Today, the self-leveling floor is a separate group of special materials applied to the surface by pouring. In fact, under their own weight, they take on the most horizontal state. With their help, the bases are leveled, as well as their protection. Such floors have unique strength characteristics, they have an attractive appearance even without additional finishing. But be sure to take into account many factors in the manufacture of self-leveling floor. One of the main ones is thickness. You should always take into account the maximum thickness of the self-leveling floor for tiles or laminate. In order to create a base, you can use any composition. But keep in mind that they may differ in maximum thickness.
Classification of bulk floor
The following types of self-leveling floors can be distinguished from a wide variety:
- Mixtures for thin layer application. In this case, the layer thickness can be a maximum of 1 mm.
- Middle coat mixes. In this case, it is allowed to apply the solution on the floor surface, the thickness can reach 5 mm.
- Highly filled type coating, in this case the maximum layer thickness can be 8mm.
Most often, mixtures that are applied in a thin layer are used only in industrial premises. But only if there is a low or medium load on this coating. This type of finish is usually chosen based on practicality and economy. The maximum thickness of the self-leveling floor for an apartment can also be up to 1 mm, if the rough substrate is made correctly.
Thin-layer blends look good and can be used to solve any design challenge.
But, despite all the high economic performance, such a coating does not have a high degree of wear resistance. It wears off fairly quickly.
As for self-leveling floors of medium thickness, they have much higher characteristics than those discussed above. These mixtures can be applied even in those rooms in which rather high mechanical loads will affect the floor surface. But they must be below the maximum value, but above the average.
The advantages of such a coating include a high degree of strength, cost-effectiveness,maintainability. In addition, coatings of this type are quite durable. As a rule, such a floor has a matte finish. But there are mixtures that are designed for use in residential buildings. They have a glossy sheen. The recommended thickness of a self-leveling floor is 1-8 mm. There is no point in pouring more, since the strength will not improve significantly, but the costs will increase.
Compounds that have a high fill level are used for heavy duty applications. After polymerization and hardening, the self-leveling floor will be able to withstand high mechanical and shock loads. The wear resistance of this type of coating is very high, so these floors will be ideal for industrial workshops, as well as other industrial premises. It is also worth noting about the resistance to abrasive elements.
Which thickness to choose for heavy loads
Quite often self-leveling floors are used in warehouses, garages, underground parking lots, industrial enterprises. They can be used where mechanical or vibration loads act on the floor surface. They can be used even in conditions with high temperature differences. On sale you can find a large number of mixtures for the manufacture of self-leveling floor.
In industrial premises, it is best to use mixtures based on methyl methacrylic resins.
As a result, you will get a coating that has a very high resistance to moisture. It is not affected by ultraviolet radiation. Drying takes place literally in 2-3 hours, and not a single seam onthere will be no surface.
With the help of these compositions, you can create a variety of colored decorative surfaces. It is also worth noting the high maintainability of the coating. The flooring can withstand a load of 15 tons maximum. Low temperatures are not terrible for him, the thickness ranges from 4-6 mm.
Acrylic-cement mixtures
Such mixtures are ideal for areas with extremely high loads. These mixtures have become classic today. They can be used in workshops with a high level of humidity. You can also use them in warehouses, garages. To obtain high wear resistance characteristics, it is recommended to make a layer of 10-20 mm. The material is not affected by chemicals, durable, but if you respect the minimum thickness.
Cold conditions
As we said, mixtures for use in low temperatures and are made from methyl methacrylic resin. Also in the composition there are various additives that improve the characteristics of the mixture. In order to ensure maximum resistance to temperature changes, it is necessary to adhere to a layer thickness of 5-7 mm.
Such coatings are usually made in cold stores, in rooms adjacent to them. And we will smoothly move on to how thick the self-leveling floor should be in residential buildings.
Seamed floors in a residential building
And now let's talk about residential buildings. How are youyou understand, it is unlikely that every homeowner will be able to allocate large funds for the manufacture of a self-leveling floor. This is one of the problems faced in the repair and construction. In addition, you may encounter the fact that the draft base is very crooked. Please note that the amount of building material used, and therefore the financial investment, depends entirely on the thickness of the coating. Therefore, you need to know how thick to make the floor in order to avoid large financial investments.
When creating a self-leveling floor, literally every millimeter must be taken into account. For example, coatings made from polymeric materials have very high strength. Therefore, in private houses or apartments, a very thin layer, up to 1 mm, is enough. In this case, you will forget about the repair of the flooring for a long time. But it is best to entrust all the work to professionals. The smaller the layer, the less you will spend on purchasing materials. It should be borne in mind that there may be potholes, cracks, depressions in the concrete screed. This will affect the consumption of the mixture and money. Therefore, it is recommended to make the top coat of the minimum thickness.
Save floor mix
In the event that you apply the finish coat, you do not need to make a thick self-leveling floor. Please note that it is the type of coating that is usually used in houses and apartments. As a base, you can use basic and medium compositions. These mixtures are not very expensive, they are made on the basis of sand, gypsum, cement, plasticizers.
There are no polymers in them, so you can lay this layer even with maximumthick.
But it is advisable to use such mixtures only in order to even out large irregularities. For example, with the help of basic mixtures, you can make the thickness of which will reach 8 cm. The thickness value should be about one centimeter. On top of the base layer, it is necessary to apply a finishing layer, its thickness will be minimal. Moreover, you should not make the maximum thickness of the self-leveling floor under the laminate more than 1 mm. But it’s also impossible to save a lot, since the laminate can bend during operation.
Optimal layer thickness
Polymer blends have one drawback - their cost. But they have an advantage - the thickness of the coating must be very small. For example, if the mixture is based on polyurethane, then the optimal thickness for it will be 2.5 mm. If you need to make a glossy layer or paint it in the future, it is enough to apply no more than 0.5 mm of the composition. The maximum layer for polyurethane compositions is 5 mm. There is no point in making a thickness of more than 5 mm, since the strength will not increase much from this, but you will spend more money.
Epoxy bases have similar characteristics. The optimal thickness value is about 2.5 mm. In this case, you will get good strength characteristics, the floor can withstand any load that may arise in the house.
Methyl methacrylate mixtures can be applied very thinly. But it's best not to skimp on them. To achieve quality, it is necessary to apply a layer of more than 8 mm.
Pro Tips
To get a quality surface at no extra cost, you can use the techniques of experienced professionals. For example, if the base base is fairly even, there is no major damage on it, you can fix everything quite simply. You will get rid of the purchase of a basic or medium bulk composition and save on repairs. Using a grinder, you need to carefully process the surface of the floor. This will smooth out all the bumps, as a result, you will significantly save on building materials.
As a primer, you can use a dry mix for a self-leveling floor. It must be diluted in water. After that, a thin layer with a roller should be applied to the base of the floor. As soon as such a primer dries, you can start pouring the finish coat.
When making a self-leveling floor with your own hands, step-by-step instructions will help you follow the desired sequence:
- Preparing the base for the subfloor.
- Apply the subfloor mixture. It can even be a simple cement-sand mixture.
- Level the base.
- Apply primer to subfloor surface.
- Apply self-leveling floor.
- After the surface has dried, you can start painting it or installing laminate, tile, linoleum.
In order to get the highest quality surface at an affordable price, experts use some tricks.
Thicklayers
When making a thick layer, experts recommend using leveling compounds rather than self-leveling floors. It is worth noting that, depending on the manufacturer, the compositions may have different properties. For example, one company may produce products that can be laid even 80 mm thick. And the other may offer seemingly similar materials, but it will be possible to make a layer of 100 mm from them without any problems.
If possible, use concrete mortar to even out large differences. Leveling compounds are not suitable for top coats.
Experts do not recommend making the most thick coating - the floors will harden for a very long time. To achieve high quality, it will be necessary to maintain a constant regime of temperature and humidity. To make a self-leveling floor with your own hands, step-by-step instructions are given a little higher. It is enough to follow the work algorithm to get a high-quality layer.
Thin floor
Such mixtures are not used to level the surface. They are used to make the final coating. The minimum layer is 1 mm, the maximum value is 10 mm. When pouring and working with the finishing layer, it must be taken into account that the mixtures harden quickly.
The quality of the floor does not depend on the thickness at all. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the value of the maximum thickness of the self-leveling floor. To obtain a high-quality surface with minimal investment, it is necessary to prepare the base. It is necessary to choose the composition based on the conditions in which it will beexploit the floor in the future. As you understand, the maximum value of 10 mm should not be achieved if the floor is installed in a private house or apartment.
