Any building deteriorates over time.Its individual parts also deteriorate. This is especially true for floors, wooden and concrete. Being subjected to constant loads, they become covered with cracks and potholes, wooden floorboards swell, concrete crumbles.
Floor arrangement diagram.And then you have to do repairs, since a complete replacement of the floor is often too troublesome and expensive. Many people are interested in how to level the floor without a screed, since it is not always convenient to do it. There are several options for how to do without a screed.
Necessary materials and tools
Necessary materials and tools. For work you will need the following:
- sheet material (plywood, OSB boards);
- wooden beams;
- sand;
- a hacksaw for wood (metal);
- a hammer;
- pliers;
- Cylinder machine;
- perforator;
- building level;
- rule;
- measuring devices (ruler, angle, tape measure);
- nails, screws, dowels.
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How to level the floor of concrete with a sheet material?
Scheme of floor leveling with sheet materials.Concrete floors, despite their known strength, may well lose their original flatness over time. This usually happens if the technological installation rules were violated at the time of laying such coverings or the load standards were not observed during their operation. As a result, such a floor acquires a not very flat appearance with rather large dips and rather large potholes. In cases where the owner of the premises does not plan to completely replace the base, experts recommend leveling it with plywood or OSB boards. The preparatory part comes down to filling small cracks and chips. Then comes the turn to fill the resulting depressions with sand. This point should not be ignored, since the used wood covering will inevitably begin to sag over time without a loose “support”, the floor will begin to “play” and creak. Completely dry sand is used for filling. This is the case with relatively small defects. If there are significant differences in height (deviations from the required level) on the plane being repaired, it is better to use a fine granulated mixture for this. In this case, it will not give significant shrinkage.
Characteristics of plywood.The required layer is adjusted using a level, which is then carefully leveled with wide movements of the rule. Then comes the turn of laying the sheet material. Correct laying involves placing plywood (OSB, gypsum fiber panels) in two layers. Moreover, it is necessary to lay them out in such a way that both layers are oriented in opposite directions. It should be noted that when laying the first, lower layer, it is necessary to tap the entire area of the plywood sheets with a rubber hammer. This action will allow the slabs to finally and securely sit on the bedding. Next, you can drill holes in the concrete base and secure the wood material with dowels. The second, upper layer is attached to the first layer using self-tapping screws. Return to the table of contents</a>
How to level the floor on a wooden base?
Scheme of leveling the floor with plywood without joists.It is often necessary to level old wooden floors. This operation is very similar to repairs on concrete bases, but in the case of the wooden version there are some features that should be mentioned. It is recommended to level the floor without a screed on an existing plane in cases where, in the presence of small potholes and chips, the difference between the lower and upper edges of the specified defects does not exceed 5 mm. If this condition is met, a small preparation should be carried out, which comes down to filling the dilapidated wooden base (of course, where it is required) with acrylic sealant or a mixture based on PVA glue. To level the floor on a wooden base that does not have serious defects, sand is not needed as a backfill. Plywood sheets no more than 20 mm thick are simply laid out on the old putty surface, and one layer will be enough (it is not recommended to use fiberboard for these purposes). They are fastened with self-tapping screws of the appropriate length and diameter. When planning to level floors without using cement screed, you should always remember that the technology described above is applicable in cases where the height differences in potholes do not exceed 5 mm. If the specified defects are larger, you will have to turn to another technology. Return to contents</a>
How to align the floor with lags?
Assembly diagram of the structure for floor levelingon adjustable joists. Before choosing this option, the customer should make sure that a noticeable increase in the floor level is not of fundamental importance for his room. After all, after this operation, the height of the room will definitely decrease. In order to level the floor without a screed, using a strip support made of wooden beams-joists, the initial marking for the flooring of the future horizon is made on the walls of the room with a level. Then, using the appropriate fasteners, longitudinal joists are mounted along the entire length of the room. For greater strength of the future foundation, additional transverse joists can be provided. In this case, the upper edges of the joists should be located in the plane marked on the walls. Here it is necessary to take into account that the distance between the joists is directly dependent on the thickness of the sheet material used. For example, if 15 mm thick plywood is used for the covering, the distance between the bars should be no more than 35 cm. If a thicker material is chosen (it will “play” less under loads), the joists can be located at a distance of up to 50-55 cm from each other. Then proceed to the final stage. By this point, the plywood sheets should already be cut to the dimensions of the existing spans between the bars. Their edges must necessarily lie approximately in the middle of the joist and not “hang” over the void. The sheets are attached to the wooden frame using self-tapping screws, which should be slightly sunk into the thickness of the plywood. Return to contents</a>
Machining of uneven floor by cycling
Floor sanding with a scraper with an extended handle.There is another way to level the floor that does not require a screed. It is usually used in cases where the floors do not have large differences in the levels of defective potholes. The execution of sanding work begins with the mandatory "sinking" of all fasteners without exception located in the floor. If you try to level the floor without this "trifle", you can end up putting an expensive sanding machine out of order. It is equally important at this stage to determine and visually mark the places that will have to be processed especially carefully. Also, all cracks are sealed, rotten boards are replaced with new ones. After this, you can turn on the equipment. The machine with a coarse-grained abrasive is carried out over the entire area of the floor, moving it diagonally and with each pass slightly running over the already cleaned strip. Then, having cleaned the floor from shavings and dust, put medium-grained sandpaper on the pulleys and make a second pass. But this time, the sanding is done parallel to the laid floorboards and again with an overlap. At the final stage, to completely level the floor, use a fine-grain abrasive. In this case, hard-to-reach places are sanded separately with a disc grinder. Thus, it is quite possible to level the floor without a screed, without compromising on dimensions and quality. But for this, you should always follow simple technological rules and advice from experienced craftsmen.</ ul>
