How to fill the floor in an apartment with your own hands correctly, step-by-step guide.

In this article we will look at the basic methods of creating a perfectly flat floor in an apartment. Preparatory and key stages are presented. I will explain which materials are most effective.

If you need to renovate your apartment with high quality and in a modern way, then you cannot do without replacing the flooring. In terms of price it is more profitable. And the appearance of the new coating is quite attractive.

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Don't start renovating until you read this.

What floor to install in an apartment Warm floor in an apartment: a modern choice How to change floors in Khrushchev, Stalin, Brezhnevka

A perfectly flat floor - why is it needed?

Even in a new building, there are differences in the floors. They can reach 10 cm. Today, panel slabs are laid so that the ceiling between floors with its smooth surface is directed towards the ceiling, and its lumpy surface towards the floor. And on this side, without screeds, you can only lay linoleum. The parquet will be constantly deformed.

Thus, we fill the floor according to two main reasons:

Laying flooring.
Construction of a floor with water or electric heating.
Other floor insulation.

For your information
To get a perfectly even coating, we use cement filling. This operation is also called screeding. It is necessary before laying the topcoat. In this regard, many owners have a question about how to properly fill the floors in the apartment. This technology is not anything overly complicated. The main thing is to perform all operations correctly and step by step.

Calculation of the amount of available flooring

All work on pouring self-leveling mixtures is carried out in one day. This means that you need to immediately calculate the correct amount of solution for the room, since there will be no opportunity to buy more and fill it later. It is also not very good if the mixture was prepared with reserve and was not completely worked out.

Errors in calculations are especially critical if the floor in the room is adjusted to the level of coverings in other rooms.

Consumption is usually indicated on a 1 meter bag with a layer thickness of 1 mm. Usually this value is given with an error, so it is advisable to check it on a small portion of the solution. To do this, you will need scales, water, a bag of dry mixture, a plastic cup and mixer, and several containers for weighing.

We need to convert the values of the ratios on the bag into a volume convenient for us. For example, if 20 kg of leveler is diluted in 5 liters of water, then we need to convert this value into grams. For convenience, let's convert liters to kilograms, we get 5 kg of water. Accordingly, the ratio is 1:4. If we take 1 kg of solution, then it will require 250 grams of liquid.

We weigh the resulting amount of liquid on a scale, then reset the device and add 1 kg of solution. Mix the solution with a mixer as required by the instructions.

With self-leveling floor mortar, it is better to use a tool that can operate at reduced speed. This mixing ensures a minimum amount of bubbles in the mixture.

To check the spreading of the mixture, you can pour 250 grams of the finished solution onto a smooth surface and wait a minute. The spread of the spot should be 25 cm.

Now you need to calculate the density of the resulting mixture. To do this, divide the volume of the container with the solution by its weight. To do this, you can use a measuring cup, the volume of which we know. Since this result was obtained for a solution and not a dry mixture, we need to exclude water from the result (with 125% water). To do this, we divide the resulting density by 1.25 (if the initial ratio of water and material was 1:4), this way we will find out the real consumption of the mixture and can compare it with the data on the bag.

If you don't have a measuring container on hand, you can use a regular plastic cup. Pour water into it and weigh it, this will be the volume of the glass.

We multiply the resulting consumption by the thickness of the floor, we will understand how much mixture will be used per 1 square meter.

Mortars for perfect pouring - building mixtures or concrete? Choice

In modern conditions, pouring a floor screed with your own hands is quite feasible. And there is a large assortment of various Russian and foreign levelers on sale. These are innovative tools.

Their main specificity is that they are poured without much work with beacons and guides.

We breed them competently, using strict technology. They are affected by gravity and tension. And they are evenly distributed over the entire working surface. Cover all uneven areas and bumps. This is the easiest way to fill the floors to obtain an even, seamless and shiny finish.

There is also a classic - the use of cement compositions. They cost less. But the filling technology is more complicated. What to choose and how to fill the floors in the premises, each owner decides for himself, based on his budget, goals and scope of work.

Garage floor, basement

A popular flooring choice for garage and basement floors is concrete.

In a garage, floors must have the following characteristics:

impact resistance;
fire safety;
immunity to various active substances;
water resistance;
strength;
durability.

All this is typical for concrete pavement.

In the basement, the floors should have almost the same characteristics, with a few exceptions. The only condition that needs to be provided for basement floors is enhanced waterproofing, since groundwater can destroy concrete from the inside.

Preparation steps before making a poured floor

For preparatory and main work we use the following arsenal:

Reiki. They are necessary for beacons.
Metal brush.
Container for working personnel.
Roller for priming.
Sidewalk scraper.
A small brush for applying primer to hard-to-reach or small areas.
Putty knife.
Needle type roller.
Drill with a nozzle for mixing the solution.
Primer.

You can fill the floors in your apartment correctly if you act strictly step by step. And the stages of work are as follows:

Surface preparation. Removing old coating, cleaning from dust and dirt.
Padding.
Waterproofing.
Thermal insulation.
Checking horizontality.

Next comes the screed itself. Then we wait for the surface to dry and lay the base coating.

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Preparing the base - leveling and waterproofing

It is necessary to fill the floors in the apartment step by step. This is the most important condition for obtaining the proper result.

The first step is preparing the base. We remove the old coating. We carry out a thorough cleaning. We eliminate dust and dirt. We use a vacuum cleaner. Degrease the surface with a simple soap mixture.

If you need to fill the floor in a room that does not have a threshold, we create one. For this we use slats. This prevents the leveling agent from leaking into adjacent rooms.

Important
Before the pouring process, it is important to remove outdated baseboards. And we must glue the wall-floor joints. There is a good tool for this - damper tape.

Next, the floor in the room is covered with a primer. Thanks to it, the floor adheres better to the base. Apply at least two layers of primer. Apply the second layer only after the first layer has completely dried. Priming continues while it is still absorbed by the base.

The primer enhances the strength of the surface and its adhesion to future materials.

When we work with classics (concrete-sand composition), we use a universal primer. In rooms of modest size, we apply it with a brush. In large rooms - a roller.

Before starting other work, the primer dries for about two hours.

The main work starts one day after this operation.

At this stage the level. We walk around the room with him. And we make horizontal marks on the walls. We will rely on them during the pouring process.

Concrete floor reinforcement

How to fill the floor in an apartment with a reinforced screed? This issue is especially relevant when working on the ground. His solution is the use of reinforcement. We use one of these options:

Special steel mesh.
Fibrin. It is fibrous plastic or metal. We add it to the working solution.

At the reinforcement stage, we install wiring and install heating technologies.

Nuances of floor structure reinforcement

We reinforce the concrete floor in the house so that the structure receives powerful protection from mechanical stress and strong vibrations. This also significantly increases the service life of the floor.

Motives for floor reinforcement:

Laying a floating screed according to the project.
Construction of a floor on the ground.
Compliance with certain building regulations in underfloor heating technologies.
The floor is used for industrial purposes and is subject to enormous loads.
The height of the concrete layer exceeds 5 cm.

If the floor structures are subject to serious loads, we give preference to metal reinforcement.

The rod diameter is affected by operating conditions and loads. Usually it is 0.6 - 1.2 cm. Cell parameters: 1 x 1 x 2 x 2 cm.

To fasten the mesh we use welding or binding wire. We often use ready-made meshes in our work. They are based on VR-1 wire and d 2-6 mm. The cell parameters are in the range 5 x 5 - 2 x 2 cm.

When reinforcing using this method, we fill the floor in the apartment in stages and follow the following order:

The position of the mesh is in the very thickness of the concrete. This way the steel is protected from corrosion.
Thoroughly clean the base from debris and dirt.
Repairing cracks (if any). Their dust removal. Padding.
Priming the base in 2-3 cycles.
Waterproofing and sound insulation are installed.
Marking is made and a level is applied.
The mesh is placed on stands. This is how the material ends up in the thick of the concrete. We keep the overlap in one cell.
Connecting butt sections using tying wire.
Beacons are attached to the reinforcing layer. This cannot be done without metal U-like profiles.
The train is placed between the lighthouses. It is leveled by the rule.
After the concrete has cured, the guides are removed. The existing voids are filled with the mixture.
A protective film is spread over the screed. Lasts 5-7 days.

For your information
We use fiber material for surfaces located in alkaline environments, where temperature parameters do not exceed 200 degrees.

Surface finishing

After the concrete floor is poured and the mixture is compacted, you need to wait for the monolith to gain strength. Much depends on the ambient temperature and humidity, but you should start processing concrete no earlier than 3 hours and no more than 7 hours after pouring. Check the depth of the marks: it should be around 2-3 millimeters.

The work involves rough grouting using a trowel or discs. Later, when the depth of the mark is already 1 millimeter or less, finishing grouting is carried out. To obtain a durable and strong base, which is not planned to be finished with decorative materials, topping is used - this is a special mixture based on cement and other components.

The topping is rubbed into the concrete, making 2 passes. Polymer impregnations can also be used. All this makes it possible to make the floor even, smooth, and eliminate dust and destruction.

Often such floors are made in warehouses, train stations, industrial areas, and factories. But in Moscow and big cities, such coating options are increasingly preferred for modern interiors of establishments and even homes.

Creation of formwork. Working with Guides

We lay the concrete floor in parts - cards. These are rectangular areas. Their parameters are determined by two factors:

Total surface area.
Possibility of filling the composition in one working cycle.

We place formwork along the perimeter of these areas to mark the finished floor. It is created from a 5 x 10 cm board. We pre-drill holes in the boards for reinforcing pins with a distance of 50 cm. We apply the formwork lines to the seam pattern.

We fill the floor in a new house along the guides. We can use them as:

metal profiles,
steel corners 5 x 5 x 0.3 cm,
profile pipe 4 x 2 x 0.2 cm.

We mount the guides by welding to reinforcement posts with a diameter of 1.2 cm. To control the evenness, we use an optical level.

All areas where the surface is adjacent to the load-bearing components are covered with Izolon with a density of 4 mm. This is a damper tape based on polyethylene foam.

So we fill the floor in parts. Just before filling, we treat all profiles with engine oil. And we moisten the rough base with water.

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Installation of formwork

As a material for formwork, it is fashionable to use any good flat material that has one smooth side. Such material, for example, could be:

boards;
flat slate;
chipboard (chipboard);
plywood.

It is very convenient to use sheet plastic to fill curved paths. If your stock of materials does not contain anything similar, you can rent standard metal formwork from any construction organization. This is practiced quite often today.

Laying waterproofing

How to fill the floor in an apartment yourself if there are significant gaps in the base? The areas where walls meet floors are considered particularly vulnerable. Areas near communications are also considered weak. Here we lay waterproofing.

To do this, we use the following types of water protection:

Films and rolls. These are the most common types. These are polymer membranes consisting of many layers. They also have thermal insulating properties.
Liquid. These are great pore filling products. It turns out a thin water-repellent film
Mastics. These are adhesive plaster mixtures. Their bases are polymers, resins, liquid rubber. The mastic forms a powerful waterproof layer.
Powders. They use plasticizers and binders. They need to be diluted with water according to the instructions.

Surface level and placement of beacons

Many owners are interested in how to fill the floor in an apartment efficiently and evenly? To do this, be sure to determine the level of the screed and install beacons (special slats).

Using a level, check the evenness of the base. We indicate the level of the intended coverage on the walls.

From plastered areas, remove the plaster 0.25 cm above this line. Using these notations we identify the highest point of the surface. This is a guarantee of proper filling.

Here the working algorithm is:

We measure 1 m up the wall, counting from the door threshold. We draw a line.
We draw a line around the perimeter of the room. We maintain its parallelism using a level.
The second parallel is drawn at a distance of 1 m under the control symbol.
We drive nails into the corners of the room on the bottom line and stretch the wire.

Thanks to the marks on the load-bearing components, it is easier to place beacons in a new apartment. The distances between beacons correspond to the length of the rule. We apply the rule to level the mixture.

The final result depends on the placement of the slats. After all the work, the slats are removed. They leave recesses that can easily be filled with the same solution that was used for the screed.

With guidelines it is much easier to fill the screed. And so we get the necessary flat surface. We install beacons even for work on a small area.

Bedding question

Before you make the working composition and pour it onto the required area, you need to make a bedding. This is the so-called pillow. It consists of three layers.

The initial one is gravel. Density: 5 -10 cm. Water it with water and tamp it down. To control the thickness of the layer, be sure to drive pegs directly into the soil. We put them by level. Having slept and compacted this layer, we take them out.
The second one is sandy. Density -10 cm. We also adjust the thickness with pegs. We water the sand and compact it using a vibrating plate.
Shchebnevy. Thickness – 10 cm. We carefully level it and make it denser. There should be no sharp edges on the surface. Suitable crushed stone has a fraction of 4-5 cm. After compaction, sprinkle it a little with sand and tamp it again.

Horizontal level adjustable

Video guide for installing beacons

Required tools and materials

To avoid interrupting the work process while searching for the right tool, everything you need must be prepared in advance:

perforator;
scrap;
solution container;
trowel;
construction and water levels;
roulette;
beating cord;
picking shovel;
rule;
screws;
drill.

Some tools for the job

When concreting an earthen foundation, for example in a private house, additional compaction will be required. Materials for work are purchased with a small reserve, because it is very difficult to accurately calculate the quantity, especially without relevant construction experience.

So, for concreting you will need:

waterproofing film;
insulation (if necessary);
primer;
reinforcing mesh;
slats for beacons (preferably T-shaped);
small crushed stone;
sand;
cement.

It is recommended to choose a mesh for reinforcement with a cell size of 100x100 mm or 150x150 mm, and the thickness of the rod must be at least 5 mm.

Reinforcing mesh

Use only fresh cement, otherwise the concrete surface will crumble or crack. There should be no foreign impurities in the crushed stone and sand - clay, silt, grass or leaves, or other debris. All this negatively affects the quality of concrete and reduces its uniformity. You can calculate the approximate amount of sand, crushed stone and cement using the table.

Composition of concrete mixture per 1 m3 of concrete

To find out the volume of concrete for the floor, the area of the base must be multiplied by the estimated thickness of the screed. Waterproofing material should be taken with such a reserve that its strips can be overlapped by 10-15 cm and the edges can be placed on the walls by at least 10 cm around the entire perimeter of the room.

Waterproofing film

Creation of the working staff

This composition is not difficult to create. We dilute it in water strictly according to the instructions. Mix using a drill with a special attachment. This way we get a homogeneous composition.

A simple recipe for preparing a sand-cement mixture is as follows:

4 shares of perlite are used. Pour 2 parts of water on them.
Add water and cement one part at a time to the solution. Mix.
Add two parts of sand and 10 parts of water.
Mix the mixture until it reaches a plastic consistency.

This option is good for use in a new private home. It is also often used on the lower floors of buildings with many floors. In an apartment it is also justified if a small layer of fill is created.

Pouring process

How to fill the surface of an existing base more efficiently? If all measures for leveling have already been provided, then the process should be completed in one day. This is the key to uniform composition.

Filling begins from the far corner of the room. To level the layer, apply the rule. We evenly distribute the material within the boundaries of the fixed beacons.

Using a needle roller, remove air from the mixture. This way we exclude the occurrence of internal voids in it. Then we level the screed completely. We repeat the operations until the base is completely filled.

If you have some misunderstandings, you can watch a video of how to pour a floor screed with your own hands.

Foundation assessment

Before using self-leveling floor technology, you need to correctly assess the base on which the leveler is to be poured.
If the repair is being carried out in a new building, where there is already a “rough” screed, then you need to check its quality: look at the level and tap for the presence of internal voids. Grease and bitumen stains must be washed off the surface.
If the new building does not have a “rough” screed, but the floor level is satisfactory, then you can immediately pour the finishing leveler.
In houses with an old foundation, it is better to remove the covering and make a new screed. After such preparation, you can begin pouring the self-leveling mixture.

If the time for carrying out work is limited, then quick-hardening mixtures should be used. Otherwise, you will have to wait a month for the screed to gain brand strength.

Also at this stage, the possibility of installing sound insulation and insulation should be taken into account. In this case, the thickness of the floor “pie” will need to take into account the thickness of the EPS boards.

Floor work

How to pour concrete floors and when should it be done? It is important to know one specific thing here - bedding is not required.

First we study the floor slab. If there are cracks or chips on it, we fill them with a repair compound.

When working with wooden floors, we also repair them if necessary.

We provide any overlap with waterproofing - thick (200-300 microns) polyethylene film.

Next we arrange thermal insulation. Suitable for these purposes: basalt wool. expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam.

We put up beacons, fill the composition with a density of 10 cm. Further actions are identical to those for working with a floor on the ground. If there are any incomprehensible moments, you can watch a video of how floors in an apartment are poured over the ceilings.

Choosing a filling composition

The choice of screeding agent is a very important issue. And when deciding how and what to fill the floor in a new apartment, consider the following factors:

The cement-sand composition sets within an hour. After which it is problematic to level it. Here you need to work in a duet. One creates a mixture. The second one is to fill it and level it.
Ready-made formulations have a more liquid consistency. They spread out, aligning horizontally. This results in a smoother surface.
Concrete finally hardens in 4 weeks. And the composition in a couple of days.

After filling and leveling, protect the surface from the following influences:

temperature jumps,
ultraviolet,
air flows.

We cover it with film. This prevents the appearance of cracks in it.

To find out whether the screed is ready, we can use a special support component. If the screed has hardened thoroughly, remove the guide rails. We fill the voids with the composition.

We grind the concrete floor. After this operation, the floor covering can be installed on the base.

Floors filled with leveling mixtures can be loaded within 6-12 hours.

The type of flooring planned dictates certain conditions. After installing the screed, some defects and sagging can be ignored if ceramic tiles are laid.

Advice
If you are planning laminate, parquet or linoleum, we use mixtures with a self-leveling effect. This way the surface will be perfectly smooth with a mirror reflection.

We prepare the mixtures strictly according to the instructions, pour them onto the floor. For leveling we use a special brush.

Then we treat the surface using a needle roller. This is a measure to eliminate air bubbles.

But even though the base is considered ready, I do not recommend placing furniture on it. This can be done in 5-7 days.

Working with wooden floors

When you need to remove wooden floors in a house and install concrete surfaces, you need to follow the following algorithm:

Dismantling old floors.
Leveling the site.
Making a pillow.
Installation of insulation.
Creating the composition and filling.

How to remove wooden floors and then pour screed, we consider in detail according to the indicated stages.

We dismantle old floors using a crowbar. We follow safety precautions.

Clean the surface of debris. Level the soil with a shovel.

Making a pillow. We use crushed stone with a fraction of 2-4 cm. We form a layer of 5 cm. We compact it.

To compensate for the thermal expansion of the entire screed, we equip the perimeter of the room with foam sheets. Polystyrene foam is also a permanent formwork here. The thickness of one sheet is 20-50 cm.

The crushed stone layer is covered with a sand layer with a density of 10 cm.

We organize insulation using extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of at least 5 cm. Sheet parameters: 120 x 60 cm.

When laying, their locks are fastened, creating a monolithic surface. This material is moisture resistant, so we do not waterproof it.

Sheets are laid using a level. Add sand in the required areas. Again, check the evenness of the sheet positions.

We work in two cycles. We put up formwork from boards. The composition elements and their proportions are as follows:

- cement: 1 share,

- sand: 2 shares,

— granite screening: 3 shares.

If all the elements are dry, the granite screenings are sent first into the concrete mixer, followed by sand, and cement last. Mix everything thoroughly. Then add water.

If the sand is wet, pour water into the bucket to fill half its volume. Next comes cement. Mix it thoroughly. Add sand, then sifting. Finally, add water to obtain the mixture of the required consistency.

The mixture is neither liquid nor very thick.

Apply the resulting composition and level it using the rule. The density of the screed is 4-5 cm.

After pouring, the composition needs two days to harden.

Then we prepare the second half of the room. Operations are identical

We align the fresh screed in density with the previous screed

After complete pouring, the concrete hardens for 2 days. Then you get this result:

For your information
The screed will be completely strengthened in a month. During this period, we water it twice a day from a watering can. On the created base you can install warm floors or floor coverings.

Caring for concrete surfaces

When caring for a concrete surface, you need to adhere to two principles:

care should begin from the moment the material is laid;
Do not allow hardening concrete to come into contact with water - this will promote the appearance of cracks.

When concrete hardens, it is advisable to cover it with materials such as matting, sand or straw mats so that the moisture evaporates gradually. But such a shelter cannot be made for large areas, so you can use a moisture-proof film.

These conditions must be observed until the concrete surface has completely hardened.

Nuances of self-leveling floor

Self-leveling floor - also known as liquid floor - is a special composition. It is created on the basis of polymer elements. Before it hardens, it is a very liquid product. It is very easy to pour directly onto the prepared base. The liquid is quickly and without our intervention evenly distributed throughout the entire base, covering any defects.

There are these types of self-leveling floors:

Cement-acrylic.
Polyurethane.
Epoxy.

The cement-acrylic type is usually used in industrial facilities.

The advantages of this type:

Powerful resistance to moisture and wear.
Acceptable price.
No preparatory operations are required before pouring.
Service life – 30 years.
The presence of cracks does not affect the integrity of the surface in any way.

Minuses:

Huge labor costs.
The coating has no elasticity.

Polyurethane types

We use them more in residential premises. Their advantages:

Powerful resistance to moisture.
Good elasticity.
Solid resistance to heavy loads and wear.
Fast hardening.
Service life – 40 years.
Antimicrobial action.

Minuses:

Dangerous odor before complete hardening - risk of poisoning.
A significant expense is a huge financial outlay.

Advantages and disadvantages

Below we present the general advantages and disadvantages of self-leveling floors.

Advantages:

aesthetic appearance;
relative ease of filling;
hardness, high impact resistance;
durability 10 years or more;
high adhesion, the ability to pour on almost any substrate;
hygiene, ease of cleaning and operation;
there are no seams or joints;
fireproof;
resistant to various chemicals;
maintainability.

The self-leveling floor will meet all the described advantages if the technology for filling it is fully followed.

Flaws:

high price;
complexity of technology;
the floors “do not breathe”, regular ventilation of the room is necessary;
cold, it is necessary to insulate;
difficulty of dismantling.

Epoxy look

It allows you to achieve masterpiece design results. Its advantages:

Resistance to mechanical damage.
Easy to clean.
Transparency. You can arrange a composition under such a floor, then fill everything with the composition. Details on how to fill such a liquid floor in this video:

A must read

What floor to install in an apartment Warm floor in an apartment: a modern choice How to change floors in Khrushchev, Stalin, Brezhnevka