Among the many ways to finish the floor covering, a self-leveling floor occupies a special place. Its wide distribution is explained by useful properties, among them: practicality, abrasion resistance, smoothness, ability to withstand humidity and temperature changes. If you want to update the design of the room, then self-leveling floors will be a valuable find, and the application technology will allow you to embody arbitrarily bold design ideas.
What a master needs to know
If you will make self-leveling floors on your own, you must remember one of the characteristics of such structures, which is thickness. Resistance to abrasive substances depends not only on the thickness of the floor, but also on the nature of the film-forming agent. Polymer coatings are classified by service life. Thus, the minimum period for thin-layer coatings, the average for self-leveling floors, but highly filled floors are ready to serve as much as possible. As practice shows, the most painstaking and important stage in the installation of self-leveling floors is the preparation of the surface, which must be leveled. If the surface ishave a slight slope, then the mass will flow to the bottom corner.
Surface preparation
The self-leveling floor device provides for additional thermal insulation, which is laid on the floor slabs. A layer of expanded clay can act as a heater. The screed can be made of cement, water and sand. Among other things, the composition for arranging the rough surface can be purchased in the store ready-made. The mixture is poured over expanded clay, and then leveled and left to dry completely.
For reference
The installation of self-leveling floors can be done by any home master on their own. The consistency of the mass for work should resemble liquid sour cream. The mixture consists of polymers, resins, as well as additives. The durability of the finish coating and the quality of the work depends on how well the surface is prepared. The most practical base is considered to be a concrete screed, but some builders use a wooden base. But experts advise to refrain from wood at the base of the subfloor, as it is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature.
Rough surface requirements
If you will be installing self-leveling floors, it is important to prepare the concrete surface as correctly as possible: it must have normal humidity when appliedprimer layer. Residual moisture should not exceed 4%. After pouring the screed, it is necessary to leave the surface for some time, which is required to remove residual moisture from the concrete. If you are pressed for time and there is no time, you can use a two-component water-based epoxy primer.
The technology of self-leveling floors provides for grinding the surface of the screed, if there are irregularities on its base. Among other things, such manipulations will open the pores in the concrete, which will contribute to a higher adhesion of materials. If the floor has a ceramic tile cladding, then you can use such a surface as a base. To do this, the tile is washed and degreased, and then treated with soil, which allows to increase the quality of adhesion. If there are peeling tiles, they must be removed, and cement mortar should be laid in the resulting empty spaces.
Priming
The device of self-leveling polymer floors involves priming, which prevents air from penetrating into the self-leveling floor system. This will prevent the formation of bubbles. Before applying the primer, the surface must be cleaned. In the priming process, you can use a roller. In order to improve the adhesive qualities with a self-leveling floor, it is necessary to pour fine-grained clean sand onto the still dry soil. Experts advise to purchase primer for concrete and not save on it if the composition is quickly absorbed. In thatcase, it is applied in several layers.
Filling the base layer
Works on the installation of self-leveling floors include pouring the base layer. Its thickness should be approximately 3 millimeters, the application of the mixture should be carried out 6-12 hours after the priming, which is true when using a polyurethane layer. If it is supposed to use an epoxy self-leveling floor, then the base layer is poured after 12-17 hours. The base layer is a continuous coating, which is equipped by pouring. The composition is evenly distributed over the surface, and if a large area is covered, then the mass should be poured in adjacent strips. The composition will spread and level out on its own. To apply the mixture, it is recommended to use a squeegee, which is a tool with an adjustable gap. With it, you can apply a layer of the desired thickness.
Recommendations for arranging the base layer
The installation of epoxy self-leveling floors should be carried out in such a way that bubbles do not form in the composition. Before the mixture dries, the surface must be treated with a special roller, which has long spikes. The master should roll the base, moving in different directions. In this case, the tool should not be removed from the material. This process must be completed within 10 minutes, since after this period the composition will begin to increase viscosity.
If the floor was usedtwo-component composition, then you need to prepare such an amount of the mixture that you have time to work out before the moment of hardening. While rolling the surface with an aeration roller, the master must put on paint shoes that have special metal spikes. Such a device will eliminate the violation of the integrity of the bulk coating. If it is supposed to take a rather long break in work, then the entire tool must be washed in a solvent.
Filling layer fill
A day after applying the base layer, you can prepare a mixture for the self-leveling floor, which will form the basis of the topcoat. However, the interval between applying layers should not exceed 48 hours. The thickness of this coating should be approximately 2 mm. In order to improve the chemical characteristics of the coating and provide it with a gloss, the flooring is completed with a polyurethane varnish, which is applied in a thin layer. The seamless coating will turn out to be monolithic, and there will be almost no temperature shrinkage. However, you must be aware of the need for expansion joints along walls and doors. The resulting space is filled with a special sealant.
Expert Tips
The self-leveling floor should be equipped according to the manufacturer's instructions. At the same time, it is important to observe the temperature regime. If the mixture is applied at a lower temperature than that specified in the instructions, then the mixture will harden for a long time, spread poorly, and its consumption will increase. The appearance of the coating after hardening may not meet expectations. If,on the contrary, the temperature will be increased, then the mixture will harden in a shorter time, but the quality of the composition will decrease, which will negatively affect the durability and appearance of the coating.
When carrying out such work, a constant temperature must be maintained in the room until the surface hardens. If it is too hot, it will cause bubbles to form. Industrial self-leveling floors, the device of which is carried out according to the same technology, also provide for the application of the mixture on a surface previously prepared with a primer. If the temperature is sharply reduced during priming, this will cause condensation to form on the surface. Under such conditions, work should not be carried out. Uncured coating is recommended to be protected during the day from any moisture on the surface. If this happens, the curing process will be disturbed, the base may turn white, and pores and bubbles will appear on the surface. The floor must be kept clean and the room must be sufficiently ventilated.
Cost of works
Before you start pouring the mixture, you must lay the floor screed. Self-leveling floor, the device of which is not always carried out by the owners of apartments and houses, will cost more if you entrust the matter to professionals. For example, laying a concrete screed will cost about 450 rubles. per square meter. If you want to insulate the surface by adding an expanded clay layer to the system, then the work will cost 600 rubles. per square meter. Sand concrete screed can be equipped by specialistsfor 550 rub. per square meter. Quite often, self-leveling floors are supplemented with heating, while the arrangement of the preparation will be somewhat different, but it will cost less - 350 rubles. per square meter. If you decide to install a self-leveling floor, an estimate compiled by professionals will allow you to estimate the costs in advance. So, if the floor thickness does not exceed 30 millimeters, then you will have to pay 350 rubles for the work. per square meter. The final layer, the thickness of which does not exceed 10 millimeters, will cost 250 rubles. per square meter.
Conclusion
If you still cannot decide whether to choose a self-leveling floor as a finishing coating, then you should familiarize yourself with its technical characteristics in more detail. Such systems have high wear resistance, are perfectly exposed to aggressive household chemicals, and are also ideal for subsequent finishing with any materials. If you do not lay other coatings, the surface will be easy to clean and hygienic. In addition, during operation, the materials at the base of the self-leveling floor do not emit toxic substances and vapors harmful to human he alth. Such systems are completely harmless to the external environment, which makes many buyers opt for them.
