How to re-lay a wooden floor in an apartment: a complete replacement of a wooden floor with a step-by-step process. Ways to repair wooden floors in an apartment Convert a wooden floor to concrete in an apartment

Updating or replacing an old, worn floor in an apartment is one of the most time-consuming operations in the overall renovation process. Just imagining the scale and cost of the future, many homeowners very often refuse to repair floors, limiting themselves only to changing decorative coating on them. But time takes its toll, and sooner or later the moment comes when it becomes simply impossible to delay such work.

In this case, it is not at all necessary to immediately look for a team of craftsmen - especially since in such a service sector one can often meet frank "hacks". As a result, everything can result in a completely unnecessary waste of time, nerves and money with a low-quality result. Why not try doing it yourself? If the owner has certain skills in general construction work, and if he does it in the apartment with his own hands in stages, in compliance with the recommended technological rules, then everything should work out!

The stages of repair, of course, depend on the type of floors, their initial condition, the purpose of the premises in which the work is being carried out, and the type of finish. In this publication, several of the most common options will be considered.

The initial stage is to decide on the scope of work

Since the owner of the apartment is thinking about repairing the floor, then, most likely, there are motivating reasons for this, unless, of course, this is a cosmetic replacement of the coating due to another whim of the wife. Therefore, to begin with, it is necessary to identify and clearly formulate problems - the whole scale of further preparatory and repair work.

This publication is about a city apartment, and in the vast majority of multi-storey buildings, any floor has a base in the form of a reinforced concrete floor slab. But here the further design can already differ significantly. The floor can be arranged on logs fixed to the base, or laid directly on a concrete screed.

• The wooden floor on the logs usually begins to show its defects with a creak, instability of the coating - the floorboards “play” underfoot, the appearance of an unpleasant smell of rot, the formation and gradual expansion of cracks. Even worse, if suddenly one of the boards cracks or its fragment falls down.

The dilapidated wooden floor reminds of itself with a creak and "playing" boards

• The old screed, on which the coating is laid, from “old age” can also begin to present surprises, especially if it was once filled with poor quality. So, the appearance of obvious squeaks and rustling from sand or small pebbles, the “floundering” of the screed, the appearance of washed out areas of the surface, the violation of the evenness of the finish coating, and sometimes the obvious instability of the whole large fragment are also not excluded.

In any case, if there are obvious defects, remove the old coating.

Removing the old coating

• All furniture will need to be removed from the room, completely freeing it for further work. If the repair is not carried out in the entire apartment at once, but from room to room, it will be necessary to provide protection against the spread of dust, for example, by covering the entrance with a curtain made of thick polyethylene film or a frequently damp cloth, and covering the gap under the door with a wet rag roller. True, the full effectiveness of this method is very doubtful, and the best option is to provide for the resettlement of family members for the duration of the repair. However, a dust barrier is necessary in any case.
• Next, the old baseboards are removed. Do this carefully so as not to damage the bottom of the walls to which they are attached. If the plinths are supposed to be used further, then they are numbered according to their location and temporarily removed.

If someone has not come across this case before, then we can remind you that the skirting boards are attached to the wall, and not to the floor surface, that is, you need to correctly direct the lever force. It will be easier if the skirting boards are fixed on self-tapping screws or on special brackets.

The next step is actually removing the old coating. There are several options here:

A. If the floor is covered with some roll material, then they hook it on one of the sides and try to carefully roll it into a roll - it will be easier to take it out. In the event that the coating (for example, linoleum or carpet) was once laid without glue, directly on a concrete screed, this will not be difficult to do. You can first, to facilitate the action, make parallel cuts with a sharp construction knife, thereby dividing the entire canvas into several narrower tapes.

But often there are situations in which the old material departs along with the layers of the exfoliated screed. Then you will have to remove it fragmentarily and immediately take it out of the room along with pieces of concrete so that this construction debris does not interfere with further work.

It happens that once high-quality glued linoleum, when removed, begins to delaminate itself, leaving dried layers on the screed. In this case, you will have to work with a scraper (spatula), warming up these areas with a building hair dryer or moistening the old adhesive layer with a solution detergent for floors.

B. More trouble can deliver the old "playing" parquet. If it is of no value, then its dies are sequentially removed, immediately loaded into bags, which are taken out as they are filled. If the parquet was once glued to bituminous mastic or organic-based glue, then the removal of individual dies or even entire fragments can be difficult. The "recipe" is the same - a scraper, a chisel and heating with a hair dryer.

IN. To remove the old tile, it is most convenient to use a puncher switched to chiseling mode with a chisel-shovel installed. If such a tool is not available, then everything is done manually, using a hammer and chisel.

G. When stripping a plank floor, the hardest part is probably picking up and separating the first floorboard. Further, when it will be possible to freely start the lever, the work will go faster. For work, you will need a nail puller with a long lever handle, a hammer, and pliers. You need to try to take out the nails carefully, without destroying the boards, since, quite possibly, this material will still serve for a new flooring after repairs or for making logs.

If the old coating was fastened with screws (self-tapping screws), then you can try to dismantle it with a screwdriver.

Well, if the plank coating is no longer of any value, then it will be most convenient to make cuts using a manual vertical circular (carefully and prudently so as not to hook the concrete base, not damage the logs and not “run into” a nail). After such a separation of long floorboards, their removal will be an easy task.

Is it worth removing the entire plank flooring if obvious defects were observed only in certain areas, and there are no plans to replace it with a different type of surface finish? Of course, you can limit yourself to only partial repairs - the replacement of worn or deteriorated parts. But experts unanimously advise - shoot everything completely. There is no guarantee that if the decay process manifested itself in one area of ​​​​the floor, then it will not show itself in another in a year, or even earlier. It will be cheaper to renew the base and re-lay the floor, even using old material, than to return to such repairs again after a short period.

Foundation audit

After the floor covering is removed, it is necessary to carefully examine the base.

• If there are logs left on the floor, and it is planned to re-lay the boardwalk, then you should carefully check the condition of these load-bearing elements and the supports on which they are installed. Log beams should not have areas of decomposition, rottenness, fungus damage - such parts are subject to mandatory replacement. Each lag is checked under load - it should not hang out, bend, creak, etc. If necessary, update the linings that hold the guide at the desired height.

If the state of the lag does not cause concern, then after a thorough cleaning in the spaces between them it will be possible to lay a new coating. Perhaps most old floorboards are fine for this. After such a bulkhead, the floor will stop creaking and gain the necessary stability. If required, thermal insulation material can be laid between the lags, which will also take on the role of a sound insulator.

However, on an old wooden floor, very often the logs themselves are quite worn out, and their repair is impossible or does not guarantee durability. In this case, they will have to be dismantled in order to subsequently install new ones. When removing the lag, remember that they can be firmly attached to the base base. It is necessary to exercise accuracy and discretion in order to prevent a strong destruction of the concrete base and not add unnecessary worries to restore it.

After removing the lag, the most thorough cleaning of the base of the floor is carried out so that you can proceed to the next steps.

In the event that, after removing the old topcoat, a concrete screed opens under it, it is most carefully examined. It must be assumed that the concrete is strong in itself, and repair of such a surface is optional.

The screed must be tapped - this will help to reveal areas of its delamination, which must be removed to a “healthy” base. The surface is checked for the presence of loose places, those where, due to a violation of the pouring technology, the solution did not gain strength or was eroded due to moisture. These areas also need to be cleaned.

It should not be left on the surface of large cracks - from here the process of destructuring of the base may continue. Slots and cracks lie cutting in breadth and depth of at least 10 - 15 mm, for subsequent repair.

Sometimes, after removing unstable sections of concrete, a generally unsightly picture opens up, such as, for example, as shown in the photograph. However, it is quite repairable.

After removing defective areas and cutting cracks, a thorough cleaning is carried out. It is best to use a powerful construction vacuum cleaner- by other means it is extremely difficult to qualitatively clean the surface and the resulting cavities from small debris and dust.

Sometimes you have to resort to the complete dismantling of the entire screed to the floor slab. This can be caused by the extremely low quality of the coating, which is impractical to repair, but it is better to refill completely. Often, mold or fungus finds a “shelter” in a screed in damp rooms. Another option is when the floors require additional insulation and sound insulation, and the ceiling height and dimensions doorways in the apartment will not allow to raise the level of coverage (taking into account the thermal insulation layer and finishing). The same measure is resorted to when it is planned to make a wooden floor on logs instead of thin coatings.

A difficult, but often simply necessary operation is the complete removal of the old screed

Of course, the process of completely dismantling the screed using a jacking tool is very tedious, noisy and dusty, but no other way has yet been invented. This requires some care not to damage the concrete floor slab. The screed is cut off in separate pieces, which are immediately raked to the side with a shovel and packed in bags for export. It is not recommended to use even small fragments as a material for filling a new solution, since they will not enhance, but, on the contrary, worsen the quality.

After removing the old screed, a thorough cleaning of the surface is carried out - as described above.

Base surface repair

What was the floor was not planned in the future to the flooring, the concrete base under it must be put in order. So, poorly sealed seams between floor slabs, cracks along the perimeter of walls, potholes or cavities, etc. can be exposed.

Such repairs are necessary even if it is planned to fill in a new solution. The solution may not penetrate into these flaws, there will be air cavities that reduce the solidity of the coating and become the starting point for the destruction of the screed. This is all the more important and mandatory if the screed is to be poured onto a separating layer or onto a waterproofing film (floating screed).

All surface defects must be thoroughly cleaned, if necessary (for example, slab joints) cut, and then remove even the smallest crumbs and dust with a vacuum cleaner.

The next step is to surface thoroughly, at least twice, which is designed specifically for concrete.

Such treatment will significantly strengthen the surface, which is especially important when it is loose, increase the hydrophobic qualities, reduce the absorbency of concrete, and improve adhesion with repair compounds. They proceed to further work after the last applied layer of soil is completely absorbed and dried.

As a repair composition, you can use a conventional cement-sand mortar. However, it dries and gains the necessary strength for a long time, and it is better not to spare money for special repair compounds, also on a cement or epoxy basis.

The primed imperfections of the surfaces are filled as densely as possible with a repair compound, compared with the general level of the floor. To do this, you can use a regular spatula. Some repair compounds are sold in plastic tubes, and it will be more convenient to apply them using a construction syringe or a special “gun”.

If the defect is large in volume, then in some cases it is possible to resort to filling it with mounting foam. After it dries, the excess is cut off, and then this area is brought to the general surface level with a repair staff.

Repair "patches" are given time to completely solidify, in accordance with their instructions, after which you can trim the surface with sandpaper wrapped on a bar. Then it is recommended to walk again over the entire surface with a primer. If an increased absorption of the composition is noted at the repair sites, then primed twice in these areas.

After the soil has dried, the surface can be considered ready for further work.

Leveling screed

If an old screed or wooden floor was removed and the floor slab opened, then most likely its level is very far from the horizontal. The house shrunk over time, and even during its construction many years ago, builders could not really care about the strictly adjusted level of floors. So, what kind of floor was not planned to be done further, it is recommended to strengthen the base and at the same time level it with a screed. The thickness of this poured layer must be at least 30 mm at its highest point.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the magnitude of the difference, that is, to identify the peak, highest and lowest points of the surface and “break through” the line zero level. A system of beacons will be set at this mark.

To fill the screed, you can use the usual cement-sand mortar, which is prepared right at the place of work. Usually they proceed from the proportion of three parts of sand to one of M-400 cement - this ratio gives an optimal surface in terms of strength and wear resistance, on which any of their existing floor coverings can then be mounted.

Those novice builders who do not want to get involved in self-proportioning can be recommended to use ready-made building dry mixes. Their composition is already optimized for the screed, and it remains only to properly close it with water, in accordance with the attached instructions.

How many materials will be needed in one case or another? It all depends on the level of height difference in extreme points, the planned minimum thickness of the screed, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, the features of the solution.

Usually, the packaging of dry building mixtures indicates their normalized consumption in kilograms per 1 square meter area to be poured with a layer thickness of 10 mm. Based on this, it is possible, by simple calculations, to determine the required amount of material.

To make it easier for readers, a calculator is provided that allows you to quickly and accurately make such calculations.

Even well-packed flooring, made of natural wood, needs repair over time. Boards that have become unusable are dismantled, and new elements are installed in their place. In some cases, floor replacement is carried out in wooden house on a concrete screed.

Arrangement of a concrete floor in a wooden building

Also, special attention when repairing the flooring in a wooden house is paid to the lower crown of the log house. The fact is that when there was a need for restoration of the floor, most likely, not only boards, but also logs, as well as crown logs, fell into disrepair. Before you fill the screed, you must definitely change the lower crown. Information on how to replace the floor logs in a wooden house with a concrete base will help you do this work yourself. It is worth noting that it is also often performed replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment, and not just in a private house.

Screed structure

The photo shows that the screed (concrete or cement-sand) resembles a multilayer cake. For high-quality pouring of the mixture, it is necessary to have a “cushion”, and it is desirable to make the lower of the layers from river sand, pouring it with a thickness of at least 20 millimeters.

Before this, a polyethylene film or roofing felt is laid, intended for cut-off waterproofing. The edges of the material should be placed on the walls higher than the future mortar layer. After the replacement of the log in a wooden house with a screed is completed, the excess can be cut off.

Fine-grained gravel or expanded clay is poured over the sand cushion. The second option is more preferable, since a thermal barrier is created, as a result of which the cold coming from the ground does not fall on the cement.

The thickness of this layer depends on the degree of thermal insulation that is required, and on the expanded clay fractions.

Their size can be:

• 5-10 millimeters (small);
• 10-20 millimeters(medium);
• 20-40 millimeters (large).

When the size of the fractions is less than 5 millimeters, such material is called expanded clay sand.

The pillow is considered to be of high quality if the granules overlap each other without gaps. As for expanded clay, which has medium-sized fractions, the height of the backfill layer cannot be less than 50 millimeters, but if necessary, this parameter is increased to the required value.

by the most top layer is a cement mortar - it is poured, focusing on the beacons. When the floor lag is replaced in a wooden house, they proceed to the final finish, mounting the floor covering to choose from: wood, laminate, ceramic tiles, etc.

If it is planned to equip the underfloor heating system, it is better to make the base concrete. True, at home it is not very convenient to knead using crushed stone, so it is changed to screenings. The composition is made in the proportion of 1 kilogram of cement / 5.2 kilograms of screenings.

Filling the screed

If a home craftsman knows how to change the floors in a wooden house to a concrete floor, he must first plan the work. For a multilayer pillow, you need to make a flat surface.

Filling technology provides for a certain sequence of actions:

1. To mark the floor in a room, it is necessary to draw an approximate straight line along the perimeter on the walls at a certain height. To do this, marks are applied in the corners using a level (water or laser). Then they are connected with a masking cord, beating off a line for them. In the future, it is lowered to any height, having previously noted the required distance from the draft base and beat off one more line (more: "").
2. At the next stage, before changing the floors in the house to a screed, a waterproofing material is placed on the ground, running its ends onto the walls, and a layer of necessarily dry sand is poured out. The pillow is leveled relative to the landmark - the line beaten off on the walls of the room, and tamped down.
3. Then a layer of expanded clay of the desired height is poured, trying to ensure that the waterproofing material launched onto the wall does not crumple and remains in the form of a layer. It is necessary that expanded clay is not wet, as it releases moisture slowly. As a result, humid air will be felt in the room for a long time. The location of each layer must be checked against the existing control line.
4. Landmark beacons are mounted on top of the expanded clay pillow using a solution. Their upper edge must correspond to a flat plane in order to ensure the quality of the pouring of the screed. The gap between the beacons-profiles is made approximately 15-20 centimeters less than the length of the rule, which is used when arranging a concrete surface.
5. To level the landmarks, you can use nylon threads by stretching them from wall to wall above the top of the edges. After the installation of the beacons is completed, they are allowed to dry for a day, so as not to knock them off during the pouring process.
6. After 24 hours, begin to equip the screed. Using the rule, the layer of concrete mortar is leveled, making its surface even and smooth.
7. After pouring, the screed should be moistened abundantly. During the week, it is sprayed with water. The concrete floor is covered with polyethylene for 4 days. The room must be kept at a constant temperature and humidity.

It is desirable that the screed array does not come into contact with wood, but with a concrete or stone plinth. But, if it is flooded at the level of the crown logs, then you need to cut off the walls using an edge tape, which will act as a buffer in case of swelling and drying of the wood.

The work related to how to change the logs in a wooden house requires certain skills and therefore not every property owner can handle it. In this case, it is better to use the services professional team builders.

27.06.2018

So. Are you tired of constantly creaking boards under your feet? Do you want to change flooring? Then we will tell you how you can (or even need) to do it yourself. And most importantly, how to make the floor very durable.

First, you must understand that the only thing worse than our old top coat can be what is under it. A place where "no man has set foot" for years. And we urgently need to get to this place. And all because we need to make a new screed, fill the floor with self-leveling mortar. But everything is in order.

For example, consider the option of repairing the floor, performed by one of our acquaintances, who, according to our numerous requests, was not too lazy and made a photo report of the work done.

Dismantling the wooden floor

The first thing we need to come up with is how to rip off the old shriveled massive boards. Of course, only one tool comes to mind. It is called a crowbar or montage.

A metal crowbar, on the one hand, is sharp and bent and has a long lever, which allows you to quickly and easily dismantle material like boards.

Before tearing off the coating, we must inspect everything for the location of pipes, cables and ventilation.

In our case, after inspection, we see that our underground ventilation is closed and it smelled of rot (which the author of these works told us with a fairly understandable facial expression).

Now you can start "lynching" over our coverage. If the boards are very old, then the process of "trepanning" the boards will be quite easy, which is not the case with newer boards, especially fiberboard. Well it is clear…

So, we tore off all the "construction debris", which was attached to the so-called. lags and see what's there? Here to whom as. Someone may find a treasure, but basically we will find pieces of concrete there, mouse waste and other evil spirits that have been stale since the last repair. Our lags, in this case, are not fixed by anything and simply “swing”.

The old screed was made well, "very smoothly." So much so that at the window the slope was from 7 centimeters and about 14 centimeters at the doors. Although it would be correct to slightly raise the logs above the slab (so that they do not rot), or there should be some kind of backfilling with sand or expanded clay. Well, okay. It's time to move on.
To make a new floor of high quality, you will need to completely dismantle the old one, which, in fact, will also level the floor. That is, it is necessary to clean not only the upper layers, but also all the lower ones, up to the concrete partition. In our case, we even had to call a plumber, as there was a bad connection between the pipe and the battery.

Of course, we do not forget during such actions to coordinate the time of repair work with the neighbors from below. Human anger will only hinder us.

After a while, the plumber did his job and there should be no leaks from now on.

The concrete floor has been cleaned of dirt, and after treatment with a primer, you can start leveling and building a new floor.

Floor waterproofing

Again, we warn all neighbors, as they will have to “enjoy” the stinky smell while the mastic dries. For that, it will give us complete waterproofing. We hope it is clear why we need waterproofing. For example, in order not to flood the neighbors from below, when you are flooded from above ...

Our "builder", before making a floor screed, decided to lay additional flexible waterproofing as well. Usually sold in rolls. After we lay and “roll out” the rolls, we seal all joints with liquid mastic.

Floor insulation

This will save us a little amount of screed solution and get rid of unnecessary noise from below. Of course, we will not compare this coating with electric floor heating, but insulation will prevent a lot of heat loss, which makes your floors warm. And safe!

Let's move on to the floor screed device

After the grid has been laid and fixed, we prepare the solution and lay it on the floor. To find out how much mortar can be laid (height of mortar), you need to know the load per 1 square meter. In our case, the calculated load is 400 kg / m2, therefore it was put in a height of 5 cm. Solution.

Constant moisture and dynamic loads sooner or later lead to the fact that wooden floor coverings, common during the initial commissioning country houses, begin to rot, creak and sag.

Concrete is a quality alternative to flooring. Installation concrete base involves the complete removal of the existing floor. Wood fragments are removed; The rotten logs of the building are also subject to removal.

If log logs are in good condition, they can simply be protected from moisture and covered with a layer of coarse sand or fine gravel between all gaps and from above. Replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one, if the logs are irretrievably damaged, suggests. The formation of a concrete screed should involve taking into account the level of flooring.

What is needed to replace the floor in a private house?

Replacing the floor is considered a job that you can handle yourself with minimal building skills. However, this requires the following tools:

• Tools for dismantling old flooring (boards, ceilings, wooden logs): scrap;
• Shovel, trowel;
• Rule, building level, marking crayons and ruler;
• Coating for waterproofing and heat-insulating layer;
• Concrete mortar, expanded clay, sand, fine gravel, stone or slag.

The list of preparatory work before laying the screed will depend on the area of ​​organization of the coating, as well as the depth of the base under the logs. It is recommended to fill the space under the house, which will prevent the rise of moisture and the formation of dampness.

Step-by-step instruction

1. Removing worn-out wood flooring. The process includes the removal of damaged skirting boards, logs (supports), wood structures. Logs suitable for further use can be reinforced with gravel or sand and not dismantled.
2. Next, it is worth cleaning the flooring from dust and debris, as well as laying engineering communications in the insulating gutters: cables, cords, etc.
3. It is necessary to orient with respect to the height of the concrete flooring. Concrete floors in a wooden house should be formed according to the following scheme:

• Initial layer - stone or gravel - 10 cm;
• A layer of coarse sand (fine gravel) - 5 cm;
• Thermal insulation and waterproofing materials- 5 cm;
• Concrete thickness - 10 cm.

To organize additional depth, it is worth removing excess soil. If the niche under the house is more than necessary, it should be additionally covered.

1. Additionally, it is necessary to put a plastic film on top of the sand layer. This will keep moisture out. Both the layer of stones and the layer of sand should be laid evenly. To do this, the material is compacted and a level is used.
2. Concrete laying begins with the division of the room into strips. To do this, use slats, the upper edge of which must correspond to the stretched cords.
3. In a wooden house, concrete floors should be laid from the far corner. At the same time, the coating is covered slightly higher than the level of the rails.
4. In conclusion, it is necessary to level the concrete. To do this, use the rule by 1.2 meters, stretching it from the far corner towards you. Aligned places are freed from the rails, and the formed niches are filled with concrete. After finishing work on the formation of the floor, it is worth covering the individual strips with a special film and allowing the composition to harden. Do not forget about the need to moisten the concrete from time to time.
5. After hardening, a screed must be applied. To do this, knead the cement mortar with a number of reinforcing and binding elements. Wooden slats are installed on the flooring. The height of the latter must correspond to the height of the final floor covering. The screed should be laid by analogy with a concrete floor: the material should be leveled with a rule, and the guide rails should be removed. To cleanly smooth the screed, use a trowel. The laid screed should be left for half a day, and then lightly sprinkled with water for three days. After that, it is worth keeping from 2 to 4 weeks before proceeding with painting or laying a new layer of flooring. Various flaws in the implementation of the screed can be eliminated with a grater, emery, and also with the help of special impregnations. If you are building a bath, then look at the article

Any surface wears out sooner or later. Over time, wooden floor coverings begin to creak, sag, dry out, and rot in damp rooms. And the time comes when they need to be replaced with others, more durable.

Concrete flooring to replace wooden floors can be done independently. A properly laid concrete floor will save heat and last a long time.

The best alternative to wood flooring is concrete.

Installation of a concrete floor base involves the complete removal of the old coating. Not only boards are removed, but also damaged logs of the building. If the log logs are in an acceptable condition, then they must be protected from moisture and completely covered with fine gravel or coarse sand.

Replacing a floor is not considered work that can only be done by a specialist. You can handle it with your own hands with minimal skills in the construction business and with the necessary tools:

When replacing the floor of the first floor of a private house, it is recommended to fill up the excess space under the house, which will prevent the rise of moisture and the formation of dampness.

First of all, the entire area of ​​​​work to replace the floor covering must be completely freed. Then all the wooden covering that has worked out its resource is dismantled. As mentioned above, damaged logs are also removed, suitable for further use reinforced with gravel or sand, but after the entire surface under the removed floor is freed from dust and debris and insulating gutters are laid for all engineering communications: cords, cables, pipes, etc.

A concrete floor for a wooden house is usually formed according to the following scheme:

Dry subfloor

What can replace the traditional screed?

The appearance and durability of the floor largely depend on the quality of its base.

A worthy alternative to the traditional cement-sand screed can be prefabricated bases made of building boards and a draft floor made of boards. They are appropriate both when installing a new floor, and when replacing an old one.

When planning a foundation for laying flooring, it is worth considering whether it is better to choose instead of a traditional screed - dry, made of building boards (gypsum fiber; gypsum board, fiberglass reinforced; cement-fiber; magnesite) or from boards. Such a decision may be suitable option for those who are interested in reducing the time of work. For example, when making a prefabricated dry screed from slabs, you do not need to wait until it dries, as is the case with traditional cement screed. Thanks to this, the next stage of work can be started within 24 hours without the need to stop for a technological break. In addition, dry screeds are lightweight: when choosing them, you do not need to check the bearing capacity of the ceiling. They are ideal for laying on wooden beams.

When using a traditional wet screed, it is necessary to check the bearing capacity of the ceiling: the weight of such a screed is large enough, therefore, without structural calculations, it is impossible to lay too thick a layer.

Attention! Traditional screeds should not be used on wooden floors, because the water they contain can soak into the wood, weaken its properties and even lead to its destruction.

WHAT PLATES ARE

Today, in European practice, several types of ready-made slabs for dry screeds are used. Their thickness is usually 10 or 12.5 mm, most often 0.5 x 1.5 m; 0.5 x 1 m; 1 x 1.5 m. To ensure stability, they are laid in two layers (gluing and fastening together) or ready-made combined elements connected to thermal insulation are used.

If it is necessary to provide sound insulation of the floor, then use plates with a layer mineral wool or felt. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer is 1 cm.

If you need to insulate the ceiling, use a plate with a 2-3 cm layer of expanded polystyrene or with a 6-cm layer of extruded polystyrene foam.

If you need to increase the fire resistance, use a plate with mineral wool.

If the plates are supposed to be used as a lining layer for flooring without additional functions, use single plates (they are laid in two layers) or ready-made two-layer ones without a heat-insulating layer.

How to make a dry screed from slabs

Work should begin with an assessment of the foundation. If it is uneven or the previous screed is partially crumbled, a leveling layer should be made - backfilling. For this, it is proposed to use perlite, expanded clay or ground cellular concrete. Under the bedding layer hardwood floor paper or lining roofing material should be laid, and on a fresh concrete floor - a vapor barrier film. In the leveling layer, communications (for example, electrical wiring or pipes supplying hot water to radiators) can be diluted. Backfilling is carried out using three rails: two are used as guides (their level must be verified), and the mass is distributed to the third. After laying the bedding, the slats must be removed. Laying should start from the wall farthest from the doors and move in their direction. Two-layer slabs are laid on a leveled base (in addition, there may be a heat-insulating layer from below). The finished floor element (combined slab of factory production) or the first layer of slabs begin to be laid from the doors so as not to disturb the bedding layer. Installation can also be started from the far wall, but in this case it is necessary to leave fragments of the slab on which you can walk so as not to damage the backfill. The floor elements must be separated from the walls with self-adhesive edging tape or mineral wool strips. This will avoid the occurrence of acoustic bridges and the destruction of the lining layer due to thermal expansion.

If a dry screed is made from two layers of boards, then the second layer should be laid with the joints offset by half the length of the board. The slabs are laid apart: the remaining fragments of the first row are used for the next, which ensures the displacement of the joints without waste of material. It must be remembered that crosswise intersection of the seams should not be allowed. Special adhesives are used to connect finished elements or to glue individual layers (companies offer them as part of the system). During the drying of the adhesive, the stability of the joints is ensured by screws placed approximately every 15 cm (depending on the system, 5 to 20 screws are required per 1 m2). For slabs 10 mm thick, screws 19 mm long are used, for slabs 12.5 mm - 22 mm long.

After laying a dry screed, a technological break is made for about a day, so that the glue dries. All types of floors can be laid on the base prepared in this way: from linoleum to parquet or ceramic tiles.

How to make a draft floor along the lags

Usually logs are made of coniferous wood, the moisture content of which is not more than 12%. Before installation, they should be treated with a protective impregnation (preferably under pressure) so that they are resistant to moisture and insects.

The cross section of the log is selected depending on the thickness of the floor cake.

They are placed in parallel on a layer of vapor barrier film laid directly on the base - it is necessary on fresh concrete or often-ribbed ceilings so that moisture does not penetrate into the wood. The distance between the lags depends on the thickness and type of the slab or boards, as well as on the load on the floor, and ranges from 40 to 60 cm. It is important to accurately align the level of the lag. This is best done using a rule. If you want to correct their level, you should apply different kind pads (for example, wooden or plastic wedges). Depending on the thickness of the log, they are inserted in increments of 20-50 cm (the thicker the logs, the less often). Boards (using nails or screws), chipboard or OSB boards are attached to the aligned joists. The base made in this way is called the subfloor.

Boards for the subfloor must be at least 22 mm thick, and chipboard and OSB boards must be at least 13 mm thick. The joining of the ends of boards or slabs must always fall on the joists, and the sides of the slabs that do not lie on the joists should be glued. The space between the lags is best filled heat-insulating material, for example, mineral wool, but only 2/3 of their thickness. A well-executed subfloor must be ventilated. Usually for this it is enough to leave a ventilation hole in the baseboard between each pair of lags. On a suitably prepared subfloor, you can lay different kind parquet or tiles. Parquet is glued to the underlayment or nails, staples or screws are used for installation. You can also nail the parquet directly to the joists: long parquet slabs, floorboards, as well as a three-layer parquet board are suitable for this.

Replacing floors in a house or apartment is carried out for various reasons. The most common examples are the need to install sound and heat insulation, a decision was made to install a “warm” floor, there was a deformation of the coating, the boards began to creak or the humidity coming from the basement increased, just wanted something modern and new.

Be that as it may, you will have to do a huge job, consisting of several stages. A lot during material replacement depends on what material the old floors are made of and how you plan to see the new flooring. Moreover, it is necessary to consider additional function, which would increase noise and heat insulation, as well as provide more reliable protection for the apartment.

So that the complexity of the upcoming work is not a surprise for you, you need to find out not only how much the replacement of floors costs, but also familiarize yourself with the main stages of the upcoming events.

Dismantling the floor

This process is one of the most annoying. But no matter how scary it may be, you simply can’t do without such an activity, and therefore you should boldly take up work.

If the old floor in the apartment is wooden, then there will be no great difficulties and problems with its dismantling. For work, you need to prepare all the necessary tools, such as a hammer with a nail puller, an ax, a pry bar, a screwdriver, an electric saw or an electric jigsaw for cutting old boards (if you do not plan to reuse them), a shovel and garbage bags.

How to dismantle the old wooden floor

• First of all, you need to get rid of the skirting boards by removing them around the entire perimeter of the room, and only then can you start dismantling the boardwalk.

• If you plan to re-lay the boards or use them as logs, then you need to remove them carefully, trying not to cause serious damage to them. Therefore, using a nail puller, carefully pull out all the nails. If the boards were fixed with self-tapping screws, then this process will not cause any difficulty - most often they can be unscrewed with a screwdriver.

• If you do not plan to use the boards in the future, it is better to take them out of the apartment immediately. Do not collect a bunch of garbage, as it will interfere with subsequent actions. It is also worth doing with other elements that for installation work You definitely won't fit.

• Having freed up space, you can proceed to dismantle the lag. It is important to remember that they can be securely fastened to the floor, and they must be dismantled carefully, trying not to damage the base. Otherwise, you will add to yourself additional work and expenses that will be spent on sealing the holes that have formed.

• When you free the room from the old coating, it is necessary to carry out its thorough cleaning, as far as the base allows, of course. After completing this procedure, you can begin preparing the floor for installation work.

Dismantling a wooden floor: video

Removing the concrete floor

Removal of old concrete pavement is done as a last resort, as it lends itself well to repair. Drastic measures are taken only if the old cement coating cannot be preserved. For example, it was constantly exposed to moisture without regular drying. In such a situation, mold and fungus could form in the concrete layers, which can cause health effects for residents - asthma, allergies, lung diseases, rhinitis, and others. Naturally, it is simply necessary to dismantle such a coating.

Another reason for dismantling is the low ceilings in the apartment. If you are going to install the floor with insulation, then be prepared for the fact that it will become higher, and the coating must be removed to make room for the sound and heat insulation structure.

If you plan to dispose of the screed, make sure it is placed on a concrete floor and proceed with extreme caution.

To remove the screed layer, it is better to use a perforator. With its help, its individual pieces are removed. Typically, such a layer leveling the slab is from 50 to 120 mm.

When the old screed is removed, you must also perform cleaning activities. However, in this embodiment, it is unlikely that it will be possible to make an ideal cleaning, but you will have to make every effort.

Preparatory work

In order for the new flooring to be laid qualitatively, it is necessary to bring the cleaned base from the old floor into proper condition.

• Carefully remove all dust from the surface. This is done in order to detect serious flaws in the base (holes, cracks, crevices, areas of coloring or peeling, places where the concrete has been impregnated with certain compounds, or where traces of mold and dampness were visible).

• If you find such, they must be well repaired, otherwise they may reduce the effect of sound and thermal insulation. This can be done with polyurethane foam, cement mortar or sealant. It is necessary to make a choice of repair materials, starting from the size of the damaged base. In case of mold or fungus formation, the base must be impregnated with special aseptic compounds.

• Once the base is dry, the subsequent preparation steps are carried out, which will depend on what kind of flooring is being done instead of the old one. For this reason, these processes should be considered in conjunction with the installation of each type of floor.

But keep in mind that even if you are going to install a wooden floor instead of a dismantled screed, the surface will have to be leveled with a new concrete coating (small layer).

Making a new screed

You can make a new screed different ways. If the base is more or less even, and a wooden coating is laid on top of it, then put it in perfect order by making a self-leveling floor. One of the best options would be to pour a self-leveling coating.

The bulk coating can hide small flaws or differences in the base. To do this, you need a ready-made dry mortar intended for self-leveling floors.

You can get acquainted with the technology of preparing the solution on the package, and it must be strictly followed. Next, the finished solution must be poured over the surface, then distributed with a wide spatula or doctor blade, and then pierced with a spiked roller to release the remaining air bubbles.

The leveled floor must be left to dry so that it gains strength. All compositions are characterized by their maturation period, depending on the components from which the building mixture is prepared.

Then on the leveled floor you can:

• put a thin insulation and lay a decorative coating;

• equip plywood flooring with laying a special film of infrared underfloor heating;

• lay a wooden floor on the installed logs.

Screed with expanded clay insulation

The second type of screed is laid directly on expanded clay, which is a high-quality sound insulator and insulation. Moreover, the material is quite light, which means it will not make the interfloor floor heavier, which should be taken into account when performing a screed in an apartment. Moreover, the process of laying this screed is as follows.

• If the screed is carried out on the first floor, located above the cold basement, then first of all, waterproofing is done. Its installation is carried out in various ways: cast, plaster, painting, pasting and others. It is applied not only on the floors, but also on the lower part of the walls, on a pre-primed surface.

• A dense polyethylene film is laid on a pre-prepared waterproofed surface, extending 20 cm onto the walls. The sheets of the film must be glued to each other using a special adhesive tape.

• Further, a damper tape is attached on top of the film around the perimeter of the room, which helps to keep the screed intact during strong temperature changes.

• Further, beacons are installed on top of the film, aligned in level. Usually they are fixed on a concrete solution. At the same time, the height of the beacons must correspond to the height of the expanded claydite layer to be filled in + the planned thickness of the screed.

• Further expanded clay is poured in a layer slightly below the installed beacons and is well leveled.

• Then, a concrete solution is poured over the expanded clay, which is leveled on the top of the beacons.

• When the screed dries, it will most likely settle a little, it can be finished with a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

• Further on top of this design any decorative floor covering is laid.

Screed without insulation

An ordinary concrete mortar screed is produced to strengthen the floor for further wood flooring or on floors. apartment building where insulation is not required.

A special damper tape is glued around the entire perimeter of the walls.

On top of the laid waterproofing film, it is necessary to lay a reinforcing mesh (fiberglass or metal), and then install beacons that are leveled in a horizontal plane.

Thus, the entire room is poured and leveled, after which the screed is left for 3-4 weeks, during which time it will harden and mature.

After it is ready, proceed with the installation of the log, insulation, and boardwalk.

Dry screed

Another option for arranging a new floor is a dry screed, which is perfect for a device in an apartment. She has proven herself well in that she does not have to knead the solution and breed a swamp in the dwelling. Dry screed floors are made in this way:

• A dense polyethylene film is laid on the floors, which should be 5-10 cm on the wall (height margin). A board is installed in the doorway to limit spillage of the mixture. The flooring should fit as tightly as possible to the surface of the base.

• Further, beacons from even wooden beams or metal profile. But in this version, the screeds cannot be fixed to the base, otherwise, after leveling the surface, the guides from the backfilled layer must be removed.

• The beacons themselves must be leveled at the building level to a flat horizontal plane.

• The next step is pouring the filler onto the film. Its layer should have a greater height (by several millimeters) compared to the installed beacons.

• With the help of the rule, the dry filler is leveled, focusing on the beacons.

• The last stage is the laying of gypsum-fiber boards with docking interlocks. Glue is applied to them, after which the next panel is laid. This is done in such a way that the lock parts fit perfectly. The plates are additionally fastened in these places with the help of self-tapping screws.

The finished floor is made using a decorative coating, the choice of which depends on your personal preferences.

Wooden floor

The floor, made of plywood or tongue-and-groove boards, is installed on a prepared screed. Moreover, it can be laid directly on a concrete base or laid on logs.

The most popular among these options is the first one, because it has many advantages. For example, between the lags it is possible to lay sound insulation and insulation. Moreover, the surface is raised above the concrete, which in turn adds an insulating effect. Another advantage is that the lags add more rigidity to the coating, and it becomes more reliable. Floors on logs or bars are installed in several stages:

• Before fixing the logs, the layout of the room is performed. The lines are beaten off with a colored stretched twine. The distance between the lags should correspond to the width of the insulation material (in the case of mineral wool, it can be reduced by 30-50 mm, it will be much better).

• Next, cut the logs of the required length. But it is important to remember that they should be at a distance from the wall, no less than the thickness of the insulation. As a rule, mineral wool is used for insulation - when using low-quality polystyrene foam in closed residential areas, the atmosphere will not be so environmentally friendly.

• The distance between the lag racks, which are fixed to the floor, should be within 40-50 cm. The level of the future floor can be brought to a horizontal plane by adjusting the height of the racks.

• At the end of this work, you need to lay the insulation. First, this must be done between the wall and the logs, around the entire perimeter of the room, then lay it between the log bars.

• The next step is to cover the entire structure with a special vapor barrier film - it should be fixed to the logs with a stapler.

• Boarding is the most important process. Starting floorboards should be 5-7 mm from the wall, which will provide ventilation and compensation for linear expansion from increased humidity or thermal changes in the room.

• If you plan to lay plywood on logs, then provide a joint between two sheets so that it falls in the middle of the log bar. You need to calculate the size of the plywood. For surface rigidity, sheets must be fastened according to the system brickwork, namely with a shift of the next half of the sheet.

In old houses where the floors were made of wood, the problem of creaks and fragility of the coating occurs very often. The board wears out, rots and cracks. Replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment looks rational. This can be done, including in old houses. The concrete floor has excellent strength, service life, it can be laid with a laminate in full compliance technical requirements to this process.

Replacing the wooden base

Dismantling the old coating is the first step from which the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment begins. For this, standard tools are used: a sledgehammer, a crowbar, a crowbar.

1. Remove floor coverings in the form of linoleum.
2. With the help of a tool, the coating is disassembled.
3. In areas where pipes and other communications enter, you should be especially careful.

After removing the old boards, access to the base is opened. In apartments on reinforced concrete slab logs are laid, often they are not even fixed. The space between them is covered with the remains of construction debris for soundproofing.

Everything needs to be removed. Garbage collection will require bags and a place for their temporary storage.

After the construction debris and dirt are removed, the logs are evaluated. If the wood is in good condition, a plywood or chipboard screed base can be created to be placed over the existing underlay. But this will cause the floor level to rise, so it’s worth deciding which is better: to make a new coating on the logs, without insulation, or to remove the logs and form a layer of concrete over the floor slabs.

In practice, most apartment owners act according to the second option. Legs are dismantled. After that, you need to carefully evaluate the condition of the pipes - cold and hot water, sewerage. If there is damage or signs of poor condition, the interfloor sector should be replaced immediately. Later, after creating the concrete floor, repairs will cause much more problems and time costs.

Dismantling the wooden floor

Evaluation of the list of works

The slab, freed from the floor, logs, construction debris and other dirt, is inspected. Level measurements are made. A laser level is useful, which determines the height difference and their nature.

Several situations may arise:

1. the base is formed by several narrow slabs forming a "step";
2. there is a trough-like shape or there is a bulge in the center of the room with a descending height to the perimeter;
3. there is a uniform slope of the base to one side or the other.

It is necessary not only to evaluate the work by the level of investment Money, but also to plan as little as possible the mass of the screed. To do this, the concrete layer is made of a minimum thickness, placing it on a backfill or lightweight mortar.

The procedure for evaluating the work of the future floor with a large, from 70 mm floor height difference, looks like this:

• the thickness of the concrete screed is 40-50 mm;
• the rest of the space can be filled with a solution of expanded clay-concrete class.

A cheaper way is to fill the rough surface with sand, however, the mass of such a pillow will be significant. In practice, it is ideal to make a plywood base, under which expanded clay is poured to level the level. This method of work production simultaneously gives a smooth, even surface for the screed, the rough filling has a low mass and provides some degree of additional sound insulation.

The base for a plywood screed can be made on logs from a small section beam. This is a convenient and fairly cheap way. The logs are laid on the floor, providing a horizontal, while in the right places small supports are placed under them. After that, the free space is covered with expanded clay.

When filling the base with sand, it must be spilled with water and carefully compacted. It is not recommended to use a vibrating tool - the plaster finish may be damaged from the neighbors below or other troubles may arise. After finishing work, the sand should be given a couple of days to dry.

The difference, whether a wooden or concrete floor is located on an interfloor floor, is in the mass of the coating. Although, not only in this. About this video:

A little bit about very old houses

In houses where there is no reinforced concrete floor, you can replace the wooden floor with a concrete screed in one way: build a rough coating of plywood or chipboard. Some advise repairing the existing wood floor or laying additional flooring.

However, in practice, such work takes a lot of time, money, requires the replacement of destroyed zones, removal old paint and other coatings to assess the condition of the boards.

Therefore, proceed as follows:

• all floor boards are removed;
• in houses with ceilings on beams or a metal profile between the floor and the ceiling of the lower floor, construction debris is poured for soundproofing. All this must be removed;
• the state of the lag is assessed. If bad, they are removed. If it is good, the logs are cleaned, treated with anti-mold, antibacterial agents and fixed in such a way as to guarantee the evenness of the plywood or chipboard flooring.

The preparation of the base for the screed begins with the filling of expanded clay into the interfloor ceiling on beams or I-beams. This layer will have a low mass and have good sound insulation. Backfilling is carried out to the upper level of the log. After that, they lay plywood or chipboard and act in the same way as in an apartment.

Base for screed

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

After the rough base for the screed is ready, they begin to create a waterproofing layer. For this, it can be used:

• roofing material or glassine;
• bituminous roll insulators based on fiberglass or fiberglass;
• polymer film;
• one-sided vapor-permeable membrane.

Before spreading the roll waterproofing, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. To do this, the entire perimeter of the room is glued with a special construction tape. After plating is done bituminous mastic cold application. Some compositions will require time to dry, so it is worth warning the neighbors in advance about the need to endure an unpleasant odor.

After the mastic has hardened, the perimeter is glued with a damper construction tape 20 mm thick and a rolled waterproofing agent can be spread out. Strips of material are placed with an overlap of 10-15 cm, each next strip overlaps the previous one. Along the perimeter of the room, the waterproofing should be 10-15 cm on the walls.

Seams are processed as follows:

• when using a polymer film, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe edge of the strip located on the previous one is glued with a wide adhesive tape;
• roofing felt and other bitumen-containing materials are thoroughly heated with a building hair dryer over the joint area and rolled with a roller for gluing.

It is not recommended to use floating class materials in the apartment. They require processing with a kerosene burner, which in conditions of limited space and ventilation can be a problem.

To speed up the work will allow rolled waterproofing on a self-adhesive basis. They are more expensive, but will significantly speed up the flooring.

After the waterproofing is laid, a heater is placed on it. This stage of work is carried out if a floor heating system is being built. In other cases, it is not necessary to use thermal insulation.

Concrete floor waterproofing

Reinforcement laying

• classic, laying on the floor with a gap to the insulation or waterproofing in 10 mm steel mesh with a mesh size of 5 cm;
• using plastic reinforcing meshes;
• adding special fibers to the solution.

An aluminum chain-link mesh can also be placed inside the screed. But the leader in terms of convenience and rationality is the method using fibers. This will allow:

• do not care about the presence of a compensation gap to the waterproofing or insulation;
• lay a floor heating system inside the screed;
• work at high speed.

Fibers for reinforcing the screed are affordable, with their use it is possible to ensure the uniform strength of the concrete layer. But when constructing a floor not on a reinforced concrete floor slab, it is recommended to proceed in the classical way, using a reinforcing mesh.

mesh reinforcement

Installation of beacons

Beacons on the floor on the prepared surface are installed simply: special profiles or a corner for decorating corners during plastering are placed on small mounds of gypsum putty. The evenness of the surface formed by the upper points is checked using a long building level.

If the base is poorly prepared and there is a difference in levels in the hotel areas of the area, the height of the putty mounds varies. It is necessary to place beacons at a distance of 40-50 cm, directing them along the line from the window to the door. Details must not be moved until the putty has completely hardened and the beacons are securely fixed.

Solution preparation

If you want to replace a wooden floor with a concrete screed and at the same time worry less about the pressure on the ceiling, you can use ready-made mortars. For example, KREISEL 440, 441, MZ150, allowing you to create a layer up to 70 mm with a minimum of 35 mm. In this case, it is not necessary to mix the dry mixture - the composition is immediately ready for adding water.

The standard approach is to use a classic cement-sand screed. For its preparation you will need:

• 1 part cement grade m400;
• 3 parts of sifted building sand;
• 0.1 parts of lime dough, acting as a plasticizer;
• fibers for reinforcement in the amount recommended by the manufacturer.

Before stirring with water, the dry mixture must be thoroughly mixed until a uniformly colored composition is formed. After that, they begin to add liquid, continuing to stir until the consistency of thick sour cream is obtained.

Recommendation: for fast and high-quality work, a large amount of dry mix should be prepared in advance. As needed, you can quickly dilute it with water. If you measure equal parts of the composition, it is easy to navigate in the amount of liquid needed and prepare the solution extremely quickly.

Screed laying

The screed is laid from the window or the far wall to the door. The solution is laid out in large portions and leveled with a long rule along the beacons. There are no difficulties during work, you just need to act quickly so that the solution does not seize and is easily smoothed out. It is recommended to lay the screed together. One is preparing the solution, the second is applying it.

Creating a finish

In the apartment you want to achieve maximum strength and at the same time - the aesthetics of the concrete floor. To do this, you can act in several ways:

• grind the floor with sandpaper;
• apply special polymer compositions or paint with paint for concrete;
• iron the surface of the screed after 3-4 days, when partial solidification occurs;
• form a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

If you plan to lay tiles on the floor, you can do without additional surface treatment. For coatings made of laminate or linoleum, ironing is recommended. The most expensive version of the self-leveling floor allows you not only to get a smooth and even surface, but also to create an effective final coating. For example, a popular 3D floor or with graphic images.

Finishing option

The issue of creating the final coating should be considered in advance. The self-leveling floor will raise the overall level by about 30 mm, a similar situation with ceramic tiles. However, final clearance can be seen as a secondary measure. As for the concrete floor itself, if the above rules and methods are observed, it is possible, after complete drying in 2-3 weeks, to create a very strong, durable coating for an acceptable cost of money and time.

delaypol.com

Replacing the floor in the apartment: the subtleties of the repair

Replacing the floor in the apartment with your own hands will significantly save your budget.

Moreover, understanding the intricacies of such a process is also useful if you hire specialists for repairs.

Work is in full swing

Prerequisites

If the replacement of the old floor in the apartment was carried out in the next ten years, then there is no point in worrying about this yet. Is that you are already tired of it appearance, and the budget allows you to upgrade the premises.

But in the case when the replacement of floors in the apartment has not been carried out since the construction of the building, it is necessary to carefully check their condition and, if necessary, take measures.

Need urgent repairs

Obvious external signs of the need for replacement are:

• creaking boards;
• deflection of floorboards;
• the occurrence of cracks.

A closer examination may reveal rotten or cracked boards.

Tip: on an old floor that has not been repaired, linoleum or other decorative coating should not be laid on top. Because on a rough layer that has fallen into disrepair, any new finishing layer will quickly become unusable.

Since all the prerequisites for repairing the base are present, we will consider two ways to solve the problem:

• Full or partial replacement of wood flooring.
• Replacing the wooden floor with concrete in the apartment.

Installation work

The degree of disrepair of the old floor and what kind of coating you are going to use in the future on top depends on which method to choose. Let's analyze them in more detail.

Wood floor restoration

Surface dismantling

If, when examining the boards, you came to the conclusion that the base is quite in order, and only the upper floorboards fell into decay, then you can limit yourself to repairing or replacing the boards.

The following instruction will help you with this:

• We remove all traces of paint or varnish from the coating.

Tip: use a sander to clean the boards. This will greatly improve the result and simplify the work.

• We examine the boards for traces of decay, cracks and other deformations. All defective products must be replaced with new ones.

External signs of decay

• We examine the fastening of the floorboards to the logs. Old fastenings with nails should be insured for reliability with self-tapping screws.
• We process all possible small cracks and indentations with putty on wood, leveling the surface as much as possible.
• If the crack is more than five millimeters, we drive a specially prepared wooden wedge into it.
• After finishing with putty, we go through the grinding machine again.
• We carry out dry and wet cleaning of the premises.
• We cover the floor with paint, varnish or any other desired coating.

Board replacement completed

If more than 50% of the covering material is unusable, feel free to remove and discard the entire covering. It will be more profitable to carry out a complete replacement of the boards. Moreover, today the manufacturer offers products with a tongue, which are special for such work, as shown in the figure:

Photo board with tongue and groove

Such a structure of the grooved board allows you to make the surface of the new floor without through cracks, which, of course, will significantly improve functionality and durability.

Replacing the wooden floor in the apartment with your own hands is quite simple. Using quality dry wood and doing the job right gives you at least a ten year warranty on your new finish.

Preparation process

In order to decide on the complete removal of the tree and pouring concrete with your own hands, two reasons can push you:

• Complete disrepair of the old coating, including the base of the floor.
• Desire to use expensive external coating material such as tile, parquet, laminate and others.

The most basic in using this method is the ability to create a smooth and even surface. In the absence of skills, it may be worth considering inviting professionals for this work. Although the repair cost will then be higher.

Filling can be done in three ways:

1. Use a prepared cement-sand mixture (CPS) for the screed.
2. Use levelers - dry cement mixture.
3. Make a "dry screed" with gypsum fiber sheets.

Let's do some preparatory work:

• We remove absolutely all the old coating.
• We remove all construction debris, freeing the old screed or tiled floor.
• Steleme plastic film as a moisture barrier.

Waterproofing before screed

• We glue the damper tape around the perimeter. It compensates for the shrinkage of the coating and increases reliability.
• We install beacons for direction.
• To level a particularly curved surface, it should be covered with expanded clay or sand.

An example of the use of expanded clay

• In case of strengthening the reliability of the floor, we mount a steel mesh.

Reinforced mesh will increase the strength of the concrete pavement

Ready mixes also harden faster, up to 10 days, and even self-level. This greatly simplifies the work, but also increases the cost. Although if you do everything yourself and have already saved on hired work, then this is quite a profitable option.

Dry screeding is quick, easy and clean. But expensive. The choice is yours.

The process of creating floors with a dry screed

Conclusion

If the floors in the apartment have not been changed since the acquisition of the apartment, then this, most likely, must already be done. However, creaking boards certainly remind of this.

Depending on your budget, you can choose various ways how to replace the wooden floor in the apartment. It is possible to carry out a partial replacement of boards and a complete one, you can generally change wood for concrete and, again, different methods. It all depends on your financial capabilities.

Everything is ready for applying the final layer

The video in this article will introduce you to additional material.

One quality repair the floor will save you from constant creaking and fear of one day failing for 10-20 years. Make up your mind!

shkolapola.ru

How to replace wooden floors in an apartment with concrete ones, reasons and sequence of work

If the wooden floor is constantly exposed to dynamic loads, temperature changes and moisture, this will eventually lead to its deformation and destruction. Then, in the best case, it will be necessary to repair the coating. But if the boards have undergone severe destruction and are rotten, then there is only one way out - to replace the old coating with a new one.

alternative wooden floor concrete becomes in the apartment, its installation is carried out on an old screed or on a new one. Laying a concrete floor in a room requires the dismantling of a wooden covering and careful preparation of the old rough base, on which the screed is being made.

Replacing a hardwood floor is not an easy job, but it's not overly complicated either. You can handle this task on your own, if you wish. This work consists of a number of stages, each of them is important and determines the quality and service life of the future coating.

In addition, there are still a lot of nuances that need to be taken into account when removing the old coating and installing a new one. Much attention must be paid to the quality of the concrete base screed. In order for you to fully imagine the complexity of such work, it is worth familiarizing yourself in more detail with each stage of the repair to replace the old wooden floor with a new one. concrete pavement.

Reasons to replace the old floor with another floor material

The reasons for replacing a wooden floor with a concrete floor are different, but the main ones are the following:

• The wooden flooring in the room does not meet operational standards. Boards may not withstand the impact on them, even if their condition is very good.
• The condition of the wooden floors is too bad. There are large gaps between the floorboards, the wood rots and collapses, and when walking on the floor, the floor emits unpleasant creaks. These reasons most often force apartment owners to repair or completely dismantle the old foundation.

Old boards need to be replaced

• Indoors planned overhaul. In this case, many perform the replacement of floor coverings with a stronger base.

Replacing the flooring is a difficult job that requires special skills, so if you are not sure that you can repair or dismantle the old floor and lay the concrete base yourself, then it is better not to experiment, but to immediately entrust these tasks to professionals. Because if you pour the concrete mortar incorrectly and make a poor-quality screed, this will negatively affect the quality of the future floor.

Why concrete floor?

Among all types of floor coverings, a concrete floor screed is chosen for a number of reasons:

• high strength characteristics;
• long time operation of concrete screed;
• reliability;
• environmental friendliness;
• the possibility of mounting on the screed of any floor coverings: carpet, linoleum, laminate, parquet.
• The low cost of the material, unlike other types of flooring.

There are many other advantages that a concrete floor screed has. You can talk about them for a long time, but even the advantages listed above are enough to understand that today this is the best alternative to a wooden floor in an apartment. But in order for such a floor to serve for a long time and become a reliable basis for the installation of floor material, it is worth adhering to the technology of its laying, and it consists of several stages.

Attention! When repairing and dismantling a wooden floor, it is recommended to use safety glasses and a respiratory mask, because such work will entail a lot of dirt and dust that is harmful to the eyes and lungs.

Dismantling the wooden floor

If you are interested in the question of whether it is possible to repair the apartment with the replacement of wooden flooring with a concrete floor, the answer is yes. First, the wooden floor laid in the room is dismantled, such a step will allow you to get to the lower floors. However, keep in mind that during dismantling, garbage and dust are generated, and the work itself is noisy, so carry out repairs so as not to disturb the neighbors. It is better if there is an assistant who will help tear off the boards, take out the trash, make mortar, and so on.

Before proceeding with the repair and dismantling of the old coating, prepare the tool:

1. hammer;
2. saw;
3. axe;
4. nail puller.

They start dismantling from any part of the room, but it is more convenient to act from front door. If the wood flooring is in poor condition, you can leave only the whole elements, and throw the rest away. Good material useful for some other purposes and auxiliary operations.

Dismantling begins with the removal of skirting boards. After that, they begin to remove the old coating and rough flooring, which is located under the floor. If there is an old insulation, it is also removed, the base is thoroughly cleaned of debris.

Removing old flooring

Concrete floor installation

Now that the old coating has been removed, you can proceed with the installation of the concrete floor.

Sequencing:

1. The waterproofing layer is installed.
2. The heater is installed.
3. Reinforcing mesh and damper tape are being installed.
4. This whole cake is poured with concrete mortar. The solution layer is 10 - 12 centimeters.

Scheme of the device of the concrete floor

The whole process of work includes several stages:

• Installation of a waterproofing layer. In the role of waterproofing, bituminous hot mastic is used or a material with water-repellent properties is laid. If the water-repellent material is in roll form, during installation, pay attention that its edges protrude slightly above the floor level. Those places where individual sheets are connected to each other are smeared with mastic.

Waterproofing layer

• When the waterproofing is laid, a heat-insulating plate is installed on top of it. Such a heat insulator will help save on creating a screed, since it will require less mortar. In addition, such a step will improve the thermal insulation in the room and reduce heating costs. In addition, the slab heat insulator improves sound insulation, which is important if you live in a multi-storey building.

Laying the thermal insulation board

• At the next stage of the repair, the reinforcing mesh is installed. For the convenience of laying it, you can use beacons, and use welding or wire to fix it. A damper tape is attached around the perimeter of the room.
• Now it's time for the solution. First, a solution for a concrete screed is prepared, then it is laid out on the floor surface and leveled, starting from the middle to the corners of the room.

Pouring concrete floor

• When the solution is evenly distributed over the surface of the base, it is left to dry. The term of envy depends on the thickness of the layer.
• After moisture comes out of the concrete, a screed is made from a self-leveling mixture on top. The repair of the floor is completed, it remains only to lay the finish coating.

If the work is done correctly, as a result of the repair, you will get a reliable concrete base for the installation of floor material. To better understand how floor replacement repairs are carried out. and how to make a screed, watch the video presented here:

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How to replace a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment?

Sooner or later, it is required to replace the wooden floor with concrete in the apartment, which is located on the ground floor. This is primarily due to the increased level of humidity. This is especially true for houses that are built in such climatic zones, where it often rains heavily. With time wooden planks they begin to creak and sag, which causes great discomfort to the owners of the apartment.

Tools and materials

Best Option the ground floor in the apartment on the first floor is concrete.

It is not at all afraid of moisture and is quite resistant to various kinds of mechanical damage. In addition, if necessary, such a floor can be insulated without problems. But in order to do the job quickly and efficiently, you should take care of necessary tools. So, you will definitely need:

• scrap and trowel, which will serve as a tool for the complete dismantling of the old coating from wooden logs;
• slag, high-quality cement, fine gravel, expanded clay and dry sand;
• large container for solution and bucket;
• large meter and chalk for marking;
• level;
• large size polyethylene film;
• materials for heat and waterproofing;
• gloves, protective mask and suit;
• rule;
• wooden stick for stirring the solution.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of cement for the formation of a concrete floor base. It is better not to spare money and spend money on cement of a good brand. So the floor will last a very long time, while preventing the communications that will be laid from spoiling.

Foundation preparation

Replacing a wooden floor in an apartment involves dismantling the old foundation. Must be carefully dismantled wooden logs. First, boards that are completely rotten and collapsed are removed. At the same time, one should not forget that if more than half of the coating is damaged, it is better to dismantle even a few remaining good boards. But if most of the base is almost like new, good boards can be left. It is only recommended to strengthen them further.

After the logs are removed, you need to clear the room of debris. It is very important that there are not only large specks on the floor, but also dust. This is the only way to ensure the strongest adhesion of cement to the base surface.

Now we need to take care of communications. So, if necessary, all pipes, cables and cords are immediately laid. If it is supposed to make a warm floor, then you should not lay it on the surface yet. This is done much later, before the final screed.

Now you need to lay out the layers of the initial base for the floor. First, fine gravel or crushed stone is poured with a layer of about 7-10 cm. After that, about 5-7 cm of sand is poured, everything is leveled with a long straight rule. Next, you can lay a layer of waterproofing, and then thermal insulation. There are 2 options here: use separate materials or buy an expensive film that will both protect against moisture and help keep the apartment warm.

It is strongly not recommended to use coating materials for insulation. It is best to give preference to special film ones, having calculated in advance the required area before buying. At the same time, installation is carried out quite easily with your own hands, if you follow the diagram in the instructions.

Basic fill

Now you need to make a concrete solution for pouring. It needs to be thick enough. Usually sand and cement are taken in equal proportions, then a little water is added. In this case, you should constantly mix the solution so as not to pour water.

It is necessary to make a concrete layer of about 10 cm. This thickness is considered optimal if the apartment elevated level humidity. So it will be possible to improve the microclimate much. But if the ceilings in the apartment are low, which does not allow you to make the most thick screed, you can reduce the thickness to 6-7 cm.

After that, you should wait until the concrete has completely hardened, and then pour fine gravel onto the base of the floor and carefully level it over the entire surface. On top of the rubble, it is necessary to put a dense plastic film, which will serve as additional protection against moisture. And the floor will be warmer as a result.

Now you will need to lay out the slats on the floor. It is best to use ordinary long wooden thin boards for this. It is recommended to strictly maintain the same distances between them, and also to ensure that along the perimeter their ends strictly adhere to the walls. A cord should be pulled over the slats along the walls, which will determine the maximum height of the final concrete screed. Ideally, the cord should be pulled exactly over the rails on the floor.

It is necessary to knead a thick solution in a large container, and then gradually fill the strips between the slats with it. When one strip is half-filled with mortar, it is necessary to level the layer using a long, even board or a special rule, then proceed to the final pour, leveling everything again. It is recommended to pour the solution at the very corners so that there are no voids as a result.

Each strip is filled in this way. When everything is ready, the solution will already have time to grab a little. And then you need to remove the slats and fill the remaining voids with a solution, again carefully distributing and leveling it. It is recommended to remove the slats gradually: after filling every 2 strips, remove them one by one.

Now you should completely moisten the base of the floor with a spray gun and cover it with plastic wrap. This will ensure that the concrete sets as soon as possible and at the same time it will be fixed as much as possible. After the main layer has set, all that remains is to apply a leveling thin screed.

The screed is also applied on wooden slats. But in this case it is already recommended to use thinner boards. Everything is done in the same way as the main fill, while you only need to use a special composition, which is sold ready-made. It contains special polymers that will protect the floor for a long time. Drying of the final layer is about 4 weeks.

As a rule, it is recommended to replace a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment on the ground floor using the proposed method. Indeed, in other cases, it will not work to change the level of the floor by several layers of screed. But such a replacement of a wooden floor with concrete flooring will most reliably protect the room from dampness.