The most used and worn part of the room is the floor. In this regard, floor repair is a procedure that requires a thorough and meaningful approach. How to repair floors in an apartment, what to pay attention to and how to avoid unnecessary expenses, we will consider below.
Assessing the complexity and capital of work
Open up the old coating and determine the scope of work
Before you start purchasing building materials In order to carry out floor repairs, you need to decide what condition the coating is in now, and clearly understand what quality of floor you want to receive at the end of the process.
To do this, it is necessary to open the floor covering and assess the condition of the screed. If this is a new building, then there are fewer problems, the screed is visible and its quality is quite easy to assess. Repairing floors in an old apartment may also include dismantling the cement screed.
In addition, when starting to repair a wooden floor in an apartment with your own hands, it is worth assessing the condition of the final floor covering: a complete replacement is required or partial reconstruction is possible.
As a rule, high-quality wooden floors made of planks or parquet are not completely replaced, but only the completely damaged elements are restored and replaced.
This is explained primarily by the high cost of the material and the ability to carry out patch or segmental repairs of the floor.
Let's look at two situations:
- floor repair, including restoration of concrete screed;
- restoration of wooden floors.
Major repairs of flooring
Hydro- and thermal insulation can be laid on the dried screed
Having removed the top finishing coating and assessed the condition of the screed, you have come to the conclusion that the concrete base requires replacement. To fill a new screed you must:
- dismantle old base to floor slabs;
- thoroughly clean the floor surface from debris;
- carry out waterproofing measures by treating the base with a deep penetration primer;
- cover the floor with film overlapping the walls and secure it with damper tape;
- pour concrete screed;
- ideally level the base with finishing fill.
After the screed has dried, you can carry out work on any type of device flooring. Between the thin decorative coating and the concrete base it is necessary to lay a waterproofing film and thermal insulation material. This will extend the life of the coating, significantly reduce heating costs and postpone the next floor repair.
A new screed can be arranged in several ways, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
| Screed type | Advantages | Flaws |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid pouring of concrete or cement mortar | Ease of operation, the most economical and familiar option. | A long drying period, during which further work on the floor cannot be carried out |
| Self-leveling floors based on dry construction mixtures | Convenient to mix, easy to fill and level, their drying period is a maximum of 10 days. There are self-leveling liquid floors and repairs in this case will not require much effort at all: there is no need for leveling. The result of the floor repair will please you - a perfectly flat, durable surface. | Cost of material: the price of SSM floors is quite high, and the volume required for purchase will be large. |
| Dry screed | It will be a solution for repairing floors in old houses. The light weight of the material will not add load to the floors, but will provide additional heat and sound insulation. | Cannot be used on sloped floors. In addition, dry screed is not recommended for use in rooms with high humidity. |
Reconstruction of an old screed
If concrete base the floor, in general, has no complaints, and there is only a need for cosmetic repairs of small cracks and chips, then the following work must be carried out:
- clean cracks from debris and dust,
- treat the surface with a primer;
- fill the crack cement mortar with the addition of plasticizers;
- wait for complete setting;
- Clean the surface level with the floor.
In a situation where an old screed is being restored, it is better to pour a finishing leveling coating 0.5 - 1 cm thick in order to avoid unpleasant surprises when laying decorative floor coverings.
Restoration of wooden floors
In a situation with cement floors everything is clear. But when faced with renovations in old houses, owners are wondering: how to repair the wooden floor in an apartment? This type of flooring has its own specifics both in the design technology and in working with the material.
Repair wooden covering
The procedure for repairing wooden floors in an apartment should start from the base, namely by checking the condition of the logs. Wooden floors on joists, many builders believe ideal option for flooring:
- not required concrete screed;
- quick time the floor is ready for use;
- additional thermal insulation.
Replace old logs with new ones
If the logs are rotten, they must be dismantled and new ones installed. At the beginning of the work, it is necessary to get rid of defects in the ceiling by filling all the cracks. Then lay down the waterproofing material and proceed to installing the joists.
For the guides, timber up to 7 cm thick is used. When installing the logs, strictly observe the horizontal level. To simplify the process, place the two outer logs, stretch the beacon between them and bring the rest to the specified height.
After installing the logs, thermal insulation material is laid between them. This can be slab insulation, filling with expanded clay or foaming.
Next, a finishing coating is applied to the joists. The plank flooring is laid on the guides and secured. The sheet covering is installed offset to properly distribute the load. When installing joists under sheet materials it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the plate. To learn how to replace rotten floors, watch this video:
The timber must be installed with such frequency that when installing the sheet, its surface hits at least 3 guides.
Scheme of a wooden floor
The procedure for installing flooring sheets on joists:
- surface wooden elements treated with an antiseptic and fireproof solution;
- outer side plywood sheet soaked in hot drying oil;
- sheets are laid out offset;
- secure the plywood with self-tapping screws into the joists; seal the joining seams with putty or tape.
If two layers of plywood are laid, then the second one is fastened with self-tapping screws with additional lubrication reverse side glue. In this case, the sheets are laid perpendicularly.
Partial replacement of plank floors
If the wooden joists are in good condition, then the finishing material needs to be replaced. In such a situation, floor repairs proceed according to the following scenario:
- we sand the boards, removing paint to assess the condition of the wood;
- we select material suitable for further use;
- dismantle rotten sections of the floor;
- we strengthen suitable boards, fasten them to the joists with self-tapping screws, and bury old nails;
- restore the evenness of the surface using putty;
- we install new boards on damaged areas;
- we go over the floor with a sanding machine;
- We clean the boards with a brush, vacuum, do wet cleaning, and let the wood dry for at least 12 hours;
- paint or varnish. Watch this video for more details:
All the work is not complicated and does not require special skills, so anyone can repair wooden floors with their own hands.
How to independently repair the floor in an apartment or private house
There's no point in starting cosmetic repairs floor in an apartment or private house, if the boards creak under your feet, cold and dampness comes from the cracks, the concrete crumbles, and due to unevenness and slopes it is impossible to place the furniture level.
Do-it-yourself wooden floor repair in Khrushchev
It is necessary to check how worn the floors are approximately 10 years after the completion or last major renovation. The floor in an old building, for example, in a Khrushchev-era building, most often consists of floor slabs covered with construction debris, filled with concrete screed and covered with thermal insulation (although there may not be any) and wood boards.
Before laying the decorative coating, it is necessary to determine the degree of wear of each layer. Depending on the condition of the floor and the planned budget, you can consider 3 repair options:
1. Replacement of the thermal insulation layer and wooden covering if the condition of the concrete screed is satisfactory;
2. Pouring a new screed, followed by laying wood boards;
3. Pouring a full concrete floor.
It is worth considering each of the options for repairing the floor in an apartment with your own hands step by step in order to determine the optimal one in terms of labor intensity and costs.
Do-it-yourself budget renovation of a wooden floor in an apartment
If the condition of the wood boards suits the owner, they can be slightly restored. Floorboards need to be cleaned paint coating, sand thoroughly. Rotten, dried out, insect-damaged boards are replaced with new ones. The fasteners need to be checked and updated: drive the nails deeper, and for reliability, additionally strengthen the boards with self-tapping screws. The caps need to be recessed into the material by about 3-5 mm.
The gaps between the slabs and the holes left by the heads of nails and screws are covered with a special putty. If the width of the gap is more than 5 mm, it must be closed wood trim, the so-called chopik. It is driven into the crack with a hammer, after having been coated with wood glue or putty.
After the floor has dried, the boards are processed with a sander, thoroughly cleaned of dust and covered with varnish or paint.
This DIY option for repairing wooden floors is the cheapest. It is suitable if:
— the floorboards are slightly loose;
— there is no blowing from under the floor, and mold does not spread;
— it is planned to lay inexpensive covering on the floor;
- limited budget.
Repairing a wooden floor in an apartment with your own hands, replacing boards and thermal insulation
If the floor in a Khrushchev-era building is very cold, there is blowing from the cracks, and traces of moisture are visible on the boards (especially at the joints), it is necessary to update the thermal insulation layer. To do this, the wooden covering must be removed and put in order, as indicated above. The old layer of thermal insulation is dismantled; it is better to throw it away and replace it with a more modern one.
For thermal insulation, you can use mineral or stone wool, fiberglass, penoplex or polystyrene foam. These materials are non-flammable, in addition, they will create a sound insulation layer.
If more than half of the wood covering is damaged, it must be completely replaced with a new one. It is best to use boards with grooves that fit together without gaps or cracks.
DIY floor screed repair
Disadvantage of quality modern boards is their price. Here the question arises about the advisability of restoring the wooden covering: on the one hand, if necessary budget renovation, replacing boards is a rather expensive undertaking. And if the floor is planned to be covered with parquet, good laminate or tiles, it would be much more practical to abandon the wooden floor altogether and spend money on a high-quality concrete screed.
The main thing when repairing a floor screed with your own hands is to achieve a perfectly smooth surface. The following materials are used for this:
- cement-sand mixture;
— ready-made mixture (self-levelling);
- gypsum fiber sheets ().
Floor preparation is the same for any material: the room is cleared of old boards, thermal insulation, debris and crumbled concrete. A waterproofing film is laid on the vacant floor. Next it is glued around the perimeter damper tape, which helps compensate for the compression and expansion of the screed during temperature changes. This increases the reliability of the floor and its durability.
Beacons must be installed for. To do without them, you need to have a certain level of skill.
If the floor is uneven, it must be leveled using expanded clay. You can also lay metal mesh for screed reinforcement.
The most labor-intensive and time-consuming repair is considered to be using conventional cement mixture. This screed takes about a month to dry; the work itself is quite dirty and physically difficult. The advantages include the availability of materials.
Self-leveling mixture dries faster (about 10 days) and is much easier to level. Naturally, the price of such materials is much higher. The same can be said about gypsum fiber boards - they are easy to install, but the price for such convenience is quite high.
Do-it-yourself floor repair in a house
The basic principles of floor repair in a private house are the same as in an apartment. Although a few nuances are still worth noting:
1. If in apartment building the base of the floor is a concrete slab, then when repairing the floor in a house with your own hands, you need to start from the base of the structure: it can be concrete or a strong frame of beams, or it can be half-rotten boards or even ordinary soil. In some cases even budget option Repairing the floor will require serious investment and effort.
2. If the thermal insulation of the house is not so important (for example, on summer cottage), you can save time and money and make a single plank floor. In order to keep warm, this option is no longer suitable. A double plank floor with a thermal insulation layer is suitable if you plan to live in the house all year round, but the design features do not allow pouring a concrete screed (for example, if we are talking about wooden house without a monolithic foundation).
3. If you can save money on waterproofing in an apartment, then in a private house you cannot do without it, otherwise the floor repair will not be durable.
DIY heated floor repair
Warm floors are an ideal way to make your home more cozy and comfortable. However, this system can also fail and unpleasantly surprise the owners with the arrival of cold weather. In order to make repairs, you need to find the cause of the breakdown.
First of all, the problem may be in the wiring and heating element. The cable may burn out as a result of being accidentally hit by a drill during some repair work. Naturally, you can fix such a malfunction yourself if you have electrical skills.
If the temperature sensor is damaged, the base of the floor will heat up, but problems will arise when adjusting it. For example, the floor will heat up too much or, on the contrary, turn off without reaching the set temperature. In this case, repairs are made by replacing the sensor.
If during repairs a warm water floor is accidentally damaged by a power tool, it is necessary to turn off the water supply without removing the hammer drill attachment or the one that damaged the pipe. The floor around the break should be dismantled, damaged pieces of pipes should be cut off and repaired using a repair kit.
DIY kitchen floor repair
After carried out major renovation floor, you can start laying decorative covering. As a rule, this is laminate, parquet, linoleum, carpet or tile. The choice depends primarily on aesthetic preferences, budget and purpose of the room.
Repairing the kitchen floor has some features:
1. The material should be selected based on the fact that in the kitchen much more often than in other rooms, wet cleaning. Therefore, the floor covering must be.
2. The material must be impact-resistant, since accidentally dropping a knife or breaking a plate can damage the coating.
3. Heavy household appliances And kitchen furniture installed on a durable, damage-resistant surface.
4. In a small kitchen, especially if the ventilation system does not work well, decorative coverings can be subject to quite strong temperature changes (for example, when ventilating in winter after long cooking). This can also affect the coverage.
The optimal solution would be a combined floor (impact-resistant ceramic tiles V work area and laminate or linoleum in the dining room).
One of the most labor-intensive operations when finishing an apartment is repairing the floor. Having roughly imagined the scope of work, you can not only refuse to carry out this repair yourself, but also exclude it from your plans altogether. However, over time, the floor covering deteriorates more and more, and sooner or later postponing its renewal becomes impossible.
If there is a need to make a new coating in your apartment, there is no need to look for professionals - this will not only increase the cost of repairs, but will also delay the results. It is quite possible to ensure the quality of the floor covering when laying it yourself, carrying out all the necessary operations step by step. The stages of repair vary depending on the type of floor base, its initial condition, the type of room, and the type of decorative coating.
Assessment of scope of work
The extent of required repairs is assessed based on the condition of the existing pavement. The first step is to identify problems in the foundation. Usually the base is concrete, and the remaining parts may vary: the upper elements of the structure may be supported by wooden joists or be laid on a cement screed.
Depending on the type of base, the typical problems. Thus, the boards of wooden floors begin to creak, become loose and fall through, cracks form, and the smell of rot appears.
The screed may rustle due to broken pieces of concrete, sag, and individual sections of the structure may become unstable. Whatever the problem, all old coating is completely dismantled.
Of course, you first need to remove all the furniture from the room and protect the remaining rooms from dust and construction debris, if the renovation is not carried out in the entire apartment.
Dismantling of the coating is carried out in the following order:
- Removing skirting boards. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the walls. And it is not advisable to deform the baseboards themselves, if you can use them again. The easiest way to remove these elements is if they are secured with screws or brackets.
- Removing the coating with your own hands. If rolled material was used - for example, linoleum or carpet - it is cut, divided into narrow strips, and rolled into rolls. If the material has been glued to the floor, the dismantling process can take a noticeable amount of effort. Often in this case, the coating is torn off along with pieces of the old screed. If this happens, it is better to remove the coating in separate fragments. The parquet is removed in separate boards. The tiles are removed using a hammer drill with a chisel-shaped attachment.
Of course, if the coating consists of individual elements, you can not replace it completely, but only repair the damaged areas. However, this repair option is not recommended, since in this case the old floor will continue to deteriorate, which is why the repair may take forever with short intervals.
Base repair
If joists are installed on the floor and you plan to install a new covering on them, you need to carefully examine these structural elements and their supports. There should be no areas of rotting, fungus or bacterial damage.
Each load-bearing part is checked for resistance to loads - nothing should sag, wobble or creak. After inspection, all joists are treated with antifungal and antibacterial agents to protect them from biological attack.
If the condition of the joists is satisfactory, you can make a new coating on them, removing all debris from the spaces between them. These cavities can be filled with fresh thermal insulation material, For example, mineral wool. To form a new coating with your own hands, you can use old boards, selecting the most suitable ones. This overhaul of the flooring will eliminate most of its shortcomings.
If the logs themselves are damaged, you will have to completely replace them, since repairs in this case do not guarantee a good result. These elements must be removed carefully so as not to damage the concrete base.
If a screed is found under the old coating, cement may be quite suitable for further use. You just need to check whether the material is peeling off, whether there are loose areas in which the concrete is not strong enough or is destroyed by moisture. If such places are found, they must be cleaned and filled with fresh cement mixture.
In addition, cracks and crevices must be sealed. Proper repair of these flaws involves widening them by 10mm. After cleaning the damaged areas, the floor surface is thoroughly cleaned and dusted with a construction vacuum cleaner.
The exposed lowest layer of the floor - its base, concrete floor slabs - are also carefully assessed and, if necessary, repaired with your own hands in the same way as cement screed. Be sure to carefully seal the joints of the slabs and seal all cracks.
If old screed was significantly damaged and had to be completely dismantled, the surface probably became insufficiently horizontal. Irregularities arise both due to shrinkage of the building and due to violations during the construction process.
Therefore, before starting to lay a new decorative covering, the floor must be leveled. The screed must be made at least 3 cm thick, counting from the highest point of the base.
Installation of the screed in the apartment is as follows:
The base is examined using a level to determine the highest point of the floor. From this point the line of the top surface of the screed will be measured.
Beacons are installed along the intended line to guide the pouring of concrete. Professionals can pour the solution, assessing its evenness by eye. But, if you are making repairs yourself, it is still advisable to install beacon profiles.
The screed solution is diluted directly on site from three parts of washed sand and one part of M400 cement. This recipe will ensure sufficient strength of the material, and the screed will allow you to lay any finishing coating in the future.
However, you can make a solution from ready-made dry screed mixtures, which can simply be diluted with water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. He also indicates the optimal consumption of the solution per m 2 of surface.
The cement mixture is poured between the beacons and leveled using the rule. After initial hardening, the screed needs to be checked with a level and any unevenness corrected.
After the resulting screed has hardened, which takes from a month to 45 days, depending on the conditions in the apartment, you can begin installing the finishing coating yourself.
Laying decorative material
Today's building materials market offers a wide range of decorative floor coverings. What is the best material to make a new floor from when renovating an apartment?
Tree
It is deservedly considered the most environmentally friendly and safe material. Floorboards are mounted on logs, in the cavities between which insulation or soundproofing material. If wooden parquet rather than a solid board is used for finishing, it can be laid either on a screed or on plywood fixed to the joists.
The installation procedure logs resemble beacons for laying screeds. They are also installed strictly parallel to each other and at the same level, firmly fixed to the base. You can make logs with your own hands from durable wooden beam. The upper edges of the logs need to be brought into one plane, for which you can use either cement cakes, or bars or pieces of plywood.
The joists are covered with plywood, which plays the role of a leveling screed here. Sheets of plywood must be placed in checkerboard pattern, shifting the joints. On top of this layer you can already lay any finishing material, for example, natural parquet or laminate.
This material is highly resistant to almost all types of influences. In addition, modern linoleum is environmentally friendly and has a wealth of design options. There is even natural linoleum made from natural materials on a fabric backing. It is more expensive than synthetic and more difficult to install, but it is more pleasant to the touch and much cleaner in terms of the environment.
Linoleum is distinguished by its versatility - it can be installed in almost any room in the apartment, with the exception of the bathroom. The laminate flooring must be perfectly smooth.
This material is the most versatile and can be installed with your own hands in absolutely any room. It is durable, wear-resistant, and is not affected by water, chemicals or biological contaminants. Repairing such a coating is very easy to do - just replace the damaged tiles.
Ceramic tiles are best suited for rooms with high humidity or walkability - in an apartment this is the bathroom, kitchen, hallway. IN living rooms tiles are laid less often because of their coldness and excessive hardness, although the first drawback is easily offset by installing a heated floor. The design of the tiles is varied - from their own colors to imitation of expensive wood and natural stone.
Updating or replacing an old, worn-out floor in an apartment is one of the most labor-intensive operations in general process carrying out repairs. Just imagining the scale and cost of what is to come, many homeowners very often refuse to repair their floors, limiting themselves only to changing the decorative covering on them. But time takes its toll, and sooner or later a moment comes when it becomes simply impossible to delay such work.
In this case, it is not at all necessary to immediately look for a team of craftsmen - especially since in such a service sector you can very often meet outright “hack workers”. As a result, everything can result in a completely unnecessary waste of time, nerves and money with a low-quality result. Why not try it yourself? If the owner has certain skills in general construction work, and if you carry out the work in the apartment with your own hands step by step, in compliance with the recommended technological rules, then everything should work out!
The stages of repair, of course, depend on the type of floors, their original condition, the purpose of the premises in which the work is being carried out, and the type of finishing coating. This publication will discuss several of the most common options.
Since the owner of the apartment is thinking about renovating the floor, then, most likely, there are motivating reasons for this, unless, of course, this is a cosmetic replacement of the covering at the next whim of the wife. Therefore, first you need to identify and clearly formulate problems - the entire scale of further preparatory and repair work will depend on this.
This publication is about a city apartment, and in the vast majority of multi-story buildings, any floor has a base in the form reinforced concrete slab ceilings But further design may differ significantly. The floor can be built on joists fixed to the base, or laid directly on a concrete screed.
- A wooden floor on joists usually begins to show its defects with creaking, instability of the coating - the floorboards “play” underfoot, the appearance unpleasant odor rot, formation and gradual expansion of cracks. It’s even worse if suddenly one of the boards cracks or a fragment of it falls down.
The dilapidated wooden floor reminds of itself with creaking and “playing” boards
- An old screed on which a coating is laid can also begin to present surprises due to “old age,” especially if it was once filled with low quality. Thus, it is also possible that obvious creaks and rustling sounds from sand or small pebbles may appear, the screed may “bounce”, dented areas of the surface may appear, the finish coating may become uneven, and sometimes there will be obvious instability of an entire large fragment.
In any case, if there are obvious defects, remove the old coating.
Removing old coating
- All furniture will need to be removed from the room, completely freeing it for further work. If the renovation is not carried out in the entire apartment at once, but from room to room, it will be necessary to provide protection against the spread of dust, for example, by covering the entrance with a curtain made of thick plastic film or frequently moistened fabric, and covering the gap under the door with a roller made of a wet rag. True, the full effectiveness of this method is very doubtful, and best option However, it is necessary to provide for the resettlement of family members during the renovation. However, a barrier to dust is necessary in any case.
- Next, the old baseboards are removed. Do this carefully so as not to damage bottom part walls to which they are attached. If the skirting boards are intended to be used further, they are numbered according to their location and temporarily removed.
If anyone has not encountered this issue before, we can remind you that the baseboards are attached to the wall, and not to the floor surface, that is, you need to correctly direct the lever force. It will be easier if the baseboards are secured with self-tapping screws or special brackets.
The next step is actually removing the old coating. There are several options here:
A. If the floor is covered with some kind of roll material, then they pry it off from one side and try to carefully roll it into a roll - this will make it easier to take it out. If the covering (for example, linoleum or carpet) was once laid without glue, directly on a concrete screed, this will not be difficult to do. You can first make it sharp to make things easier construction knife parallel cuts, thereby dividing the entire canvas into several narrower strips.
But there are often situations in which old material comes off along with the layers of peeled screed. Then you will have to remove it fragmentarily and immediately take it out of the room along with pieces of concrete, so that this construction waste didn't interfere further work.
It happens that once well-glued linoleum, when removed, begins to delaminate itself, leaving dried layers on the screed. In this case, you will have to work with a scraper (spatula), warming up these areas using construction hair dryer or moistening the old adhesive layer with a solution detergent for floors.
B. Old “playing” parquet can cause more trouble. If it is of no value, then its dies are sequentially removed and immediately loaded into bags, which are taken out as they are filled. If parquet was once glued to bitumen mastic or organic-based glue, then removing individual dies or even entire fragments can be difficult. The “recipe” is the same - scraper, chisel and heating with a hairdryer.
IN. To remove the old one tiles, it is most convenient to use a rotary hammer switched to chiselling mode with a spade chisel installed. If such a tool is not available, then everything is done manually, using a hammer and chisel.
G. When removing a plank floor covering, the most difficult thing is probably to pick up and separate the first floorboard. Then, when you can freely move the lever, the work will go faster. To work, you will need a nail puller with a long lever handle, a hammer, and pliers. You should try to remove the nails carefully, without destroying the boards, since, quite possibly, this material will still be used for a new flooring after repairs or for making joists.
If the old coating was attached with screws (self-tapping screws), then you can try to dismantle it using a screwdriver.
Well, if the board covering is no longer of any value, then the most convenient way would be to make cuts using a manual vertical circular saw (carefully and prudently, so as not to catch the concrete base, damage the joists, or “run into” a nail). After separating the long floorboards this way, removing them will be an easy task.
Is it worth removing the entire plank floor covering if obvious defects were observed only in certain areas, and there are no plans to replace it with a different type of surface finish? Of course, you can limit yourself to only partial repairs - replacing worn out or damaged parts. But experts unanimously advise - remove everything completely. There is no guarantee that if the deterioration process has manifested itself in one area of the floor, then it will not show itself in another in a year, or even earlier. It will be cheaper to renew the base and re-lay the floor, even using old material, than to return to such repairs again after a short period.
Conducting a foundation audit
After the floor covering is removed, it is necessary to carefully inspect the base.
- If there are logs left on the floor and you plan to re-lay the plank flooring, you should carefully check the condition of these load-bearing elements and the supports on which they are installed. Log beams should not have areas of decomposition, rottenness, or fungal damage - such parts must be replaced. Each joist is checked under load - it should not dangle, sag, creak, etc. If necessary, update the linings that hold the guide at the desired height.
If the condition of the joists does not cause concern, then after thorough cleaning, a new coating can be laid in the spaces between them. Most old floorboards will probably work just fine. After such a bulkhead, the floor will stop creaking and gain the necessary stability. If required, thermal insulation material can be laid between the joists, which will also act as a sound insulator.
However, on the old wooden floor very often the logs themselves are quite worn out, and their repair is impossible or does not guarantee durability. In this case, they will have to be dismantled in order to subsequently install new ones. When removing joists, remember that they may be quite firmly attached to the base. You need to be careful and careful to prevent severe destruction of the concrete base and not add unnecessary worries to its restoration.
After removing the joists, the subfloor is cleaned as thoroughly as possible so that you can proceed to further steps.
In the case when, after removing the old finishing coating, a concrete screed underneath is exposed, it is inspected most carefully. You need to trust that the concrete is strong in itself, and repairing such a surface is not necessary.
The screed must be tapped - this will help to remove areas of its detachment, which must be removed to a “healthy” base. The surface is checked for the presence of loose areas, those where, due to a violation of the pouring technology, the solution has not gained strength or has been eroded due to exposure to moisture. Such areas also require cleaning.
Large cracks should not be left on the surface - this may continue the process of destructuring the base. Slots and cracks must be cut in width and depth by at least 10 - 15 mm for subsequent repairs.
Sometimes, after removing unstable sections of concrete, a completely unsightly picture is revealed, such as, for example, shown in the photograph. However, this too is completely repairable.
After removing defective areas and cutting out cracks, a thorough cleaning is carried out. It is best to use a powerful construction vacuum cleaner– using other means to qualitatively clean the surface and formed cavities from small debris and dust is extremely difficult.
Sometimes you have to resort to complete dismantling of the entire screed down to the floor slab. This may be caused by the extremely low quality of the coating, which is impractical to repair, but it is better to completely refill it. Often, mold or mildew finds refuge in screeds in damp rooms. Another option is when the floors require additional insulation and sound insulation, and the ceiling heights and dimensions doorways in the apartment will not allow raising the level of coverage (taking into account the thermal insulation layer and finishing). The same measure is resorted to when it is planned to make a wooden floor on joists instead of thin coverings.
A complex, but often simply necessary operation - complete removal of the old screed
Of course, the process of completely dismantling the screed using a breaker tool is very tedious, noisy and dusty, but no other method has yet been invented. This requires some care to avoid damaging the concrete floor slab. The screed is cut into separate pieces, which are immediately shoveled to the side and packed into bags for removal. It is not recommended to use even small fragments as material for filling a new solution, since they will not enhance, but rather worsen the quality.
After removing the old screed, thoroughly clean the surface - as described above.
Base surface repair
Whatever the floor was, it was not planned for the flooring in the future; the concrete base under it needs to be put in order. Thus, poorly sealed seams between floor slabs, cracks around the perimeter of walls, potholes or cavities, etc. may be exposed.
Such repairs are necessary even if it is planned to fill a new one. The solution may not penetrate into these flaws; air cavities will remain there, reducing the solidity of the coating and becoming the starting point for the destruction of the screed. This is especially important and mandatory if the screed is poured onto a separating layer or onto a waterproofing film (floating screed).
All surface defects must be thoroughly cleaned, if necessary (for example, slab joints) cut, and then even the smallest chips and dust removed with a vacuum cleaner.
The next step is to thoroughly scrub the surface at least twice, which is specifically for concrete.
This treatment will significantly strengthen the surface, which is especially important when it is loose, will increase the hydrophobic qualities, reduce the absorption of concrete, and improve adhesion with repair compounds. Further work begins after the last applied layer of primer has been completely absorbed and dried.
As a repair composition, you can use ordinary cement-sand mortar. However, it takes quite a long time to dry and gain the required strength, and it is better not to waste money on special repair compounds, also cement-based or epoxy-based.
Primed surface defects are filled as tightly as possible with the repair compound, comparing with the general floor level. You can use a regular spatula for this. Some repair compounds are sold in plastic tubes, and it will be more convenient to apply them using a construction syringe or a special “gun”.
If the defect is large in volume, then in some cases you can resort to filling it polyurethane foam. After it dries, the excess is cut off, and then this area is brought to the general surface level with a repair compound.
The repair “patches” are given time to completely harden, in accordance with their instructions, after which the surface can be smoothed using sandpaper wrapped on a block. Then it is recommended to go over the entire surface with primer again. If increased absorption of the composition is noted in areas where repairs are being carried out, then these areas are primed twice.
After the soil has dried, the surface can be considered ready for further work.
Leveling screed
If an old screed or wooden floor was removed and the floor slab was exposed, then most likely its level is very far from horizontal. The house shrank over time, and even when it was built many years ago, the builders may not have cared much about the strictly verified level of floors. So, no matter what the floor was, it was not planned to do anything further, it is recommended to strengthen the base and at the same time level it with a screed. The thickness of this poured layer must be at least 30 mm at the highest point
First of all, it is necessary to determine the magnitude of the difference, that is, to identify the peak, highest and lowest points of the surface and “break through” the line zero level. The beacon system will be set at this mark.
To fill the screed, you can use a regular cement-sand mortar, which is prepared directly at the work site. Usually they start from the proportion of three parts of sand to one of M-400 cement - this ratio provides a surface that is optimal in terms of strength and wear resistance, on which any of the existing floor coverings can then be mounted.
Those novice builders who do not want to deal with drawing up proportions on their own can be recommended to use ready-made dry construction mixtures. Their composition has already been optimized for screed, and all that remains is to properly seal it with water, in accordance with the attached instructions.
How much materials will be needed in this or that case? It all depends on the level of height difference at the extreme points, the planned minimum thickness screeds, area of the room, characteristics of the solution.
Typically, the packaging of dry construction mixtures indicates their normalized consumption in kilograms per 1 square meter poured area with a layer thickness of 10 mm. Based on this, you can use simple calculations to determine the required amount of material.
To make the task easier for readers, here is a calculator that allows you to quickly and accurately make such calculations.
Having started renovations in an apartment, one cannot help but be faced with the question: how to make a flat floor correctly, so that the price of materials does not “bite”, and to do all the work yourself, without calling specialists. And it doesn’t matter at all whether the work starts from scratch or whether it’s an old floor that requires updating, the issue is serious and worth considering in detail. If only because not only strength and beauty matter, but also the abrasion of the coating, sliding characteristics, installation, etc.
What to lay?
Market offers are practically unlimited. Each user can choose a coating based on price, color and their preferences. Finishing materials divided into groups, prices and the manufacturer tries to take into account all the wishes of customers. But not every material can be used in a particular room. For example, tiles. Plain, ceramic, dense and beautiful. The finish is ideal for the hallway and bathroom, but it is not always appropriate in the living room and bedroom. Therefore, first you should think about what and where to lay in an apartment or house. For example, pay attention to universal coatings: laminate, linoleum.
If you try hard, you can always find material of acceptable quality and affordable price. And then begin the process of renovation, restoration or complete repair of the floor with your own hands.
Stages of laying a floor with a concrete base
Even starting a renovation from scratch, you need to first prepare the foundation. Not every consumer likes concrete, especially if it is the floor in an apartment on the first floors, so the base will have to be thermally insulated. The process is usually carried out using logs, which allows you to get a flat floor that is inexpensive.
Repair of concrete base
Often the subfloor has chips, dents or gouges that you can remove with your own hands. The simplest option is a screed. Completion will not take much time or effort, and also does not require knowledge. And even if the user takes up work for the first time, it is enough to buy ready mixture and do everything as written on the package. Dry powder is sold in packages clearly designed for the area, so you will have to find out this point before work. Now cover the base with waterproofing and begin renovating the floors with your own hands:
- Lay out the rolled materials with an overlap, overlapping the edges by 10-15 cm;
- Leave allowance for wall panels also 10-15 cm;
- Secure the edges of the strips with construction tape along the entire joint border;
- Pour in the finished screed.
To make a flat floor in an apartment correctly, watch a video that will help you calculate the time required for repairs. Important point: if the apartment area is large, it is worth dividing the space into sections and pouring the foundation gradually. The use of metal guides in this case is necessary so that the solution does not overflow beyond the boundaries. After pouring, they are removed, the joints are sealed and transferred to another area, use metal elements as many times as you like.
In order for the floors in your apartment, made by yourself, to please you with durability and warmth, you will have to choose a heat-insulating substrate. In this case, the floor will always remain dry, and the final coating, for example, parquet, will not creak after the first year of operation. Manufacturers offer a wide range of materials differing in structure, appearance and characteristics. For example, expanded clay is a dry filler whose price is very affordable. Possessing high quality and practical characteristics, expanded clay is easy to install. It is enough to scatter the dry material over the base, level it and fill it with another layer of screed. It’s a good idea to reinforce it with a reinforcing mesh. They lay it on top of the insulation, thereby securing the screed without limiting its “flexibility”.
As for roll or tile insulating materials, after installation it is worth covering them with waterproofing in the form of cellophane, for example. Otherwise, liquid (condensate) getting on them will destroy the quality properties and the insulation will become useless.
Watch the video again on how to make floors in an apartment with your own hands and you will definitely get a smooth floor that will last for decades.
How to make a floor using joists
Making floors in an apartment or house with your own hands using joists is even easier, but only when the height of the ceilings allows. Many experts recommend this option, emphasizing the optimality for several reasons:
- This is a dry method that does not require screed;
- The increased speed of the entire procedure allows you to move on to finishing work without much time investment.
If you do everything correctly, your new flat floor will be ready in just a matter of days. But first, they putty, fill cracks, chips, etc. Then waterproofing and installation of logs. For this purpose, a beam with a height of up to 70 mm is used, set in a horizontal plane. The process will be facilitated by placing the two outer lags with stretched transverse threads - it is easier to align the intermediate elements using them without losing their height and evenness.
After preparing the sheathing, lay a layer of insulation and waterproofing between the joists, attached directly to the bars, and any material of your choice is placed on top of the structure. For example, if you want a wooden floor in your apartment, take boards, but for heated floors you will need to make a solid foundation:
- Plywood sheets;
- Boards.
The sheathing is adjusted for sheets and slabs so that each element covers three bars: one in the middle, two at the edge. The support must be strong, but the tile material should be laid out, slightly shifting it. This improves the distribution of the load; it will fall evenly over the entire area of the base. You will have to decide what and how much material to take yourself, calculating the area to be covered. It is convenient to make floors on joists in new apartment, starting renovation from scratch and in a room where the floors are pretty worn out. The option is extremely economical, especially when using expanded clay as a heat insulator, while the materials are lightweight, which means excess weight there will be no overlap.
But there are a number of points that must be fulfilled:
- The tree is coated with an antiseptic;
- The top side of the plywood is coated with hot drying oil so that the base always remains dry;
- Fastening with self-tapping screws along the joists will ensure strength;
- The joints are sealed with dry construction tape and puttied.
Important! If you want to make a solid floor, you can lay plywood in 2 layers, but in this case, self-tapping screws and glue are used for the top sheets. Now the coating is ready for final finishing and you can lay parquet, laminate, carpet or tiles. To make the process even clearer, watch the video.
Alternative options
There is another way to make floors in your house with your own hands. For example, using a dry screed. Enough to lay gypsum fiber sheets having density and strength. But here you need a flat surface and laying in at least 2 layers. How many elements to buy will be determined by the size of the room. The convenience of using this material is that the connecting element of the tiles is a lock; you don’t have to buy it or think about how to secure the fragments to the base.
Important! GVL slabs are laid both on concrete and on logs. Watch the video, which shows the main points of laying out and fastening gypsum fiber sheets; perhaps this option for renovating or repairing floors with your own hands will be the most acceptable.
It is up to the owner to decide which option to choose. But remember that even the most complex processes do not always require enormous knowledge and experience. A few tips, patience and full calculation: how much material to take, how to fasten, what to put, will help you cope even in difficult situation when you need to make the floors in the house with your own hands. And thanks to new technologies, manufacturers offer almost completely ready materials, the process of working with which is extremely simplified.