Walls When decorating a room in high-tech style, professional designers advise abandoning wallpaper and giving preference to light paint. The most suitable colors for painting walls are white, light gray, sand and beige. It is not recommended to decorate the walls,

Walls The chopped wall in the section is shown in fig. 84. Fig. 84. The design of the chopped wall: 1 - blind area; 2 - base; 3 - log house; 4 - window opening; 5 - black floor; 6 - clean floor; 7 - floor beam; 8 - bracket; 9 - Mauerlat; 10 - rafter; 11 - backfill; 12 - roof Long chopped

Why reinvent the wheel when you can go shopping? 1. Absolute confidence in the composition and quality. Do not add to your favorite cream mineral oil instead of olive and do not reduce the concentration of vitamins for the sake of commercial profit!2. No harmful

By leveling the floor, they usually mean the creation of a horizontal plane of the floor. But everything is not as obvious as it seems. After all, the floor plane may not be strictly horizontal - one corner may be higher than the other by a centimeter or two, but the plane will be even (although not strictly horizontal).

If the floor does not have a plane at all, then it is simply curved and it is even uncomfortable to walk on it. Here it is clear that it is necessary to equalize. But if the floor plane is flat, but it is not completely horizontal, should it be leveled? Here you have to look at specific situation. They are leveled strictly horizontally due to the fact that if the floor is “littered”, this can be noticeable from the furniture (for example, it will be visible from the closet, but kitchen furniture Legs are adjustable so it's not a big deal. But if the floor plane is flat, although not strictly horizontal, and there are no long cabinets planned there, you can leave it as it is.

However, if you still have to level the floor throughout the apartment, it is better to level it strictly “to the level” so that curvature does not surface somewhere later. If it is necessary to align only part of the apartment, and in its other part it is not required, then everything is a little more complicated. Let's say you need to level the floor under the tiles in the hallway and in the kitchen; and in the rooms there will be a laminate - there you can not level it. If you try to level it, the old floor is probably a little littered, and a three-centimeter layer will turn out on the doors to the rooms. Here it will no longer be possible not to align under the laminate, otherwise there will be a step on the threshold. In such a situation, it is better to level not by level, but try to make the layer on the thresholds smaller so that you do not have to raise the floor in the rooms later.

Cases when the floor needs to be leveled

• On the floor concrete plates, and between the plates there are differences of several centimeters.
• removed old parquet or hardboard on bituminous mastic, there were large influxes of mastic.
• The old wooden floor creaks and wobbles.
• There is an old screed, but it is completely crooked.
• There will be tiles on the floor.
• You want to make a warm floor. The classic warm floor is poured with a screed. Now there are warm floors made of film - they just spread under the laminate, but there the prices bite.

Other reasons, for example, if you need to hide electric wires into the screed, cannot be considered sufficient reason to mess with the leveling of the floors. The same wires, for example, can be hidden in a gate, in extreme cases - in a box.

Another common situation is when there are concrete slabs on the floor. The slabs themselves seem to be even, but they lie unevenly: there are differences between the slabs. AT typical houses usually the joints of the plates lie on the walls. As a result, the differences are visible only on the thresholds of the doors, the rest is hidden by the walls. Because of this, it is expensive to level the floors throughout the apartment, and there is nothing to do. It is enough to equalize “to nothing” the differences on the thresholds.

High-quality laminate allows you to make comfortable and environmentally friendly floors. But the desire to make such a floor often runs into a problem - low quality subfloors, especially in older houses.

If the floor is not made even, a poor-quality subfloor can negate all the impressive advantages of embossed wood fiber panels. To date, different ways of leveling the floor under the laminate have already been worked out. But despite the seeming simplicity, this technology has its own nuances that you should know.

Do you always need to level the floor under the laminate?

In construction, with rare exceptions, it is customary to operate flat surfaces. But if in other cases it is possible to neglect perfection, then when it comes to the problem of leveling the floor for laminate flooring, one should still strive for an ideal indicator.

The reason for this approach lies in physical properties actual laminate. It is these properties that force builders to level the floor as best as possible. Otherwise, an uneven floor will cause deformation of the laminate panels, poor adhesion between them, cracks, as well as divergence of the seams. As a result, under flooring moisture will begin to get in with all the negative consequences.

The only thing that a specialist can afford when installing a floor under a laminate is small irregularities.

For good quality difference in floor height per 1 linear meter. base should not exceed 2.5 mm.

With such results, it is recommended to carry out a light leveling of the base. If frequent bulges / depressions are fixed, if the elevation changes on separate sections significant, the alignment will have to be done more carefully. But if the height difference per unit area is no more than 1.5 mm, you can limit yourself to a simple substrate.

Having thus determined the state of the "relief" of the base, you can choose the method of alignment. If you plan to raise the floor level to a height of up to 5 cm, a cement mortar screed is recommended. If the floor is even higher (for example, with large elevation differences), then a lighter option is desirable. For example, you can use a dry screed from GVL panels or apply the laying method plywood sheets on the lags.

Materials and tools for floor leveling

Whatever methods are used for alignment, it is worth stocking up with such materials and tools:

• building level;
• rule;
• bars for lags;
• cement mortar;
• plywood sheets;
• scraper machine;
• electric drill;
• a hammer;
• wood saw;
• screwdriver;
• screws, nails.

Concrete leveling technology

Tools for leveling the floor under the laminate: hammer, ruler, logs, level, pliers, tape measure, brush.

Today, most laminate flooring bases are made of concrete. But rarely when they do without defects. Possible cracks, potholes, chips, shells, the presence of concrete surfaces various influxes or delaminations of the solution lead to height differences on the plane, which should be eliminated.

Experts offer the 2 most common methods for leveling concrete bases for laminate flooring. The 1st method involves the use cement screed, the 2nd is based on the use of a self-leveling compound.

Before use cement mortar all remnants of the previous floor must be removed from the surface of the concrete base. The influxes of the solution are removed with a pick or a perforator, while small ones can be left. If there are stains of oil or paint on the base, they should be removed with a solvent or burned out with a torch. Finally, the concrete is treated with liquid soil.

Then, along all the walls of the room, in their lower part, with the help of a level, the upper edge of the subfloor is marked. At the marked floor level, beacon rails are set. There is no way to fix them. special significance, but most often the slats are fixed with arbitrary slides from the solution. The width of each strip between the rails should not exceed the length of the rule.

Concerning cement-sand mixture, then in this case it is necessary to adhere to the following proportion - 25% cement grade M-400 by 75% quartz sand, pre-sifted. It should be noted that when using this technology, the solution should be thick enough to prevent its premature spreading.

Immediately after preparing the solution, it should be poured between the exposed beacons. Using the rule, the level of the solution is aligned to the level of the beacon rails. After filling with a solution, each strip must be rolled with a special spiked roller that removes unwanted air bubbles.

After setting and hardening of the solution, the beacon rails are removed. The grooves formed in their place are filled with a solution.

But even after the mortar hardens externally, the readiness of the floor for the laminate cannot yet be considered final. It must be borne in mind that the screed, especially thick enough, requires a long time (up to 3-4 weeks) to harden so that you can safely walk on it. All this period it must be kept covered. plastic wrap regularly (2 times a day) moisturizing its surface.

Another option for preparing a flat floor is coating with a self-leveling mixture. This method is fast and of high quality. But all this can be achieved if only the process is properly organized.

First, as in the case of a screed, it is necessary to clean the room in which the floor will be prepared for the laminate. The influx of mortar, debris, dirt are removed, bumps are knocked off, cracks and potholes are puttied. Finally, the surface is treated with a deep penetration primer.

This is followed by the preparation of a self-leveling mixture. The dry powder is diluted with water according to the attached instructions and thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass. But you can deviate somewhat from the manual for preparing the mixture, determining the proportions of dry powder and water empirically. This is allowed if the worker has his own experience in laying floors, taking into account, in particular, the fact that for preparatory layers different thickness self-levelling mixtures of various densities are needed.

After the mixture is prepared for pouring, it is carefully applied to the base of the future floor. Moreover, this should be done at the highest point of the leveled surface, from where the solution will spread throughout the room. You can speed up this process with a spatula.

To ensure the highest quality leveling of the solution, good surface smoothness and removal of unwanted air bubbles from the mixture, the spread mass is rolled with a studded roller. Then leave the resulting floor to settle for several days. After that, laminate panels can be laid out on it.

This method using a self-leveling mixture is suitable not only for concrete, but also for wooden bases. In the 2nd case, the preparation of the base for pouring with a mixture mainly consists in fixing loose boards, removing paint residues and protruding nails, after which the fixed base is impregnated with waterproof primer.

Leveling the wooden base

Often it is necessary to level the wooden floor, on which the laminate will be laid in the future. Here it is necessary to pay attention to the degree of wear of individual floorboards. It will depend on this and the method of alignment. The most common in repair and construction practice are 2 methods - scraping subfloor boards and leveling the floor with plywood sheets.

Scraping is used in cases where the master is dealing with a flat floor in good technical condition. It usually eliminates minor defects. For this, 2 types of tools are used - a manual scraper or a special scraper machine.

In the 2nd case, the process will be quite fast and easy. It is only necessary to drive all possible nails and self-tapping screws into the wooden floor in advance, otherwise you can spoil the machine's knives. After the operation of such a mechanism, the floor usually becomes smooth and quite ready for laying the laminate.

The 2nd leveling method - plywood or chipboard sheets - is resorted to in cases where the floor is very uneven, but it is not planned to disassemble it. To do this, carefully fix loose floorboards with self-tapping screws, if necessary, replace individual boards. And only then pre-cut sheets of plywood or chipboard are laid on the floor.

Particular attention should be paid to the fact that between the stacked sheets there is a gap of several millimeters. This is necessary to prevent deformation of the sheets during their possible expansion or swelling under the influence of moisture.

Finally, all sheets are carefully attached to the bottom boards with countersunk screws. After that, you can start laying the laminate.

Substrate for laminate flooring

Speaking about leveling floors for laminate, we should also mention the substrate, without which this process in some cases will be incomplete. Usually, the substrate is used when the height difference of the base surface is small and the worker is faced with a problem - it is impossible to lay the laminate on the base without preparation, but there is no need to fully level it.

For this purpose, both synthetic substrates and materials based on natural ingredients. Among synthetic substrates, polyethylene substrates are most often used, among the most popular natural substrates are cork or cork-bitumen.

It should be noted that in many cases these components are expensive building materials. But they guarantee excellent quality and speed of work. And this, combined with the skill of the performer, is the key to a beautiful, comfortable and durable floor.

Leveling the floor is not a mandatory procedure before laying the laminate. But in most cases, you can't do without it. To check whether this should be done in a particular case, you should measure the gap between the floor and the ruler over the entire area of ​​​​the room with a tape measure.

If this indicator is more than 2 mm, it is necessary to level the floor. The choice of technique that will be used for this depends on which floor requires manipulation - wooden or concrete. It also matters what materials and tools the master has.

There are materials - taboos that are undesirable to use. These can include chipboard sheets. Under influence external factors they emit harmful formaldehyde.

It is also important to determine the strength of the floor so that it can withstand the entire structure.

Do I need to level the floor under the laminate?

If there are still doubts about whether it is necessary to spend effort and money on leveling the floor, several features of this coating should be taken into account:

1. Laminate under the weight of a person can easily bend. If there are voids under it due to an uneven floor, it may crack over time.
2. The locks between the panels may come apart if the floor is uneven. As a result, moisture will get under the laminate and it will deteriorate from the inside.
3. Large differences on the surface threaten swelling and cracks.
4. Panels may creak.
5. The person will feel the instability of the laminate.

As a result, the laminate will not last long and will soon have to be replaced.

To be sure of the need for a surface leveling procedure, you must first perform several manipulations:

• analyze the floor for chips, potholes, obvious irregularities;
• reveal concrete "waves";
• determine if there are relief differences in the floor.

If one of the listed signs has been identified, then it is necessary to level the surface.

You need to carefully and slowly inspect the floor. If the wrong decision is made, then the floor will either “walk” underfoot over time, or funds will be wasted on the purchase of materials and time to level the coating.

Necessary materials and tools for leveling the floor

The main materials that will allow you to qualitatively level the floor are cement and sand. But modern market building materials invites craftsmen to purchase already ready mixes. They have a number of significant advantages:

• have soundproof properties;
• keep warm;
• have strong bonding properties.

There are dry mixes separately for concrete and wooden floors. There are also these types:

1. Priming - designed to prepare the surface for leveling.
2. Repair - to eliminate serious defects and flaws.
3. Sealing - for sealing cracks.

Also, the master will need tools:

• building beacons (they need to be placed for the screed);
• building level;
• mixer for mixing the solution;
• mixing container.

In addition to tools and materials, it is desirable to enlist support. Otherwise, the task may be overwhelming. This is especially true of the period when the screed will be poured.

It is important not to save on materials. Then it will be much easier to achieve the result.

How to level a concrete floor under a laminate

Often a concrete floor seems like the perfect surface for installing laminate flooring. But even that can be uneven. To level it, you first need to remove the old coating, clean the surface of debris, dust and concrete chips.

There are three ways to level a concrete floor:

1. By using concrete screed.
2. Thanks to the self-leveling compound.
3. With plywood and chipboard.

Leveling with concrete screed

This method can be called ideal if the floor has serious irregularities and flaws. To level the floor in this way, you need to install special "beacons". It is also better to do the work with an assistant, because one person cannot cope with pouring a concrete screed.

The algorithm for leveling a concrete floor with a screed is as follows:

1. Use a level to find the highest point on the floor. Along the perimeter, mark the line to which the screed will reach.
2. A cord should be pulled to mark this line.
3. Install beacons. They need to be strengthened with slides of concrete mortar. During their installation, you need to constantly monitor their horizontal level. If inaccuracies are found, they must be corrected promptly.
4. Mix the solution. To do this, you need to mix 1 part of cement, 3 parts of sand (necessarily sifted) and water. You need to get a homogeneous mass. To get this, it is best to take a drill with a special nozzle and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Focusing on the "beacons", pour the screed to the level that was noted earlier.
6. Align the screed. This moment is very important, it depends on whether the procedure will be done qualitatively.
7. Use a spiked roller to remove bubbles from the concrete. They need to process the entire concrete surface.
8. Now you need to let the floor dry. In the meantime, for two days you need to lubricate it with water. Wetting should be moderate.
9. After two days, remove the "beacons".
10. Places where there were "beacons", pour fresh concrete mortar and wipe down to the same level with the floor.
11. Cover the floor with polyethylene and do not open for two weeks.

When this time is up, check if the screed is completely dry. After a positive result, you can start laying the laminate.

Using a self-levelling compound

This option is optimal if the floor does not have serious irregularities. Can be minor defects or differences within 5 mm. The advantage of this method is that you do not need to spend time and effort on installing "beacons". This is one of the most modern and effective ways level the floor.

Step by step to complete the task in this case means:

1. Install the most high point floor using the building level.
2. Mark the line to which the mixture will be poured.
3. Prime the surface with a special mixture.
4. 4. Waterproof the floor.
5. Prepare a self-levelling compound, using the information from the instructions for this.
6. Pour the resulting mass to the level that was marked.
7. 7. Level the surface with a spatula.
8. Once again, knead a portion of the mixture, pour it and level it. Doing work in parts is due to the fact that the mixture quickly becomes unusable. If you do not immediately fill it, then after 15 minutes you can not use it.
9. Leave the surface to dry. This will take approximately 3 days. At this time, the room should have comfortable conditions: there were no drafts and it was warm.

When the floor is completely dry, you can think about laying the laminate. If the floor humidity is low (less than 5%), then installation can be done immediately. If this indicator is higher, then first you should use waterproofing and a cork substrate so that it absorbs moisture.

This method of leveling the floor is also suitable for a single master. All stages of the process are clear, it is not difficult to execute them if you refer to the specified algorithm.

Leveling with plywood or chipboard

This method is suitable for rooms with high ceiling. The essence of the process is that a dry screed is used. Plywood is not laid on the floor, but on the logs, which must first be installed. As a result, the height of the room is reduced by 10 cm.

A positive result in this case is possible only when the lags are located according to the horizontal level. If there are depressions, then wedges should be placed, and excess bulges should be cut off.

To level the floor with such methods, you need to follow these steps:

1. Using the building level, mark the level to which the floor will reach.
2. Run preparatory work: lay out waterproofing, soundproofing and cushioning.
3. Install lags. They can be purchased at ready-made and do it yourself using the bars.
4. Be sure to control the distance: from the walls should be 3 cm, and between the lags - 40 - 50 cm.
5. Fasten the lags with dowels.
6. Lay out sheets of plywood or chipboard. Leave a gap between them of 0.2 - 0.4 mm.
7. Fasten the sheets with screws. You should adhere to a step of 50 - 70 cm.

The big advantage of this method is that the laminate can be installed immediately. This is a significant time saving, which attracts craftsmen.

There is also another "dry" way to level the floor - use dry mixes.

The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

1. Cover the floor with polyethylene to create a waterproofing.
2. Close the corners with edging tape. It will absorb sound.
3. A dry screed is made and leveled.
4. Drywall and plywood are laid on top in two layers.
5. Fasten the sheets with screws. If drywall will be used, then the optimal step is 50 mm. If other materials are selected, then the screws can be mounted away from each other.

The dry method also appealed to the masters due to the fact that they do not need to spend time preparing the solution. As a result, the floor is leveled, the room is isolated from extraneous sounds, and additional waterproofing will prevent the materials from losing their appearance and properties prematurely.

How to level a wood floor

Leveling a wooden floor can sometimes be very difficult. If the boards are badly damaged, rotten, then they must be replaced. After that, level the surface. You also need to do with lags.

If at first glance the structure seems strong, you still need to rip the board and check the lags for strength.

In the event that all the elements are in order, then it is enough to use one of the options for leveling the wooden floor:

• cycling;
• using plywood or chipboard;
• puttying.

Cycling - the right way make the wood floor smooth

When it comes to leveling a wooden floor, the proven way to do this is scraping. For this use special machine which will make the tree smooth and even. The procedure can be carried out without equipment, manually. But this is hard and long work, which will take more than one day.

Before you process the surface with a machine, you need to check all the screws and nails that are driven into the tree. Any bulges of this nature must be eliminated: beat with a hammer and wipe. Otherwise, the machine may break.

The meaning of scraping is that the machine removes the top layer of wood, making the surface perfectly flat. It is necessary to carry out the manipulation carefully, without missing part of the surface.

The next step is cleaning the floor from dirt and dust. After that, you can lay the laminate. Cycling allows you to quickly level the floor and get an excellent result. But there is also a minus - the cost of the machine. Not everyone can buy it, given that it is not often useful.

In this case, you should think about renting it.

Using plywood or chipboard

This option is implemented in the same way as when leveling a concrete floor. The main difference is that the logs are laid on a tree and fixed with self-tapping screws.

Between the lags should lay a layer of waterproofing, insulation and sound-absorbing material. So the floor will not only be smooth, but also warm. Neighbors will also appreciate such enterprise, because there will be less sounds.

Puttying

This procedure must be carried out using sawdust and PVA glue. This option is considered the most budgetary, but it can only be used if the floor does not have serious irregularities.

Also, masters are attracted by the fact that puttying does not raise the floor very much, thereby not “eating up” the space in the room.

Puttying with sawdust with glue should be carried out in stages:

1. Install "beacons", fix them with nails. Such a device will allow you to monitor the level. If there are no deformed boards and other flaws, then the "beacons" can be abandoned.
2. Mix sawdust and PVA glue so that the masses resemble thick sour cream.
3. Pour the mixture into the space.
4. The mass quickly settles, so you need to fill it at least 2 - 3 times.
5. Wait until the surface is dry.
6. Lay thin plywood (5 mm thick) on top of the dried layer and fix it with self-tapping screws.

It is useful for a novice master to know the features of the procedure for leveling a wooden floor. These recommendations include:

1. The floor must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust. Therefore, it is best to use a vacuum cleaner, brush and other cleaning devices.
2. Under the floor are many important communications. In order not to harm, they should be fixed and, if necessary, isolated.
3. The laminate is laid on long years Therefore, it is rational to do everything so that it is comfortable to walk on it. To do this, insulate the floor.
4. All nails must be combed - this is the main point of the preparatory phase.
5. It is important not to skip the stage of puttying and grinding. Then the surface will become even smoother and even.
6. There should be no voids between the floorboards. Otherwise, through them will come wet air under the floor As a result, the tree will quickly begin to deteriorate and the flooring will have to be completely changed. You can close the voids with wooden strips, which must first be smeared with glue.
7. If cycling is chosen for the procedure, then the master must be prepared: have special glasses, a respirator, and ear plugs. It is important to close the windows tightly, and it is best to seal them with electrical tape.
8. Scraping means starting work from a corner. You need to move diagonally. After that - go perpendicular to the past path.
9. To smooth out irregularities, use sandpaper. It is better to opt for fine-grained.

In the event that the wooden floor is completely rotten, then it must be completely torn off and leveled concrete base. After that, according to the already known scheme, lay the laminate.

Leveling the floor is no easy task. The choice of technique depends on many factors: the height of the ceilings in the room, the relief of the surface, its problematic and dilapidated.

You also need to pay attention to the preparation of the master and the presence of assistants nearby. If we talk about durability, then laying a laminate on a concrete floor is considered more reliable. Even after many years passed, this design will hold. But it is better to work with this surface with an assistant to make everything perfect.

The tree is easier to process, but there is no complete certainty that moisture will not get into the middle and will not spoil the base over time.

Leveling the floor will require additional time and money to purchase materials, but you can be sure that the laminate will lie perfectly and last much longer.