How to remove and replace floors in a house or apartment. How to replace a wooden floor in an apartment with concrete

The replacement of floors in an apartment occurs for various reasons. Typical examples - it's time to install heat and sound insulation, a decision has been made on a "warm floor", boards have begun to creak strongly, deformation of the coating has occurred or humidity coming from the basement has increased, just wanted something more new and modern.

In any case, you'll have to do a great job, which consists of several stages. Much of the resurfacing process will depend on the material the old floors are made from, as well as what the new floors are planned to be. In addition, considering additional functions floors, which will help protect the apartment from dampness and increase its heat and sound insulation.

So that the complexity of the upcoming work does not come as a surprise, you need to familiarize yourself with all the stages of replacing floors in advance.

The process of dismantling the old floor covering is one of the most unpleasant moments. But no matter how “scary” it is, you cannot do without this activity, and therefore you need to boldly get to work.

Wooden floor

If a wooden floor is laid in the apartment, then there will be no big problems and difficulties with its dismantling. Prepare for work necessary tools, such as an ax, a hammer with a nail puller, a screwdriver, a pry bar, an electric jigsaw or an electric saw for cutting old boards (unless, of course, they are planned to be reused), a shovel and garbage bags.

The skirting boards are removed first around the entire perimeter of the room, and only then can you move on to the plank flooring.
If the boards will be re-layed or they are intended to be used as lags, then they must be removed carefully, trying to cause minimal damage to them. Therefore, with a nail puller, you need to try to carefully pull out all the hammered nails. It will be easier to resolve this issue if the boards are fixed with self-tapping screws - they can most often be unscrewed with a screwdriver.
If the removed boards are not needed for further work, it is recommended to immediately take them out of the apartment. It is hardly worth collecting a large pile of garbage - it will soon interfere with further actions. You should also do with the rest of the elements that are not useful for installation work.
Having freed up space, you can begin to dismantle the lag. It must be remembered that they can be quite securely fixed to the floor, and they must be removed very carefully, trying not to damage the base. Otherwise, you can add for yourself completely unnecessary work on sealing the holes that have formed.
Having freed the room from the old coating, you need to thoroughly clean it, as far as the base allows.

Having completed this procedure, you can begin to prepare the floor for installation work.

Video - complete dismantling of the old wooden floor

concrete pavement

The dismantling of the old concrete pavement is carried out in extreme cases, as it lends itself perfectly to repair.

Drastic measures are taken if the old cement coating it is impossible to save, for example, it was constantly exposed to moisture without periodic drying. In this case, fungus and mold could appear in the concrete layers, which can cause various health pathologies of residents - these are allergies, asthma, rhinitis, lung diseases, etc. Therefore, it is simply necessary to dismantle such a coating.

Another reason for dismantling may be low ceilings in the apartment. If it is planned to install a floor with insulation, which means that it will have to be raised to a certain height, then the coating is removed in order to make room for a heat and sound insulating structure.

If, nevertheless, it is decided to get rid of the old screed, you need to know that it is laid on a solid concrete interfloor slab and it must be removed carefully.

To remove the screed layer, a perforator is used to break off its individual pieces. As a rule, this leveling layer of the slab is from 50 to 120 mm.

perforator

After removing the old screed, (or better, even periodically during the removal process), it is also necessary to carry out cleaning activities. But in this option, perfect cleaning is unlikely, so it is carried out as carefully as possible.

Preparatory work

In order for the new floor to be laid with high quality, it is necessary to bring the foundation cleaned from the old floor into proper condition.

From the surface, with maximum care to remove dust. This is done to detect serious flaws in the base, such as cracks, holes and crevices, areas of peeling or coloring, places where the concrete has been impregnated with any compounds, or where signs of dampness and mold are visible.
If any are found, they must be sealed very well, otherwise they will reduce the entire effect of thermal and sound insulation. You can do this with cement mortar, polyurethane foam or sealant. The choice of repair materials must be made based on the size of the damage to the base. In the case of fungus or mold, the base needs to be “treated” with special aseptic impregnating compounds.
When the base is dry, further preparation steps are taken, but they will depend on what kind of new floor covering will be arranged instead of the old one. Therefore, these processes should, perhaps, be considered in conjunction with the installation of each type of flooring separately.

But it should be noted that even if it is planned to install a wooden floor instead of the removed old screed, the surface will still have to be leveled with a thin new concrete coating.

New screed

A new screed can be arranged in different ways. If the base is more or less even, and a wooden coating will be laid on top of it, then you can bring it into perfect order with the help of a self-leveling floor.

The bulk coating is able to close small drops or flaws in the base. For this, a ready-made dry mortar for a self-leveling floor is purchased.
The technology for preparing the solution can be read on the package, and it must be followed very clearly.
The finished solution is poured over the surface and spread with a doctor blade or a wide spatula, and then, to ensure the release of the remaining air bubbles, it is rolled with a spiked roller.
The leveled floor is left to dry and gain strength. All compositions have their own maturation period, depending on the ingredients from which the dry mortar is prepared.

Spread thin insulation and lay decorative coating;

Arrange plywood flooring with laying a film of infrared underfloor heating;

Lay a wooden floor on the installed logs.

Screed with expanded clay insulation

Another type of screed is laid on expanded clay, which is good insulation And sound insulator. In addition, the material is quite light, so it will not make the interfloor ceiling particularly heavy, which is very important to consider when making a screed in an apartment. The process of laying this screed is as follows.

If the screed is arranged on the first floor, which is located above the cold basement, then waterproofing should first be done. Its installation is different ways: plaster, cast, pasting, painting, etc. It is applied not only to the floors, but also to the lower part of the walls, to a pre-primed surface.
For prepared waterproofed a dense polyethylene film is spread on the surface, which should go on the walls by 15-20 cm. The sheets of the film are glued together using a special adhesive tape.
On top of the film, around the entire perimeter of the room, a damper tape is attached to the glue, which will help keep the screed intact during temperature changes.
over pl The markers set beacons that are leveled. They are most often fixed on a concrete solution. The height of the beacons should be equal to the height of the expanded claydite layer being filled in plus the planned thickness of the screed.
Further, expanded clay is poured in a layer slightly below the installed beacons and carefully leveled.
After that, a concrete solution is poured over the expanded clay, which is leveled along the top of the beacons.
After the screed dries, it will most likely settle somewhat, and it can be finally finished with a thin layer of self-leveling floor.
On top of this design, you can lay any decorative coating.

Screed without insulation

An ordinary concrete mortar screed is made to strengthen the floor under the wooden flooring, or on the floors apartment building where there is no great need for insulation.

A waterproofing polyethylene film is spread on the prepared base.
A damper tape is glued along the perimeter of the walls.

A reinforcing mesh (metal or fiberglass) is laid on top of the laid waterproofing film, and then beacons are installed, which, as usual, are leveled in a horizontal plane.

A concrete solution is poured 1.5-2 cm above the beacons, starting from the far wall of the room, and then leveled by the rule, which is carried out strictly according to beacon guides.
So the entire surface of the room is poured and leveled, the screed is left to harden and mature (up to 3-4 weeks).

After the screed is ready, you can proceed with the installation of the log, insulation and boardwalk.

Dry screed

Another type of putting the floor in order is a dry screed, which is perfect for arranging it in an apartment. It is good because you do not need to knead the solution and dilute the "swamp" in the apartment. Dry screed floors are made as follows:

A dense film of polyethylene is laid on the surface of the floors, it must also be on the wall, up of the future floor with a margin of 5-10 cm. A board is installed in the doorway, which will limit the spillage of the mixture to the outside. The flooring must be very tightly fitted to the surface of the base.
Then beacons from a metal profile or even wooden beams. But in this version, the screeds are not fixed to the base, since after leveling the surface, the guides from the backfilled layer will need to be removed.
The beacons are aligned to the building level to an ideal horizontal plane.

The next step - dry floor filler is poured onto the film. Its layer should have a height of several centimeters more than the level of the installed beacons.
Dry filler is leveled according to the beacons by the rule.
The final stage is the laying of special gypsum fiber plates that have special docking interlocks. Glue is applied to them, and then the next panel is laid, so that the lock parts fit exactly. The plates are additionally fastened in these places with self-tapping screws.

A fully finished floor is decorated with a decorative coating - you can choose it according to your taste.

dry backfill

Wooden floor

A wooden floor made of grooved boards or plywood is mounted on a prepared screed. It can be laid on logs or laid directly on a concrete base.

The most popular of these two options is still the first, as it has a number of advantages. For example, insulation and sound insulation can be laid between the lags. In addition, the floor surface is raised above the concrete, which also adds to the insulating effect. Another plus - lags add rigidity to the coating, and it becomes more reliable.

Floors on bars or logs are arranged in several stages:

Before fixing the logs, the room is marked. The lines are beaten off with a stretched twine, painted, for example, with blue. The distance between the lags should be equal to the width of the insulation material (you can, if using mineral wool, reduce by 30 - 50mm would be even better).
Then the lags are cut desired length. It should be remembered that they should be located at a distance from the wall not less than the thickness of the insulation. Usually used for insulation mineral wool- when using low-quality polystyrene foam in residential enclosed spaces, the atmosphere will not be so environmentally friendly.
The next step is the installation of the lag to the base. They can be fixed directly to the concrete base, or they can be raised to a certain height using special studs or metal holders.
The distance between the log posts fixed to the floor should be within 40-50 centimeters. By adjusting the height of the racks, the level of the future floor is displayed in one horizontal plane.
After completion of this work, the insulation is laid. First, this must be done between the lags and the wall, around the entire perimeter of the room, then it is already laid between the lag bars.

The next step is to cover the entire resulting structure with a vapor barrier film - it should be fixed to the logs with a stapler.
The most important process is the flooring of the boards. It is important that the starting floorboards are 5-7 mm from the wall - for ventilation and to compensate for possible linear expansions from thermal changes or increased humidity in the room.

Video - Installation of a grooved floor

A plinth is fixed on top of a fully laid plank floor around the perimeter of the room. Important - the plinth is attached to the wall, but not to the floorboards.
If plywood is laid on the logs, then it is necessary to provide for the joint of two sheets in such a way that it falls in the middle of the log bar, therefore it is important to calculate the correct size of the plywood sheet. For surface rigidity, sheets are attached according to the system brickwork, with a shift of the next half of the sheet.
When the material is completely laid, it is necessary to close up all the gaps between the sheets with putty, and after it dries, it is desirable to scrape the surface.
Any decorative coating is laid on top of the plywood, and then the installed skirting boards will complete the floor.

In addition to the simple floors indicated in the article, which can be made instead of dismantled ones, warm ones - water or electric - have recently become popular. The device of such systems is considered in separate publications of the site.

Get to know everyone possible options floor coverings and you can choose the right one in the publication.

Having calculated everything correctly and slowly, it is quite possible to do the dismantling and installation of coatings on your own - this will help save a considerable amount, since such work on updating floors in an apartment is very expensive.

How to replace an old wooden floor in the kitchen with an alternative tile

In some old apartments, it is still preserved, which already creaks, fails, and is rather tired of the owners. The best way out is to replace it with a tiled one. This coating is more practical, durable, modern.

The tile is very well suited for the kitchen, there are many of its types, shades, you can create many patterns with it. Given that the tile is quite cheap, and its laying on the floor does not require much skill, this is a good replacement for an outdated and partially damaged wooden floor. There are several ways to do this substitution.

Preparing the surface for tiles without removing the wood coating

One way to replace the coating is to lay tiles on a wooden floor. To ensure sufficient quality of the tile coating, it is necessary. It is not recommended to fix it on the old base. This coverage will not last long. So between him and new surface you need to create a solid, rigid foundation.

But first you need to assess the condition of the wood flooring, and then proceed to prepare the foundation for the new floor.

Types of intermediate coatings

There are several ways to create a tile base.

Liquid glass coating

Then comes a layer of latex, on which a paint grid is laid, fixed with self-tapping screws.
After that, a solution is poured, consisting of two-fifths of liquid glass, the same amount of sand and one-fifth of water.
After drying, a primer is laid on this base.

Cement strainer

On a grid laid out on the floor up to half a centimeter thick. You can use a special one. Such a screed makes the floor very heavy. It is not recommended to do it on a loosely fitted wooden base. You can also use a fiberglass mesh, fixed with staples and a stapler, or by pressing it during the screed.
The dry mixture is mixed with water with a drill with a nozzle.
Then applied with a spatula, after drying, polished.
Not earlier than a day later, in possible places of deformation, the leveled layer is cut, filling these seams with a special elastic mixture.

Dry screed

When applying this technology, a coating of pressed gypsum with the addition of cellulose is laid on the waterproofing. This material is similar to drywall, but stronger than it.

In damp rooms, moisture-resistant modifications of the material are used, in addition to them, cement-bonded particle boards are used.

The plates are laid and fixed with self-tapping screws in a checkerboard pattern, ensuring that their borders do not line up. Moreover, they should not coincide with the cracks of the wooden coating.
Joints are filled with mastic or special glue.
Slots are made between the wall and this surface, sealed with mounting foam.
Then a special primer is applied to the prepared base.

Laying tiles on the prepared wooden floor

The general principle when laying tiles on any substrate is its needs. Taking into account the laying method, the joining of the elements to each other, the location, size of the plates and other factors, a detailed laying drawing is drawn up, thanks to which the amount of tiles and glue is calculated. This takes into account the fact that some of the materials will be cut due to compliance with a certain pattern. In addition, a small amount of tiles should be left in reserve in case of repair.

It is important to decide where the laying will start from. In large rooms that are not cluttered with furniture, equipment and other things, it is better to lay tiles from the center, while the pattern looks advantageous. In small rooms, only a small space near the door is usually free. Therefore, the pattern is selected exactly there, and in other places you can install tile trimmings.

In addition, it is necessary to decide on which option to lay the material - with or without seams. According to the second option, soft tiles are laid, because. ceramic plates located in this way, when the house is deformed, they can peel off. In addition, it is impossible to bring the plates closer to the walls than half a centimeter. It is better to fill this gap with sealant.

To lay tiles on a wooden base you need:

special glue;
drill with a nozzle - for mixing liquid mixtures;
notched trowel;
level;
rubber mallet.

When laying the mixed adhesive with a spatula is laid out under the first row of tiles in an even layer. Each of the tiles is laid with pressure and compacted with a hammer. At the intersections of four tiles, plastic crosses are placed to keep the same seams. Each row is measured by level.

Laying ceramic tiles (video)

Dismantling the wooden floor

A complete replacement of a wooden floor with a tiled one begins with the removal of the plinth. To do this, you need: a nail puller and a screwdriver. PVC skirting boards are relatively easy to remove. Wooden plinth, nailed to the floor, is best removed starting from the corner. A screwdriver pry off the plank, then with a nail puller with a gasket placed under it to avoid damaging the walls, the entire baseboard is torn off.
The dismantling of the boards is carried out with the same nail puller, crowbar, pliers, or any saw or hacksaw. Boards are nailed to the joists. The first board, located against the wall, is hooked with a nail puller. The rest is removed with a crowbar, hammer and screwdriver. Pliers are needed to pull out bent nails. It is easier to dismantle a wooden floor with a circular saw. At the same time, cuts are made in the middle, pieces of boards are hooked with a crowbar.
The main thing in this case is not to get on the nail head. Boards fixed with self-tapping screws are first freed from fasteners with screwdrivers. After that, the logs are removed, sawing them, like boards, in the middle. If they go into the next room, then near the threshold they are drilled and carefully broken off.
The insulation is also removed and checked if it is suitable for reuse.

After dismantling the boardwalk, beacons are installed - guides that coincide with the horizontal markings along the perimeter of the walls, applied using a level.

Corners, tubes, bars on stands serve as beacons.

How to level a wooden floor (video)

Surface preparation and tiling

The space between the beacons is filled with expanded clay, not reaching their top by 5–10 cm. This is done so that the level of the new coating is the same as before.
Next, a liquid solution is poured, preventing the expanded clay from floating up.
After waiting for the solution to dry completely, make a screed, starting from the window.
The finished surface hardens for almost a month. At the same time, do not allow the top layer of the screed to dry out, spraying it with water as needed.

The tile is laid on a special glue.

The laying method is similar to laying out on a wooden base:

The glue is smeared with a layer of 3 mm with a trowel, leveling with a notched trowel.
Then they lay the tile, checking the correctness of this operation with a level.
Excess glue protruding in the seams is immediately removed, preventing it from drying out.
Plastic crosses are placed between the tiles.
After the glue has completely dried, a special grout solution is rubbed between the tiles with a rubber spatula.
When the surface is completely dry, remove traces of the mixture with a damp cloth and install skirting boards.

If the old floor cannot be restored, then there is only one way out - its replacement. This process requires a lot of time and physical effort. However, as a result, a new floor covering is obtained, which will serve its owners for decades. We will consider how to carry out the replacement of floors with our own hands further.

Features of replacing a wooden floor

If the old floor cannot be restored, then there is only one way out - its replacement. This process requires a lot of time and physical effort. However, the result is a new floor covering that will serve its owners for a long period of time. We will talk about how to carry out the replacement of floors with our own hands further.

If the old wooden floor constantly creaks and causes discomfort while walking on it, then you should take care of replacing it. The procedure for measuring a wooden floor consists of several stages, the first of which involves the dismantling of the old floor covering.

To do this, you should prepare a special tool with which you can get rid of old boards. It is best to use a crowbar or montage. These elements have the form of steel scrap, which is distinguished by the presence of a curved edge with a small lever on one side. It is with its help that the dismantling of the boards is carried out quickly enough. Please note that before removing the old coating, you should carefully inspect the floor for the presence of communication channels so as not to damage the wiring, pipes or ventilation system.

The time to complete this process depends on the wear of the boards, if the floor is old enough, then it will not be difficult to remove the boards. If, however, the flooring is strong enough, then to dismantle it, you should carefully work hard.

All rubbish, boards, logs, if any, should be removed and taken out of the room. Thus, an even base will be obtained, most often from sand or soil. It is possible to place an old screed on the floor, which has certain defects, slopes and irregularities.

To produce a quality new floor, you should completely dismantle the old floor covering. The field of cleaning the floor from dirt, it should be leveled or a new screed should be poured.

Before this, the floor must be treated with a primer, which will improve the adhesion of concrete to the surface and have an antiseptic effect. Further, with the help of bituminous mastic, waterproofing work is carried out to equip the floor.

Please note that you should proceed to the next stage of work only after the bituminous mastic has completely dried. In addition, it is possible to carry out additional waterproofing work in the form of laying additional flexible waterproofing. It will help to qualitatively protect the room from moisture.

After rolling and laying roll material, all its butt sections are processed using the same mastic, on a bitumen basis.

In order to reduce the amount of concrete mortar for arranging the screed, work should be carried out to insulate the new floor. In addition, the insulation is able to protect the room from extraneous sounds from below, for example, if the floor is being built in an apartment in a high-rise building. In addition, such a floor will be warmer and safer.

Plate heaters in the form of mineral or basalt wool, polystyrene, etc. are used as a heat-insulating material.

After fixing the reinforcing mesh, the solution is prepared and the concrete floor screed is arranged. For these purposes, we recommend ordering a factory-prepared concrete mortar, since its quality is much higher than that of a conventional home-made mortar. In addition, it is possible to use self-leveling compounds that allow you to make a high-quality floor screed. In order to calculate the amount of solution, in the process of arranging the screed, you should calculate the length and width of the room, as well as the height of the screed, multiply all these indicators together and get the amount of solution in cubic meters. For example, if it is planned to equip a screed in a room with a length of 4 m and a width of 2 m, while the thickness of the screed is 5 cm, that is, 0.05 m, 4x2x0.05 = 0.4 cubic meters of solution follows.

Next, the solution is laid on the floor surface, its alignment. After that, you should wait at least 4 weeks until the screed hardens. In order for the floor to be perfectly even, a self-leveling mixture is used, which is laid after the concrete screed has dried. After it dries, the floor is ready for finishing, laying linoleum, laminate, parquet, installing logs, subfloor or tiles. The finishing option depends entirely on the preferences of the owners of the premises.

Redevelopment, floor replacement: the initial stage

There are many reasons that provoke the replacement of the floor in an apartment or in a private house. This includes the wear of the old flooring, repairs, the mismatch of the floor with the general style of the interior, etc.

The process of replacing the floor and the complexity of its implementation directly depends on the type of flooring. The first and very important step in replacing any floor is the installation of the old floor covering.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the procedure for its implementation using the example of floors of different material:

1. Floor made of wood.

The process of dismantling an old wooden floor is the easiest, as it requires only an ax, a hammer, a screwdriver and a mount. In addition, it may be necessary electric jigsaw or drank.

All work is carried out in the following sequence:

first, the skirting boards installed around the perimeter of the room are dismantled;
if it is planned to reuse the boards, then the procedure for dismantling them should be extremely accurate, with the help of a nail puller, the fasteners are removed, and if the boards were fixed using self-tapping screws, then in this case, you can not do without a screwdriver;
if the boards are too worn and unsuitable for further use, for their dismantling, a saw, a mount and a jigsaw are used, as the boards are dismantled, take them out of the room so that garbage does not accumulate in it;
further, the logs should be dismantled, keep in mind that they are most often too strongly attached to the old floor, therefore, in the process of dismantling them, take extra care;
after removing all the covering, clean the room and get rid of excess debris.

2. Replacing floors made of concrete is a more complex process. Work on the dismantling of the old concrete floor is carried out very rarely, since in most cases, such a floor is only restored with the help of special repair compounds.

However, if the old coating cannot be repaired, it has a large number of delaminations, cracks, then it should be replaced. In addition, the old screed often has accumulations of fungus and mold on its surface, which adversely affect the health of the residents of the house. This is one of the first reasons for its dismantling. Another reason for replacing the concrete screed is the presence of too low ceilings in the room, and it is the replacement of the screed that helps to solve this problem. Thus, it is possible with the help of sound-hydro- and thermal insulation materials reduce the thickness of the screed.

In order to qualitatively and quickly remove the screed, it is recommended to use a perforator, it is with its help that it is possible to partially remove the screed.

After the screed is removed, you should clean the room and get rid of excess debris generated during these works.

Replacing Old Floors: Substrate Preparation

To improve the quality of laying a new floor, you should carefully prepare the base for its installation. To do this, it is recommended to perform a number of actions:

clean the base of dust as thoroughly as possible, so that it will be possible to detect on the floor, minor defects in the form of cracks, chips, holes or crevices;
if present, care should be taken to seal them with special compounds, since these areas will significantly worsen the heat and sound insulation of the room;
for these purposes, mounting foam, cement-based mortar or sealants are used;
the choice of one or another composition determines the type of defect, its size and quality of damage;
if a fungus or mold is observed on the surface, then these areas are treated with a special antiseptic;
after the base has dried, the base is prepared, this stage of work depends on what type of finish is chosen for the floor;
keep in mind that if, after the deformation of the old concrete floor, the installation of a wooden floor follows, then the arrangement of a new small concrete screed will still be required.

Replacing a wooden floor with concrete: arranging a screed

Instructions for making concrete screed:

with the help of a self-leveling coating, it is possible to hide small surface defects, if they were present on the floor, for these purposes it will be necessary to purchase a ready-made dry mortar, which will have a self-leveling effect;
note that all work should be carried out in accordance with the instructions indicated on the package;
after the solution is ready, it is applied and leveled on the floor surface, in order to distribute the composition it will be necessary to use a wide spatula, and with the help of a needle roller it will be possible to get rid of excess air;
the floor leveled in this way should be left until the composition is completely dry, as it must gain the desired strength.

After the floor has dried, the following work is carried out:

installation of insulation and installation of the main floor covering;
arrangement of plywood subfloor;
wooden floor installation.

Replacing floors in a wooden house: arranging a screed with expanded clay

Another option for arranging a screed in the process of replacing floors in a house is to equip a floor with expanded clay. This material has good heat and sound insulation characteristics. Also, expanded clay is a fairly light material that does not load the building, it is especially important for apartments or floor insulation on the second floor.

The construction of a screed with expanded clay requires the following actions:

if it is planned to equip the screed on the ground floor, located above the basement, then first a series of works should be carried out aimed at arranging waterproofing;
there are several ways to perform this process: floor painting, plastering, casting, pasting with special materials;
keep in mind that waterproofing should be applied not only to the floor, but also to the wall that is in contact with the floor;
on the prepared surface, waterproofing roll material is laid, it enters the wall sections by 21-25 cm, and the joints between the sheets are 10-15 cm, a special adhesive tape is used to connect the joints;
a damper tape is installed on the film, along the perimeter of the room, with its help, even with significant temperature changes, the screed will not lose strength;
on the film, beacons are installed, which are mounted in accordance with the level, it is recommended to use a concrete composition to fix them;
beacons must have such a height that it compensates for the height of the expanded clay and concrete screed;
then expanded clay is poured, which should be carefully tamped. after that, expanded clay is poured with a concrete composition, which is leveled in relation to the previously installed beacons;
after drying the screed and its slight shrinkage, it is recommended to apply a small layer of self-leveling mortar, which will give it a perfect appearance;
on this type of construction are laid finishing material any type.

Replacing laminate floors photo:

Replacing the floor in the apartment with your own hands: features of the construction of the screed

Another option for making a screed screed in an apartment, a screed without insulation. This type of screed is also used in the process of installing a wooden floor on it.

To make this type of screed, follow a series of steps:

lay on the main floor waterproofing material in the form of a polyethylene film;
stick damper tape around the perimeter of the room;
lay a mesh of metal or fiberglass on the waterproofing;
install beacons that will help make the screed as even as possible;
pour the concrete solution and level it on the surface using the rule;
the maturation time of this type of screed is 3-4 weeks.

Replacing the floor covering: arranging a dry screed

Another option for floor restoration is a dry screed. For its manufacture, it is not necessary to use “wet” concrete mortars, but rather dry materials that level the base of the floor. Most often, this type of screed is equipped in an apartment. In order to replace the flooring with a dry screed, you must perform a number of actions:

1. Cover the floor with waterproofing in the form of a polyethylene film. Try to lay it with a margin near the walls and with an overlap in the butt sections.

2. In doorway put a limiter in the form wooden board, which will help prevent the rash of dry composition from the room.

3. Take care to fit the embankment tightly to the floor surface.

5. Please note that the beacons must not be fixed to the floor, as they must be removed after the screed has been installed. To check the evenness of the lighthouses, use the building level.

6. Sprinkle a material in the form of a filler onto the surface of the film, for example, expanded clay. Using the rule, level the dry mixture.

7. Special boards based on fiberglass are laid on the surface. Thus, a solid base is obtained. To glue the plates together, you will need glue and self-tapping screws.

Floor replacement video:

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.

Removing the old floor

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.

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

After removing the old boards, access to the base is opened. Logs are laid on a reinforced concrete slab in apartments, 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.

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:

the base is formed by several narrow plates forming a “step”;
there is a trough-like shape or there is a bulge in the center of the room with a descending height to the perimeter;
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 class solution.

A cheaper way is to fill the rough surface with sand, but 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.

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 rolled waterproofing agent, 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.

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.

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 -. 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 laminate or linoleum coatings, it is recommended to carry out. 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.

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 is 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.

Replacing an old wooden floor with one can be done by hand with the tools and materials. When performing work, the accepted technical requirements must be observed.

Concrete floors are much more durable than wood floors.

Removing the old floor

Dismantling old boards is the first step. A sledgehammer and a crowbar are needed for work, but they should be used with caution in places where communications pass.

When the boards of the old flooring are completely removed, the base will open. You need to see if the lags are fixed. Often, during construction in old houses, they did not do this, but simply covered the free space with construction waste. He served as soundproofing.

Under the plank floor, there may be sand, broken boards, and dirt. Garbage must be poured into bags, after which the logs should be inspected. Rotten items should be replaced. If they are in good condition, they can be used as a base for a screed.

In this case, chipboard sheets or plywood are laid on top of the existing underlayment, but it must be understood that this will raise the level of the floor. Therefore, you need to decide whether to put a new coating on the old logs without laying the insulation, or remove them, and then pour the floors.

Most often, apartment owners choose the second option, which involves the dismantling of lags. After completing the work, you need to assess the condition of the pipes and plumbing. If necessary, they must be replaced.

Evaluation of the list of works

First you need to make all the measurements and calculate the errors.

The reinforced concrete slab needs to be inspected, and then the level should be measured. To do this, it is better to use a laser, with its help you can quickly determine if there is a height difference.

One of the following situations is often observed:

several slabs are laid in the room, they form a step;
in the center of the room a bulge or concavity is visible;
the slab is placed at an angle.

The scope of work should be assessed. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the screed has a small mass, so the concrete layer is made minimal. It is poured on filling or a lightweight solution is used.

If the height difference is large, from 70 mm or more, then the order of work is as follows:

concrete screed is made with a thickness of 40 to 50 mm;
the remaining free space is filled with expanded clay concrete composition.

There are also cheaper ways. The first is that the rough surface is covered with sand, but such a pillow will have a large mass. You can choose the second option by making the base from plywood sheets. Under them, light, bulk material is poured on the ground. It could be expanded clay. It is needed in order to equalize the level.

The result is a smooth surface suitable for pouring the screed, and the rough filling will be of a small mass. It will additionally play the role of soundproofing. This coating is suitable for laying parquet.

Expanded clay is spilled with water, and then rammed. After the work is completed, you should wait 2-3 days until the layer is completely dry.

A little bit about very old houses

If there are no concrete floors in old buildings between floors, do the following:

remove old boards;
remove construction waste;
inspect the logs, fix them in place and treat them with an antiseptic.

After that, expanded clay is poured into the ceiling between floors, and then sheets of plywood are laid. Instead, you can put sheets of chipboard. Similarly, the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one in a private house is carried out.

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

When the subfloor is ready, waterproofing material is laid on it. It can be glassine or roofing material, fiberglass or membrane is widely used.

Before laying the waterproofing, the room around the perimeter is pasted over with construction tape, and then coated with bituminous mastic. When it hardens, the waterproofing material is spread and the seams are processed. The strips should be on the walls and overlap each other by at least 15 cm. To increase the speed of work, you can purchase self-adhesive waterproofers.

Reinforcement laying

If a concrete floor needs to be made in an apartment, reinforcement is necessary.

The job can be done like this:

First you need to put a steel mesh. It is better to use products with cells measuring 5 cm. At the same time, a gap is made for the insulation. If necessary, a 10 mm thick waterproofing layer is laid.
Plastic reinforcing mesh.
Introduction to fiber solution.

With a thickness of 40-50 mm, a chain-link mesh is often used, which is made of aluminum, but it is most convenient to choose the third option, based on the use of fibers.

This method is different in that when carrying out work, you do not need to think about leaving a compensation gap. If necessary, a warm floor can be placed inside the screed, and the fittings will not interfere with this.

Fibers have an affordable cost, they can be used to make a smooth concrete floor. But this method is suitable if the solution is poured onto the ceiling from reinforced concrete slab. In other cases, it is better to choose the classic version, which is based on the use of a reinforcing mesh.

Installation of beacons

When conducting construction works corners and special profiles can be used as beacons. They are installed on mounds made of gypsum putty.

After the installation is completed, you need to take the building level or several rails, and then check how smooth the surface formed by their upper points turned out to be.

If the preparation of the base was done poorly, a drop will be recorded. To create a flat surface, some of the lighthouses are removed, and mounds of putty are made of different heights.

When performing construction work, beacons are placed from each other at a distance of a maximum of 50 cm. They are installed from the window, moving towards the door. It will be possible to remove them only after the putty has completely hardened.

Solution preparation

To reduce pressure on floors when replacing a wooden base with a concrete floor, ready-made mixtures are used. With their help, it is easy to create a layer whose thickness does not exceed 70 mm, and the minimum is 35 mm. The components do not have to be mixed, it is enough to pour in water.

In order to save money, you can make a screed yourself, for it you need the following:

Cement, 1 part. It is best to purchase its brand M400.
Construction sand, 3 parts. It is pre-screened.
To make the solution more plastic, lime dough is added to it. It needs 0.1 parts.
Fibers for reinforcement.

Before mixing the components with water, all components are mixed. As a result, a uniformly colored composition should form, only after that liquid can be added to it. At the same time, mixing is constantly done, a properly made solution is similar to thick sour cream.

Adhere to all rules for pouring concrete for the best result.

Screed laying

If you decide to do the screed on your own, work starts from the window. You can also move away from the wall that is farthest from the door. Beacons must be installed, they are guided by them during work.

The finished solution is applied in large portions; a long rule is used to level it near the corners and in the center of the room. You need to act quickly, then it will not grab, it can be easily smoothed out.

It is easiest to do concrete laying with two people. One person mixes the components, and the second distributes the concrete over the base.

Creating a finish

To achieve the most durable concrete floor that has an aesthetic appearance, you need to perform the following steps:

sand the base with sandpaper;
apply polymer compositions to it or paint it with paint intended for this type of coating;
when the concrete has partially hardened, the screed can be ironed;
cover with self-leveling floor, forming a thin layer.

If the base is planned to be covered with tiles, then the surface can not be processed. Ironing is done if there is a laminate coating or it is planned to lay linoleum. The use of expensive bulk mixtures allows you to achieve a flat surface.

The concrete coating will dry in 2-3 weeks. When choosing materials, it is worth considering that the self-leveling floor contributes to the fact that the overall level rises by 30 mm. The same is observed when using ceramic tiles, so you should think in advance about what the finish will be.