When repairing a floor covering, it is oftenthe same problem arises - unevenness of the floor, which needs to be corrected. Especially when it comes to laying such a material as linoleum. How to level the surface depends on what kind of base, i.e. the floor can be concrete, wood, etc.
Diagram of linoleum composition.
How to lay a floor covering on an uneven surface
If the main floor has cracks, slopes, depressions, etc., linoleum should never be laid for many reasons:
- material under the weight of furniture or a person will bend;
- linoleum will disperse at the seams, if any;
- the covering will move away from the walls;
- there are cracks.
Of course, this is not the entire list of problems that may arise. But before changing the floor covering, you need to purchase the following tools:
- pencil and knife;
- roulette or ruler;
- rollers;
- scissors.
These are the basic tools that you can't do without. Return to Contents</a>Which surface is more preferable?
Preparing the subfloor before layinglinoleum. cannot be produced if the differences in the base surface are more than 2 mm for every 2 m. This is determined using a building level. The easiest way to eliminate the existing problem is to use a substrate, which can be made of various materials. For example, cork or cork-bitumen material, foamed polyethylene or polyurethane. This method can correct an uneven floor to a small extent. If the defect is severe, then other methods must be used. Some people do not want to tear off the old linoleum covering and therefore wonder whether linoleum can be laid on the same material. If the main surface is good, and the linoleum is cracked or torn in places, you can simply cut out these areas and carefully cover them with mastic. If the room has tiled flooring, it must be torn off. Linoleum cannot be laid on such material. Sometimes you can first lay a chipboard sheet on the tile, and then linoleum on top. Return to contents</a>Leveling a concrete floor In order to,First of all, you need to check the surface with a level, fill in all the cracks and gaps, then clean the floor from debris and dust. Then you need to dilute the dry mixture with water, which is sold in any store, or dilute the cement yourself.
Scheme of leveling concrete floors.If it is necessary to significantly raise the level, then special beacons made of wooden slats are installed. Then the solution is poured and evenly distributed over the surface with a spatula. Air bubbles are formed in any solution, which must be rolled with a toothed roller. When the solution dries, linoleum can be laid directly on the concrete surface. But experts recommend: if the floor covering does not have a base, it is better to make a backing from the above materials. Or, as an option, you can use insulation. Linoleum is laid from the farthest corner. It must be rolled with a uniform roller along the entire perimeter. Then the material is left for several days to settle. If desired, linoleum can be placed on an adhesive base, but you can do without it by fixing the canvas along the edges. The second option is preferred much more often, since when removing the material during the next repair, it becomes problematic to tear off the glue. Return to the table of contents</a>Leveling wooden floor Installationlinoleum on a wooden floor also begins with checking the wooden surface. As a rule, many chips and cracks form on wood. Among other things, such a surface is prone to creaking. Laying linoleum on such defects is unacceptable, especially if there are rotten boards. If the coating cannot be restored, then the boards must be removed and the base concreted or laid with a substrate. In another case, you need to remove individual elements of the wooden floor and replace them with new ones. This must be done carefully enough so as not to damage the whole boards lying nearby.
Wooden floor screed diagram.If the floor creaks, you can fix it to the joists that are laid in the bottom layer. This will require self-tapping screws or screws that strengthen the structure. Nails should never be used, as they corrode, which is harmful to the wood. To prevent the floorboards from warping, do not tighten the screws too tightly. If the unevenness is insignificant, then many builders simply do sanding, which is done with special equipment. This is difficult to do at home, because such a machine is very expensive, and no one will rent it. But there is a way out of this situation, because you can fix an uneven floor with plywood sheets. In order for the alignment to be of high quality, you need to put small boards in the lowest areas to firmly fix the plywood. Sometimes craftsmen pour a self-leveling mixture directly on top of the wooden surface, that is, they level the floor. As in any other case, you need to roll out a piece of linoleum on the floor from the far corner to the exit, and then carefully cut everything. Do not forget to leave 2-3 cm on each side for shrinkage. It is much easier to cut off the excess with a sharp stationery knife later (in a week) than to stretch (which is impossible) the material. Skirting boards and joints are strengthened after 3-5 days, since the material has the property of either stretching or, conversely, shrinking. If you have laid linoleum with joints, then they are connected with a special construction stapler. Some specialists use an adhesive mixture. Return to the table of contents</a>Laying the underlayment yourself
Scheme of installation of a substrate under linoleum.Whatever the underlay, the methods of its installation are the same, so using cork as an example, you can lay any other. Cork is considered the best option when leveling the floor yourself. The fact is that it is a reliable, environmentally friendly and waterproof material. Cork underlay, especially jute, is not afraid of any temperature changes and humidity. Under no circumstances does this material deform. Therefore, builders use it most often. Any underlay is glued to the base of the floor. Regular PVA glue can be used for this. If the base is concrete, then you can lay polyethylene film (if desired). This is not required for another surface. The floor should be perfectly cleaned, an adhesive base is applied to it and spread with a roller (brush). After that, the underlay is laid and leveled with a roller or mop. This is the case if the underlay is rolled. If it is in slabs, then tap it with a hammer, but carefully. The underlay should stand for a day to allow the material to acclimatize. In any case, it is necessary to use sharp cutting tools. The thickness of the underlay should be between 2 mm and 10 mm in a roll, if the material is tiled, then up to 20 mm. Laying linoleum and leveling the main surface is within the power of any person, because there is no difficulty in this.
