to prepare the tools and materials that will be needed during the work process.

• plywood sheets;
• roll insulation;
• screwdriver and screws;
• jigsaw;

Preparing to level a wooden floor in an apartment

• Initially, it is necessary to check the condition of the communications that are laid under the floor, since after completion of the work there will be no free access to them.
• Next, you need to get rid of various irregularities that are very typical for a wooden floor.
• Secure and, if necessary, replace old, rotten, creaky boards.
• As additional insulation If the floor is initially cold, you can use rolled mineral wool insulation.

The prepared plywood sheets are laid on the floor and in order to evaluate the strength and reliability of the coating, you should walk on it. During such tests, additional defects may be revealed that can be corrected immediately without dismantling the floor. If it turns out that the floor is sagging, then it is necessary to additionally place pieces of fiberboard in these places.

The most optimal and reliable fastening of plywood sheets is fastening with self-tapping screws, which do not need to be driven in completely at the initial stage of fastening. In places where the plywood sags, it is unacceptable to make fastenings. After securing the sheets, you need to carefully walk over the finished flooring again.

This is necessary in order to check how firmly and correctly the sheets are fitted to each other. If the result of the test is satisfactory and pleasing, then all the screws will be driven all the way, firmly burying the head in the wood.

After fixing the sheet material, the screw heads and seams are puttied using acrylic sealant. The advantage of such putty is that even if the boards and sheets sag a little, the sealant, due to its high plasticity, will not break down or spill out.

After completing the installation of the plywood sheets, you can begin laying another linoleum or laminate flooring.

Leveling an uneven wooden floor - video

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One of the main tasks at the stage of preparation for laying laminate flooring is leveling the subfloor, which is sometimes neglected in order to reduce labor costs and time.

Any unevenness in the surface on which the laminate is laid leads to internal stress. If it exceeds the permissible values, the floor covering begins to deteriorate, break and crack. So, when laying laminate flooring on an uneven floor, its service life will be significantly reduced, and appearance won't be very attractive.

If there are large depressions in certain places of the base, there will be voids here and there under the laminate panels. In this case, the load created by the body weight of a person walking or standing on the floor will not be transferred subfloor.

Laminate boards that do not have uniform support over the entire area will begin to sag over the voids. The uneven distribution of the load will be even more pronounced if there are bumps on the surface of the subfloor, for example, sagging on concrete.

Walking on a floor that bends under your feet is not very pleasant. But most importantly, load imbalance can lead to the following consequences:

• the appearance of cracks and breaks in the lamellas themselves;
• breakage of locking connections, especially if the height differences are located directly below them;
• increasing gaps between adjacent panels. Crevices not only worsen the appearance of the floor covering and make it difficult to clean. Having lost its integrity, it becomes more sensitive to moisture, joints and joints become clogged with dirt, dust, and floors begin to creak;
• if adjacent panels move completely apart, they may end up at an angle to horizontal plane, forming a mound. This is not only unsightly, but also dangerous, and there is a high risk of tripping.

Permissible curvature of the base for laminate

Unevenness of the base, height differences, and slope are identified using a building level at least 2 m long, which must be applied to the subfloor in different places.

If there are gaps between the floor surface and the lower plane of the level, you need to measure their size. A skewed water bubble indicates a slope in the subfloor. For more accurate results, you can use a laser level.

The denser stronger than laminate, the less sensitive it is to irregularities. therefore, you need to rely on the instructions in the manufacturer’s instructions, and if they are missing, on the requirements of SNiP.

• According to SNiP, the difference in height of the subfloor for laying laminate should not exceed 2 mm per 2 m, but these figures were calculated for the first generations of laminate, and with a margin.
• Many modern manufacturers indicate less stringent requirements - 3 mm per 1 m.
• The size of local differences, bumps, depressions should not exceed 3 mm.
• Spherical curvatures, holes and bumps with a smooth curvature, but covering a large area, are the most dangerous for the laminate. Cylindrical, wave-like curvatures are better compensated.
• The slope, according to SNiP, should not exceed 4 mm per 2 m of the length (width) of the room.

Possibility of laying laminate flooring on a sloped floor

Even a greater slope, if it is smooth, without bumps and holes, is not critical for the laminate. But since this flooring is laid in a floating manner, and gaps are left around the perimeter to compensate for thermal expansion, after removing the spacer wedges laminate flooring may crawl towards the slope.

If sufficiently wide gaps have been left, there is a possibility that the laminate will rest against the wall on one side, and on the other its edge will not be covered by the baseboard. To prevent this, you must first place massive furniture on top, which will press the laminate to the base, and then remove the spacer wedges and install the baseboard.

So that the furniture does not interfere with the installation of the plinth, you can temporarily place it in the center of the room, and immediately after installing the plinth, move it to the desired corner.

A smooth, but too noticeable slope may not be dangerous for the laminate itself, but will lead to the collapse of furniture installed on the floor or household appliances, so it's worth eliminating.

How to level an uneven floor and eliminate slope

The method for eliminating irregularities depends on their size, the scale of the problem, as well as the base material.

Elimination of height differences

• Minor, up to 5 mm, irregularities are smoothed out using a laminate backing.
• Small local depressions are filled with putty corresponding to the type of base (for wooden floors You can use a mixture of PVA glue with sawdust, for concrete - a self-leveling mixture).
• Lumps (swells) on concrete floors knocked down with a hammer drill, the protrusions of the wooden covering are removed with a plane. Finish leveling is carried out using a grinding or scraping machine.
• Minor but numerous irregularities can be eliminated using self-leveling screed. This method is best suited for leveling a concrete base, but it can also be used on wooden floors, having previously laid a plastic film.
• More significant unevenness in the concrete base is leveled using a cement-sand screed.
• The problem of an uneven wooden floor can be solved by placing a dry screed on top from sheet materials - fiberboard, plywood, OSB. The more unevenness, the thicker it should be sheet material. First you need to eliminate other defects, cut off large protrusions with a plane, and fill the depressions with pieces of plywood or fiberboard the right size to increase the area of ​​support of the screed on the base. The plywood sheets laid and attached with self-tapping screws to the base are sanded on top.

Removing Slope

The slope of the concrete base is eliminated using a self-leveling, cement-sand or dry screed.

For wooden floors, there are methods that involve dismantling the floor covering or allowing you to do without it.

• A slight slope can be eliminated using a self-leveling mixture, but with a large slope this is unprofitable, the material consumption will be too high.
• When leveling the base with a cement-sand screed, you need to carefully check its horizontal level.
• If the ceiling height and floor level in adjacent rooms allow, you can install a raised floor on adjustable joists. The logs are mounted on racks with bolts, plywood sheets are laid on top, CBPB slabs, OSB. The floor level can be adjusted by changing the height of the bolts in the racks.
• A layer of plywood is rigidly attached to the base, and a second one is attached on top of it, so that the joints of the two layers do not coincide. Threaded bushings are installed between them, allowing you to adjust the height of the top layer.
• Understands wood covering and the height of the lags is leveled, instead of using adjustable stands, you can cut off the excess with a plane or fill the slats on top.
• On top of the base, at the point of maximum slope, a beam is attached to it, which will act as a log. If necessary, it is possible to install several more rows of logs of different thicknesses on top of the old base. The space between them is filled mineral wool, sheets of plywood or cement-bonded particle boards are attached on top.

Bottom line

Laying laminate flooring on an uneven floor is extremely undesirable, as it leads to its premature destruction. If height differences of up to 5 mm can be partially leveled by the substrate, then for more significant deviations, laying the laminate must be preceded by serious preparatory work. To eliminate irregularities, filling of depressions, cutting or knocking down bumps, grinding the surface, various types screeds.

Leveling the concrete floor from 0-3 cm.

1. The first thing to do, regardless of the coating, is to prepare. Remove all debris, dust, etc., and prime the floor.

2. Having decided on the coating and finances, we decide how to prepare the floor. If we level the floor to one level throughout the entire apartment, then using a level, laser level or hydro-level we measure the difference in the floor throughout the entire apartment; if in one room, then we measure the difference only in this room.

3. To find out the difference in the floor in the apartment you need:

using a level.

We mark a line on the wall, at one end we substitute a level to this line, aligning it, and with a pencil we draw a line from one end of the level to the other, move the level to the end of the line, level it and draw further, and so on, along the entire perimeter of the room or apartment. After this, we take a tape measure and measure the height from the floor to the line, the place where the distance will be the smallest and will be the highest point.

using a laser level.

Drawing a line using a laser level

We mark a line on the wall and turn it on laser level, we expose the laser beam to the line and gradually turn the level 360 degrees to draw lines along the beam, after which we turn off the laser, take the rule and, setting it exactly from line to line, draw a line along the entire perimeter. After this, we take a tape measure and measure the height from the floor to the line, the place where the distance will be the smallest and will be the highest point. They measure it using the hydro level in approximately the same way.

If there is a difference of up to 5 -10 mm, we perform leveling using

self-leveling or liquid floor. For an apartment of 40 square meters it takes an average of 15-20 bags (25 kg), with a price per bag of 220 rubles it comes out to +-4000-6000 rubles. The process of pouring such compositions is very simple: mix the composition with water using a drill in the amount indicated on the bag, and pour it onto the floor so that the mixture is distributed over the floor in approximately equal proportions. After this, we roll the filled part with a needle roller, mix the next solution and pour it further, rolling it again with a needle roller, and repeat this until the floor is completely filled. When working, it is necessary to maintain uniform mixing proportions, since with different densities the solution will spread differently and differences may appear after drying. A needle roller is exactly what is needed to ensure that the mixture is distributed evenly over the floor. Setting occurs on average within a day, in damp rooms up to 2-3 days. After drying, as a rule, there are small differences of 1-2 mm here and there, which are tightened using the rule. At the point of difference, pour a little solution and, using the rule, pull the solution along the floor until completely leveled; if necessary, remove the remainder of the solution using a spatula.

With a floor difference of 1-3 cm

Alignment is done using leveler for floor , couplersfor the floor, you can also tile adhesive , with the help beacons. The leveler, glue and screed are sold in any hardware store, the weight of the bags is 25 kg, the screed is a little cheaper around 150 rubles, the leveler is 160-170 rubles. The screed fraction is a little larger, but, to be honest, this has virtually no effect on the work. If the floor is reinforced with mesh, then the mesh must be laid out in front of the beacons, the beacons are placed on top, on the mesh. Beacons come in 6 and 10 mm wide and 3 m long. We set up beacons:

1. Find the highest point in the room and set the first beacon based on this height. The mixture I use to place the beacon is 50% of any tile adhesive + 50% of any plaster (usually rotgypsum). This composition sets within 15-30 minutes, which is enough to set up 2-3 beacons. for longer setting I use rotgypsum or similar plaster composition, here the setting time of the solution is about 40 minutes. Glue and plaster are added to a container with water and mixed with a mixer until a thick, homogeneous composition (very thick sour cream).

Checking the exposed beacon

2. Apply the mixture to the floor, with splashes, after 20-40 cm, along the length of the beacon, place the beacon on the splashes and press it to the floor, leveling it at the same time. Considering that at the top point of the floor the beacon should lie almost completely on the floor, this will avoid an extra layer and, as a result, unnecessary costs for material and work. The first beacon is usually placed 15-20 cm from the wall along the length of the room. Next, if necessary, they place a second and third beacon, and so on until the end of the room. It turns out to be such a straight line of beacons.

Having set the beacons, we also check the level.

The bubble should be in the center

3. Parallel to it, by the width of the level or rule, we retreat the distance, and set up the next line of beacons, while also checking all the beacons according to the level. When the second line is finished, we set the third, etc.

4. When the beacons are set, we begin to fill the floor. We begin to fill the floor from the far end of the room to the exit. Pour the leveler or screed into a bucket of water in the ratio indicated on the bag, since the ratio is different for each solution. Mix with a mixer, after which the solution is poured between the beacons, the rule is placed on the beacons, and the solution is leveled, pulling it towards you. So gradually fill the entire floor. The next day, when the screed has set, we stretch it with a rule along the screed (with its sharp edge), removing all irregularities, protrusions, etc. After which we again remove all the debris and prime it.

Filling the floor with tile adhesive

5. If necessary, for perfect alignment, the floor is covered once again (possibly twice) with self-leveling floor, as a rule. That is, the solution liquid , self-leveling floor, possibly liquid tile adhesive pour it out onto the floor in small portions and stretch it along it as a rule. In this way, you can achieve a perfectly flat surface.

6. The floor dries within 5-10 days. It is recommended to spill it with water or cover it with polyethylene.

Another way, few people know, is how to place plaster beacons. It is suitable for both floors and walls.

Plaster beacons , are good because they allow you to save a lot on material and, accordingly, time spent on work. The fact is that store beacons (galvanized) are at least 6 mm wide, that is, when you install them, your floor fill height is already at least 6 mm, and a plaster beacon can be made up to 2-3 mm. They do it like this;

we find the top point of the floor, mix the plaster to the consistency of sour cream (Perfix assembly adhesive is better suited, it is used to cover seams in drywall, but other plasters can be used), apply the plaster to the floor in a straight line, about 5 cm wide, starting from the top point, We apply the 27*28 profile with the stiffening ribs up and press it into the plaster line along the level so that the profile at the top point practically touches the floor, remove the mortar that has come out from under the profile with a spatula. If the lighthouse needs to be extended, then the mixture is applied further, the next profile is laid, pressed in level, etc. The result should be a straight line of profiles at one level. Now parallel to this line a little wide less rule make the next line at the same level as the first, etc. After the plaster has set, the profile is removed, leaving plaster beacons along which the floor is poured. In order for the solution to set faster, you can add a little tile glue (setting occurs in 10-20 minutes, depending on how much glue is added).