Smooth white ceiling is considered by the pros as the most basic indicator of a flawlessly executed repair. Of course, I mean, who has not experienced the trends of modern fashion with its inherent complications, such as multi-level and rejection white... Making a ceiling screed is a laborious task, but quite doable, and all work can be done independently.

The use of plaster or leveling compound, especially in rooms with low ceilings, where the possibilities for creating suspended structures are limited, allows you to "save" the height of the room, and the use of natural materials makes the ceiling breathable.

The preparatory stage of work includes thorough cleaning of the ceiling surface from layers of old coatings, peeling plaster. It is also required to determine the largest height difference. It should not exceed 50 mm if the ceiling screed is supposed to be made using leveling compounds.

With small (up to 5 mm) differences, it will be enough to use leveling putties. On construction market you can find a fairly large assortment of putties that can be applied in a thick layer. The putty is applied to, and after drying, it is treated with fine-grain sandpaper.

But with a difference of more than 20 mm, it is necessary to use a reinforcing mesh and then work with plaster. Painting (serpyanka) and metal grid... Serpyanka is glued to the ceiling with glue. PVA is most often used. All seams should also be covered with mesh. You can also find self-adhesive serpyanka on sale. To fix the metal mesh, staples or nails with wide heads are used. Such a mesh is used if it is necessary to apply a layer of plaster of more than 50 mm. Before plastering, the surface must be primed, for example with concrete contact. Among modern materials, allowing to eliminate significant differences can be noted, for example, a mixture of "Rotband".

Alignment quality control is carried out different methods... You can use beacons, which are often used as nails. They are driven in in such a way that the hats lie in the same plane, and along a thin rope or thread stretched between them, they equal the ceiling, filling the gap between the thread and the surface with plaster.

Another way is to use a water level. In essence, such a level is two communicating vessels filled with water. Applying level tubes in different places, assess the degree of leveling of the surface. More modern method- use of laser marking. With this device, you can mark both vertical and horizontal lines.

After waiting for the allotted time, a layer of leveling putty is applied over the dry plaster. Then they are primed and painted, if this option is chosen final finishing... As a primer, you can take the same paint, diluted with a thinner indicated in the instructions for use, by 20 percent. If you decide to use a primer, then it is better to take it together with paint from the same manufacturer.

The concrete subfloor is currently perhaps the most widespread both in residential and industrial construction. It is suitable for almost any topcoat or, after appropriate processing, can be used independently. Its main advantages, subject to the casting technology, are high strength, resistance to destruction, durability of use. It is not surprising that when conducting private construction or when renovating an apartment, in the overwhelming majority of cases, homeowners choose exactly this technology for arranging the floor.

Is it worth inviting construction specialists, or is a do-it-yourself concrete floor screed quite an affordable process for the average home owner? This publication is devoted to the answers to these questions.

Types of concrete floor screeds

Concrete floor screeds may have different design, be performed using slightly different technologies and intended for different purposes.

• So, they can serve exclusively for leveling the floor, performed before installing the topcoat. Powerful screeds serve as a reliable base in rooms where increased mechanical stress is required. they can also perform the functions of ensuring the required thermal balance, acting, for example, powerful batteries heat in systems of "warm floor". Communication systems are often closed with ties. Can they are used and in order to create a certain slope in those rooms where it is needed.
• Concrete screeds differ in the number of layers:

- They can be single-layer, that is, poured simultaneously to the entire design height. This is usually used in production, household or utility non-residential premises, where there are no increased requirements for the evenness of the floor.

- Multi-layer screeds are poured in several stages. Typically, the first layer serves as a rough base, while the top creates a level surface for further flooring work. This approach is also used in cases where the total thickness of the required screed reaches too large sizes, and it is more expedient to perform it layer by layer.

• The screeds also differ in the degree of adhesion to the base:

- The bonded screeds have direct contact with the base. Of course, with such a pouring technology, the maximum homogeneity of materials and their high adhesion to each other should be ensured. Such coatings are characterized by good strength properties in terms of withstanding high mechanical loads. However, the condition of the surface layer will largely depend on the moisture level of the substrate. Such screeds are mainly performed on dry floor slabs on the floors of buildings.

- In the event that the base does not have sufficient waterproofing, a dividing layer sleep screed is used. A layer of waterproofing material (roofing material, polymer film, coating composition) becomes an obstacle to moisture penetration from below, and the screed itself does not have contact with the base. With this technology, the layer of the mortar to be poured cannot be less than 30 mm and, as a rule, needs reinforcement.

A similar technology is often used when installing a screed on the ground, for example, in garages, sheds, basements, on the first floors of houses without basements. They also resort to it in rooms with a high level of humidity.

- Where reinforced thermal insulation of the floor is required or there is a need for sound insulation, floating screeds are used. In this case, a concrete solution is poured over a layer of insulation of one type or another. The screed turns into completely independent design- a slab that is not connected either with the base or with the walls of the room. Minimum thickness fill in this case - not less than 50 mm, and the reinforcement of the screed becomes a prerequisite.

The moisture content of such a screed is absolutely independent of the state of the base, a good insulation and effect is achieved. Disadvantages - excessively large thickness, and therefore the load on the floor. Usually, such screeds are used only on the first floors of residential or auxiliary buildings, especially if the filling is carried out on the ground.

• Screeds can be performed with a homogeneous solution or include certain fillers:

- The addition of a cement-sand mortar of expanded polystyrene chips significantly increases the thermal insulation qualities of the coating.

Typically, such screeds require a second, reinforcing and leveling layer.

- Where screeds of large thickness or with increased thermal insulation qualities are required, expanded clay is added to the concrete solution.

Expanded clay concrete has sufficient strength, but for the flooring of some coatings, it will also be necessary to pour the face layer from a conventional solution. And here ceramic tiles it will be quite possible to lay directly on such a base.

Screeds with micro-reinforcement show good performance fiberglass... This technology makes it possible to dramatically increase the strength of the coating to mechanical stress, tension, bending.

Such screeds usually do not crack, they are less susceptible to shrinkage during solidification, and they have less dust formation. They are great for underfloor heating systems.

• the floor can be made according to the classic, "wet" technology, or semi-dry. Semi-dry screed is a relatively new business, and not all yet ready to try it out in practice. In addition, it requires special professionalism in the preparation of the mortar mixture, in laying out, compacting and leveling the mortar. Most home builders prefer to use the proven "wet" technology, which will be discussed later in the article. However, if you are limited in time, consider inviting specialists for laying a semi-dry screed. When choosing a contractor, pay attention to the technology used - the presence of a mechanized supply of the composition will ensure cleanliness in the apartment. For example, laying a semi-dry screed along the latest technology deals with the company "EUROSTROY 21 VEK" (company website www.prestigehouse.ru).

Solutions for pouring concrete screed

It is quite natural that, if necessary, pouring a concrete screed, first of all, you will need to decide on the type of solution. In this matter, some options are possible.

According to the existing SNiP canons, the minimum strength of the usual concrete screed, regardless of the type of its further facing, must be at least M-150 (the coating can withstand a force of 150 kg / cm²). If used self-leveling jellied composition, here the requirements are even higher - from M-200. In accordance with these requirements, the solution must be selected.

1. The "classic" concrete mortar used for pouring a conventional floor screed is a cement-sand mixture in a ratio of 1: 3. This "recipe" is time-tested and fully justifies itself. However, there are several nuances, without which you can easily spoil the future screed:

• For the preparation of concrete, you can not use the usual "washed" river sand that has not undergone special processing. The frozen surface will not differ in strength, it will begin to crumble over time, crumble and crack. The fact is that the grains of sand have outlines smoothed from prolonged exposure to water, failing to provide adequate clutch. In this regard, quarry sand is much better, with its faceted grains of sand. irregular shape... True, when choosing, you need to carefully look so that it does not come across a large number clay inclusions - this will also reduce the strength of the screed.

The presence of a small amount of the gravel component of the fine fraction will not affect the strength properties of the screed. However, if a flat surface is required, it will be necessary to sift the sand through a sieve.

• Highly important condition the strength and durability of the poured screed becomes an optimally selected amount of water. It's no secret that some novice home builders, trying to make it easier for themselves to work on pouring and leveling concrete, use an excess amount of water, getting semi-liquid, easy spreading solution. By doing this, they lay a "delayed-action mine" - at the exit the screed will not have the required qualities.

First, an overly liquid solution will definitely shrink when it cures. A flat surface, in accordance with the set level, in this case should not be expected. And secondly, a violation of the cement-water balance will necessarily reduce the strength properties of the hardened concrete. The surface is loose, unbound, with increased dust formation.

There are, of course, specially amounts of water in concrete solution, but they are usually adhered to by the technologists of enterprises for the production reinforced concrete structures and large mortar units.In home construction, they often rely on their own experience, intuition and common sense... In addition, it is very difficult to accurately calculate the amount of water and the fact that it largely depends on the moisture content of the filler. The sand can be wet, heavy - and this is also water, which will participate in the process of preparing the solution.

Ideally, the concrete solution should turn out to be dense, but plastic enough, so that when it is poured and leveled, no air voids remain in the floor. You can roughly focus on the following ratio - a liter of water per five kilograms of cement-sand dry mix.

It is important to choose the right "golden mean" so that the solution is both dense and plastic

It is very difficult to qualitatively mix the screed solution by hand, using a shovel. It is better to use a concrete mixer or a construction mixer of sufficiently high power for this. First, the dry components are mixed in the desired ratio (you can - with a little moisture), and then very carefully, in portions, add water.

An important condition for the quality of the future concrete screed is the purity of the water. It is forbidden to use industrial water containing fats, oils, oil residues, etc. Also, you can not use dirty oily containers to carry water to the place of mixing concrete.

2. The modern assortment of building materials on sale makes it possible to significantly simplify the process of pouring the screed. For these purposes, ready-made dry building mixtures can be used.

Compared to using the usual cement-sand mixture, this technology has whole line advantages:

• In terms of strength and other performance indicators, screeds made from ready-made mixtures are in no way inferior to ordinary concrete, and can even surpass it in a number of parameters.
• To prepare the solution, you do not need powerful equipment or hard manual labor - a mixer or even a powerful electric drill (perforator) with an appropriate attachment is enough.
• In principle, there are no problems with the dosage of components - everything is already provided for by the manufacturer, and the master only has to strictly follow the instructions for preparing the solution.
• Many mortars made from such mixtures are significantly lighter, which reduces floor loading, reduces transportation costs and makes it easier to lift materials to floors.

• It is possible to select the right composition for specific operating conditions. So, there are solutions for rough or leveling screeds, for the "warm floor" system and for rooms with high humidity... The special plasticizers or microfibers added to their composition not only increase the strength characteristics of the coating, but also reduce the time for complete curing of the screed, reducing the overall duration of construction work.
• What is very important for beginners is that working with such formulations is simple and does not require particularly high skills. The main thing is to follow the recommendations for pouring technology, which are necessarily attached to any batch of material.

All this will be true only if a high-quality dry mixture is purchased. Alas, there are a lot of fakes or low-grade mixtures on the building materials market in this segment. It is best to choose formulations from reputable manufacturers, be sure to check the certificate so as not to run into counterfeit products. It is also important to check the shelf life of the material - it is limited, and an expired mixture can significantly lose its qualities.

The only drawback of this approach to filling the screed is that the price for it may turn out to be slightly higher than with self-production solution. Well, convenience and quality come at a price.

Prices for various types of screeds and self-leveling floors

Screeds and self-leveling floors

Surface preparation for pouring concrete screed

The surface for pouring the screed is prepared in different ways, based on the conditions:

• If the floor will be laid on the ground, for example, in a private house without a fall or basement, then the work is carried out in following sequence:

- The soil is selected to a depth of 500 mm.

A pillow of sand, 100 mm thick, is poured, carefully rammed. A gravel layer is poured over it in the same way.

- Rough pouring with concrete is made with the addition of expanded clay to a height of 150 — 200 mm - for thermal insulation of the floor surface.

- After the base has solidified, it must waterproof- roofing material or dense plastic wrap to exclude the ingress of ground moisture from below. Waterproofing material must go out on the walls on a height slightly higher than the height of the planned screed. If necessary, it will be possible to fill in another layer of insulation from above, and then fill in the reinforced finishing screed.

• In apartments, first of all, it is necessary to remove the old screed. This is done for several reasons:

- At first, old screed does not guarantee integrity, since it can peel off, crack, and these deformations will be transmitted to the newly poured layer.

- Secondly, do not forget about the maximum permissible loads on the floor slabs. So, in serial high-rise buildings of an old building, the permissible load of about 400 kg per square meter is static and 150 kg is dynamic. And the west of one square meter concrete screed, 50 mm thick is approaching 100 kg. Therefore, all work related to the thickening of the screed will have to be coordinated with the design organizations, and it is far from a fact that such a permit will be obtained.

- And thirdly, the height of the canvases in apartments is usually not so significant that one could afford to greatly raise the floor level.

The old screed is dismantled with a hammer drill, but very carefully to prevent destruction or damage to the floor slab. The remains of chipped concrete are removed, and then a thorough cleaning and dust removal of the surface is carried out.

• If a connected screed is planned, then it is necessary to thoroughly clean the existing grooves, cut cracks or cracks to a width of at least 5 mm so that the concrete solution can freely penetrate into them when pouring.
• If the screed is floating or on a separating layer, then all flaws must be repaired immediately. Do not leave voids under a layer of waterproofing - condensation can accumulate there, and these areas of high humidity are likely to become a "problem area".

Sealing of defects is carried out with a repair compound, epoxy putty or ordinary concrete mortar. In the case of large defects, polyurethane foam can sometimes be used.

The corners between the walls and the floor are especially carefully checked and repaired - water from the concrete solution when pouring the screed can penetrate deep into the ceiling or even leak to the neighbors below.

• Then, in any case, the floor surface should be treated with a penetrating primer. Such a measure will additionally remove dust from the surface of the slab and improve its adhesion to the poured concrete. In addition, the overlap will not actively absorb moisture from the solution. This is extremely important. Lack of water in the raw concrete layer adjacent to the base will lead to incomplete maturation of the cement stone, the screed will flake off or and collapse under even not the most significant loads.

The soil is poured over the surface in strips and spread evenly with a roller. V hard-to-reach places, for example, in the corners, it is better to use a brush.

• An elastic damper tape is glued along the perimeter of the walls. It will compensate for expansion of the concrete screed, which will prevent deformation or cracking. In addition, the screed should under no circumstances come into contact with vertical structures, be they walls, partitions or columns.

• If the screed is on a separating layer, then at first the entire surface of the overlap is covered with a dense polyethylene film, at least 0.2 mm thick. The strips are laid with an overlap of at least 100 mm. The joints must be glued with waterproof construction tape. It is necessary to try very carefully to lay the film in the corners, so as not to form strong jams and folds - there may be air "pockets". The edges of the film on the walls should be 5 ÷ 10 mm higher than the planned screed - then it will be easy to cut them off.

Schematically - waterproofing film and damping tape for screed on the separating layer

After the polyethylene has been laid, the damper tape is glued in the same way as mentioned above.

Beacon system and reinforcement

In order to achieve the horizontal screed and its required height, it is necessary to create a system of beacons along which the leveling of the concrete solution will be carried out.

Definition of zero level

It is very good if the farm has or has the opportunity to take it from friends. In this case, the work will be much easier - it will be much easier to beat off the horizontal stripes on the walls and control the level of the guides.

If this is not possible, then no worse can be set up beacons using water and conventional building level.

The water level consists of two cylindrical transparent vessels with the same scale applied, connected by a long elastic thin hose. According to the physical law of communicating vessels, the liquid level in them is always at the same height from the horizon. Thus, having made one mark at a certain level, it is possible to transfer it with high accuracy to other surfaces within the length of the flexible hose.

Begin marking by determining the zero level of the future screed. To do this, first of all, you need to draw a base horizontal line. This is done as follows:

• The estimated highest corner of the room is visually determined. On the wall in this corner, a mark is made at an arbitrary height. It is better, of course, to make it so that it is as convenient as possible to work, for example, one and a half meters from the floor.

• With the help of the water level, this mark is transferred to all walls of the room. The distance between the risks should allow you to connect them with a line using the existing ruler (you can use a long building level or a clean rule).
• The drawn line should go along the entire perimeter of the room and close at one point - this will indicate the correctness of the measurements.
• Measurements are made from the applied baseline to the floor surface. Measurement points are usually every 0, 5 m... it is imperative to ensure that the measurement is carried out strictly vertically. The values ​​obtained must be written down (on a piece of paper or even on the wall with a pencil).

The point of measurement, which will give the minimum height of this distance, will correspond to the very high site grounds.

• The thickness of the future screed is subtracted from the obtained value at the highest point (minimum - 30 mm). For example, the minimum height is 1420 mm. We subtract the thickness of the screed (30 mm) and we get 1390 mm. This is the distance from the plotted reference line to zero.
• Now it will be easy to draw the entire line of the zero level around the perimeter of the room - for this you need to measure the obtained value from the base down, mark the points and connect them with a straight line. To simplify the work, you can make a rail - a template and quickly transfer the marks from the baseline. After connecting them, the main line of the zero level will be obtained.
• In construction practice, it is rare, but it still happens when the floor level in the center of the room is slightly higher than that of the walls. This should be checked by pulling the cord to zero level between opposite walls and measuring the height from it to the floor. This check should be done in several places. In the case when it is revealed that there is a hill in the center, it will be necessary to displace zero level upwards so that the minimum permissible screed thickness is ensured over the entire area of ​​the room.

Marking for the beacon system

It is advisable to make markings for beacons and guides immediately after breaking the zero level, guided by the following principles:

• The orientation of the guides should correspond to the intended direction of the most convenient filling of the screed. This is usually done along the room, from the far wall towards the exit.
• It happens that, due to the complexity of the configuration of the room, it will be necessary to change the direction of the fill in a certain area. This should also be taken into account immediately when marking the beacon lines.
• The distance between the wall and the parallel guide closest to it is usually maintained no more than 250 - 300 mm. If you leave it large, then a poorly aligned area or even a failure may form along the wall, which will require additional intervention later.

• The distances between adjacent guides are not particularly regulated... The main thing is that the rule for leveling installed on them protrudes from both sides by about 200 mm. You should not spread the guides too far - in the center between them, after the shrinkage of the hardened concrete, rather large gaps may appear.
• I distribute the guide lines across the width of the room, usually at the same distance from one another.

How beacons and zero guides are set

Previously, for the beacon system, various materials at hand were used as guides, for example, wooden blocks or unnecessary pipes. Today, metal profiles are mainly used for these purposes.

• So, galvanized U-shaped profiles from plasterboard systems show themselves very well. They are resistant to deflection and create a reliable "rail" for rule work.
• Plaster profiles are very popular, although they are not without some disadvantages. They have a stiffening rib, but on long stretches they can still bend when working as a rule, so when using them, the number of support points must be increased.
• In some cases, you can do without using profiles altogether.

There are many ways to install a beacon, and it is impossible to consider everything. Let us dwell on just a few of them.

• One of the most accurate and uncomplicated ones is using self-tapping screws.

- At the far end of the room, at a distance of 250 - 300 mm from the corner between the opposite walls, a strong cord is stretched strictly at the zero level (for example, a fishing line or a thick nylon thread). It is important to stretch it to the maximum so that there is no sagging in the center.

- At the intersection of the line of the extended cord with the line closest to the wall, directing to semi drilled a hole where a plastic dowel is hammered and a self-tapping screw is screwed in. With the help of a screwdriver, it is screwed in so that the top edge of its head exactly coincides with the zero level.

- A similar operation is repeated in the opposite, closest to the exit, side of the room.

- Two self-tapping screws, defining the line of the guide, are connected together with a tightly stretched cord, so that it passes along the top of their caps.

- On this segment, holes are marked and drilled for dowels, distributing them evenly so that an interval of 350 ÷ 400 mm is maintained between them.

- Self-tapping screws are screwed into the dowels until their caps coincide with the stretched cord. It is imperative that a check is carried out using the building level - if necessary, the required adjustments can be made.

- In the same way, a line of self-tapping screws is made on the opposite guide, and then on the intermediate ones. In this case, the check should be carried out in all directions - longitudinal, transverse and diagonal.

- After all the lines have reached the same zero level, the stretched cords are removed. A thick concrete solution is prepared. It is laid out in small slides along the line of screwed in self-tapping screws. Then a U-shaped profile is put on top and pressed into the solution. The transverse flange of the profile should rest against the head of the self-tapping screw. It is important that the profile "sits" evenly on both sides, without distortions.

Installation and fixing metal profiles- guides

- After the mortar has set and securely fixes the profiles in the installed position, you can proceed to pouring the screed.

With plaster profiles it turns out to be somewhat more complicated - it is more difficult to fix them on the heads of the screws. For these purposes, special fasteners can be used - "ears" which are put on self-tapping screws, and their petals are squeezed side shelves profile.

Video: placing beacons using screws and fasteners- " eared»

Another subtlety is that the plaster profiles also have their own height, and this must also be taken into account when setting the self-tapping screws to the zero level.

In addition, much more solution for fixing will be required - flesh to the point that I resort to laying out even a solid shaft into which the profile is embedded with an emphasis on the caps of the screws.

• Some craftsmen are accustomed to do without metal profiles at all.

— Exposed self-tapping beacons they tied with a thin wire, thereby creating a kind of reinforcement cage... Then a slightly excessive amount of solution is laid out along the entire line, so that the resulting shaft is slightly above the zero level.

- When the mortar begins to set, a guide plane is formed. Using the rule, the upper edge of this shaft is compared and smoothed down to the caps of the screws.

- After hardening, excellent guides will be obtained, along which it is quite possible to work as a rule, and then they will enter the structure of the poured screed.

• If the screed is made on the wall, then the self-tapping method becomes inapplicable - it is impossible to break the tightness of the film, and in addition, there should be no rigid adhesion of the new screed to the base. In this case, you will have to tinker more, laying out the slides of the solution and precisely inserting the guides at the zero level along the stretched cords.

To speed up the readiness of the lighthouse system, tile glue is often used instead of the usual solution - its curing time is much shorter. But gypsum compositions are unacceptable. Firstly, they practically do not shrink, unlike cement ones. Secondly, gypsum compositions have completely different indicators of water absorption, adhesion, strength, plasticity, etc. We can say with absolute certainty that there will be bumps on the screed in the places where the lighthouses are located.

Nuances of screed reinforcement

Of course, this measure is useful, especially with thick screeds. Used for this, most often, a metal mesh made of galvanized steel wire with cells from 50 to 100 mm - it can be purchased ready-made in stores. Only when placing it, very many make a serious mistake.

If you look at the numerous photographs on the Internet, you can see on them the mesh laid directly on the floor slab or on the waterproofing layer. There are many doubts about the usefulness of such reinforcement. Ideally, for the reinforcement belt to play its role, it should be located in the thickness of the mortar to be poured, approximately in the middle of the screed height.

For this, you can purchase special polymer coasters. However, it will not be t ore to make supports from wire or even raise the mesh on the lining from pieces of broken tiles or fragments of an old concrete screed. Under no circumstances should wooden linings be used.

Obviously, it is necessary to install the reinforcing grid before setting the guides. Most often, the installation of a system of beacons and fittings is carried out in parallel, and the mesh can also be fixed on those slides of cement into which metal profiles are embedded.

Filling the screed

Oddly enough, but the process of pouring the screed itself looks in the line of all technological operations probably the most uncomplicated. If all preparatory work done correctly, then this stage of complexity will not present.

• For normal pouring and hardening of the screed, the optimum temperature is from 15 to 25 degrees. It is allowed to carry out work with more low temperatures(but not lower than +5), but the concrete curing period will increase significantly. In too hot weather, it is also better to refrain from pouring - = upper layer can dry out quickly and crack. Does not like screed and drafts, although completely access fresh air you cannot overlap.
• It is best, of course, to work together - one is preparing the concrete solution, and the second is directly pouring and leveling the screed. The technology of mixing the solution has already been described above.
• Work is carried out from the far corner of the room, gradually moving towards the exit. It is necessary to try to fill it within one working day - so the screed will be as homogeneous and durable as possible. If for some reason this is not possible, then the floor surface is divided into sections in advance (they are called fill cards) with the installation of jumpers between them.
• in an excess amount, spreads it between the guides, so that its layer is 15 - 20 mm above the zero level. Initial distribution is carried out with a trowel or shovel. It is imperative to watch out so that there is no empty seats- this often happens under the guides, under the rods fittings or in the corners. It is necessary to achieve maximum compaction of the concrete solution, the release of air bubbles from it. To do this, you can carry out "bayonetting" - the solution is pierced with a shovel or trowel before leveling.
• Further, on on the governing rules are established. With translational and transverse zigzag movements, the solution is leveled to the level of the guides, so that an even smooth surface is obtained.

If the sand has not been sifted and large fragments (pebbles or shells) remain in it, then certain difficulties may arise - these inclusions can leave furrows and you will have to suffer a lot, removing them and smoothing out irregularities in order to bring the surface to an ideal state.

Concrete mortar added as needed, so that work goes on continuously. Excess mortar at the end of filling the room is carefully removed.

Video: an illustrative example of pouring a screed over lighthouses

After the filling is finished, you need to foresee measures excluding accidental entry of people or pets into the premises during the first 5 - 7 days. In order for the ripening process to go effectively, the surface must be moistened daily (starting from the second day) with water, keeping it moist. In case of intense heat, it makes sense, after the initial setting, to cover it with a film, in order to avoid drying out.

If an ordinary sand-cement mortar was used, then the readiness of the screed with the operational one can be said no earlier than after 3 weeks. When using dry building mixtures terms may be different - they must be indicated in the attached instructions.

After the screed is ready, it is checked for evenness and surface quality. To do this, set a rule on the embedded guides and measure the resulting gap in the center. There is no getting away from concrete shrinkage, and if the gap does not exceed 1 - 2 mm, then it will be within the normal range.

Often, a thin-layer composition is poured over the screed to make the surface perfectly smooth. However, this is already a topic for separate consideration.

During the production renovation works in houses with tattered ceilings, the owners often face the question of how best to repair such a ceiling, because the whitewash and clay seem to have outlived theirs and they want to give the room more modern design... In such a situation, the most effective way is a plasterboard ceiling, with its help you can close an unreliable clay base, creating a springboard for your creative experiments. But sometimes this method is not affordable for everyone, and it is not always relevant. For example, if we are talking about country house invest big finances in interior decoration not always advisable. In such a situation, the most suitable option- is to make a screed directly on the shingle. It will be at least twice cheaper than the option plasterboard ceiling, and better than just fake flaws and whitewash in the "old-fashioned" way.

Shingle ceiling screed includes several operations:

1. Wash off old whitewash ... This requires a bucket of warm water, a brush and a certain amount of zeal. The work is best done from a specially prepared "goat", quite old will do kitchen table... The stepladder in such work is very inconvenient, since it does not give the opportunity to put a bucket of water next to it, and it must be often rearranged.
2. Removing loose clay fragments... In the course of washing the whitewash with a small hard spatula, check all unreliable fragments of the ceiling - everything that "moves" must be cleaned off.
3. Surface priming... For this operation, deeply penetrating soil is suitable, while the primer does not need to be saved, it should saturate the ceiling surface well.
4. Leveling the ceiling, gluing the paint net... After the primer has completely dried, using a drill with a nozzle, or manually, mix the starting putty solution - rotband or isogypsum is quite suitable. Then, using a wide spatula, apply the resulting mixture to the surface of the ceiling, leveling it. Immediately glue a 5x5 mm painting mesh onto the damp putty, leveling it with a spatula.
5. Finishing putty... After the starting layer has completely dried (at least a day), we produce finishing putty ceiling. For this, the same inexpensive satengips or vetonite is suitable. Putty should be done in at least two layers, and the previous layer should be allowed to dry well before applying the next one.
6. Grinding, painting... After the finishing layer of the putty has completely dried, it must be sanded with painting sandpaper and then painted. Better to use water-based paint, which we apply with a roller.

In this article on the site, we will consider how to properly make a floor screed with your own hands in an apartment, you can watch a step-by-step video of pouring the screed, respectively, when self-fulfillment of all instructions, you can reduce the cost of the work performed as a whole.

Let's find out what a screed is - it is nothing more than a floor layer (base) on which the finish is laid flooring: laminate, linoleum, tiles, etc. The type and further operation of your flooring will depend on the quality of the screed.

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Screed types

Floor screed in an apartment can be of two types:

1. Monolithic is cement-sand, gypsum (anhydrite), self-leveling, etc.
2. Dry or prefabricated from building boards.

The screed must be selected depending on the room. In rooms with high humidity (bathrooms and kitchens), plaster and prefabricated screeds must not be used.

Preparatory work

After you have decided what kind of floor screed you will do, you need to prepare the base for pouring. To do this, it is necessary to remove the old floor covering and all peeled parts of the base and preferably vacuum to remove dust from the surface.

Then we cover the base with a primer for better adhesion (Betokontakt is ideal, but a cheaper one is also possible).

For further work, you need to find a zero level. To do this, you need a water level or laser level.

We find the zero level at once for all premises of the apartment. To do this, at a height of about 1-1.5 m from the floor, put a mark in an arbitrary place and then transfer the marks to all walls in the apartment using a water level.

You should have marks on all walls in all rooms. These marks need to be connected with straight lines.

Now we measure the distance from the drawn level to the floor. This measurement must be taken in several places on each wall. The smallest value will indicate that the floor is at its maximum height at that location.

Subtract the thickness of the screed from the smallest value and measure the resulting length down from the previously drawn level. After connecting all the newly marked marks, you get a zero level for all rooms. This is the level to which the future screed will be poured.

Please note that the thickness of the floor screed must not be less than 30 mm (with the exception of leveling with self-leveling compounds or leveling agents).

A cement screed is made from one part of cement and three parts of sand. But now there are many ready-made dry mixes that only need to be diluted with water and can be used.

Video: do-it-yourself floor screed step-by-step instructions:

DIY floor screed technology

Floor screed technology in an apartment includes several stages. Roofing tape is glued to the walls from below so that its upper edge is 15 cm higher than your future screed.

Also when detecting through holes and the cracks in the floor, they must be sealed with non-shrinking cement (NSC), so that in the future, when pouring the solution, it does not leak to the neighbors from below.

The next stage of filling is the installation of beacons. All depends on the quality and correct installation of beacons. further work... We use metal T-shaped guides as beacons.

We attach them to the same mortar from which we will make the screed. Laying it out in piles. The first beacon should be 20cm from the wall. Subsequent beacons are installed parallel to each other, at a distance of 30-40 cm less than the length of the rule.

The longer the rule, the smoother the tie will be.

After laying the lighthouses on the piles of mortar, they must be leveled using a level. Alignment should be along the length of the beacon and also between all beacons. As a result, the level in all positions should be at zero.

After leveling, we are waiting for the solution to completely solidify.

After installing the beacons and solidifying the solution, you can proceed directly to pouring the solution. To do this, knead the solution and pour it between two beacons, starting from the far edge.

Then, as a rule, we pull (level) it along the beacons to ourselves. And so on until the entire floor screed is poured. It is better to pour the filling together, since while one levels out, the second at this time kneads the next portion of the solution.

And now you have finished pouring the floor screed, but it's too early to relax. Now it is necessary to create conditions under which it will harden properly.

It takes 24-28 days for the cement to fully harden and gain strength. To prevent the screed from drying out too early, it must be moistened 2-3 times a day. This should continue for about two weeks.

You can also close it with a film, then it will be possible to moisten it as needed.

After 5-8 days, it will be possible to walk on the screed, but it will be completely ready in a month. Acceleration in such matters will not lead to anything good, but on the contrary, you can only spoil all the work done.

Quality checking

After the required time, you can check the quality of the floor screed made.

1. We look visually - it should be a uniform gray color.
2. Then we look at the evenness of the surface. Using the two-meter rule placed on the floor, we check the size of the gap. The gap according to our standards should not exceed 4 mm.
3. The third point is the hardness test. If the screed did not withstand much, then, as already mentioned, it may simply crack. We check for hardness by hitting a hammer on a tangent.

That's all the main points when pouring a floor screed with your own hands. Observing these rules, you can avoid many mistakes, loss of time, and as a result, save your nerves and reduce the cost of apartment renovation.

By the way, information for thinking about the scale of work - for a screed with an area of ​​80 m2, you will need about 100 bags of dry mix.

Video instruction on how to make a floor screed:

If you have any questions, complaints or want to leave your positive feedback, you can do it below! Leave your feedback and suggestions in the comments!

If a man is independent, then this is good, but if he is also constantly learning something new, then this is a godsend for his wife. Not everyone can make a ceiling canopy with their own hands, but everyone can learn this, but for this it is necessary a wish.

If you feel it, then you have come to the right place - here you will find several valuable lessons from experienced master for the home owner.

The most popular ceilings in the house

This article will consider two types of ceiling repairs - these are suspended ceiling plasterboard and leveling (plaster) putty solutions. Also at your service is a video clip that will visually consolidate the knowledge gained.

In view of the fact that it is simply impossible to lay out absolutely all the information about these issues, here are given the basics of these two types of finishes, the use of which will allow you to grow as a master.

Plasterboard ceiling

• To make a ceiling canopy with your own hands, you must you need to learn how to use the water level... This is not difficult, but there is one caveat - given that we will have to put marks under the very ceiling, the plastic cones that are fixed at the ends of the tube will interfere, resting against the ceiling. There are two ways out - put tags 10-15cm below, and then raise them with a tape measure, or simply get rid of the cones which is much preferable.
• So, put the first mark on the wall... Please note that the minimum distance from the main ceiling must be no less than the thickness of the CD profile for the suspended frame, which is 25mm... So if you want to maximize suspended structure, then these numbers will be the limit for you, in addition, the calculation should be made from the lowest point on the main ceiling.

• With help water level(you can also use laser level ) transfer the reference point to all interior and exterior corners of the room. After that, stretch between the marks chokline (paint cord) and beat off the control line, which will indicate the lower plane of the suspension frame.

• When the perimeter is repulsed control line- you can proceed to the installation of the frame, and start with the wall profile UD... You screw it along the reference line so that the lower part of the UD coincides with the line for the reference point. Some UD profiles are available with mounting holes, but if not, do it from a distance. 40-50cm.
• To pin a profile, you can mark places for drilling on the wall through the profile holes, and then make them. But there are more quick way- drill holes in the wall through the profile body. To do this, use a 6mm drill and dowels of the same diameter, and the screw head will still be larger.
• We turn to the marking of the ceiling for suspensions. I want to make a reservation right away that we will not make a cellular frame, but only with transverse profiles - practice shows that it is not inferior in strength to a cellular one, but, at the same time, it saves both time for its installation and financial costs of the material. The drywall sheet is 250cm long, so we will make the markings every 50cm, across the intended direction of the gypsum board.

• On the lines broken off on the main ceiling we install tape hangers on which the profiles will be held CD... The distance between pawns should be no more than 50-60cm, and they need to be installed on two of the same dowels as the profiles UD.

Recommendation. It is very often necessary to install suspensions on the ceiling from concrete slabs that have emptiness in the middle. A regular dowel falls through during installation, so there are two little tricks you can use.

At first, dowels can be purchased with expansion at the inlet to make it wider than the seat.

Secondly, if there are no such dowels, then insert it through the hanger so that the edge lingers on the tape, and then it will not fall through. Optimum screw thickness for 6mm dowel - 4-5mm.

• We continue to install the ceilings in the room with our own hands and go to CD editing... The length of the profile will be equal to the distance between the opposite walls on which the UD minus 5mm... This allowance is necessary to cover the thickness of the wall profile, as well as for ease of installation, so that the CD does not deform. Insert all profiles, but do not screw them on yet.

• To make the ceiling even, you need to align each profile, and this will help nylon thread, stretched under the frame and fixed with self-tapping screws for the lower shelves UD. But the thread will be pulled back by the CD profiles, so they need to be temporarily pulled up with hangers. Bend the middle paw under each CD to raise it above the plane and begin leveling one at a time.

• Profiles for suspensions and between themselves screwed with special screws made of galvanized or oxidized steel for sheet material up to 0.9mm. If you screw on each side of the profile 1 screw, sometimes a backlash remains, therefore, so that the frame does not "rattle", screw in an additional self-tapping screw.

A screw is put on the PH No. 2 nozzle and installed in a horizontal position, but with a 40⁰-45⁰ slope towards the self-tapping screw. If the screw does not fly off in this position, then it will be easy to work with it.

• When the frame is ready, you can proceed to installation of drywall, but do not forget that the room will have lighting and fixtures will most likely be installed on the ceiling. Therefore, you need to do electrical wiring and hide it in a corrugated cable channel, which, in turn, must be attached to the main ceiling.
• For recessed luminaires, as a rule, they do loops on the wire, and you can make them together with the protective hose. When will you need to connect lighting fixture- cut the corrugation together with the wire, and remove the excess pieces of the hose by simply pulling it to the required distance.

• For fixing one plasterboard sheet to the ceiling, about 60 self-tapping screws for metal, 25mm long... They are screwed in at a distance of 30 cm from each other and the screw head must be recessed under the plane of the gypsum board, but without breaking through the paper. To keep the paper intact, use special attachment for drywall with a lampshade that fixes the depth of immersion of the cap.

• You need to lift the drywall sheet together (if there is no special mechanism) so that it does not break, and in this case it is much easier to fix it on the screws. When the GKL is attached to its place, fix its edges and center, and then you can release and tighten with two screwdrivers.

• Please note that the edge of the gypsum board overlaps only half of the CD profile, because the other half will fall on the next. It is especially important to adjust this when installing the first sheet, as the walls can be uneven, so you may need to trim the drywall around the edges of the wall so that it lies correctly.
• V technical rooms sometimes instead of gypsum plasterboard (gypsum plasterboard) they use GVL (gypsum fiber sheet)... By appearance the materials are almost the same, but GVL is made without a cardboard sheath, and its structure is reinforced with reinforcement in the form of fluffed cellulose, waste paper, etc. Its density is much higher and has 1250kg / m 3.
• You can make ceilings from gypsum plasterboard with your own hands in the same way as from ordinary drywall, but the whole question is expediency of use such material. Usually GVL is used for walls, and sometimes for floors.
• During the installation of the gypsum board, do not forget lead out wires for lamps, and if a chandelier is provided in the center of the room, then it must first be installed for it hook or another kind of console.

• The joints between the sheets should be sealed with a fugenfüller or ordinary putty, but at the same time an adhesive is additionally installed perforated tape... The entire surface of the ceiling (not only the joints) should be primed. After the primer has dried, the ceiling is ready for further finishing.

Recommendation. If the ceiling area is large enough, then the gypsum board must be installed in a checkerboard pattern so that there is no continuous joint line. This is especially important in houses near railroad or roads where heavy cars pass, and in order to arrange a seam failure, start mounting every second sheet from half.